Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
Florida vs. Vanderbilt: LIVE BLOG and Updates from Week 11!
It's time to bounce back.
Following a loss to the No. 6 Georgia Bulldogs, the No. 10 Florida Gators are set to take on SEC "rival", the Vanderbilt Commodores - who stand at 2-6 on the season.
Here is all of the information you need for today's game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
This game marks a tough challenge for Florida head coach Dan Mullen: How can his team respond to such a devastating loss to their arch rival? In Mullen's first season at Florida, it didn't go well as the Gators dropped a home contest to Missouri. The Gators can't afford a similar performance in back-to-back years following the Cocktail Party.
Stay tuned to the Sports Illustrated - GatorMaven LIVE BLOG for updates, highlights, stats, and takes from today's game!
LIVE BLOG
3:35 P.M.: Okay, that is it from me! Thanks for following along! Florida needed this win and they dominated the game. Trask struggled early on, but he played well towards the end. Jones had a fun game, rushing for 3 TDs and showing off his arm a little. The highlight of the game was the Florida defense. They were dominant from the start and Vanderbilt had no chance to win this game. Florida moves to 8-2 and will take on 5-3 Missouri, who lose 21-14 to this Vanderbilt earlier this year. Hats off to Dan Mullen, who had his team ready to play after the disappointing loss to Georgia last week.
3:30 P.M.: Here are some of the final stats...
Vanderbilt:
Wallace: 7/18 60 yards and 1 INT
Vaughn: 15 carries for 28 yards
Bostic: 2 catches for 32 yards
Florida:
Trask: 25/37 363 yards 3 TDs and 2 TDs (7 carries for 25 yards and 1 TD)
Jones: 2/3 47 yards (5 carries for 34 yards 3 TDs)
Perine: 4 carries for 13 yard
Pitts: 3 catches for 59 yards 1 TD
Grimes: 4 catches for 95 yards and 1 TD
Diabate: 3 sacks
Stiner: 2 INT
3:24 P.M.: The game is over! Florida dominates Vanderbilt 56-0.
3:20 P.M.: TOUCHDOWN GATORS! JONES FOR THE HAT TRICK! He runs the ball in from 3 yards out for his 3rd rushing TD of the game. He has 5 carries for 34 yards and 3 scores as well as 2/3 passing with 47 yards. He has played good football today. Florida is up 56-0.
3:19 P.M.: Jones is in at QB and looking solid. He completed a 37 yard pass to Copeland.
3:13 P.M.: Vanderbilt lined up for a 45-yard field goal, got a delay of game, and then missed a 50-yard field goal. The Gators preserve the shutout!
3:06 P.M.: Vandy is driving on the Gators again and looking for their first points of the game.
2:54 P.M.: TOUCHDOWN GATORS! EMORY JONES AGAIN! Trask played the first 3 plays of the drive, but Jones comes in for the 2nd and goal play from the 1 and takes it in for his second rushing touchdown of the game. Seeing Jones score touchdowns running the ball is extremely exciting.
2:49 P.M.: INT GATORS! Stiner picks off his second pass of the game. I keep saying it, but wow, this defense has been dominant.
2:44 P.M.: That was a really, really ugly drive by Trask. I have no clue why he is still in the game, but I am hopeful we will see Jones the rest of the way.
2:40 P.M.: End of the 3rd quarter. Florida leads Vandy 42-0. Dominant day for the defense and the offense is scoring too easy. Florida has a chance to score 60 today with the way they are playing.
2:37 P.M.: ANOTHER ONE! Florida's defense forces another 3 and out. It has been a dominant day for that unit. It was the 7th 3 and out of the day.
2:36 P.M.: Shawn Davis is flying around the football field. He is absolutely murdering Vanderbilt players right now. He is really flashing today.
2:32 P.M.: TOUCHDOWN GATORS! EMORY JONES!!! Jones stays in the game and takes the next play 13 yards for a touchdown. He made a defender look silly, juking him out and beating the defense to the corner of the end zone.
2:31 P.M.: Emory Jones checks into the game. He keeps the ball and runs for a solid 15 yard gain. Lets see more of this!
2:30 P.M.: There is a Kadarius Toney sighting! He gains an electric 26 yards.
2:28 P.M.: The Gators defense follows that up with another 3 and out. Dominant!
2:22 P.M.: FLORIDA TOUCHDOWN! YES, YOU READ THAT RIGHT! The Gators defense makes a huge play. True Freshman Mohamoud Diabate gets his third sack of the day and strips the ball. Then Greenard scooped it up and took it 80 yards to the house! This has been one of the most dominant defensive performances I have ever witnessed from the Gators. Diabate is looking like a real DUDE!
2:20 P.M.: Vanderbilt is inside the 10 here with 6:13 to go in the 3rd.
2:18 P.M.: Vanderbilt's offense is finally moving here on this drive. They picked up a big third down on a Wallace run.
2:16 P.M.: Shawn Davis just absolutely laid out the Vanderbilt receiver. i felt that hit from here!
2:11 P.M.: Trask is on his way to a monster game. He currently has 331 yards passing and 3 passing TDs. He also has 26 rushing yards and TD.
2:10: P.M.: The Gators have only run 3 plays in the second half, but they have 14 points and 117 yards on those 3 plays. SHEESH!
2:08 P.M.: TOUCHDOWN GATORS! All it took was 2 plays, as Trask finds Pitts on a 15-yard pass to go up 28-0. Pitts is becoming a big time player. The sky is the limit for him.
2:07 P.M.: Trask hits a great throw to Cleveland for 36 yards!
2:03 P.M.: AHHH! Henderson should have had an INT touchdown, but dropped the pass. Regardless, this Gators defense is DOMINANT right now.
2:00 P.M.: Who said C.J. Henderson can't help in the run game? Henderson blows up a run on a blitz for a loss of 5! https://www.si.com/college/florida/football/c-j-henderson-is-the-next-shutdown-cornerback-in-the-nfl/
1:56 P.M.: GATORS TOUCHDOWN! And just like that, Trask finds Grimes on a short throw to the left and Grimes does the rest. 66 yards and it is 21-0 Florida.
1:55 P.M.: The Gators defense starts off the second half dominating again. They force a 3 and out!
1:40 P.M.: It is 14-0 Florida, but it has been a real disappointing half for them. Their defense has been dominant. They have more yards on defense (a 29 yard INT return) than Vanderbilt has a team (18 total yards). However, the offense just isn't doing its job. Trask has solid looking numbers, but he has not played well. He has been forcing throws and he is lucky to only have 2 INTs. I think Mullen has the perfect opportunity to sprinkle Jones in more to see what he can do. Florida's defense will win them this game for sure, so lets see what Jones can do on a couple of drives! Regardless, lets hope Mullen's offense can blow this game up in the second half.
1:36 P.M.: Here are some first half stats...
Vanderbilt:
Wallace: 2/6 6 yards (yes, you read that right) 1 INT
Vaughn: 10 carries for 28 yards
Lipscomb: 1 reception for 4 yards
Florida:
Trask: 20/29 214 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs (6 carries 26 yards and 1 TD)
Perine: 3 carries for 0 yard
Pitts: 2 catches for 44 yards
Diabate: 2 sacks
Stiner: 1 INT
1:30 P.M.: Vandy takes a knee, but Florida calls a timeout since they were down at the 1 yard line. However, Vandy QB sneaks it and we are at halftime.
1:27 P.M.: Trask made two great throws on the next drive, but throws his second interception of the game. Trask tried to force the throw into the end zone and it was another poor decision. He got away with another throw on the drive that should have been picked off as well. Trask's numbers do not look bad, 20/29 214 yards a touchdown and 2 INTs, but a lot of his numbers are from check downs and screens.
1:21 P.M.: David Reese sacks the QB and strips the ball! Candy recovers, but just another great play by this Gators defense.
1:16 P.M.: The game has slowed down a bit, as both teams are struggling on offense.
1:04 P.M.: After back-to-back touchdown drives, the Gators offense stalls and kicks a field goal, but it slides wide right. No good. McPherson misses a 40-yard field goal.
1:03 P.M.: Trask hits a nice throw to Pitts for 24-yards. Pitts just looks different on the field. He is on his way to becoming a stud!
1:00 P.M.: The freshman Mohamoud Diabate gets home again for his 2nd sack of the game! He has looked fantastic today, flying around the field. Florida's defense forces another punt. They have been dominant today.
12:51 P.M.: TOUCHDOWN GATORS! Kyle Trask has no one open and takes it in himself! It was a great play by Trask on the 9-yard touchdown run! 14-0 Florida with 10:59 left in the 2nd.
12:47 P.M.: INT GATORS! The Gators defense has been awesome today. Donovan Stiner lurks Wallace's pass and returns the INT 29 yards.
12:39 P.M.: TOUCHDOWN GATORS! Trask has played poorly, but he just made a great play on 4th and goal to get the Gators into the end zone. The play was broken and Trask found Perine for a nice little flip touchdown pass.
12:35 P.M.: Perine catches one more pass before the end of the 1st quarter. The running backs have caught 5 passes for 54 yards. Florida has 4th and goal from the 2-yard line to start the 2nd quarter.
12:34 P.M.: Trask has Pitts for a touchdown again, but the pass was once again off target and broken up. Trask has been very sloppy throwing the football today.
12:32 P.M.: Trask finds Perine out of the backfield for a 1st down. The Florida running backs have caught 4 passes for 49 yards so far through the game.
12:31 P.M.: Dameon Pierce came to play. He has 2 solid catches on this drive and just picked up a 1st down on 3rd and 1.
12:30 P.M.: Trask had Pitts for what should have been a touchdown, but Trask was a bit off target and the pass falls incomplete.
12:27 P.M.: Emory Jones checks back in again! He hands the ball off to Swain and then throws incomplete on 2nd down and check back out. However, Trask pounds the ball up the middle for 10 yards and a 1st down.
12:26 P.M.: It is Trask to start the drive and the Gators pick up two quick 1st downs.
12:22 P.M.: The freshman Mohamoud Diabate gets home for the sack and the Gators defense forces another punt. I think Mullen should go to Jones on this entire drive...
12:20 P.M.: I am a big fan of Dan Orlovsky and think he is great on the broadcast, but he just broke down the Trask INT and pretty much blamed it on Pitts. He is flat out wrong, as it was a terrible decision by Trask and the throw should not have been made. The safety likely would have made the INT even if Pitts took more of an inside stem, or at the very least broke up the pass.
12:16 P.M.: This is a good time to throw out our Zach Goodall's article regarding Jones' role and how it should be expanded to finish this season.
12:16 P.M.: Trask throws a really, really bad INT. I have no clue what he was even trying to do with the football, but Trask and Florida's offense has turned the ball over on their first two drives.
12:15 P.M.: Emory Jones has checked into the game early and gains 4 yards, but checks out quickly.
12:10 P.M.: Our Zach Goodall has pointed out that it seems Trey Dean has been benched...
12:09 P.M.: Florida's defense came to play. They do not allow Vandy to do anything with the great field position and force a punt.
12:05 P.M.: Florida goes for it on 4th and 1 on their first drive from their own 44. Trask had Perine wide open if he put more air on the ball, but the defender breaks up the pass at the last second.
12:00 P.M.: Florida wins the coin toss and elects to receive. It's go time.
11:35 A.M.: Defensive end Jabari Zuniga will not play for Florida today against Vanderbilt. He appeared to re-aggravate his ankle injury last week against Georgia. Richard Gouraige and Ethan White will start at the guard spots, following Chris Bleich leaving the team and Brett Heggie having a possible injury...
11:00 A.M.: Vanderbilt's No. 3 QB Deuce Wallace will start as the Commodores' signal caller today, as starter Riley Neal and backup Mo Hasan are dealing with injuries...
11:00 A.M.: NFL scouts are packing the house today, as well as Senior Bowl and East-West Shrine Game staff. Five players - Vanderbilt RB Ke'Shawn Vaughn, WR Kalija Lipscomb, TE Jared Pinkney, and Florida DE Jonathan Greenard and RB Lamical Perine - have all received Senior bowl invites over the past week.
