NASHVILLE, Tenn.--How about a streak of a different sort?
On a chilly, 30-something degree day, Vanderbilt knocked off visiting Florida, 31-24, at FirstBank Stadium on Saturday.
Joseph Bulovas kicked a late fourth-quarter field goal to provide the final margin. The Commodores had just forced a turnover on downs to set that one up.
The Gators took an early 3-0 lead but Vandy countered with a second-quarter touchdown and never trailed again.
Vandy has now won two Southeastern Conference games in a row after snapping a 26-game league skid with a win at Kentucky last week.
It was also the Commodores' first home win over Florida in the annual series since 1988.
The Gators' Anthony Richardson opened the second-half scoring with a 3-yard pass to running back Montrell Johnson Jr., but Vandy's CJ Taylor broke up the 2-point conversion to keep the Commodores ahead, 14-12.
Florida bailed Vandy out on the next drive with a defensive hold on a third-and-14, and Wright cashed in by hitting Gavin Schoenwald with a 7-yard scoring pass.
Vanderbilt got pressure on Richardson on the Gators' next drive, and he made an ill-advised throw that receiver Thai Chiaokhiao-Bowman knocked up in the air to Jaylen Mahoney, who picked it at the Gator 28.
On the next play, Wright hit tight end Ben Bresnahan with a 28-yard touchdown for a 28-12 lead after Bulovas's point-after.
Vanderbilt’s defense stiffened in the red zone twice in the first half, forcing the Gators to settle for 26- and 44-yard field goals from kicker Adam Mihalek. Vandy finally got on the board when Wright hit Jayden McGowan with a 10-yard touchdown pass on third-and-goal.
The Commodores then forced a punt, which Matt Hayball boomed over the head of returner Jason Marshall Jr., who tried to field it anyway. He fumbled it instead and long snapper Wesley Schelling emerged at the bottom of the end zone pile with the ball and a Vandy touchdown.
Florida out-gained Vandy, 445-283.
Vandy improved to 5-6 on the year and 2-5 in the Southeastern Conference.
Quick thoughts
- Anyone remember two weeks ago? Vandy played a lackluster game against a mediocre South Carolina team, the Dan Jackson fiasco was a distraction and a lot of people felt coach Clark Lea, who looked beaten down in the press conference that night, was in over his head as the toll of a 26-game Southeastern Conference losing streak mounted. Two weeks later, the Commodores have pulled stunning upsets of quality programs, both times as double-digit underdogs, and 14 days ago seems a bit like 14 light years ago as of Saturday afternoon.
- Where did this defense come from? The 400 passing yards allowed weren't pretty, but that wasn't the story. I have no words to describe the difference in the Commodores' last two games and most of the rest of the conference season. The Gators averaged 6.1 yards per carry coming in and managed only 2.1 on Saturday.
- CJ Taylor's ascent to stardom continues. Today, Taylor broke up a pair of 2-point plays and led the team with 10 tackles. Taylor also added a hurry and a half-stop for loss.
- Your weekly reminder, Vanderbilt isn't close to fully healthy. Offensive line starters Bradley Ashmore, Xavier Castillo and Ben Cox were all out again.
- But, Daevion Davis was back. Vanderbilt's best defensive lineman, for the first time all year, played a handful of snaps. Davis suffered an injury in spring practice that he's been rehabbing all summer and fall.
- Vanderbilt starting corner BJ Anderson was ejected for targeting with 11:43 left in the first quarter. Ja’Dais Richard replaced him. Anderson had given up a third-and-25 pass play earlier in the drive.
- Vanderbilt’s wide receivers lost another fumble. Will Sheppard had just converted a fourth-and-4 on a throw from Wright and coughed it up at the Gator 24 after the Gators’ Ventrell Miller hit him. It’s Sheppard’s second fumble in a week. This has become a huge issue for the offense as McGowan's also been fumble-prone.
- Why was Vandy throwing the ball on the Wright pick with 6:32 left? The Commodores had been getting small chunks, just enough to move the chains, before that. That also kept the clock moving. I get you want to catch an opponent off guard, but that didn't seem the time and place given how the game was going. Had Vandy just kept it on the ground, it runs another two minutes ,minimum, without a Gator time out.
