Tenn Truth
Fansided

Vanderbilt Football: Commodores look to stop the red-hot Gators on Saturday

By Stetson Marlin

GAINESVILLE, FL - SEPTEMBER 30: Tyrie Cleveland #89 of the Florida Gators makes as Taurean Ferguson #3 of the Vanderbilt Commodores defends during during a game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on September 30, 2017 in Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by Logan Bowles/Getty Images)
GAINESVILLE, FL - SEPTEMBER 30: Tyrie Cleveland #89 of the Florida Gators makes as Taurean Ferguson #3 of the Vanderbilt Commodores defends during during a game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on September 30, 2017 in Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by Logan Bowles/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Vanderbilt football team looks to stop the red-hot Florida Gators when they host them on Saturday, looking to put an end to their four-game win streak.

Both teams are headed in a different direction, as the Florida Gators head into this matchup with a four-game win streak, while the Vanderbilt Commodores are 1-3 in their last four games.

The Gators are coming into this game with a ton of momentum, especially after beating the LSU Tigers, who were ranked No. 5 at the time. After losing at home against Kentucky, the Gators have turned things around during their four-game win streak, getting two straight wins against ranked opponents.

The Gators are now ranked 14th in the AP Top 25 in Dan Mullen’s first year as the Florida head coach.

With that, here is a look at the Commodores next opponent, the Florida Gators.

Offense

Feleipe Franks leads the Gators offense this year. After being doubted throughout the offseason, Franks has silenced the doubters, throwing for 1122 yards so far with 13 touchdowns and just four interceptions. Not only is he a threat throwing the ball, but he can also make some noise with his feet. He has rushed the ball 44 times for 152 yards, including a rushing touchdown.

GAINESVILLE, FL – OCTOBER 06: Feleipe Franks #13 of the Florida Gators attempts a pass during the game against the LSU Tigers at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on October 6, 2018 in Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
GAINESVILLE, FL – OCTOBER 06: Feleipe Franks #13 of the Florida Gators attempts a pass during the game against the LSU Tigers at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on October 6, 2018 in Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images) /

The Gators rushing offense is very balanced, as three rushers are within 15 yards of each other. Jordan Scarlett leads them in rushing with 54 attempts for 268 yards, adding on two touchdowns. Both Lamical Perine and Dameon Pierce have rushed for 255 yards on the year, adding on two touchdowns each. Perine showed up huge for the Gators during their win against the Tigers this past Saturday, scoring two touchdowns while rushing for 85 yards.

Freddie Swain leads the Gators in receiving with 10 catches for 214 yards and three touchdowns. After a fast start, Ole Miss transfer Van Jefferson has slowed down, but is still leads the team in receptions and is second on the team in reception yards. He has caught 16 passes for 200 yards and three touchdowns.

Florida has a ton of threats offensively, so the Commodores will have a handful this Saturday trying to stop a red-hot Gators team.

Defense

To no surprise, the Florida Gators once again have a top defense.

Florida is 19th overall in total defense, allowing just 321 total yards a game including allowing just 10 touchdowns through six games. They are second in the country in turnovers, forcing 17 turnovers through six games. The Gators have intercepted the ball six times and lead the country in 11 forced fumbles.

Vosean Joseph has helped lead the charge defensively, as he leads the team in tackles. He has 42 tackles so far, including 17 solo tackles, 6.5 TFLs, and three sacks. Chauncey Gardner is right there with him, putting up 41 tackles so far with 20 solo tackles.

Jachia Polite has shown out so far, leading the team with six sacks, which is tied for 10th in the country for sacks.

GAINESVILLE, FL – OCTOBER 06: Justin Jefferson attempts a reception against CJ Henderson #5 of the Florida Gators during the game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on October 6, 2018 in Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
GAINESVILLE, FL – OCTOBER 06: Justin Jefferson attempts a reception against CJ Henderson #5 of the Florida Gators during the game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on October 6, 2018 in Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images) /

Five different players have intercepted a pass this season, including two interceptions from Brad Stewart. Stewart was clutch in the Gators win over the Tigers this past weekend, putting the icing on the cake with a 25-yard interception return for a touchdown to give them an eight-point lead with just 1:45 left in the game.

10 different Florida defenders have racked up a fumble recovery on the year so far.

Kyle Shurmur and the Vanderbilt offense will have a handful on Saturday, as they try to move the ball on one of the best defenses in the nation. Like in other games, I would expect Shurmur and Kalija Lipscomb to connect a good bit. I would also like to see Ke’Shawn Vaughn get more carries, as he has seemed to stand out more than the other Vanderbilt backs.

Catch the Game

The Commodores will face off against the Gators early Saturday morning, as the two teams will face off at 11:00 AM CT/12:00 PM ET. The game itself will be broadcasted on ESPN.

Home/Vanderbilt Commodores