The Florida Gators will be on the road this Saturday to face the Vanderbilt Commodores in Nashville, Tennessee. The Gators are coming off of a comfortable 63-35 win over the Arkansas Razorbacks. As for Vanderbilt, they are coming off of a close 38-35 loss to the Kentucky Wildcats. This is a Florida vs Vanderbilt preview.
Florida is in first place in the SEC East and controls its own destiny when it comes to the SEC Championship. On the other hand, Vanderbilt is still searching for its first win of the season through six games.
The Gators are 41-10-2 against the Commodores and are currently riding on a six-game winning streak. The last time these two teams played was in the Swamp in 2019 and Florida shutout Vanderbilt 56-0.
Florida vs Vanderbilt Preview
Vanderbilt Commodores
The Vanderbilt Commodores will host the Florida Gators this Saturday in Vanderbilt Stadium. The Commodores are led by head coach, Derek Mason, who’s in his seventh season as Vanderbilt’s head coach.
The Vanderbilt offense will be led by freshman quarterback Ken Seals. The Texas native has had a solid start to his collegiate career. Seals has completed 66.8% of his passes for 1,291 passing yards, eight touchdowns, and eight interceptions.
Sophomore Keyon Henry-Brooks is the lead rusher for the Commodores. Brooks has performed well after missing the first two games of the season. He has 374 yards on 85 carries and two touchdowns.
The lead receiver for Vanderbilt is junior Cam Johnson. He has 37 receptions for 355 yards and two touchdowns. Senior wide receiver Chris Pierce Jr. and junior tight end Ben Bresnahan are tied for first in touchdowns with three.
On defense, the Commodores have struggled mightily this season. They have allowed 36 points per game and now play against one of the top offenses in the country. However, it hasn’t been all bad as the Commodores have had some bright spots on defense.
Sophomore linebacker Anfernee Orji leads the Commodores in tackles with 39. He also has 14 solo tackles, a pass breakup, and a forced fumble. Senior defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo has been Vandy’s top pass rusher this season.
Odeyingbo leads the team in tackles for loss with five and in sacks with three-and-a-half. The closest to Odeyingbo in sacks is redshirt-senior linebacker Andre Mintze, who has two sacks on the season.
Florida Gators Offense
The Florida Gators will look to stay hot after a pretty big win over the Arkansas Razorbacks. The Gators are led by head coach, Dan Mullen, who’s in his third season as the Gators head coach.
The Florida offense has been very potent this season and a lot of credit has to go to their redshirt-senior quarterback Kyle Trask. The Texas gunslinger has been terrific this season and is currently one of the favorites for the Heisman. Trask has completed 70.1% of his passes for 2,171 yards, 28 touchdowns, and three interceptions.
The Florida rushing attack is also coming off of a great performance. The unit rushed for over 200 yards for the first time this season. Junior Dameon Pierce is the lead rusher for the Gators. Pierce has rushed for 290 yards on 61 carries and two touchdowns.
The Florida offense will be without its top pass catcher as star tight end Kyle Pitts is still out with a head injury. However, the Florida offense still has some quality players for Trask to throw to.
Senior wide receiver Kadarius Toney is one of the leading receivers for Florida. Toney has 36 receptions for 396 yards and six touchdowns. Trevon Grimes has 19 catches for 303 yards and five touchdowns.
Former Penn State wide receiver Justin Shorter has played exceptionally well in the past few games. He has eleven receptions for 101 yards and has scored three touchdowns in his last three games.
Florida Gators Defense
The Florida defense will need to improve heading into this week especially in the secondary. However, the Gators’ front seven has been underrated this season. Florida leads the SEC in sacks (19) and also has 45.5 tackles for loss.
Redshirt-junior linebacker Ventrell Miller is the lead tackler for the Gators with 41 tackles on the season. Miller also has 23 solo tackles, three-and-a-half tackles for loss, one-and-a-half sacks, and a fumble recovery. Redshirt-junior defensive end Zachary Carter leads the Gators in sacks with two-and-a-half. He also has four-and-a-half tackles for loss, nine QB hurries, and a scoop and score touchdown.
The Gators defense has struggled in the secondary which has been a strength in the past few seasons. Florida will need to put pressure on Vanderbilt’s freshman quarterback and force him to make mistakes if it wants to have the performance coaches and fans are hoping for.
Five Players to Watch: Vanderbilt Commodores
- QB Ken Seals
- LB Anfernee Orji
- RB Keyon Henry-Brooks
- DE Dayo Odeyingbo
- WR Cam Johnson
Five Players to Watch: Florida Gators
- QB Kyle Trask
- LB Ventrell Miller
- WR Kadarius Toney
- DE Zachary Carter
- RB Dameon Pierce
Florida vs Vanderbilt Five Predictions:
- Trask throws for over 300 yards and four touchdowns.
- Seals throws for over 225 yards and two touchdowns.
- Florida’s defense gets at least three sacks.
- Orji leads Vanderbilt in tackles.
- Florida Gators beats Vanderbilt Commodores 52-17.
