The Opening Kickoff: No. 20 Florida vs. Vanderbilt
Friday, October 8, 2021 | Football, Scott Carter
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By: Scott Carter, Senior Writer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — If any of the Gators had been thinking about limiting their use of social media, the past week probably shoved them in that direction.
While social media hardly resembles the real world most of the time, it certainly amplifies a loss like the one the Gators suffered at Kentucky.
The critics unloaded.
Meanwhile, the No. 20 Gators (3-2, 1-2) went back to work in preparation for Saturday's Homecoming game against Vanderbilt (2-3, 0-1).
"It's not the end of the world for us,'' quarterback Emory Jones said. "We have a lot to play for. We can do a lot of big things still."
True, but Florida has a deep hole to climb from if it wants any chance to return to the SEC Championship Game. A good start would be to cut down on the 15 penalties the Gators committed at Kentucky, including eight false-start flags.
"I feel like once the bullets started flying some people got kind of flustered," veteran offensive lineman Stewart Reese said. "That's just part of the game. You just have to learn how to focus."
The Gators made other mistakes, including a blocked field goal returned for a touchdown and a Jones interception. They are back home at "The Swamp" this week to face an opponent not quite as formidable as Kentucky.
During weeks like this, teams often turn inward. They focus on themselves more than the opponent. The Gators have done that to make sure any bad vibes from last Saturday night in Lexington stayed in the Bluegrass State.
Or on social media.
For more on the Florida-Vanderbilt game, here is The Opening Kickoff:
GATORS WR JACOB COPELAND, 5 QUESTIONS
Q: What will you guys take from the Kentucky loss and use the rest of the season?
A: First of all, losing is unacceptable. From that loss, I think everybody took it as a big toll on us. Going to work harder each and every day that we step out there on that practice field and when it come to game day, everybody will be focused for every last minute of the game. Receiver Jacob Copeland after a catch in last week's loss at Kentucky. (Photo: Tim Casey/UAA Communications) Q: Did you have a chance to keep your knee up on that touchdown or did you know you were down?
A: Nah, I knew I was down. I really couldn't adjust out there on that turf from the get-go. Like, as we were warming up, I just knew. I felt like it was going to be a problem out there on the turf, because it's just, turf's not for a lot of people, and I'm one of the people that turf ain't made for. I felt like if I was on grass, I would have got into the end zone without putting my knee down.
Q: Was there an adjustment at Kentucky that you guys didn't make or couldn't make due to the crowd noise?
A: I wouldn't even say that for simple fact that our stands was louder than that every time we play here at home. So, I wouldn't say that was an effect. I just felt like we somewhat had a lack of focus throughout the game. I felt like everyone wasn't always on the same page.
Q: How do you actually improve focus?
A: Lock in on the mental mistakes. The mistakes that we had during that game, focus on the mistakes but at the same time, continue to get better during the week.
Q: At Florida the expectations are so high, how does the team deal with that during a week like this one?
A: I feel like I don't take it as a hard thing, and a lot of people on the team don't take it as a hard thing, because it's a fact that a lot of those people who say this and that about us not out there Monday through Friday grinding with us on the practice field, and they don't know what we go through each and every day as a team. So, with that being said, like they don't know what the grind's like for us. I just leave that out there. They gonna discuss what they gonna discuss, because at the end of the day, they not in our shoes.
THREE STORYLINES
A Florida-Vanderbilt statement game? Well, as odd as it sounds for longtime Gators fans, this is an important game for the home team. First, the Gators need a win to distance themselves from the loss at Kentucky. That's most important. Beyond that, they need to show that unlike a portion of the fan base, they have not given up on the season and prove that last week's disappointment will not define their season.
Gators head coach Dan Mullen came under fire from critics for what was perceived as a play-it-safe game plan at Kentucky. The Gators dominated the stat sheet but lost on the scoreboard in a 15-penalty performance. Look for Mullen and the offense to crank it up against a Vanderbilt defense ranked 113th in total defense (447.2 yards per game) and 116th in scoring defense (35.0 points per game).
It's Homecoming weekend at UF and the Gators are wearing throwback uniforms to honor days gone by. The Gators are wearing replica blue jerseys worn during the 1960s, white pants and an orange helmet with the interlocking "UF" logo that was introduced in the late 1960s.
THREE PLAYERS TO WATCH
To stay consistent, we'll start with UF quarterbacks Emory Jones and Anthony Richardson. Jones played a solid game at Kentucky, throwing for 203 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He rushed 13 times for 63 yards. However, the interception proved costly and the offense sputtered in the red zone with 10 points in three trips. Richardson played sparingly, completing his only pass for eight yards and rushing five times for 25 yards. The outcome left a question on everyone's mind: how will Mullen distribute the snaps against the overmatched Commodores, a 38-point underdog?
Junior cornerback Kaiir Elam did not play last week, missing his second consecutive game due to a knee injury. Mullen declined to offer specifics on this week's injury report, but the UF defense is better with Elam on the field. He also has become a team leader and in games like this, you can never have enough leadership.
Vanderbilt sophomore receiver Will Sheppard has become a go-to target for quarterback Ken Seals. Sheppard had a career-high 119 yards receiving and two touchdown catches in last week's win over UConn. The Louisiana native has 27 catches for 288 yards through five games.
SIX DIGITS
438 – Yards rushing for Gators QB Emory Jones, which is tops among FBS quarterbacks. 48 – Yards rushing Jones needs on Saturday to reach 1,000 for his career. 9.2 — Fewer points allowed per game (19.8) this season for Gators defense compared to first five games (29.0) in 2020. 25 – Years since a Vanderbilt kicker had a walk-off game-winning field goal prior to Joseph Bulovas to beat UConn last week. 415 –NCAA-record consecutive-game streak of not being shut out, owned by Florida, last blanked at Auburn in 1988. 20 – Games since the Gators shut out an opponent, a 56-0 home win over Vanderbilt in 2019.
THEY SAID IT
"I can be a lot louder. Part of that was my fault and my job, but we just have to go back to the drawing board and try to get better with that." — Gators QB Emory Jones on snap-count issues at Kentucky
"How do we move on? We've talked about that both as a coaching staff and as a team, and find ways to go fix those things, because, you know, you guys could probably check it: I don't ever remember a game as a head coach where we've had 15 penalties in a game before. I've coached a bunch of games, so maybe there's one skipping my mind out there, but I don't think I've had one with that many penalties before. That is disappointing for me." — Gators head coach Dan Mullen on rebounding from the 15-penalty loss at Kentucky
"The environments are unforgiving on the road, and I think that's also exciting for us. We look forward to playing in those hostile environments and so we'll get up for that." — Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea on visiting "The Swamp"
"Pointing fingers doesn't get you nowhere. Pointing fingers like bringing someone down. All as one. We lost the game as one. In the newspaper, it isn't going to say whatchamacallit lost this game. It's going to say the Florida Gators lost this game. That's why pointing fingers, it never matters where you point fingers. We lost as a team." — Gators TE Kemore Gamble on not letting the loss at Kentucky disrupt team chemistry
"I think that he has a lot of character. I think the players have a lot of respect for him and what he does, what he brings to the table, and he can be somewhat of a student coach or a coach on the field from the standpoint of he can watch from the sidelines and specifically watch, say, a player or two, the guys inside, and maybe 'This is how you need to play,' or 'This is what happened on a particular play,' and he can kind of help us that way." — Gators defensive coordinator Todd Grantham on injured linebacker Ventrell Miller traveling to Kentucky and his presence
The Gators are 42-10-2 all-time against Vanderbilt, including wins in 29 of the last 30 meetings.
Florida's 56-0 win over Vanderbilt at home in 2019 is the program's largest margin of victory against an SEC opponent since a 63-5 win over Kentucky in 2008.
Gators defensive lineman Zachary Carter has a team-best 5.5 sacks, which gives him 15 for his career.
Florida is averaging 292.2 yards rushing per game, which leads the SEC and ranks third nationally.
The Gators have forced only one turnover in three SEC games, an interception by Tre'Vez Johnson last week at Kentucky.
Vanderbilt ranks last in the SEC in total offense (315.4 yards per game) and scoring offense (16.0 points per game).
The Commodores have had trouble holding onto the football, last in the SEC with a minus-7 turnover margin.
Florida has four players (Coleman Crozier, Kyle Engel, Derek Wingo and Tyreak Sapp) and Vanderbilt has five (Gunner Hansen, Julian Hernandez, Tyson Russell, Quincy Skinner Jr. and Tyler Steen) who played at St. Thomas Aquinas High in Fort Lauderdale.
Vanderbilt sophomore quarterback Ken Seals became the seventh QB in school history with at least two games passing of 330 yards or more when he passed for 333 yards in last week's win over UConn.
UF head coach Dan Mullen is 5-0 all-time against Vanderbilt, 3-0 at Florida and 2-0 at Mississippi State.
INJURY REPORT
FLORIDA — OUT: CB Jaydon Hill (knee, out for season), S Kamar Wilcoxson (knee, out for season); LB Ventrell Miller (arm surgery); QUESTIONABLE: CB Kaiir Elam (knee). VANDERBILT —OUT: RB Re'Mahn Davis (toe surgery, out for season); QUESTIONABLE: OL Michael Warden (undisclosed), TE Justin Ball (undisclosed).
THE OTHER SIDE
For the first time since 2013, when Vanderbilt pulled a shocker by defeating the Gators on the road in head coach James Franklin's final season in Nashville, the Commodores have a leader other than Derek Mason.
Mason is now Auburn's defensive coordinator and Clark Lea, who has spent the past three seasons as Notre Dame's defensive coordinator, is in his first season as Vanderbilt's head coach. Actually, this is Lea's first season as a head coach anywhere.
The 38-year-old Lea took over following Mason's firing and in his first game, lost 23-3 against East Tennessee State. However, the Commodores rebounded with a victory at Colorado State and after losing to Stanford and No. 2-ranked Georgia, Vanderbilt arrives at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Saturday fresh off a 30-28 last-second victory over UConn.
This is Lea's first road game in the Southeastern Conference. However, he got a taste of life as an SEC coach in the Commodores' 62-0 home loss to Georgia. Lea is from Nashville and graduated from Vanderbilt after stops as a baseball player at Birmingham Southern and Belmont.
For a closer look at Lea, check out the video below of him discussing his first trip to "The Swamp" for Saturday's matchup against the No. 20-ranked Gators:
BOTTOM LINE
The Gators surprised me last week. By the reaction on social media afterward, they surprised Gator Nation, too. Florida's quest this week is to get a win and get ready for what's coming — a road trip to LSU next week and following a bye week, the annual showdown against Georgia in Jacksonville. The Gators have a lot of work to do if they have any hope of returning to Atlanta as SEC East champs. That work starts with a victory over the Commodores and stacking up more wins — and some help from other sources — down the road. The loss at Kentucky put the Gators in a bad mood. Same goes for the fan base. The first step in the recovery process is a win Saturday. A runaway, punch-them-in-the-gut victory if possible. I expect that to happen. For everyone's mental health, let's hope the the Gators don't pull another surprise.
