A Happy Homecoming — And Some Relief — For Gators

during the Gators' game against the Vanderbilt Commodores on Saturday, October 7, 2023 at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Fla. / UAA Communications photo by Molly Kaiser

Tight end Arlis Boardingham had a career-high seven catches for 99 yards in Saturday's homecoming win over Vanderbilt. (Photo: Molly Kaiser/UAA Communications)

A Happy Homecoming — And Some Relief — For Gators

Saturday, October 7, 2023 | Football, Scott Carter

By: Scott Carter, Senior Writer

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The past week unfurled similar to Florida's homecoming date against Vanderbilt. The Gators needed time to recalibrate, but they found their way once they did.

How did they spell relief on Saturday? Gators 38, Commodores 14.

"I'm going to tell you, man, early in the week, it's a challenge,'' head coach Billy Napier said. "It's a challenge for the staff. It's a challenge for the team. It's a challenge for me because you're disappointed. This place, it'll get to you if you don't watch out."

In the wake of last week's humiliating 19-point loss at Kentucky, the mood around the Heavener Football Training Center bordered on a death in the family or your best friend running off with your wife. If those hard knocks don't connect, imagine you and your fellow Swifties in line to buy concert tickets for two days and being told the person in front of you bought the last one. And if that's not bad enough, you must hear about it on social media 24/7.

That was how it was for the Gators until they stepped onto Florida Field late Saturday afternoon with an opportunity to alter the narrative. The Gators penned a perfect first chapter, forcing a Vanderbilt punt on the game's opening possession. On the ensuing possession, Florida drove 93 yards on nine plays. Receiver Ricky Pearsall capped the drive with a 14-yard touchdown run on an end-around to give the Gators something they never had at Kentucky: a lead.

Florida forced another punt on Vanderbilt's second drive, starting at the Commodores' 43 after Pearsall's 18-yard punt return. Sensing an opportunity to strike again, Napier dialed up some razzle-dazzle: a double pass. Quarterback Graham Mertz threw a cross-field lateral to receiver Kahleil Jackson, who looked downfield toward an open Montrell Johnson Jr. Jackson's pass floated too long in the air, however, and Vanderbilt's C.J. Taylor came up with the interception. Two plays later, Vanderbilt quarterback Ken Seals tossed a short pass to Will Sheppard, resulting in an 85-yard touchdown and a 7-7 game midway in the first quarter.

The homecoming crowd at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium shuffled in their seats on an overcast afternoon. The pressure to respond with a victory loomed over the sideline in front of the announced crowd of 89,432.

"We were embarrassed,'' linebacker Shemar James said of the Kentucky performance. "As a defense, as a team, as a unit in general, like it was embarrassing. That wasn't the Gator. We just wanted to get that bad taste out of our mouth."

Napier watched the Gators improve each day at practice heading into Saturday's game. He tweaked the schedule later in the week to keep the players on their toes.

"I do think we'll benefit from going through that,'' he said. "I think that's the important thing here. Growth comes with struggle, and I think we've got to keep that edge. We've got to remember what we felt like. That's got to be fuel for the fire for the future."

The response Saturday was the one Napier and the Gators needed. Once the Commodores tied the game, Florida reeled off the following 21 points to take a commanding 28-7 lead late in the third quarter.

Mertz contributed by completing 30 of 36 passes for 254 yards and three touchdowns. His 2-yard scoring pass to tight end Arlis Boardingham early in the second quarter put the Gators up 14-7. Johnson Jr. starred on the go-ahead drive, rushing for 43 yards on four consecutive runs to move the Gators from their 39-yard line to Vanderbilt's 18. Freshman Treyaun Webb carried twice for 16 yards before Mertz's toss to Boardingham. The Gators stretched the lead to 21-7 on Johnson's 7-yard run with 41 seconds remaining before halftime.

With backfield mate Trevor Etienne and starting left tackle Austin Barber out with injuries, Johnson ran with purpose and through contact, carrying 18 times for 135 yards. Mertz added a pair of touchdown passes in the second half – nine yards to Eugene Wilson III and 15 yards to Boardingham – to ensure a fifth consecutive home win over the Commodores.

The Gators amassed 495 yards of total offense (280 passing, 215 rushing), 25 first downs and dominated time of possession (36:58 to 23:02). Meanwhile, the defense limited Vanderbilt to 64 yards rushing after Kentucky's Ray Davis gained 280 in last week's loss (the same Davis who rushed for 122 yards last year for Vanderbilt in an upset win over the Gators in Nashville). Florida forced three Vanderbilt fumbles, with Jalen Kimber recovering one caused by T.J. Searcy for the UF defense's second takeaway of the season.

"Our only thing was from Sunday until today was let's wipe this dirt off,'' said defensive lineman Tyreak Sapp, who finished with three tackles, two forced fumbles and a sack. "Let's get up off the mat, let's get up out of the mud, clean this off and go back to work, and then let's obviously correct what we need to correct."

Florida improved to 4-2, 2-1 in the Southeastern Conference. The Gators are 4-0 at home and 0-2 on the road. They will try to respond again in a winning fashion when they visit South Carolina next week.
Mertz understands what doomed the Gators in road losses at Utah and Kentucky.

"I think back to those games, and the big thing was we didn't start fast, and we didn't execute," he said. "Going into this game, the point of emphasis was, 'Okay, we're going to start fast, and we're going to finish faster.' I think the guys did a great job of coming out swinging. We had an early turnover, but I think they did a good job of bouncing back."

Once Mertz got rolling, he connected with Wilson eight times for 64 yards and Boardingham seven times for 99 yards. Mertz passed well. Johnson ran well. The defense tackled better. The Gators got a win.
They could smile afterward and won't have to stew in misery for another week.

"We talked to the players Friday about the importance of homecoming,'' Napier said. "It's independent of the competitive part of the game, the execution of the game, but one day they're going to be coming back, and they're going to be sitting in that stadium watching the team, and they're going to want to be proud of how the team plays, the brand of football that they play.

"It's good to win on homecoming. It's good to play a little bit better brand of football."