Vanderbilt Commodores vs Florida Gators Match Player Stats On Nov 07, 2015

The Sports Xchange
Nov 7, 2015

GAINESVILLE, Fla. --- Florida coach Jim McElwain needed one player to make a kick and Austin Hardin stepped up just in time.

The junior kicker nailed a 43-yard field goal with 2:22 left, giving the No. 10 Gators a 9-7 victory over upset-minded Vanderbilt at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Saturday, clinching the Southeastern Conference Eastern Division title.

Florida, coming off a third quarter during which it had minus-18 yards of total offense, got the break it needed when Vandy punter Tommy Openshaw shanked a 12-yard punt out of bounds at the Vandy 45 with 5:37 remaining.

The Gators then went 20 yards in six plays, as Hardin, who was only 14-for-27 in his career on field goals, split the uprights to give Florida its first field goal over 40 yards all season.

It was a make-or-break kick for Florida, which trailed by a point because walk-on kicker Neil MacInnes missed a first-quarter extra point.

Running back Ralph Webb, a Gainesville native, ripped off a 74-yard scoring run through a gaping hole through the left side with under a minute left in the first half. Openshaw connected on the point-after, giving Vandy the lead.

The Commodores, who had only 102 yards of offense other than that run, nearly pulled off the upset thanks to a defense that forced four turnovers.

The Gators' Brandon Powell returned the opening kickoff to the Vandy 23, and one play later, Florida had a first-and-goal at the Vanderbilt three-yard-line.

However, the Commodore defense held when cornerback Torren McGaster stopped running back Kelvin Taylor on fourth-and-goal from the five.

But Vandy soon punted and DeAndre Goolsby's 24-yard punt return started the Gators' next drive at the Commodore 41.

This time, Taylor's three-yard scoring run put the Gators up 6-0.

Having been burned by their kicker once, the Gators faked a field goal from the Vanderbilt 26 early in the second quarter.

Holder Johnny Townsend flipped a pass to defensive end CeCe Jefferson that went for a seven-yard gain and an apparent first down, but Vandy defensive end Caleb Azubike forced a fumble that that Commodores recovered.

The teams traded punts until Vanderbilt took over at its 26 after cornerback Ryan White picked off a pass by quarterback Treon Harris at the Vandy 26 on a fourth-down play from the 43.

Webb's scoring run came on the next snap.

NOTES: Florida sported seldom-used white helmets on Saturday. ... The Gators had a first-quarter touchdown pass to Brandon Powell overturned after an official review. ... Florida RB Jordan Cronkite sat out the first half of Saturday's game because of a targeting penalty in the Gators' last game. ... Florida defensive end Jordan Sherit was ejected for targeting late in this one. ... Vanderbilt starting DE Caleb Azubike (jaw surgery) played for the first time since Oct. 3. ... Vandy QB Kyle Shurmur, who started the last two games, did not practice this week and was available only in emergency. Shurmur had gone through concussion protocol earlier in the week.