Nov. 8, 2014
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – With three goal line stops, the Vanderbilt defense set the tone early that Florida would have to scratch for every point.
Though the Gators pulled away with 17 fourth-quarter points, the Commodores’ defense, especially in short-yardage situations, stood tall in a 34-10 loss on Saturday night at Vanderbilt Stadium.
The defense made a goal-line stand, stopped Florida on seven of its first nine third-down conversions and twice limited the damage to field goals after turnovers.
“I thought defense, initially, those guys played stout,” Vanderbilt coach Derek Mason said. “They gave us a chance earlier on… I thought our kids fought. We leaked a little oil late in that game just in terms of the run game at times. I still think our football team is a good football team. That game was much closer than the score indicates.”
The biggest stand came early in the second quarter. With a first and goal on Vanderbilt’s 3-yard line, Florida failed to come away with points.
Matt Jones rushed two yards but was stopped by Vanderbilt’s Andrew Williamson and Zach Cunningham. The Gators went back to Jones but Williamson stopped him in his tracks for no gain. Quarterback Jeff Driskel tried a sneak but was halted by Oren Burks.
That set up fourth down and Florida (5-3, 4-3 SEC) decided to try its luck. But Cunningham raced into the backfield and smacked Jones backwards and well short of the end zone to force a turnover on downs.
Unfortunately for the Commodores (3-7, 0-6), two plays later the defense was back on the field. A fumble by Ralph Webb gave Florida the ball just nine yards away from the end zone.
“You just got that high energy from the last stop you made so it really didn’t bring me down that much,” said Cunningham, who had a career-high 11 tackles. “You know you got to get back out there and make another stop.”
The defense proved up to the challenge again.
“Love playing defense. Love going out there and stopping them,” linebacker Stephen Weatherly said. “When they got that turnover and we had to go back out there the whole defense said, `Let’s go out there and do it again.'”
Cunningham kept the momentum going by registering his first career sack on first down. On the next play, Adam Butler and Nigel Bowden kept quarterback Treon Harris from getting any traction. On third down, Tre Herndon and Cunningham squashed Florida wide receiver Quinton Dunbar and kept him out of the end zone as he hauled in a nine-yard pass at the 1-yard line.
The Gators went ahead for good on the next play as Driskel leapt forward and barely crossed the goal line. The play was reviewed but upheld for a Florida touchdown.
The defense faced tough situations all night and did its part in keeping the Commodores in the game. After another fumble in the second quarter gave Florida possession in Vanderbilt territory, the defense held the Gators to a field goal, limiting the halftime deficit to 17-7.
“Those guys played their tails out on those two goal-line stands,” Mason said. “Really that is what you talk about, defend the blade of grass, don’t worry about anything else and whatever the referee say, hey, man, we play football.”
Webb sets freshman rushing record
Vanderbilt redshirt freshman Ralph Webb broke the program’s single-season freshman rushing record on Saturday.
Webb, who grew up in Gainesville, Fla., rushed for 83 yards on 16 carries to increase his season total to 843 rushing yards. He surpassed Warren Norman (783 in 2009) and previous freshman record holder Kwane Doster (798 in 2002).
“He doesn’t care about the records,” Mason said. “Records come and go. It is a great record to have. That’s great. But I tell you what, if you told him he’d have a win and 12 yards, I’d think he take that right now.”
Robinette returns
Quarterback Patton Robinette returned for the first time since suffering a concussion against South Carolina on Sept. 20.
The redshirt sophomore came in for the last play of the first quarter, rushing for two yards. He returned in the third quarter, again keeping the ball for a three-yard run.
He replaced Johnny McCrary late in the fourth quarter, leading the offense on an 11-play 59-yard drive that ended when he was tackled for a six-yard loss at the Florida 10-yard line. Robinette finished with 65 yards on 7-of-10 passing.
“I felt good about Patton coming into this game,” Mason said. “We had a couple things for him and would have liked to get him a whole series earlier on. We just kept feeling like we were on the edge of something happening. We wanted to see if we would break through rhythm wise. That was my decision. That’s why I stuck with Johnny.”
Openshaw boots career long
Redshirt freshman Tommy Openshaw kicked a career-long 48-yard field goal in the fourth quarter.
The Jacksonville, Fla., native split the uprights with 13:17 left in the game to bring the Commodores within two scores, 24-10. It was Openshaw’s seventh field goal of the season and his second over 40 yards. The 48-yarder was Vanderbilt’s longest since Carey Spear made a 54-yarder at South Carolina on Sept. 14, 2013.
Openshaw also made his first career tackle, tripping up a Florida kickoff returner in the third quarter.
