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After three straight losses, the Florida football team returns to Ben Hill Griffin stadium for the first time in over a month. The Gators (4-4, 3-3) take on the Vanderbilt Commodores for their Homecoming game Saturday.
Vanderbilt is led by head coach James Franklin, in his third year at the school. The Commodores are 4-4 this season. On offense, they average 260.6 passing yards, rush for 141.5 and score 32.1 points per game. Vandy is 1-4 in SEC play but that lone win came against the Georgia Bulldogs. The Commodores pulled of the 31-27 win against number 15 Georgia scoring 17 unanswered points in the fourth quarter.
Vanderbilt is coming off a bye but in their last time out, they couldn’t hang with Texas A&M in College Station going down 56-24.
Vanderbilt senior quarterback Austyn Carta-Samuels has thrown for over 1600 yards, has completed 66 percent of his passes, and has thrown 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions but he is out for the game with an injury. Redshirt freshman Patton Robinette will start against Florida.
He has a tremendous receiver to throw to in senior Jordan Mathews. Mathews has caught 66 passes this season for 890 yards and five touchdowns.
Florida will also have to contend with running back Jerron Seymour. Seymour has rushed for 479 yards on 94 carries and has found the end zone nine times on the ground but the Commodores are also last in the SEC in rushing.
The Gators leads the all-time series against the Commodores owning a 35-9-2 record and the Orange and Blue are 19-1-1 in the Swamp against Vandy. Florida has been able to win 22 straight against Vandy including a 31-17 win in Nashville last season.
Last time in Gainesville, The Gators won 26-21 in a closely contested battle during Homecoming weekend in 2011.
ESPN 850-WRUF has all of the coverage beginning 8 a.m. on Saturday.
