Almost everything imaginable went wrong for the Florida Gators Saturday against Vanderbilt. There was a missed extra point, three fumbles and a slew of stalled drives – and somehow they still walked away with a win and an SEC East title.

Still, Florida has a lot to work on in the next four weeks before the SEC Championship Game in Atlanta.

5 TAKEAWAYS

  • McElwain exceeded all expectations: The Gators are reminding everyone on social media that they were picked to finish fifth in the SEC East before the season started. No one outside of Gainesville expected Florida coach Jim McElwain to take his team to Atlanta in his first season. He has.
  • Familiar feeling: With the Florida offense struggling to move the football, even with excellent field position, it felt like Will Muschamp football all over again. The Gators defense can win any game, but the offense cannot be trusted to outscore any opponent.
  • Offensive line and quarterback issues finally caught up to Florida: The Gators have gotten by with a patchwork offensive line most of the season, but Vanderbilt had no trouble blowing past the blockers up front. Under constant pressure, QB Treon Harris (12-of-24, 158 yards, INT; 8 rushes, 47 yards) was ineffective.
  • Depth chart motivation: Two of Florida’s top performers – PK Austin Hardin and WR Demarcus Robinson (9 catches, 106 yards)–  lost their starting jobs this week.
  • Somewhere in the middle: Florida was probably never as good as it looked in a 38-10 victory over Ole Miss, its signature win of the season. The Gators also probably aren’t as bad right now as they looked Saturday. The final three regular season games will ultimately help decide which performance was a better representation of the 2015 Gators.

REPORT CARD

Offense: (F) – Florida had 13 total possessions with an average starting field position of its own 46-yard line, but managed only one touchdown and one field goal. The Gators failed to gain any positive yards in the third quarter.

Defense: (A-minus) – Similar to past seasons, Florida leaned heavily on its defense. The Gators contained the Commodores on all but one play, a 74-yard touchdown run by Gainesville native Ralph Webb.

Special Teams: (A) – The missed extra point almost cost the Gators, but P Johnny Townsend was UF’s MVP until Hardin put UF back on top.

Coaching: (D) – Obviously, the coaches weren’t able to get through to the players in mental preparation and focus for Vanderbilt. When Florida had the ball, the trick play and fake field goal calls were among the most questionable.

Overall: (D-plus) – Florida was one missed kick away from earning an F.  The Gators played below average, but avoided total failure at home.

GAME PLAN

Offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier called for repeated rollouts, but Harris struggled outside the pocket. RB Jordan Scarlett started the game with a 20-yard run, but finished with only four total carries. UF’s aggressive nature of going for it on fourth down almost cost it the game.

 GAME BALLS

  • K Austin Hardin: Florida’s kicking issues got so bad this year that McElwain hosted an open audition for walk-ons, but this game was won by Hardin, the on-scholarship kicker who hit the 43-yard field goal late in the fourth quarter.
  • DT Bryan Cox Jr.: Cox was Florida’s leading tackler with nine total, including one sack. The defensive tackle also came in on offense and issued a key block on RB Kelvin Taylor’s touchdown run.
  • DE Alex McCalister: The Commodores didn’t want to throw the ball, but when they did, McCalister (4 total tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks) brought the pressure.

INJURY UPDATE

  • Pass-protection issues forced the Gators to play LT David Sharpe despite him being listed as doubtful before the game.