Florida quarterback Kyle Trask threw for a career-high 363 yards and accounted for four touchdowns as the Gators bounced back from a disappointing loss to Georgia a week earlier and kept faint hopes alive in the SEC East with a 56-0 victory over Vanderbilt on Saturday afternoon in The Swamp.

The Gators improved to 8-2 overall and 5-2 in SEC play. Still firmly in the hunt for a “New Year’s Six” bowl berth, the Gators won for the seventh consecutive time at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

Vanderbilt fell to 2-7, 1-5.

The Gators jumped to a 14-0 lead early and could have effectively ended the game before halftime, but a pair of Trask interceptions in the red zone extended the suspense. They were among the few negative plays for Trask, whose previous high for passing yards was 310 on Oct. 12 against LSU.

But Trask made up for lost time, throwing two touchdown passes in Florida’s first three plays of the second half, and the Gators led 28-0. That was plenty enough firepower for a Florida defense that limited Vanderbilt to 12 total yards to that point.

Trask put the Gators in front initially with two second-quarter touchdowns. The first was a 1-yard pass to Lamical Perine. Trask followed that with a 9-yard touchdown run for a 14-0 lead.

On the first offensive play of the third quarter, Trask threw to Trevon Grimes, who caught the short pass, slipped a tackle, and raced down the sidelines to complete a 66-yard touchdown play, extending the Gators’ lead to 21-0. It was Florida’s eighth play from scrimmage of 60-plus yards this season.

On the Gators’ second offensive play of the second half, Trask threw 36 yards to Tyrie Cleveland, setting up a 15-yard touchdown pass to Kyle Pitts just one play later.

Vanderbilt’s first sustained drive of the game resulted in another touchdown for the Gators. The Commodores drove 57 yards in 11 plays midway through the third quarter before Mohamoud Diabate came up with a strip sack and Jonathan Greenard scooped and scored from 80 yards out to give the Gators a 35-0 advantage.

Florida came into the game ranked fifth in the nation in red-zone defense, holding opponents to 64 percent success (16 scores, 25 trips).

The Gators tacked on two more TDs in the fourth quarter, both short rushing scores by Emory Jones, for the final points.