The Vanderbilt Commodores had their worst outing this season, being shut out by the No. 18 Houston Cougars 34-0 in Week 9 of the college football season. It doesn’t figure to get much easier when they return on the road to take on the No. 11 Florida Gators. Florida was dominant in its latest outing, handing a 27-3 beatdown to Georgia.
Care for more big matchups this week in college football? Check out our complete previews for Notre Dame vs. Pittsburgh and No. 4 LSU vs. No. 7 Alabama.
[sc:NCAAFArticles ]Vanderbilt Commodores vs. Florida Gators Preview
Where: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville
When: Saturday, November 7, 12:00 PM ET
Line: Vanderbilt Commodores (+21) at Florida Gators (-21) – view all NCAA Football lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN
Betting on the Vanderbilt Commodores (3-5, 1-3 SEC)
Vanderbilt had its worst performance this season in a 34-0 shutout loss at Houston on Saturday. The Commodores managed just 44 yards passing and three interceptions. Starting quarterback Johnny McCrary completed just 2 of 9 passes for 24 yards with two interceptions, including a pick-six. Meanwhile, back up signal caller Kyle Shurmur had 20 yards passing and a pick.
[sc:NCAA240banner ]Things don’t figure to get any easier against Florida, which has limited opposing teams to 192.4 yards passing (fourth in the conference this season). A decent rushing game behind running back Ralph Webb could give Vanderbilt an offensive spark. He’s rushed for 99 yards in each of his past two games. But Webb doesn’t figure to gain much ground against Florida’s stout front seven, limiting opponents to 110.63 yards rushing per game (third in the SEC).
With Vanderbilt’s offense mostly struggling, the defense has been able to keep the Commodores in games (except for the game against Houston). The Commodores have a pretty solid defense, allowing opponents to score just 18.5 points per game (fifth in the SEC). A strong rushing defense, allowing just 3.65 yards per carry, could be to thank.
The Commodores also have a strong pass rush with 18 sacks this season for an average of 2.25 sacks per game. Defensive lineman Adam Butler leads the way with three sacks this season, while linebackers Stephen Weatherly and Zach Cunningham are just a step behind 2.5 sacks each.
The total has gone under in eight of Vanderbilt’s nine games this season.
Betting on the Florida Gators (7-1, 5-1 SEC)
The Florida Gators dominated the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party when they limited Georgia to just a field goal in a 27-3 demolition on Saturday. Running back Kelvin Taylor was left unshackled, rumbling for 121 yards and two touchdowns. Meanwhile, wide receiver Antonio Callaway had a big game with 110 yards and a touchdown on three catches.
Florida could slow down in this game considering the Commodores have a decent defense. Vanderbilt is allowing 323.4 total yards per game this season, sixth in the SEC. Having a quarterback who has completed just 56.4 percent of his targets also doesn’t help. But Florida could still lean on their pair of playmakers in Taylor and Callaway.
The Gators can complement their offense with a stingy defense. They rank third in the SEC with 22 sacks this season and third with 11 interceptions. Defensive linemen Jonathan Bullard, Alex McCalister and Joey Ivie have been solid in the front seven. Bullard leads the Gators with 4.5 sacks this year, while McCalister and Ivie have four and 3.5 respectively.
Junior cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III has a team-high four interceptions this season. Senior corner Jalen Tabor isn’t to be outplayed though. While Tabor only has two interceptions this year, he brought both to the house for touchdowns.
The Gators have won seven straight home games dating back to last season, going 6-1 ATS.
Writer’s Prediction
The Gators (-21) put on another beatdown. Create a betting account now and get the best college football action you can get.
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