Five takeaways: What to make of Florida’s ugly win over Vanderbilt

UF came into the game heavily favored but Vandy came to the field ready to play, as the two battled it out on the gridiron in Nashville.

It didn’t come how most fans expected it would.

The Gators were 31.5-point favorites heading into their game against Vanderbilt on Saturday, but they were lucky to emerge with even a 21-point victory. Florida won an ugly game 38-17 and remained on track to win the SEC East, but ultimately, the game created more questions than it answered.

UF led by just 14 at the half, and what should have been a flashy exhibition against an inferior team was in actuality a competitive game well into the second half. Even in the fourth quarter, the Commodores were nearing the red zone trying to cut the Florida lead to seven when the Gators made a timely stop and forced a punt.

UF clearly has some work to do. Here are our five takeaways from Saturday’s game.