Vanderbilt vs. Florida: Score, Highlights and Twitter Reaction

It wasn't a pretty performance from Florida, but Austin Hardin's 43-yard field goal with two minutes and 22 seconds left in the game gave the Gators a 9-7 victory over Vanderbilt on Saturday afternoon. 

With the win, No. 10 Florida clinched the SEC East and will play for the conference championship come season's end. 

Bleacher Report had the replay of Hardin's game-winner:

With Vanderbilt entering with just one conference win, the game felt like it would be more of a coronation than a contested matchup. 

But it turned into a defensive affair, as the teams were hard-pressed for points. Florida was held to 258 total yards, while Vanderbilt churned out 145 yards on the ground but had just 30 passing yards.

Florida had the better start, scoring on its second drive after a 41-yard march was capped off by a three-yard touchdown run by Kelvin Taylor. But Florida's Neil MacInnes missed the ensuing extra point, which kept the game at 6-0.

ESPN College Football had the replay:

Then the Gators offense fell apart, as turnovers allowed Vanderbilt to stay in the game. On its next four drives, Florida fumbled away the ball twice and had a pass intercepted. 

It was a reversal of fortune, as the Tennessean's Adam Sparks pointed out:

Vanderbilt finally cashed in after Florida's third turnover. On the first play of the drive after the interception, Gainesville, Florida, native Ralph Webb scampered 74 yards for a touchdown and a 7-6 Vanderbilt lead. 

Bleacher Report had the replay:

It was a historic run for Webb, as ESPN Stats & Info highlighted:

That was it until the fourth quarter, with both teams combining for eight punts on the next nine drives as the defenses continued to excel. 

Florida looked to have something brewing to start the fourth quarter, driving to the Vanderbilt 19-yard line, but a fumble from wide receiver Demarcus Robinson popped right into the hands of Vanderbilt's Zach Cunningham. 

It was the Gators' fourth turnover of the day, as ESPN 30 for 30's Billy Corben noted:

Florida stopped Vanderbilt's ensuing drive, and the Commodores' subsequent punt went just 12 yards to set the Gators up at Vandy's 45-yard line with 5:37 left in the game.  

For SB Nation's Peter Berkes, the punt was a perfect symbol of the entire game:

The Gators were able to drive 20 yards to set up a 43-yard field-goal attempt for Hardin, who was benched earlier this season but was called into action after MacInnes' missed extra point.

After Hardin's field goal, Vanderbilt was forced to try to find an answer through the air, which was a recipe for disaster, as it entered the final drive with just six passing yards.

The Commodores looked to have been stopped, throwing an incompletion on 4th-and-10, but a holding call on Florida gave them a fresh set of downs.

Florida's Jordan Sherit then came up with a sack on quarterback Johnny McCrary, but he was called for targeting and ejected from the game with 1:10 left. Baltimore Ravens linebacker C.J. Mosley didn't agree:

But even after benefiting from two penalties, Vanderbilt's passing game was just too inept to get anything going, as the team turned the ball over on downs. Florida ran out the clock from there to secure the win. 

Postgame Reaction

Regardless of the quality of play of Saturday's game, it goes down in the book as a win for the Gators as they keep their national championship hopes alive. 

That being said, head coach Jim McElwain knew it was an ugly win as he spoke to the media after the game, via the Times-Union's Garry Smits:

He continued:

But according to Alligator Sports' Graham Hack, McElwain believes that this team is on to bigger and better things:

While it awaits the conference final in Atlanta, Florida still has two games to play against weaker teams in South Carolina and Florida Atlantic. It's imperative that the Gators maintain an elite level of play and don't drop off. 

If they do struggle, the Gators are in for a rude awakening as either Alabama or LSU will most likely be waiting for them in the SEC Championship Game where they are going to be underdogs. And that's not to mention the regular-season finale against Florida State. 

A game like this won't do much to build confidence moving toward those big games, but clinching a chance to play for the toughest conference in football is quite an accomplishment. 

Stats courtesy of ESPN.com