When Florida (3-2 straight up, 1-4 against the spread) released its depth chart today for Saturday’s home game vs. Vanderbilt, four starters, including star running back Trevor Etienne, were listed as ‘questionable.’ As of Wednesday night, most books had the Gators installed as 18 or 18.5-point favorites.
Etienne is UF’s leading rusher with 358 rushing yards, two touchdowns and a 5.97 yards-per-carry average. He exploded for 172 rushing yards and one TD in a 29-16 win over Tennessee on Sept. 16.
If Etienne is unable to go, junior RB Montrell Johnson will get the bulk of the carries. Florida true freshman RB Treyaun Webb would also see more snaps and touches.
Johnson has 253 rushing yards and three TDs, averaging 4.22 YPC. He also has 12 receptions for 80 yards and one TD. Webb has appeared in all five of UF’s games, rushing for 76 yards and two TDs on 18 attempts (3.6 YPC).
Etienne has 11 catches for 84 yards and Webb has one grab for 12 receiving yards. Eddie Battle, a walk-on redshirt senior, is the Gators’ fourth-string RB who could get some playing time.
The three other starters listed as ‘questionable’ are OT Austin Barber, center Kingsley Eguakun and safety Miguel Mitchell.
Florida won’t have tight end Jonathan Odom against the Commodores. He’s ‘out’ due to an upper-body injury. Odom has nine receptions for 75 yards. TE Tony Livingston is listed as ‘questionable.’
UF lost WR Caleb Douglas for the next 4-6 weeks when he was injured late in the first half of last week’s embarrassing 33-14 loss at Kentucky. Douglas has 11 receptions for 133 yards and one TD in four games this year.
With last week’s defeat at UK, the Gators have now lost seven of eight games played away from The Swamp on Napier’s watch. The former HC at Louisiana is 9-9 overall at UF, with six of those defeats coming by double-digit margins.
Florida has limped to a 2-6 spread record in eight games as a home favorite during Napier’s tenure. Dating back to his time at UL, Napier’s teams are an abysmal 5-13 ATS in their last 18 games as home ‘chalk.’
Napier was in dire need of a big win when UF took it to the Volunteers in Week 3. However, any positive momentum Napier earned with the orange and blue faithful was rapidly erased in Lexington.
Despite the presence of a $32 million buyout after the 2023 campaign ends, it’s not hyperbole to imply that Napier is on the hot seat. His tenure has been an unmitigated disaster from the start, and it certainly doesn’t help his cause that Florida AD Scott Stricklin is also on a boiling hot seat.
Vandy (2-4 SU, 0-6 ATS) beat Florida in Nashville for the first time since 1955 last season. The Commodores won a 31-24 decision as 14-point home underdogs. They’re 7-4 ATS in 11 games as road ‘dogs during Clark Lea’s three-year tenure.
Vandy has lost four consecutive games since starting the year with home wins over Hawaii (35-28) and Alabama A&M (47-13). The ‘Dores have lost at Wake Forest (36-20), at UNLV (40-37), vs. Kentucky (45-28) and vs. Missouri.
True freshman WR London Humphreys is listed as ‘questionable’ after missing last week’ 38-21 loss to Missouri as a 14-point home underdog. Humphreys, who is nursing an ankle injury, has 12 receptions for 299 yards and three TDs.
Sophomore QB A.J. Swann has been upgraded to ‘probable’ for the ‘Dores, but it’s unclear whether Swann or veteran Ken Seals will get the starting nod in Gainesville. Seals started for the first time since 2021 last week, completing 20-of-31 throws for 259 yards and two TDs with one interception. He also had a rushing TD.
My Pick: I’m on Vandy +18.5.