FINAL: UF 38, Vanderbilt 24; Gators lose Del Rio for season

UPDATE: 3:48

UF coach Jim McElwain said QB Luke Del Rio will be out for the season after suffering another shoulder injury. Surgery is scheduled for Monday, the coach said.

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First quarter

Running back Lamical Perine scored from a yard out with 6:12 left in the first quarter Saturday to put No. 21 Florida up 7-0 over Vanderbilt at Florida Field.

The score capped a 10-pay, 62-yard drive under the direction of new starting quarterback Luke Del Rio, who completed passes of 25 yards to tight end DeAndre Goolsby and 17 to Perine during the march.

Gators tied the NCAA record (held by Michigan, 1984-2004) for scoring in 365 consecutive games.

Vanderbilt answered on the ensuing possession, going 75 yards on seven plays to score on a 13-yard pass from QB Kyle Shurmur to receiver Kalija Lipscomb to knot the score at 7-all  at the 2:17 mark.

Vanderbilt    7  0  0  0  — x

Florida        7   0  0  0  — x

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Second quarter

Perine scored his second touchdown of the half on a 13-yard run at 10:03 to cap a 45-yard drive in seven plays. The scoring drive featured a 10-yard run by Mark Thompson and eight yards by Perine on an eight-yard burst on third-and-two.

The Commodores answered the Gators’ score when Shurmur hit Caleb Scott with a 12-yard TD pass at the 6:51 mark, capping a seven-play, 75-yard drive. Shurmur had completions of 21 yards to Khari Blasingame and 28 yards to Lipscomb in the drive.

Del Rio walked to the locker room with a UF trainer with under four minutes remaining in the quarter with an apparent shoulder injury.

Making his first start of the season, Del Rio was slow to get up after rolling out of the pocket, completing a pass to Brandon Powell and getting knocked down. Del Rio was favoring his left shoulder as he walked off the field and trainers looked at him on the bench. He then headed to the locker room for most tests.

The son of Oakland Raiders coach Jack Del Rio started six games last year before sustaining a season-ending injury to his right shoulder. Del Rio also partly tore the medial collateral ligament in his left knee. He had surgery on both shoulders after the season.

Tommy Openshaw gave Vanderbilt a 17-14 lead with a 42-yard field goal with 43 seconds left in the half, capping a nine-play, 60-yard drive.

Feleipe Franks, taking over for Del Rio, connected with Tyrie Cleveland for 49 yards to help set up a 21-yard field goal by Eddy Pineiro as time expired in the half. The Gators covered 71 yards in 43 seconds.

Vanderbilt    7  10  0  0  — x

Florida        7   10  0  0  — x

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Third quarter

UF coach Jim McElwain told ESPN reporters that Del Rio is getting X-rays on his left shoulder and won’t return to the game.

True freshman running back Malik Davis scored on a one-yard run with 6:56 left in the quarter to put UF up 24-17. Davis’ first career TD capped an eight-play, 73-yard drive highlighted by Franks passes of 16 and 29 yards to tight end Moral Stephens, the last putting the ball at the Commodore 1.

Vanderbilt    7  10  0  0  — x

Florida        7   10  7  0  — x

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Fourth quarter

Perine scored from a yard out and Pineiro’s extra point made it 31-17 with 14:18 remaining in the game. Perine’s third TD of the game capped a 65-yard drive in 12 plays. It was highlighted by an 18-yard completion from Franks to Cleveland and a diving catch by Freddie Swain off a deflected pass that put the ball at the Vandy two.

Cleveland limped back off the field, this time it’s his other ankle (right). He was tended to on the sidelines.

Vanderbilt cut the deficit to 31-24 with 3:14 left on a Shurmur 7-yard TD pass to Nathan Marcus that capped a 77-yard drive in 14 plays.

Davis sealed the Gators’ third consecutive win with 1:42 left in the game by scoring on a 39-yard run on a fourth-and-one play that put UF up 38-24. Davis has 124 yards rushing and two scores.

The Gators improved to 3-1 overall and 3-0 in the SEC. Vandy falls to 3-2, 0-2.

Vanderbilt    7  10  0   7  — 24

Florida        7   10  7  14  — 38