After near brawl,No. 14 Florida rallies to beat Vanderbilt

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Jordan Scarlett ran 48 yards for the go-ahead touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter, and Florida rallied from an 18-point deficit to beat Vanderbilt 37-27 on Saturday in a game marred by a near brawl, with both head coaches yelling as each team spilled onto the field.

Southeastern Conference Commissioner Greg Sankey was on hand for a first-hand view of the incident.

An official held back Florida coach Dahn Mullen as he yelled at Vanderbilt coach Derek Mason, who was near the Gators’ sideline after checking on the Commodores defender whose helmet was knocked off by a hit by linebacker James Houston IV. Both teams spilled onto the field, drawing unsportsmanlike conduct penalties. The penalty cost the Gators their leading tackler, with Vosean Joseph ejected for his second such penalty of the first half. Two people escorted an emotional Joseph off the field.

Mullen and Mason hugged each other at midfield after the game.

That overshadowed the Gators (6-1, 4-1 Southeastern Conference) scoring 24 straight points after Vanderbilt jumped out to a 21-3 lead midway through the second quarter.

With the comeback, Florida won its fifth straight this season. The Gators also beat Vanderbilt (3-4, 0-3) for the fifth straight year and 27th time in 28 games in this series.

Vanderbilt turned three turnovers into 17 points, and the Commodores also sacked Feleipe Franks twice and stripped him of the ball once. They also had an interception. Kyle Shurmur threw two touchdown passes with his father, New York Giants coach Pat Shurmur, in the stands.

NO. 3 OHIO STATE 30, MINNESOTA 14

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Dwayne Haskins threw for 412 yards and three touchdowns and Ohio State held off persistent Minnesota.

The Buckeyes (7-0, 4-0 Big Ten) needed Blake Haubiel’s two second-half field goals and Haskins’ late touchdown pass from K.J. Hill to put away the Gophers (3-3, 0-3).

Hill made the play of the game with a turn-around, one-hand grab that he turned into a touchdown in the second quarter. He had a career-high nine catches for 187 yards.

For the second straight week, a heavy underdog came into Ohio Stadium and shut down the Buckeyes’ running game. The Gophers held tailbacks J.K. Dobbins and Mike Weber to a total of 86 yards, without a single carry longer than 11. Minnesota’s Mohamed Ibrahim ran 23 times for 157 yards and two scores.

TENNESSEE 30, NO. 21 AUBURN 24

AUBURN, Ala. (AP) — Jarrett Guarantano passed for 328 yards and two touchdowns and Tennessee snapped an 11-game Southeastern Conference losing streak.

The Volunteers (3-3, 1-2) forced three turnovers from Auburn’s lackluster offense, intercepting two of Jarrett Stidham’s passes and getting a strip sack that resulted in touchdown by Alontae Taylor.

The Tigers (4-3, 1-3) are off to their worst SEC start since also going 1-3 in 2015.

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