Notebook: Grimes snags go-ahead score, three WRs set career highs

GT OFFER: Receive 25% off an annual subscription AND a $75 digital gift code to Nike!

The next time Florida is driving with under a minute left in the first half, don't leave your seat for a bathroom break and concession run.

It's Grimes time.

Senior receiver Trevon Grimes made the play of his career earlier this month, going up over UGA’s Tyson Campbell and high-pointing the ball to come down with an 11-yard touchdown just before the break.

Grimes did it again Saturday, only this time he mossed two defensive backs. With the game tied at 10, quarterback Kyle Trask launched a deep pass and the 6-foot-4, 218-pound Grimes timed his jump perfectly to catch the ball over Vanderbilt’s Brendon Harris and Allan George.

His 34-yard touchdown was reviewed by officials, but Grimes maintained possession of the ball after he hit the ground and the call stood.

“Kyle put it up high and outside where Tre could go up,” UF coach Dan Mullen said of the pass. “Great ball placement. You want to put that ball where the defense doesn’t have a chance. You’re going to have to make a spectacular catch and Tre has the size and the athleticism and then the ball skills to go make that play.”

Grimes has now caught a touchdown in four straight games and has 22 receptions for 347 yards and six scores on the season. He, Kadarius Toney and Kyle Pitts became the first Gators trio with at least six TD receptions since Jabar Gaffney, Reche Caldwell and Taylor Jacobs in 2001.

Grimes’ latest touchdown gave the Gators their first lead of the game heading into the locker room.

“It was huge,” Trask said of the score. “We knew we were getting the ball back to start the second half and there was a little over three minutes left whenever we got the ball back right before halftime. We knew they’d been playing a lot of drop coverage.

“I saw Trevon had a good matchup on the outside and I just tried to throw it up to him. I know he’s a great player that can catch balls over anybody, so I really just had to give him a shot and he made a great play.”

Grimes wasn’t the only wideout who had a big day in Nashville.

With his 27-yard touchdown on Florida’s opening drive, Toney joined Pitts as the first UF duo since Louis Murphy and Percy Harvin in 2008 with at least seven receiving scores. Toney also had a costly fumble against the Commodores, but finished with a career-high 107 receiving yards on a team-high six catches.

“Any time you can get the ball to his hands in the open field, and just whenever, he has the ability to break as many tackles he wants to,” Trask said of Toney. “I think he just did a great job being on the same page, finding those open zones. He is a really smart player. When the defense goes drop eight zone, he does a great job of finding the holes on the defense. So I just think overall he had a great day.”

So did Penn State transfer Justin Shorter, whose streak of consecutive weeks with a TD ended at three. But he posted career highs for receptions (5) and receiving yards (94) Saturday, including a 46-yard reception in the third quarter on a scramble by Trask.

“I just got out of the pocket and saw Rick Wells and Justin Shorter. I just pointed to both of them just to go because there was nobody back there. They were past the last line of defense. And I just threw it to both of them really. They were both wide open,” Trask said with a laugh.

“So it was kind of just whoever went and caught it, and Shorter snatched it. They did a great job of just executing the scramble drill, if you will. Whenever you’re outside of the pocket, just breaking off the route and finding the empty zone in the defense.”

Coming off his 33-yard touchdown against Arkansas, Jacob Copeland also set a new career high with five receptions for 56 yards.

Florida’s unavailable list for the Vanderbilt game consisted of 11 scholarship players, including the four from Mullen’s injury report: Pitts (concussion), wide receiver Trent Whittemore (broken rib), linebackers Jeremiah Moon (foot) and James Houston (unspecified).

Cornerbacks Ethan Pouncey and Kamar Wilcoxson and defensive tackles Jaelin Humphries and Lamar Goods all missed their second straight game, while quarterback Anthony Richardson, offensive guard Stewart Reese and linebacker David Reese were also out Saturday.

The unavailable list included walk-ons Kahleil Jackson, Nick Oelrich, Hayden Knighton and Lucas Alonso.