The Gators made plays on third down and it was a big reason for the team’s success Saturday night in its 34-10 win over Vanderbilt on Saturday night, Florida Gators coach Will Muschamp said today.

Muschamp said the Gators showed great balance on offense and that quarterback Treon Harris’ play on third-down conversions was “huge.” The Gators got eleven explosive plays, Muschamp said, with Harris taking credit for four of them.

“He was very accurate down the field, he was very accurate on third down,” Muschamp said. “He was very efficient in throwing the football.”

In addition to getting some big plays down the field, the Gators also made improvements in ball protections and didn’t have a turnover against Vanderbilt. “We took care of the football, we’ve done that two weeks in a row,” Muschamp said.

While the Gator offense played well, there were issues in some phases of the game that struggled. Muschamp said perimeter blocking was no where near where it was against Georgia, when the Gators rushed for 418 yards.

“We’ve got to do better on short yardage and goal line,” Muschamp said. “Being a shotgun team, and Treon’s never been a guy that’s ever been under center, so we talked about some of the things we can do to help ourselves down there.”

The Gators defense also played well after a “disappointing” second drive that allowed a 33-yard touchdown pass. “On third down we were outstanding,” Muschamp said of the defense. “Our players did a great job making adjustments.”

At 5-3, Muschamp said the Gators would have a tough fight on their hand for a game that would make the team bowl eligible. The Gamecocks have a strong offense with a range of play-makers that will provide a challenge for the Gators, Muschamp said.