Third-ranked Florida once again stumbled out of the gate and found itself trailing, but the Gators recovered in plenty of time and cruised to a 38-14 win over South Florida.

Big plays from Jeffery Demps again sparked the Gators. Demps, who might be the fastest player in the land, broke free on a 62-yard scoring jaunt to give Florida its first lead, 14-7, in the second quarter. Demps went on to rush for a career-high 138 yards on just 11 carries. He finished with 250 all-purpose yards, including kickoff returns of 41 and 55 yards. Last week, Demps scored on a 72-yard touchdown run.

After failing to score on its first four possessions of the game, Florida needed a spark from the diminutive, dynamite Demps. The 5-8, 190-pound junior provided that and quarterback John Brantley, making his second start, found his rhythm.

With the offense in sync, the Gators scored 31 second-half points and had more than 400 total yards of offense. The Gator defense was solid throughout, flying to the ball and forcing five turnovers, including four interceptions of South Florida quarterback B.J. Daniels.

Florida held South Florida (1-1) to 85 passing yards, completing just 6-of-23 attempts.

Brantley finished 18-of-30 for 170 yards and two touchdowns. Brantley and center Mike Pouncey also improved on their shotgun snap after several miscues last week. Deonte Thompson led the Gators with six catches for 82 yards and a touchdown.

Florida opens SEC play next week at Tennessee.