Florida built a 17-point halftime lead and held on in the final minutes to defeat Vanderbilt 26-21, Saturday in Gainesville, Fla. The win snapped the Gators four-game losing streak.

The Gators (5-4, 3-4 SEC) beat the Commodores (4-5, 1-5 SEC) for the 21st consecutive time, and have not lost to the Commodores in Gainesville since the first meeting between the two schools in 1945.

Leading 20-14 with 4:15 to go, the Gators elected to go for it on fourth-and-1 from their own 15 yard line. The Commodores jumped offside, giving the Gators a first down. Five plays later, Jeff Demps rushed for a 52-yard touchdown giving Florida a 26-14 lead.

Vanderbilt pulled within 26-21 on Jordan Rogers’s 10-yard touchdown pass to Chris Boyd with 1:16 to go. But Florida recovered the onside kick and ran out the clock.

Florida built its big lead in the second quarter on Jacob Brissett’s 1-yard rushing touchdown, a Demps’ 5-yard touchdown run and Caleb Sturgis’s 55-yard field goal.

Rodgers threw a 26-yard touchdown to Jordan Matthews in the third quarter, then rushed for an 8-yard touchdown with 10:54 left as the Commodores drew within 20-14.

Florida running back Chris Rainey did not play due to a sprained ankle. Demps finished with 158 yards rushing on 23 carries, one week after Florida was held to minus-19 yards rushing by Georgia.

The Gators travel to No. 10-ranked South Carolina next Saturday. Vanderbilt, which has lost its past three SEC games by a combined 13 points, faces Kentucky at home next Saturday.