GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Florida coach Jim McElwain needed one player to make a kick and Austin Hardin stepped up just in time.

The junior kicker nailed a 43-yard field goal with 2:22 left, giving the No. 10 Gators a 9-7 victory over upset-minded Vanderbilt at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Saturday, clinching the Southeastern Conference Eastern Division title.

It's the first SEC East title for the Gators since 2009.

Florida's offense managed only 258 total yards, but won because of a defense that limited Vandy to 175 yards, only 30 of which came through the air, a performance not lost on coach Jim McElwain.

"I tell you what: those guys, man, they really helped each other, but really our offense," McElwain said. "They were positive the whole game. We just felt we needed to push one in to put it over the top."

Florida, coming off a third quarter during which it had minus-18 yards of total offense, got the break it needed when Vandy punter Tommy Openshaw shanked a 12-yard punt out of bounds at the Vandy 45 with 5:37 remaining.

The Gators then went 20 yards in six plays, as Hardin, who was only 14-for-27 in his career on field goals, split the uprights to give Florida its first field goal over 40 yards all season.

It was a make-or-break kick for Florida, which trailed by a point because walk-on kicker Neil MacInnes missed a first-quarter extra point.

McElwain was asked what he told Hardin before his game-winning boot.

"Just go do your job and swing you leg, and he did it," McElwain said. "He's a very capable kicker. You can see that when he kicks off. It's pretty impressive. He's got a very strong leg, a very talented guy. Sometimes he probably lets some other things clutter and distractions get in (his mind) that mean absolutely nothing to doing your job.

"I thought he did just a good job of getting out and doing what we asked him. We knew he was going to be the long field goal guy, and it happened to be long and so he went and made it, and we expected him to make it."

Running back Ralph Webb, a Gainesville native, ripped off a 74-yard scoring run through a gaping hole through the left side with under a minute left in the first half. Openshaw connected on the point-after, giving Vandy the lead.

Webb rushed for a game-high 118 yards on 22 carries, but his moment in the Florida sun didn't provide any solace.

"It is a team thing," Webb said. "It felt good, but at the end of the day, we didn't get the win, so it doesn't mean that much to me."

The Commodores, 20-point underdogs who had only 102 yards of offense other than that run, nearly pulled off the upset thanks to a defense that forced four turnovers.

The Gators' Brandon Powell returned the opening kickoff to the Vandy 23, and one play later, Florida had a first-and-goal at the Vanderbilt three-yard-line.

However, the Commodore defense held when cornerback Torren McGaster stopped running back Kelvin Taylor on fourth-and-goal from the five.

But Vandy soon punted and DeAndre Goolsby's 24-yard punt return started the Gators' next drive at the Commodore 41.

This time, Taylor's three-yard scoring run put the Gators up 6-0.

Having been burned by their kicker once, the Gators faked a field goal from the Vanderbilt 26 early in the second quarter.

Holder Johnny Townsend flipped a pass to defensive end CeCe Jefferson that went for a seven-yard gain and an apparent first down, but Vandy defensive end Caleb Azubike forced a fumble that that Commodores recovered.

The teams traded punts until Vanderbilt took over at its 26 after cornerback Ryan White picked off a pass by quarterback Treon Harris at the Vandy 26 on a fourth-down play from the 43.

Webb's scoring run came on the next snap.

Vandy's Zach Cunningham led a terrific defensive performance, tying Florida's Bryan Cox Jr. with a game-high nine tackles, adding two stops for loss and recovering two fumbles.

"Really close," Cunningham said. "We are preparing every week. Younger guys are working harder and older guys becoming leaders.”

The Gators allowed Vanderbilt only 11 first downs, and limited the Commodores to 2.1 yards per pass attempt.

However, Florida, which came in leading the SEC with a plus-13 turnover margin, failed to force one against a team that previously ranked last in the SEC at minus-11.

Harris completed 12-of-24 passes for 158 yards with one interception and also had a fumble, but the sophomore hit wide receiver Demarcus Robinson with seven- and eight-yard throws on the game-winning drive.

NOTES: Florida sported seldom-used white helmets on Saturday. ... The Gators had a first-quarter touchdown pass to Brandon Powell overturned after an official review. ... Florida RB Jordan Cronkite sat out the first half of Saturday's game because of a targeting penalty in the Gators' last game. ... Florida defensive end Jordan Sherit was ejected for targeting late in this one. ... Vanderbilt starting DE Caleb Azubike (jaw surgery) played for the first time since Oct. 3. ... Vandy QB Kyle Shurmur, who started the last two games, did not practice this week and was available only in emergency. Shurmur had gone through concussion protocol earlier in the week.