Florida 24, Toledo 6

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Anyone taking in Florida's 24-6 victory over Toledo on Saturday probably thought someone had slipped in a highlight reel from a year ago.

The Gators pounded the ball on the ground, completed some short passes, and dominated on both sides of the line to grind out a relatively easy win against the Rockets in the first meeting between the schools.

Not pretty, nothing real fancy, just a win.

In deja vu fashion, Florida took an early lead and methodically moved the ball much of the game, piling up yardage and points to claim their 24th consecutive season-opening victory, the second-longest such streak nationally.

Mack Brown led the way with 112 yards on 25 carries.

It was hauntingly like a repeat of a year ago, when the defense had to hold off a MAC opponent and a back had the first 100-yard game of his career, Mike Gillislee going for 148 in last year's 27-14 victory over Bowling Green.

Jeff Driskel was nearly perfect in his first start of his second season as the Gators' quarterback, completing 10-of-11 passes in the first half, mostly on short throws.

Driskel finished 17-of-22 for 152 yards and one touchdown, a four-yard pass to backup fullback Gideon Ajagbe to close out the scoring in the closing moments of the third quarter.

Florida, which is 14-0 under coach Will Muschamp when rushing for more than 150 yards (48 rushes for 262 yards), set the tempo right away on defense.

Toledo was held to 101 yards in the first half, only 33 on the ground, after averaging almost 200 yards a game in 2012, as the Gators came out intensity up front and dominated the battle in the trenches.

The same was true offensively, as Brown pounded the middle of the line.

Florida officially announced before kickoff that standout defensive back Loucheiz Purifoy, receiver Latroy Pittman, defensive back Darious Cummings and offensive lineman Quinteze Williams have been suspended for violations of team rules.

Linebacker Antonio Morrison was suspended from the opener earlier because of offseason issues.

Along with injuries to starting offensive linemen Jon Halapio (torn pectoral) and Chaz Green (torn laburm, out for season), and running back Matt Jones (viral infection), the Gators start the season missing five of the 22 projected starters on offense and defense.

Florida struggled all last season to produce points, at least early in games, but drove 84 yards with its first possession to take a lead on Brown's one-yard scoring run.

Brown, starting in place of Jones, had 38 yards on five carries to pace the opening series, when the Gators scored on their first possession of the season since 2009.

Florida, which was shut out six times in the first quarter last season, made it 10-0 on the first field goal of Austin Hardin's career at Florida, a 24-yarder with 12:59 left in the half.

Toledo almost created a disaster for itself by failing to covert a fourth-and-one and its own 36 the next time it got the ball. But the Gators fumbled it right back.

The Rockets then moved to the Florida 28 after a 28-yard pass from Terrance Owens to back David Fluellen.

But Toledo, 0-for-6 on third down conversions in the first half, had to settle on a 45-yard field goal by Jeremiah Detmer to end the shutout with 9:24 remaining in the second quarter.

Florida responded with its own drive, 10 plays covering 83 yards, finished off by Brown's second career touchdown, this one right up the middle from 14 yards.

That made it 17-3 at the 3:20 mark in the opening half to put the game well under control.

NOTES: Jeremiah Detmer's field goal was his 18th consecutive conversion dating to last season. ... Mack Brown had 40 career carries in three years before Saturday, but had 14 rushes for 77 in the first half alone. ... Florida's biggest output in an opening half last season was 24 vs. Kentucky.