Florida Football: Winners and Losers from the Week 7 Game vs. Vanderbilt

In a game that was much closer than it should have been, Florida coach Will Muschamp had to be pleased with the resiliency of his young squad.

Despite missing three starters on the offensive line and stud linebacker Jelani Jenkins on defense, the Gators picked up a 31-17 road win against Vanderbilt. 

Led by sophomore quarterback Jeff Driskel's record-setting rushing performance, the Gators offense rushed for 326 yards even with three new starters up front. 

After moving up to No. 3 in the AP Top 25 poll, let's take a look at this week's winners and losers from UF's victory against Vandy. 

Winner: Jeff Driskel

In a game where I expected Brent Pease to open up the passing game, it was Jeff Driskel's legs that stole the show. 

Florida's sophomore star shone even brighter Saturday as he broke Tim Tebow's single-game school record with 177 rushing yards. 

Although Driskel completed just 11 passes for 77 yards, the 6'4", 237-pounder showed off his impressive wheels, scoring three touchdowns on the ground in the 14-point victory. 

While his passing ability still isn't quite there, it looks like the Gators have found themselves a leader at the game's most important position. 

Loser: Pass Defense

While the Gators managed to shut down Vanderbilt deep threat Chris Boyd, the UF secondary once again struggled to contain one of the SEC's best receivers in Jordan Matthews. 

The 6'3" stud junior torched the Gators secondary for eight catches, 131 yards and a touchdown in his team's loss. 

UF's cornerbacks struggled to deal with Matthews' size, as the 205-pound wideout lit up the Gators for the second straight season. 

Although South Carolina loves to pound the ball with Marcus Lattimore, defensive coordinator Dan Quinn will have plenty to gripe about with his defensive backs. 

Winner: Special Teams

Perennial disappointment Andre Debose finally made a reappearance on Saturday.

Although he didn't register a target on offense, the speedy return man put Florida in great field position with his 60-yard kick return in the fourth quarter. 

Along with Debose's explosive return, UF did an otherwise flawless job on special teams. 

Punter Kyle Christy continued his strong play this season, nailing three of his five punts inside the 20-yard line. 

Caleb Sturgis converted all three of his field-goal attempts and was a beast on kickoffs. 

Loser: Jelani Jenkins

Before the season, it appeared Jelani Jenkins was on the fast track to the NFL.

Unfortunately for the former 5-star linebacker, he's spent too much time on the sidelines in 2012, and his draft stock has slowed to a screeching halt. 

After missing time due to a broken thumb, UF's star weak side linebacker didn't even make the trip due to a hamstring injury suffered against LSU. 

Although the Gators have managed to replace his production with youngsters Michael Taylor and Antonio Morrison, having Jenkins in the training room rather than making plays on the field hurts. 

Hopefully the 6'0", 237-pounder can shake the injury bug in time for South Carolina and vaunted running back Marcus Lattimore. 

Winners: Sam Robey (C), Ian Silberman (LG) and D.J. Humphries (LT)

In his postgame press conference, Will Muschamp couldn't praise his offensive line enough. 

Then again, when your team is able to pound the rock for 326 yards without three starters on the offensive line, that's damn impressive. 

With left tackle Xavier Nixon (upper body), left guard James Wilson (eye) and center Jonotthan Harrison (arm) all missing or leaving the game, the Gators' depth up front got tested. 

Luckily for Muschamp, the unit passed with flying colors. 

Between true freshman D.J. Humphries, redshirt sophomore Ian Silberman and redshirt senior Sam Robey, the Gators had an entirely new left side of their offensive line play nearly the entire game. 

The unit anchored a historic rushing day by Jeff Driskel and kept UF's sophomore quarterback clean in the pocket. 

Winner: Jon Bostic

With running mate Jelani Jenkins missing significant time due to injuries, Jon Bostic has taken his game to a new level. 

The senior middle linebacker showed off his vast array of skills Saturday, racking up five tackles, a strip-sack and another quarterback hurry in the victory. 

Bostic—who checks in at a rock-solid 6'1", 246 pounds—has been an animal for one of the nation's best defenses. 

If he finishes the season the way he's started, he'll be selected early in the 2013 NFL draft. 

For now, he'll keep terrorizing the SEC for the No. 2 team in the BCS standings.