When nothing else seemed to work for the Florida offense, Jeff Driskel just took the ball and ran.
The Gators’ running game, spearheaded by their quarterback, overwhelmed Vanderbilt in a 31-17 victory at Vanderbilt Stadium. No. 4 Florida is 6-0 (5-0 in the SEC) for the eighth time in school history and is projected to be near the top of the BCS standings when they are released Sunday.
Driskel, a true sophomore in his first year as a starter, was dominant running the ball. He racked up 177 rushing yards, breaking Tim Tebow’s school record for most by a quarterback. Driskel did it on only 11 carries and scored on touchdowns of 37, 13 and 70 yards.
He went untouched on all three touchdowns, partly due to the presence of running back Mike Gillislee, the SEC’s leading rusher. Gillislee ran for a modest 67 yards on 15 carries against a Vanderbilt defense determined to contain him.
“They were keying in on Gillislee all night, which they should because he’s had a great season,” Driskel said. “When two or three guys go for him, it opens up lanes.
“I kinda just walked in on some of them.”
Tebow’s best rushing game came against Ole Miss in 2007, when he pounded out 166 yards on 27 attempts.
It was the second week in a row that Florida leaned on its defense and running game, which fits the design coach Will Muschamp hoped to implement when he took this job last year. The defense held Vanderbilt (2-4, 1-3 SEC) to seven points until late in the fourth quarter and the offense rushed for 326 yards.
Driskel completed 11 of 20 passes for 77 yards, his second straight game under 100 passing yards. In the second half, Florida ran the ball on 15 of its 18 plays.
“Go with what gets you yardage,” said Muschamp, who shrugged when asked about the paltry passing numbers. “We’re doing what it takes to win games. We’re not worried about stats or getting fancy.”
The win was Florida’s 22nd in a row over Vanderbilt, though it was the second straight time the Commodores were competitive throughout. They lost 26-21 in Gainesville last season and were within seven points until late in the fourth quarter this time.
The Gators allowed an early touchdown, then answered with 21 straight points. When Vanderbilt closed Florida’s lead to 24-17 with 2:35 left, Driskel responded immediately with a 70-yard sprint up the right side. He outran two defensive backs at the end of the play.
That score was so impressive that his 37-yard touchdown run in the second quarter in the game will hardly be remembered. On that play, with most of the Vanderbilt defense in pass coverage to Driskel’s right, he had a clear path to the left to cap the Gators’ season-long 91-yard scoring drive. Florida got 74 of those yards on the ground.
After Driskel’s 37-yarder, the Gators tricked Vanderbilt for a two-point conversion. Florida usually starts in an odd lineup on extra points, with eight players to the far left of the field and three near the ball, then reconfigures into a traditional kicking formation. This time, the Gators surprised Vanderbilt by immediately snapping the ball to Trey Burton and he ran into the end zone with no resistance for an 8-7 lead.
Florida’s special teams shined throughout the night. In the third quarter, defensive lineman Earl Okine blocked a 44-yard field goal attempt to keep the Gators ahead 11-7. On the ensuing possession, Florida kept its momentum going when Solomon Patton ran 54 yards on a fake punt.
“We’ve had it in for a couple weeks now, and I got tired of practicing it and wanted to run it,” Muschamp said.
Driskel finished that sequence with a 13-yard touchdown run.
Following a stunning upset of then-No. 4 LSU two weeks ago and a challenging test at Vanderbilt, the Gators head toward possibly their most important regular-season game. No. 3 South Carolina, which was undefeated heading into a late game against LSU on Saturday, will be in Gainesville this week.
The Gators and Gamecocks have established themselves as the favorites to capture the SEC Eastern Division, and whichever team takes this week’s game will have control of the race.
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