At least this week keeps the focus on football.
That’s the best-case read on South Carolina’s trip to Florida, because the Gamecocks are walking into Gainesville with all kinds of noise hanging around them after last week’s overtime collapse against Kentucky. South Carolina blew another double-digit lead, lost again, and left behind a whole lot of questions about Shane Beamer’s future. Nothing changed after that, and there’s no real reason to expect a quick fix now.
What awaits is a Florida team that got exposed in its last game and should be angry about it. The setup is ugly for USC, and there’s even a good chance the weather gets involved too.
LaNorris Sellers remains the centerpiece for South Carolina. He wasn’t the reason the Gamecocks lost to Kentucky; in fact, that was his best game.
Like so much else with him, though, even the best version still comes with some mistakes attached. Florida’s secondary has been described as awful, so the obvious question is whether Sellers can make it pay.
Matt Fuller also needs to be part of the answer. He was barely used in the second half last week, and that shouldn’t happen again. Getting him the ball would at least ease some of the burden on Sellers and take pressure off the passing game.
For Florida, Vernell Brown is the name to watch if he’s able to go. He missed last week, and the results showed it.
Against South Carolina’s secondary, he could be a huge problem. Jadan Baugh is the other obvious threat.
Florida wants to run the ball, and he’s been the guy doing it with 628 yards and 11 touchdowns.
The chess match that stands out most is Clayton White against Buster Faulkner. South Carolina’s defensive coordinator got a pretty clear lesson from Missouri’s win over Florida: stack the line, take away the run and force Aaron Philo to beat you through the air, especially without Brown available. The question is whether White is willing to try that same approach, given how shaky the Gamecocks’ secondary has been and how much their pass rush still has to prove.
The bigger storyline may be psychological. South Carolina could absolutely come out strong and grab the lead.
The issue is what happens after that. This team has made a habit of losing control in the third quarter, and at this point it’s hard to trust USC to hold onto anything.
If anything, it almost feels safer if the Gamecocks are never ahead until the final whistle.
Prediction: Florida 42, South Carolina 24
This is one of those spots where bad timing meets a bad matchup. Florida isn’t going to be caught flat-footed after getting embarrassed by Missouri, and the Gators will be eager to show they’re back.
Add in the uniforms tied to the look Steve Spurrier wore when he won the 1966 Heisman, and the whole thing has the feel of a game that could turn fast. That kind of magic happened in 2010 in The Swamp for South Carolina.
It won’t happen this time.
In Other News...
Clemson's Bye Week Suddenly Comes With Serious ACC Stakes
Clemsons bye week has arrived at a pretty useful time, not just for rest and regrouping but because the ACC picture around the Tigers is starting to take shape in a hurry. At 3-2 overall and 2-1 in conference play, Clemson is still hanging around the edges of the playoff conversation, and the path back gets clearer or messier depending on what happens across the league over the next few Saturdays.
Florida State visiting Louisville, North Carolina heading to Pittsburgh, and Duke traveling to Georgia Tech are all the kind of ACC games Clemson fans will be watching closely, because the results could matter later when the Tigers are sorting out their own place in the standings. With several possible future opponents involved, this bye week is as much about scoreboard watching as it is about recovery, and the conference could shift in ways that make Clemsons own margin for error even thinner. [Read more 🡒]
Clemson Just Entered A Fight That Could Shape Its ACC Future
Clemson has stepped into a bigger college sports fight, joining three other ACC schools in pressing Congress over the Protect College Sports Act. The university said it supports the bill overall, but it also made clear it has concerns with a realignment provision that would limit how conferences can be structured, adding another layer to an already messy debate over the future of league membership and control.
Along with the other schools, Clemson sent a letter to U.S. House leadership asking for changes to the bills language on conference membership caps and independence requirements. The push drew criticism from Saving College Sports, which accused the schools of trying to weaken the bills protections against conference realignment, leaving Clemson caught in a dispute that could have real consequences for the ACCs long-term stability. [Read more 🡒]
Clemson Just Took Another Recruiting Hit Fans Wont Ignore
Clemsons recruiting run took another public turn this week when linebacker RJ Hudson, a three-star prospect from Richmond, Virginia, backed off his pledge after originally committing in June. Hudson had been part of the Tigers 2026 class picture, but his decision adds another layer of concern as the staff continues to navigate a cycle that has already featured some turbulence on the trail.
Hudson now appears to be leaning toward Texas as a late option, leaving Clemson to regroup once again. The timing matters because this comes on the heels of another notable setback, with four-star offensive lineman Sam Walker choosing Georgia Tech, a reminder that the Tigers are still fighting to hold the class together while other programs keep pressing for key targets. [Read more 🡒]