Florida came home to Gainesville needing a reset after the Missouri debacle. Instead, the Gators walked off Ben Hill Griffin Stadium with another problem on their hands, dropping a 38-19 SEC loss to South Carolina and giving up 393 total yards in the process.
The result left Florida at 4-2 overall and 3-2 in the SEC, and it came with a stretch of heavyweights looming - now-No. 1 Texas and now-No.
2 Georgia. This was the kind of game Florida had to steady itself in.
It didn’t.
South Carolina’s passing game tore into a Florida secondary that has spent the season trying to find answers. Defensive coordinator Brad White had spent the week pushing his players to be more aggressive at the catch point, saying, “When the ball is in the air, there has to be more of a dog mentality,” and adding, “There’s too much survival mode right now and not enough hunting. We need to hunt.”
The Gamecocks did the hunting.
LaNorris Sellers was in control early, throwing for 135 yards and two touchdowns in the first half as South Carolina built a 17-10 lead by intermission. Florida’s defense had already been giving up too much through the air, and this one followed the same script: third-down stops never came often enough, and the Gamecocks kept extending drives. South Carolina went 7 of 11 on third down in the first half alone, then finished 10 of 16 for the game.
Florida briefly kept pace, but South Carolina kept answering. The Gamecocks scored on all three of their red-zone chances in the first half, then all four of their trips to the red zone overall.
Even when the Gators forced longer situations, it didn’t matter much. Early in the second half, South Carolina faced a third-and-14 and still ripped off back-to-back completions of 35 and 26 yards, the last one a Donovan Murph touchdown that stretched the margin to 24-13.
From there, the game slipped away quickly. South Carolina added a 10-play, 59-yard touchdown drive to move ahead 31-13, and a blown coverage in the end zone only deepened the damage for Florida’s defense. Sellers finished 23 of 35 for 279 yards and five total touchdowns - four passing and one rushing - while the Gamecocks found the end zone five times despite Florida limiting his rushing production.
Florida’s offense had chances, especially early. The Gators opened the scoring with a three-play, 63-yard burst that took less than a minute, then got a 59-yard touchdown catch from Bailey Stockton.
But that opening punch didn’t lead to sustained production. Florida managed just 10 points in the first half for a second straight week, and South Carolina’s Vicari Swain picked off Aaron Philo to help set up a Gamecocks touchdown and a 17-10 lead.
The second half brought more frustration. Florida added a field goal, then followed it with a drive that produced only two yards.
Later, with the Gators trying to claw back, Philo lost a fumble in the red zone while Florida trailed 31-13. That turnover pretty much summed up the afternoon.
Tramell Jones Jr. entered in the fourth quarter, but he was intercepted soon after when a pass bounced off tight end Evan Chieca’s hands.
There were a few encouraging individual performances buried in the loss. Jadan Baugh, coming off a miserable Week 5 in which he gained just 13 yards on 12 carries at Missouri, bounced back with 59 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. He was held to 14 yards on seven first-half carries by a South Carolina defense that entered the day ranked sixth in the SEC against the run, but he picked up 45 yards and a score after halftime once Duke Clark was ruled out after leaving with a boot on his left foot.
Florida also got a glimpse of what its receiving corps can do even in a rough outing. With Vernell Brown III out for a second straight game, Stockton and Dallas Wilson stepped up and combined for 201 yards on 16 catches.
Stockton led the Gators with 127 yards, while Wilson finished with 74 on eight receptions. Nine different Florida players caught passes, which at least gave the offense some variety, even if the scoreboard told the harsher truth.
In Other News...
Floridas Ground Game Just Took Another Hit Against South Carolina
Floridas backfield took another hit against South Carolina when sophomore running back Duke Clark left in the second quarter with a left foot injury and did not return. With Clark out, the Gators had to shuffle their rotation and lean on other backs during the third quarter to keep the ground game moving.
The injury adds another layer of concern for a Florida offense already trying to find consistency on the ground. On a different note, linebacker Myles Graham was seen warming up before the third quarter and returned to the sideline dressed out, suggesting a possible return as the game went on. [Read more 🡒]
Florida Faces An Uncomfortable Bounce-Back Test At Home
Florida gets a quick chance to reset at home against South Carolina after the loss to Missouri, a game that exposed just how much the Gators still have to sort out as SEC play settles in. At 4-1 overall and 2-1 in the conference, Florida is still in solid shape, but this matchup in Gainesville carries the feel of an early-season correction point, especially with the weather, injury updates and a few individual performances all part of the backdrop.
South Carolina arrives with a 2-3 record and still looking for its first conference win after an overtime loss to Kentucky, so both teams are bringing some urgency into a game that matters for different reasons. For Florida, the bigger question is how it responds after a stumble at Missouri and whether it can look sharper at home, where the Gators will be judged not just on the result, but on the way they handle a test that should tell a lot about their direction. [Read more 🡒]
Florida Still Has One Worry After Late Vernell Brown Decision
Floridas offense got a little clarity this week when sophomore wide receiver Vernell Brown III was ruled out for the game against South Carolina, even after showing positive progress in practice. The knee strain is being described as low-grade, and head coach Jon Sumralls update suggested there is optimism around Browns overall direction, but the Gators will still have to move forward without one of the young receivers they have been leaning on.
There was better news on the other side of the injury report, with senior safety Bryce Thornton expected to be available after a lower-body issue. Florida also got a look at South Carolinas availability report, which included several players listed out, but Browns status remains the more immediate concern as the Gators try to sort out their depth on offense and wait for the next step in his recovery. [Read more 🡒]