Florida’s fast start has turned into a full-blown skid, and Saturday’s loss to South Carolina only deepened the trouble.
The Gators fell 38-19 to the Gamecocks after hanging around early, then watching the game tilt hard in the second half. Florida actually got on the board first when Aaron Philo hit Bailey Stockton on a 59-yard touchdown, and the Gators stayed within striking distance by going into halftime down 17-10. They trimmed the margin to 17-13 with a field goal to open the third quarter, but that was about as good as it got.
South Carolina answered with a six-play, 75-yard drive that ended when LaNorris Sellers found Donovan Murph for a 26-yard touchdown. After Florida punted on the next possession, Sellers led another march and finished it himself with a one-yard rushing score. Jadan Baugh added a touchdown on Florida’s final drive, but by then the damage was done.
Baugh finished with 59 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries, a far cry from the early stretch of the season when he powered the offense and looked like a Heisman contender. The run game hasn’t been nearly as sharp lately, and the defense has slipped too. Over the last two weeks, Missouri and South Carolina both moved the ball with ease against Florida.
That’s a sharp turn from where this team sat not long ago. Florida opened 4-0 after hiring head coach Jon Sumrall in the offseason, and the move looked like it was paying off early.
Sumrall arrived after successful runs at Troy, where he went 23-4, and Tulane, where he went 20-8 and reached the College Football Playoff. The Gators also picked up an upset win over Ole Miss a few weeks ago, which had them looking like one of the top teams in the country.
Now the picture looks very different. Florida has dropped back-to-back games to Missouri and South Carolina, and the season is slipping away fast.
The next two weeks will tell the story: the Gators have No. 1 Texas and No.
2 Georgia coming up, and if they want any path back into the College Football Playoff conversation, they’ll have to pull off a pair of major upsets.
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 🡒]