Florida’s slide hit another ugly checkpoint Saturday, and Jon Sumrall didn’t try to dress it up.
After the Gators were hammered 38-19 by South Carolina in front of 90,311 fans at “The Swamp,” the Florida head coach said the problems that have followed this team all season showed up again. Sumrall said Florida has been "exposed in a pretty substantial way" in the loss to South Carolina.
That came on the heels of a stretch that had already started to sour fast. Florida climbed all the way to No. 8 after a 52-28 win over then-No.
4 Ole Miss on Sept. 26, but the shine has worn off in a hurry. Last week’s 45-17 loss at Missouri was bad enough.
Saturday’s result made the downturn feel much more serious.
The most frustrating part for Florida is that South Carolina arrived with its own doubts swirling. The Gamecocks had dropped three straight SEC games to open conference play, and there was real chatter about Shane Beamer’s future before kickoff. Instead of being the team under pressure, South Carolina walked into Gainesville and controlled the game.
Florida cleaned up one problem, at least on the stat sheet. The Gators were flagged five times for 30 yards, which was better than what they had been dealing with recently. But everything else that has been nagging this team was still there.
The secondary was beaten repeatedly, with LaNorris Sellers carving it up for 279 yards and four touchdowns. Florida’s run game never found much rhythm either.
Jadan Baugh, who managed only 13 yards on 12 carries against Missouri, finished with 59 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries against South Carolina. As a team, UF ran 38 times for 120 yards.
Quarterback play remains a major concern. Neither Aaron Philo nor Tramel Jones Jr. has given Florida a convincing answer under center. Philo went 21 of 28 for 227 yards and an interception, while Jones completed 6 of 8 passes for 40 yards and another pick.
For a South Carolina team that had been facing questions about whether Beamer would keep his job next season, this was a strong response. For Florida, it was another reminder that the staff knows what’s wrong, but hasn’t fixed it.
The Gators are now 4-2 and head next to Texas, which was upset 27-24 by Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry on Saturday.
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 🡒]