Florida’s ground game has hit a wall at exactly the wrong time, and now Jadan Baugh gets another heavy lift against a South Carolina defense that has made life miserable for opposing backs.
Baugh has been the engine for the Gators through the first month of the season. After piling up 1,170 rushing yards last season, he chose to stay with Jon Sumrall’s program for 2026, a decision that has already paid off in a big way.
Through four games, he had 600 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns on 83 carries, good for 7.2 yards per attempt and enough production to push him into the Heisman conversation. His Week 4 explosion against Ole Miss - 142 rushing yards and three touchdowns - only amplified the buzz.
Then came Missouri.
Florida’s trip to face the Tigers shut things down fast. Baugh was bottled up for 13 yards on 12 carries, and the Gators’ offense never found its rhythm in a 45-17 loss. That result put real pressure on Week 6, because a second straight defeat would send Florida into a dangerous slide.
South Carolina is not offering much relief. The Gamecocks have had a rough start to 2026 and are coming off a 35-34 overtime loss to Kentucky, but their run defense has been one of the steadier parts of the team.
Through five weeks, South Carolina has allowed 100.4 rushing yards per game, which ranks sixth in the SEC. Against Kentucky, the Gamecocks forced the Wildcats to lean on the passing game and held CJ Baxter to 48 rushing yards and one touchdown on 13 carries.
That means Baugh and Florida’s other running backs will have to earn everything on Saturday. Missouri already showed how quickly the Gators can get knocked off script when the run game disappears, and South Carolina has given opponents similar problems on the ground.
One more storyline hangs over the matchup: the status of South Carolina EDGE rusher Dylan Stewart. He was suspended indefinitely by Shane Beamer after an altercation with the coaching staff during the Gamecocks’ Week 4 game against Alabama. His availability will be worth watching as the week goes on.
In Other News...
Greg McElroy Just Added To Floridas Misery After Mizzou Rout
Missouris 45-?? rout of Florida only deepened an already rough stretch for the Gators, and the Tigers left little doubt about where they belong in the national conversation. Missouri improved to 4-1 and was rewarded in the AP Poll, climbing from No. 25 to No. 14 after piling up 560 total yards and smothering Florida on the ground, where the Gators managed just 42 rushing yards.
The damage kept building as the game wore on, with Missouri outscoring Florida 25-7 in the second half. Austin Simmons carved up the Gators for nearly 240 passing yards in the first half, and Jamal Roberts punished them on the ground with 211 rushing yards and three touchdowns, the kind of performance that leaves Florida searching for answers long after the final whistle. [Read more 🡒]
Florida Snap Count Shifts Raise Tough Questions After Missouri Loss
The snap counts from Floridas loss to Missouri offered a clearer picture of how the Gators are sorting through their roster than the final score did. Several players who figured to have larger roles were used sparingly, with Eric Singleton Jr. and JVari Flowers among the names whose playing time stood out, while the staff also mixed in different combinations across the depth chart as it searched for answers in a difficult game.
Tramell Jones brief late appearance at quarterback added another wrinkle to a night full of questions about usage and rotation. For a team still trying to settle on dependable pieces, those snap-count shifts matter because they can hint at where the coaching staff is leaning next, and where it still isnt sure who fits best when the games get tight. [Read more 🡒]
Florida Just Got Another Harsh Reminder Of How Bad This Is
Floridas rough start got another jolt after Week 5, when ESPN refreshed its FPI rankings and the Gators slid five spots following Missouris 45-17 win in Columbia. The loss only deepened the sense that Florida is still searching for traction, while other contenders around the country kept stacking convincing results and moving up the board.
Ohio State took over the top spot in the updated rankings after a 31-14 win over Iowa, and Jeremiah Smiths record-setting night only underscored how sharply the hierarchy can shift. For Florida, the latest drop serves as another blunt reminder that the margin for error is already thin, and the climb back will not get any easier. [Read more 🡒]