Florida’s first real stumble of the season came with a hard landing in Columbia, Mo., and now the Gators are back in Gainesville trying to reset before the SEC season gets any messier.
No. 16 Florida, now 4-1 overall and 2-1 in the league, hosts South Carolina early Saturday in a matchup that looks different on paper than it has felt lately. The Gators have already shown the ceiling of this team - and then, just as quickly, the floor.
That contrast was on full display last weekend. Florida entered the Missouri game riding a 4-0 start and plenty of buzz behind a fast-paced offense and running back Jadan Baugh, the bruising Heisman Trophy candidate who had piled up four 100-yard games and 11 touchdowns.
Then Missouri took control, rolled to a 45-17 win and outgained Florida 560-325. Baugh, who had been a centerpiece of the Gators’ early surge, was bottled up to 13 yards on 12 carries after gaining 12 on his first touch.
The loss knocked Florida from No. 8 to No. 16 in The Associated Press Top 25, landing the Gators one spot behind Missouri.
“You know, talked to our team this morning about how we have to move on,” coach Jon Sumrall said Monday. “We're challenging our guys to pick up, move on.”
Florida gets no soft landing this week. Sumrall called South Carolina the most talented team his group has faced so far, even if the results haven’t matched that talent.
“You look at South Carolina on film, they're as good talent-wise as anything we've seen this year by far,” Sumrall said. “They're the best talent team that we have played to date.
And you look across their entire roster ... They've got NFL guys everywhere.
Like all over the tape.
“So, it's going to be a really formidable test because these guys, they got dudes.”
The Gamecocks arrive at 2-3 and 0-3 in the SEC, having dropped three straight. Two of those losses came by a single score, and last Saturday’s 35-34 home defeat to then-No. 24 Kentucky added another painful twist: Kentucky had entered the game ranked and left the Top 25 anyway after winning on a 2-point conversion in overtime.
South Carolina’s collapse after building a 17-0 lead drew boos at Williams-Brice Stadium and left sixth-year coach Shane Beamer under even more pressure.
There was at least one bright spot for the Gamecocks. Quarterback LaNorris Sellers answered a rough outing against Alabama with his best performance of the season, throwing for 226 yards and two touchdowns while adding a season-high 147 rushing yards on 17 carries.
“LaNorris responded the right way,” Beamer said Sunday. “I thought he was freaking awesome last night. He, without a doubt, played his best game.
“I mean, some of the throws he made last night, like, wow. Timing, stepping up in the pocket, taking a hit, showing arm strength to be able to get the ball out and to his target. Some of his runs, I mean, he was awesome.”
Beamer also said star edge rusher Dylan Stewart has apologized to him and the team after being suspended for one game following the Sept. 26 loss in Tuscaloosa, where he punched Alabama tight end Josh Ford.
Florida could get a boost of its own on offense. Sophomore wide receiver Vernell Brown III, who has 17 catches for 271 yards and two touchdowns, missed the Missouri game with a strained knee, but Sumrall said he has been cleared to participate.
In Other News...
Dylan Stewart Returns To South Carolina With Bigger Questions Still Lingering
Dylan Stewart is set to be back on the field for South Carolinas upcoming game against Florida after serving a one-game suspension, giving Shane Beamer a key defender back at a time when the Gamecocks can use some stability. Beamer confirmed Stewart is expected to return after missing the previous game, and Stewart has already resumed practicing with the team as South Carolina turns the page to another important SEC test.
The return, though, does not erase the reasons his absence mattered in the first place, and it leaves the Gamecocks still managing the fallout from the earlier incidents that led to the suspension. South Carolina also enters the matchup with several other players listed as doubtful, so even with Stewart back in the mix, the roster situation remains unsettled heading into Florida. [Read more 🡒]
South Carolina Faces A Pressure Test That Could Deepen Everything
South Carolina heads into its matchup with Florida carrying plenty of weight on its shoulders, and not just because of what the game means in the standings. The Gamecocks have spent the week trying to steady themselves after recent struggles, while the noise around coaching uncertainty has only made the backdrop more tense. Florida brings an offense that can stress a defense in a hurry, which means South Carolina will need a cleaner, sharper performance than it has shown lately.
The matchup feels like more than a simple SEC midseason test, because the result could shape the mood around the program well beyond Saturday. South Carolina has enough pieces to make this interesting, but the margin for error is thin against a Florida team that can punish lapses. However this one plays out, the pressure surrounding the Gamecocks is not going away quietly, and the stakes make the game worth watching closely. [Read more 🡒]