Billy Napier may be undefeated at James Madison, but Florida’s latest collapse is the kind of thing that makes old ghosts grin.
In Gainesville, the mood has swung from full-blown revival to full-speed panic. Two weeks ago, Jon Sumrall’s Gators were 4-0, ranked No. 8 and riding high after a 52-28 dismantling of Ole Miss.
The hype was huge. The Swamp was loud.
Florida looked like a team that had finally shaken off years of disappointment.
Now? The same team has lost twice in a row, and the season has taken a nasty turn.
Missouri was the first punch, hammering Florida 45-17. South Carolina delivered the follow-up Saturday, coming into the Swamp as a 10½-point underdog and leaving with a 38-19 win.
Put the two together and Florida has been outscored 83-36 by underdogs. That’s not a stumble.
That’s a nosedive.
The offense that hung 52 on Ole Miss has managed only 36 points over the last two games. Running back Jadan Baugh, who looked like he was flashing Heisman swagger not long ago, has gone from spotlight to afterthought.
And the defense? It has been shredded.
South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers threw four touchdown passes against a Florida defense that looked far too easy to move the ball on.
The result was a bizarre scene in Gainesville. The same crowd that was buzzing through the Ole Miss blowout was booing by the time South Carolina was done putting the Gators away.
What makes the swing even sharper is that Sumrall tried to warn everyone. Even after the Ole Miss win, he made it clear Florida was still a work in progress and that one big September performance didn’t mean the rebuilding job was finished. He was right, even if nobody wanted to hear it at the time.
That’s the reality here: Florida didn’t inherit a finished product. It inherited a 4-8 team, roster issues, offensive line problems and a defense that still has major holes. A fiery start doesn’t erase years of damage, and it definitely doesn’t make the SEC any less brutal.
And the schedule isn’t easing up. Texas and Georgia are next.
Gulp.
There’s still a bigger picture to keep in mind, though. Those first four wins mattered.
The Ole Miss game was real. The buzz was real.
The idea that Florida was headed somewhere was real, too. But that surge was never proof the job was done.
Maybe Sumrall really is the coach who can drag Florida back toward national relevance. Maybe that Ole Miss game was a glimpse of what’s coming. Or maybe it was just the kind of September high that makes a program forget how hard this league can be.
For now, the Gators are learning the hard way. Waking up a giant is one thing. Teaching it how to stay standing is something else entirely.
And somewhere in Harrisonburg, Billy Napier has every reason to enjoy the joke.
In Other News...
South Carolina Has One Lingering Injury Concern Before Tennessee
South Carolina came out of the Florida game already juggling its depth chart, with several key players sidelined by injury and cornerback Judge Collier leaving early as well. Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy, Julian Walker, Quay'sheed Scott and Carter Miller were all unavailable, forcing the Gamecocks to work through the kind of next-man-up stretch that can quickly reshape both practice reps and game planning this time of year.
There is at least some good news as Tennessee approaches. Shane Beamer said every injured player except Scott is expected to be available for the matchup, leaving one lingering concern the staff still has to sort through after further testing. For a team trying to steady itself after a physical SEC game, that lone uncertainty is the one injury situation worth watching closest this week. [Read more 🡒]
Shane Beamer May Have Finally Lit A Fire Under LaNorris Sellers
Shane Beamers challenge to LaNorris Sellers seemed designed to jolt the sophomore quarterback out of any comfort zone, and it came at a time when South Carolina needed its offense to show more consistency. Instead of treating the warning as background noise, Sellers answered with one of his best outings of the season in the Gamecocks win over Florida, helping steady an attack that had been looking for a cleaner rhythm.
What stood out most was how controlled Sellers looked. He converted third downs at a strong rate, protected the football and gave South Carolina the kind of efficient quarterback play Beamer has been pushing for, while Pro Football Focus tagged him with an 80.9 offensive grade, one of the better marks among SEC passers that week. For a team trying to climb into a more reliable offensive identity, the timing could hardly be better. [Read more 🡒]
Dylan Stewart Gave South Carolina More Than A Breakout Return
Dylan Stewarts return against Florida gave South Carolina exactly what it needed on the field, and a little more besides. The sophomore defensive end finished with five tackles, a sack and two forced fumbles in the Gamecocks 38-19 win, a disruptive outing that reminded everyone why his presence changes the shape of the defense when he is right.
Shane Beamer had plenty to point to afterward, praising Stewarts performance and discipline during the game while also noting the way he handled the week in the classroom. For South Carolina, that kind of growth matters almost as much as the splash plays, because Stewarts value is tied not only to what he does off the edge, but to how quickly he keeps building into a steadier force on and off the field. [Read more 🡒]