At least this week keeps the focus on football.
That’s the best-case read on South Carolina’s trip to Florida, because the Gamecocks are walking into Gainesville with all kinds of noise hanging around them after last week’s overtime collapse against Kentucky. South Carolina blew another double-digit lead, lost again, and left behind a whole lot of questions about Shane Beamer’s future. Nothing changed after that, and there’s no real reason to expect a quick fix now.
What awaits is a Florida team that got exposed in its last game and should be angry about it. The setup is ugly for USC, and there’s even a good chance the weather gets involved too.
LaNorris Sellers remains the centerpiece for South Carolina. He wasn’t the reason the Gamecocks lost to Kentucky; in fact, that was his best game.
Like so much else with him, though, even the best version still comes with some mistakes attached. Florida’s secondary has been described as awful, so the obvious question is whether Sellers can make it pay.
Matt Fuller also needs to be part of the answer. He was barely used in the second half last week, and that shouldn’t happen again. Getting him the ball would at least ease some of the burden on Sellers and take pressure off the passing game.
For Florida, Vernell Brown is the name to watch if he’s able to go. He missed last week, and the results showed it.
Against South Carolina’s secondary, he could be a huge problem. Jadan Baugh is the other obvious threat.
Florida wants to run the ball, and he’s been the guy doing it with 628 yards and 11 touchdowns.
The chess match that stands out most is Clayton White against Buster Faulkner. South Carolina’s defensive coordinator got a pretty clear lesson from Missouri’s win over Florida: stack the line, take away the run and force Aaron Philo to beat you through the air, especially without Brown available. The question is whether White is willing to try that same approach, given how shaky the Gamecocks’ secondary has been and how much their pass rush still has to prove.
The bigger storyline may be psychological. South Carolina could absolutely come out strong and grab the lead.
The issue is what happens after that. This team has made a habit of losing control in the third quarter, and at this point it’s hard to trust USC to hold onto anything.
If anything, it almost feels safer if the Gamecocks are never ahead until the final whistle.
Prediction: Florida 42, South Carolina 24
This is one of those spots where bad timing meets a bad matchup. Florida isn’t going to be caught flat-footed after getting embarrassed by Missouri, and the Gators will be eager to show they’re back.
Add in the uniforms tied to the look Steve Spurrier wore when he won the 1966 Heisman, and the whole thing has the feel of a game that could turn fast. That kind of magic happened in 2010 in The Swamp for South Carolina.
It won’t happen this time.
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 🡒]