Humbling Homecoming: Gamecocks Crush Gators, 38-19

Under a cloud of rain and amid the festivities of homecoming, the No. 16 Gators fell 38-19 against unranked South Carolina on Saturday.

Florida’s defensive instability and crumbling run game weren’t able to hold a candle to South Carolina’s unstoppable offensive unit. Quarterback LaNorris Sellers led the Gamecocks with 279 passing yards and five total touchdowns (one rushing) while going 23-of-35. 

Florida (4-2, 2-2 SEC), on the other hand, finished with 387 total yards and four turnovers. Former Heisman Trophy-contender Jadan Baugh notched just 59 rushing yards and was rivaled by quarterback Aaron Philo, who gained 32. 

Wide receiver Bailey Stockton kicked off the scoring in the first quarter after a slow start. The wide receiver caught a pass from Philo and made a 59-yard run to the end zone to give the Gators a 7-0 lead with 11:25 left to go in the first quarter. 

Florida’s triumphs for the game ended there. South Carolina went 7-of-11 in third-down conversions in the first two quarters while notching two touchdowns through the air.

The Gamecocks (3-3, 1-3) responded to Stockton’s run quickly, ending a 10-play drive with a 15-yard touchdown pass from Sellers to wide receiver Nyck Harbor to bring the score to 7-7 at the end of the first. 

Florida was then unable to get the ball moving, settling for a 21-yard field goal from Patrick Durkin, reclaiming its lead at 10-7. 

The Gators’ defensive unit briefly grabbed the reins, preventing the Gamecocks from entering the end zone with 4:09 left in the second quarter. Myles Graham notched his second sack of the game on Florida’s 22 at second-and-9 for a loss of 8 yards, forcing South Carolina to go for a  37-yard field goal and again tying the score at 10-all. 

From that point, South Carolina outscored Florida 28-9 the rest of the game to end an eight-game losing streak in the SEC. The Gamecocks are now 3-17 at The Swamp, with the other two wins coming under some coach named Steve Spurrier.

“[South Carolina’s] defensive front won the battle at the line of scrimmage over us in the run and the pass game,” UF coach Jon Sumrall said. “I think they’ve got good players, but we have to help our guys play better.”

Following a 5-yard false start penalty on Florida – marking the fourth before the first half had ended – the Gamecocks turned the game in their favor. Defensive back Vicari Swain intercepted a pass from Philo, returning it for 18 yards to Florida’s 26. From there, South Carolina couldn’t be stopped. Sellers made a 12-yard pass to Mazeo Bennett Jr. to bring the score to 17-10 with 1:47 left before the half. 

The game was delayed starting at halftime for lightning in the area, but resumed at 3:05 p.m. after a 45-minute halftime delay. The extra rest in the locker room didn’t seem to quell the Gators’ issues in the second half. 

Florida, which has lost 17 consecutive games when trailing at the half, ended the opening drive in a successful 48-yard field goal from Durkin. The Gators continued to trail 17-13 as South Carolina sprang ahead.

Sellers kept the Gamecocks rolling into the final stages of the game, closing out one of his best games this season. With 8:36 left on the clock in the third, Sellers threw for his third touchdown of the game — a 26-yard pass to wide receiver Donovan Murphy. 

Florida’s defense continued to struggle, allowing 279 passing yards, 116 rushing yards, 38 points and letting the Gamecocks run to 10-of-16 in third-down conversions. 

“We’ve got to go back to the drawing board and keep working, keep getting better,” UF linebacker Aaron Chiles said. “Improve our chemistry, improve our communication and just defensively improve everything.” 

The Gators offensive was once again unable to respond, and Sellers extended the lead to 31-13 with a 1-yard rush to the end zone with 1:12 left in the third. 

The dominance continued into the fourth when South Carolina extended the lead once again when Sellers launched a 21-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Lex Cyrus. The score, now at 38-13, was only seen by a small percentage of the originally sold-out stadium after many fans filed out.

Florida attempted to respond in the last two minutes, but the 2-yard touchdown rush from Baugh was too little, too late. Florida has been outscored 83-36 in back-to-back losses.

“Honestly, I think it’s a player thing right now,” Stockton said. “I don’t think it has anything to do with the coaches … we’re just not doing what we need to do.”

The Gators, who went 4-0 in September and are now staring at an 0-4 October with games at No. 1 Texas and No. 2 Georgia in Atlanta ahead, visit the Longhorns next Saturday.

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