Florida vs. South Carolina by the Numbers: The Good, Bad and Ugly

Florida fell to South Carolina 38-19 on homecoming Saturday. It marks the first time the Gators have lost a homecoming game since 2018. It was also the Gamecocks’ first win in The Swamp since 2014, when Steve Spurrier was their coach. 

Here’s a look at the numbers behind the loss. 

The Good: Bailey Stockton 

The lone bright spot was Bailey Stockton, who finished with 127 yards and a touchdown on eight receptions. Quarterback Aaron Philo’s high school teammate more than doubled his career high in receiving yards against South Carolina. 

“I don’t really care about that, because I could have zero catches,” Stockton said of his individual performance. “I just want to win.” 

Despite his team-first mindset, Stockton made his presence felt right away, hauling in a 59-yard touchdown pass from Philo on Florida’s second drive. The reception was Florida’s longest passing touchdown of the season, surpassing Vernell Brown III’s 49-yard score against FAU. 

Stockton is the third Florida receiver this season with 100 receiving yards in a game, joining Brown III and Dallas Wilson. This is the first time since 2022 that three or more Florida receivers recorded 100-yard receiving games in the same season. Xzavier Henderson, Ricky Pearsall, Daejon Reynolds and Justin Shorter were the last group of Gators to accomplish the feat.

The Bad: Florida Loses the Middle Minutes Yet Again 

At first glance, the box score suggests a close game. South Carolina totaled 393 yards of offense, just six more than Florida’s 387. However, the final score told a different story.

The end of the second quarter and start of the third proved costly for Florida once again. From 4:09 remaining in the second quarter to 8:36 remaining in the third, South Carolina outscored the Gators 17-3. 

With 3:29 remaining in the first half,  Philo threw an interception to Vicari Swain, who returned it to Florida’s 26-yard line. The Gamecocks scored a touchdown minutes later to take a 17-10 lead and never relinquished it. 

Sellers completed back-to-back explosive passes on South Carolina’s opening third-quarter drive for a combined 51 yards, extending the Gamecocks’ lead to double digits. 

“I do think we’ve looked a little bit worn down in the second half,” UF coach Jon Sumrall said. “I think we’ve looked maybe a little sluggish, a little slow and not maybe as strong as we need to be to finish the right way.”

Florida (4-2, 2-2 SEC) has now allowed a touchdown on its opponent’s opening possession of the second half in three consecutive games.

The Ugly: Florida’s Passing Defense Getting Exposed 

Florida has allowed 1,497 passing air yards this season, the fifth-most in the FBS. Air yards measure how far a pass attempt travels beyond the line of scrimmage. The stat is indicative of how the Gators’ secondary has performed this season, and Saturday was no different. 

LaNorris Sellers had his most efficient SEC game this season against the Gators, completing 23 of 35 passes (65.7%). However, perhaps the most shocking stat was that Florida failed to record a single pass breakup.

“In the throw game, they hit some explosive pass plays today,” Sumrall said. “It wasn’t on just one guy. It was certain guys in different situations, and we have got to win 50-50 balls down the field and be in a competitive position to make plays on those balls.” 

Florida’s secondary also struggled to get off the field on third downs. South Carolina (3-3, 1-3) converted 10 of its final 14 third-down attempts after opening the game 0-for-2. The Gamecocks led the SEC in Week 6 with a 62.5% conversion rate.

South Carolina averaged 7.8 yards to go on third down and gained 10.1 yards per attempt in those situations (David Waters of Gators Breakdown). Sellers threw for 117 of his 229 passing yards on third down, accounting for 51.1% of his total yards. 

Once opposing offenses find their rhythm, Florida has struggled to slow them down. When opponents cross the Gators’ 40-yard line, Florida allows an average of 4.24 points per possession, the second-worst mark in the SEC. 

The Gators now travel to No. 7 Texas (5-1, 1-1)  for Saturday’s game. Coverage begins at 9 a.m. on WRUF 98.1-FM/850-AM/103.7 HD2 and at noon on ABC.

Category: Feature Sports News, Gator Sports, Gators Football