The Florida Gators came back not once but twice in their 35-31 win over the South Carolina Gamecocks. The Florida defense came out flat early in the game but made some nice adjustments at halftime. The Florida offense was led by junior running backs Jordan Scarlett and Lamical Perine. Both backs rushed for over 100 yards. Redshirt-sophomore Feleipe Franks also had a nice bounce back game after struggling in the past two games. This game was Florida’s final SEC game of the season as they finish with 5-3 conference record.
Florida Scores 21 Unanswered Points In 35-31 Win
Florida Gators
The Florida Gators showed a lot of heart and hustle in their win versus the South Carolina Gamecocks. They started the game down 14-0, then tied it 14-14. The Gators were also down 31-14 but scored 21 unanswered points. Florida quarterback Feleipe Franks played well as he completed 15 out of 21 passes for 161 yards and a touchdown. Franks also had sixteen carries for 36 yards and two rushing touchdowns. The rushing attack of the Florida Gators was lethal as they carved up the Gamecocks defense. Florida rushed for 367 yards and averaged 5.9 yards per carry. Jordan Scarlett led the Gators in rushing with eighteen carries for 159 yards. Lamical Perine also had sixteen carries for 107 yards and two touchdowns. Sophomore wide receiver Kadarius Toney had two receptions for 33 yards and a touchdown. He also had four carries for 51 yards on the ground.
The Gators defense came out very sluggish in the first quarterback allowing two easy touchdowns but started pressuring the quarterback and forced a turnover. Junior linebacker David Reese led the Gators in tackles with ten including four solo tackles. Junior defensive end Jabari Zuniga had three tackles with two solos and a sack. Jachai Polite shared a sack with defensive tackle Kyree Campbell. The Florida defense also caught an interception on South Carolina’s final drive. Sophomore cornerback C.J. Henderson came up with the interception on 3 and long for the Gamecocks. Senior defensive end Cece Jefferson did a good job of slowing down South Carolina’s run game. Jefferson had three tackles for 1.5 tackles for loss.
South Carolina Gamecocks
The South Carolina Gamecocks came out firing on all cylinders but couldn’t keep it going in the second half. Junior quarterback Jake Bentley had a nice game versus Florida as he completed 18 out of 28 for 239 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Bentley also had a one-yard rushing touchdown. A.J Turner led the Gamecocks in rushing with twelve carries for 81 yards. Rico Dowdle was limited but still found the end zone. Redshirt-senior Deebo Samuel had a big game with four catches for 120 yards including 89-yard reception. Kyle Markway had one catch in the game for a 19-yard touchdown. K.C. Crosby also had a receiving touchdown in the first quarter.
On defense, South Carolina continues to have their struggles. They couldn’t stop the Florida rushing attack which helped Franks in the passing game. The one Gamecock who had a terrific game was T.J. Brunson. He had sixteen tackles in the game including eight solos, two sacks and three tackles for loss. Steven Montac also played well with eleven tackles and two of them were solos.
What’s Next?
The Florida Gators will play their final home game of the season next Saturday. The Gators will host the Idaho Vandals. The Vandals will come into the Swamp with a 5-5 record after defeating the North Dakota Fighting Hawks 31-27. You can watch this game at 12 pm next Saturday. No channel has been announced for the Florida-Idaho game.
