The Florida Gators will be on the road again for another SEC East matchup. In our Florida vs South Carolina preview, we take a look at the matchup. The Gators will travel to Columbia, South Carolina to take on the South Carolina Gamecocks at Williams-Brice Stadium.
Both teams come into this matchup with a 4-4 record on the season. Florida is coming off a 34-7 loss versus the #1 Georgia Bulldogs. As for the Gamecocks, South Carolina is also coming off a loss as they lost to Texas A&M and a bye week.
During the rivalry, Florida has the upper hand against South Carolina. The Gators have a 29-9-3 record against the Gamecocks. Florida has also won the three meetings against South Carolina. Florida head coach Dan Mullen is 3-0 against South Carolina as the Gators head coach.
South Carolina Gamecocks
The South Carolina Gamecocks will host the Florida Gators for the first time in a while that isn’t be coached by a former Florida head coach. The Gamecocks will be led by head coach, Shame Beamer, who’s in his first season at South Carolina.
The Gamecocks have not announced their starting quarterback yet but it seems like redshirt-senior Jason Brown will get the start for the Gamecocks. Brown has already played in three games as he has completed 60% of his passes for 129 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.
South Carolina’s offense is a run heavy offense that has multiple options at running back. Former JUCO running back Zaquandre White is the lead back for the Gamecocks. White has 291 rushing yards on 42 carries and a touchdown. Junior running back Kevin Harris has 70 carries for 237 rushing yards and a team-high two touchdowns.
Senior wide receiver Josh Vann is the leading pass catcher for the Gamecocks. The Georgia native has 24 receptions for 431 yards and two touchdowns. Sophomore tight end Jaheim Bell has also been one of the USC’s top pass catchers. Bell has 17 catches for 287 yards and two scores.
On defense, South Carolina has struggled this season as they have allowed 24.5 points per game. Defensive back Jaylan Foster leads the Gamecocks in tackles with 66 tackles. He also has four tackles for loss, two sacks and five interceptions.
Senior EDGE rusher Kingsley Enagbare leads the Gamecocks in sacks. The Atlanta native has 4four-and-a-half sacks on the season. Enagbare also has 33 tackles, five tackles for loss and nine QB hurries.
Florida Gators offense
The Florida Gators offense will look to rebound after a very tough loss to the Georgia Bulldogs. The Gators are also unsure who will be their quarterback as Anthony Richardson is questionable due to a concussion.
If Richardson is out, redshirt-junior Emory Jones will get the start for the Florida Gators. Jones has started every game for the Gators this season except for their last game against Georgia. He was also their only touchdown in the game last week.
Jones is also the leading rusher for the Gators. The quarterback has 517 rushing yards on 91 carries and three touchdowns. As a passer, Jones has completed 67.8% for 1,417 yards, ten touchdowns and nine interceptions.
Senior running back Dameon Pierce has had a really impressive season for the Gators. Pierce has rushed for 331 yards on 55 carries and eight touchdowns. Another senior back, Malik Davis, has also been pretty productive for Florida this season as he has 308 rushing yards for three scores.
Junior wide receiver Jacob Copeland is the leading receiver for the Gators. Copeland has 25 receptions for 450 yards and three touchdowns. Former Penn State transfer Justin Shorter has been really good in the past few games. Shorter has 23 catches for 279 yards and two scores.
Florida Gators defense
The Florida Gators defense has really struggled for the most part this season but will look to improve against the South Carolina offense. Junior linebacker Mohamoud Diabate leads the Gators in tackles. The Alabama native has 62 tackles including 20 solo tackles and three QB hurries.
Sophomore safety Rashad Torrence II is coming off a couple of excellent games including a two interception game against Georgia. Torrence also has 47 tackles with 2.5 tackles for loss.
Five Players to Watch: South Carolina Gamecocks
- RB Kevin Harris
- EDGE Kingsley Enagbare
- WR Josh Vann
- S Jaylan Foster
- QB Jason Brown
Five Players to Watch: Florida Gators
- RB Dameon Pierce
- S Rashad Torrence II
- WR Justin Shorter
- LB Mohamoud Diabate
- QB Emory Jones
Five Predictions:
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- Emory Jones starts for Florida has over 300 yards of total offense and two touchdowns.
- Kevin Harris leads South Carolina in rushing with a touchdown.
- Florida’s defense records three sacks.
- Jaylon Foster gets an interception.
- Florida Gators beats South Carolina Gamecocks 31-17.
