Gainesville, FL – The third-ranked Florida Gators will play host to the South Carolina Gamecocks in their first game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium this Saturday. Although Dan Mullen is two-for-two against Will Muschamp in his time as the Gators’ head coach, both meetings have been competitive. In his first season, Mullen’s team came from behind twice, prompting a now infamous gesture by former Gators’ quarterback, Feleipe Franks. Last season, the two teams battled through sloppy conditions before Kyle Trask eventually found his rhythm and led the Gators to victory.
Ironically, the last time the Gators reached No. 3 in the polls, they dominated the Gamecocks, 44-11 in the following week. Why is that ironic? Well, that’s because Will Muschamp was Florida’s head coach at the time. The Gators will be looking for a similar result on Saturday as they go for their 29th win over the Cocks. Florida leads the all-time series, 28-9-3 and holds a 15-2 record when facing Carolina at The Swamp.
After opening as 22.5 point favorites, the Gators have seen that line drop to -18.5. However, this game could be a little closer than anticipated if the Florida defense doesn’t show considerable improvement over last week. Typically a strength, the Gators defense yielded over 600 yards and five touchdowns last week in Oxford, Mississippi. To be fair, there were several Gators’ defenders that weren’t on the field for various reasons. But Florida will need a much better showing, especially in pass defense, if they intend to cover the spread.
The return of Shawn Davis, who was ejected for targeting in the opening series last week, should help the Gators by providing the corners with a little more veteran support from the safety position. Meanwhile, Ventrell Miller recorded 15 tackles last week and will need to duplicate his performance to help disrupt Mike Bobo’s offensive strategy of running to set up the passing game.
As long as Florida’s front seven can keep containment and show improved fundamentals when tackling, they should have their way with a fledgling Gamecocks offensive line. Last week, South Carolina mustered just 89 yards on the ground, continuing a trend of sub-100 yard games that extends three games deep into last season. Creating similar disruption in the running game will be the first step in bringing the Gamecocks offense to a halt.
Beyond stopping a struggling rushing attack, Florida will need to lock down a pair of electric receivers. Shi Smith and Xavier Legette can make plays when they are needed the most. The pair combined for 202 yards in last week’s matchup against Tennessee and were a major reason that the Gamecocks still had a chance late in the game. However, if Florida finds themselves in a shootout, we know that they’ve got the guns to win.
Kyle Trask and Kyle Pitts will do what Kyle’s do. Even Muschamp has conceded that. But, as we saw last week, they aren’t the only playmakers at Dan Mullen’s disposal. In fact, Trask completed passes to 11 different receivers, seven of which hauled in multiple receptions. As if that weren’t enough, the Gators have a running game, ladies and gentleman!
In a running back by committee effort, Florida totaled 195 yards on the ground. This is a much welcomed sight for Gators fans, as it is a sign of a much improved offensive line. The unit that ranked No. 122 in the country last season got off to a grand start, protecting Trask and opening holes for each of Florida’s talented ball carriers.
Whether we see defensive dominance from the Gators or an offensive shootout, I think Florida wins this one. They will cover the spread and leave The Swamp with their second win of the season, 49-28.
The Gators kickoff their home schedule against the Gamecocks at noon EST this Saturday. Television coverage will be provided by ESPN.