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Image Credit: UAA
Whatever momentum the Florida Gators had in Year 1 under head coach Jon Sumrall has officially dissipated. Faced with a prime bounce-back opportunity inside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium against a South Carolina Gamecocks team that entered winless against FBS competition, No. 16 Florida struggled to compete on either side of the ball. The Gators ultimately fell 38-19 on homecoming at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, losing to the Gamecocks in The Swamp for the first time since 2016 and first time ever when the team was not coached by Steve Spurrier.
Florida was unable to score against a South Carolina team that had given up 41.7 points per game against three SEC opponents entering Saturday’s contest. The Gators were unable to stop the ‘Cocks defensively despite the visitors only scoring 18 points in their lone road game this season. Their 38 points were the most ever scored by the program on Florida Field.
Sumrall was outclassed by Shane Beamer, a coach who was talked about as a hot seat candidate entering the game, given South Carolina’s extended struggles and horrendous start to the season. Defensive coordinator Brad White’s unit allowed 14 third-quarter points to a team that had not scored in that stanza during league play. Offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner, the hottest name at his position in the country two weeks ago, could not figure out how to move Florida down the field against what was thought to be the SEC’s worst defense.
The Gators did have some personnel losses to overcome, but none of those absences excuses the team’s inability to rebound from last week’s devastating loss, its glacial offense and a defense that may be one of the worst in the FBS before the season concludes, given the teams still ahead on UF’s schedule.
Let’s take a look at everything that went wrong on Saturday in The Swamp.
Editor’s note: Takeaways are being updated live until this line is removed from the article. Refresh every 10 minutes.
Third-and-White
Florida’s run of success under Steve Spurrier, Urban Meyer and even a couple of subsequent coaches was fueled by some of the best defense in the nation. Sure, the Gators had high-powered offenses under Spurrier and Meyer, but none of that would have mattered if UF could not stop its opponents.
The program has been unable to field a respectable unit this decade, and the defensive performance this season is on track to be among the worst during that span.
The Gators on Saturday allowed third-down conversions on 10 of 15 attempts, including 5 of 6 when the distance was 9 yards or longer. (This includes a third-and-13 conversion for the ‘Cocks that was shortened five yards after an unnecessary offsides from sophomore defensive lineman Jeremiah McCloud in the first quarter.)
That’s not just bad; it’s abhorrent, especially considering Florida found a semblance of success getting into the backfield and creating pressure with three sacks and nine tackles for loss.
South Carolina QB LaNorris Sellers threw four touchdowns (second-most in his career) while putting together one of his best-ever passing performances. Even when UF got him off his spot, which happened frequently, there were so many receivers open downfield that it did not matter.
The Gators’ struggling defense was even gifted a 45-minute halftime amid a well-timed lightning delay. It came out worse than it started, allowing the Gamecocks to score 14 points in the third quarter after the visitors had failed to register a score during that period in SEC play.
Barring an unforeseen and seemingly impossible turnaround, Sumrall likely needs to make a move his predecessors refused to make at season’s end: change his staff and remove a friend he hired as coordinator. White was the lowest graded among Sumrall’s assistants by Only Gators this offseason, and even with an influx of talent, it’s tough to see his play calling continuing to work at Florida.
Is Buster busted?
Faulkner is in full control of this Gators offense. He decided to start junior quarterback Aaron Philo after bringing in his signal caller from Georgia Tech. He and Philo are the reason senior wide receiver Bailey Stockton (also a Yellow Jackets transfer) has emerged as Florida’s primary pass catcher over sophomore Dallas Wilson as sophomore Vernell Brown III remains sidelined and senior Eric Singleton Jr. appears perpetually hobbled. (He also brought in Singleton, who has barely contributed since donning the uniform.)
Faulkner is the reason Philo ran the ball 13 times on Saturday, two touches fewer than junior running back Jadan Baugh, the best and most explosive rusher in the nation from Weeks 1-4. And Faulkner is why UF completely gave up running the ball last week against Mizzou after Baugh was met with a bit of adversity in the first quarter.
Philo found Stockton open for a 59-yard touchdown on a tremendous third-down conversion that opened scoring in the first quarter. The Gators did not cross the end zone again until Baugh pushed a direct snap into paydirt with 61 seconds left in the game.
In the second quarter, Philo found some success running only for Florida to see third-and-goal from the 3-yard line. Faulkner called a pass (incomplete – officials missed an unnecessary roughness penalty on the play) before Sumrall decided to kick a field goal from inside the 5 for the second week in a row. And for the second week in a row, the opponent took advantage by scoring 10 straight points.
Sumrall not learning his lesson from the Mizzou game was stunning, but making the same mistake at home was frustrating – especially after the coach said before the season that the Gators would almost always go for it on fourth-and-short from the UF 40 onward down the field.
Philo threw an awful interception in the second quarter – the first this season that was truly his fault – and he coughed up a fumble in the red zone during the third quarter because Faulkner ran him in a situation where Baugh clearly should have been touching the ball.
More to come …
Odds & ends
Florida is now 31-11-3 all-time against South Carolina with a 17-3 record in Gainesville … the Gators lost for the first time in five home meetings … UF is now 73-27-2 all-time on homecoming, snapping a seven-game winning streak … Florida’s defense has gone consecutive weeks without forcing a turnover despite doing so in 26 of 28 prior games … the Gators defense has allowed opponents to score 2+ points in 14 of the last 15 games … Sumrall lost his first home game and first contest against an unranked opponent at UF … Florida has scored in 479 consecutive games, an NCAA record
What it means
If the Gators have made any improvements from the prior regime, they are marginal. The offense, without its full complement of playmakers, has clearly impacted its ability to move the ball efficiently, and everyone knew entering the season that Florida’s secondary would be a weakness, but considering the 4-0 start, it is fair to be disappointed that the team has not made more progress under Sumrall.
The Gators remain one of the worst defensive teams and most penalized programs in the nation. Quarterback play has fallen off a cliff. Baugh is being marginalized.
It’s clear that the 4-0 start created seriously exaggerated expectations for what Florida could achieve this season; still, it’s not the two losses that are concerning but how the Gators are dropping these games. They appear to be non-competitive and undisciplined. Led by a coach who embraces fire, passion and toughness, Florida does not exhibit any of those qualities on the field.
Perhaps worst of all? It’s tough to see how the Gators can improve before the season is out. Sure, Florida could cut down the penalties and start moving the ball better once Brown gets cleared, but other than that, if the Gators cannot compete with the ‘Cocks on homecoming, is there even another obvious win on the schedule?
What’s next?
Florida will take an embarrassing two-game losing streak into Darryl K. Royal Stadium for a meeting with No. 1 Texas. With No. 2 Georgia waiting on the other side of the off week, UF could go from 4-0 to 4-4 before October is out with four disastrous, lopsided losses in a row.
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