First look: What to know about USC football’s next opponent, the Florida Gators
After losing its season opener to Tennessee, the South Carolina football team will look for redemption on the road against No. 3 Florida.
South Carolina (0-1) at No. 3 Florida (1-0)
When: Noon Saturday
Where: Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Florida
TV: ESPN
Line: Florida by 21.5
Three storylines for Gamecocks vs. Gators
1. Will Muschamp, of course, is a former Florida coach himself who went 28-21 in his four years in Gainesville. Since Muschamp took over as USC’s head coach in 2016, the Gamecocks are 1-3 against the Gators, but they’ve played tight contests. Florida has outscored South Carolina 113-93 in those four games. The Gamecocks were ahead of Florida through three quarters last year before the Gators exploded for 21 points in the fourth quarter.
2. Speaking of exploding, the USC defense is going to have its hands full against a Florida offense that can blow up on any given play. Head coach Dan Mullen has built an offensive powerhouse, which was firing on all cylinders in Week 1 against Lane Kiffin’s Ole Miss team, beating the Rebels, 51-35. Mullen has gone 22-5 since taking the helm at Florida. Last year, Florida posted 300 passing yards against five Southeastern Conference foes — the most for the program since 2001.
3. Defense was a strength for the Gators last season, too, as Florida was second to only Georgia in points allowed per game (14.4) and yards per game (299) in the SEC. However, Florida lost several key defensive players. Defensive back C.J. Henderson was the No. 9 overall pick in the NFL Draft. Linebacker Jonathan Greenard led the SEC in sacks and tackles for loss before going to the Houston Texans in the third round. With the Gators allowing 613 yards of total offense against Ole Miss in Week 1, it’s worth watching how they fare against offensive coordinator Mike Bobo’s new offense.
Florida players to watch
1. Redshirt senior quarterback Kyle Trask grabbed the starting reins in the fourth quarter of Florida’s third game of the year last season, and he never looked back. Trask started the next 10 games and posted the highest passer rating for a Gator quarterback since Tim Tebow in 2009. Trask rolled over his success into Week 1, where he threw for a whopping six touchdowns and 416 passing yards.
2. Junior tight end Kyle Pitts went bonkers in Week 1 with eight catches for 170 yards and four touchdowns. (That’s not a typo. He scored four times.) Pitts isn’t the traditional sluggish tight end who lays down blocks and catches a few short passes. He’s a dynamic playmaker and one of the top tight ends in the college game, and he could cause matchup problems for the South Carolina defense.
3. Senior Kadarius Toney is listed as an athlete on Florida’s roster, and he lives up to that billing as a multi-faceted player who can do damage in a variety of ways. In Week 1 he put up 55 yards on two carries and added 59 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown on five catches.
South Carolina vs Florida, SEC betting odds for this week’s football games
- South Carolina at Florida (-21.5), noon (ESPN)
- Missouri at Tennessee (-10), noon (SEC Network)
- Texas A&M at Alabama (-17.5), 3:30 pm (CBS)
- Ole Miss at Kentucky (-7), 4 pm (SEC Network)
- Auburn at Georgia (-7), 7:30 pm (ESPN)
- Arkansas at Mississippi State (-17), 7:30 pm (SEC Network Alternate)
- LSU (-19.5) at Vanderbilt, 7:30 pm (SEC Network)
