South Carolina vs. Florida game live updates: Gators hold off Gamecocks late
The State’s Ben Breiner is inside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium for Saturday’s South Carolina road trip to face the No. 3 Florida Gators. The game kicks off at noon on ESPN. The Gamecocks are playing a 10-game, SEC-only schedule during the coronavirus-delayed season.
FINAL: Florida 38, South Carolina 24
The Gamecocks failed to score on a late drive that ate up more than seven minutes of clock in the fourth quarter, and the Gators kneeled out the clock to secure the victory that got closer than anticipated.
Harris TD: Florida 38, South Carolina 24
After scoring on the ground in the first quarter, Harris added a touchdown through the air, further asserting himself as South Carolina’s top running back. The Gamecocks trail by two touchdowns with just more than 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter.
INT Mukuamu: Florida 38, South Carolina 17
Junior cornerback Israel Mukuamu snagged an impressive one-handed interception while diving to the turf, getting South Carolina’s second turnover of the game against Kyle Trask and setting up the Gamecocks with a short field.
White FG: Florida 38, South Carolina 17
Parker White connected on a 45-yard field goal. The Florida defense has kept Hill and the Gamecocks out of the end zone in the second half, allowing the Gators to pull away on the offensive side of the ball.
Toney TD: Florida 38, South Carolina 14
Explosive multi-threat athlete Kadarius Toney showed his playmaking ability as he sprung free on a 57-yard catch and run to convert a third-and-9 situation.
Whittemore TD: Florida 31, South Carolina 14
Redshirt freshman wide receiver Trent Whittemore made a juggling catch in the end zone for his first career touchdown — and Trask’s ninth touchdown of the young season. The Florida scoring drive was set up by fumble by running back Deshaun Fenwick and aided by a key pass interference penalty by cornerback John Dixon that Gamecock coach Will Muschamp vigorously disputed.
HALFTIME: Florida 24, South Carolina 14
The Gamecocks entered the halftime break down 10 points, as drops continue to plague the USC wide receiving corps, killing drives and giving the Gators extra possessions. On the other side of the ball, the Carolina secondary has been burned by Kyle Trask, who completed 82.35% of his passes in the half.
Pitts TD: Florida 24, South Carolina 14
Pitts scored his second touchdown of the game and sixth touchdown in six quarters of football in 2020. One of the top tight ends in the college game, Pitts is up to 57 yards on four catches.
McPherson FG: Florida 17, South Carolina 14
The Gamecocks defense held strong against Trask and the Gators in the red zone, holding Florida to a field goal and keeping the score tight.
Smith TD: South Carolina 14, Florida 14
Quarterback Collin Hill connected with his top receiver, Shi Smith, on a screen pass for a touchdown. USC’s non-Smith receivers have struggled with drops in the contest, but Smith and tough running by Harris have kept USC neck-and-neck with the No. 3 Gators.
Pitts TD: Florida 14, South Carolina 7
Star tight end Kyle Pitts scored a whopping four touchdowns in Week 1, and he’s on that pace again today after scoring his fifth touchdown of the season in the waning seconds of the first quarter. He has 58 receiving yards on three catches, and Florida quarterback Kyle Trask has completions on all seven passing attempts.
Pierce TD: Florida 7, South Carolina 7
Running back Dameon Pierce matched USC’s Harris with a strong first drive of his own, rushing for 27 yards and a touchdown on five carries.
Harris TD: South Carolina 7, Florida 0
Mike Bobo’s offense leaned on the running game in the opening drive, heavily utilizing sophomore tailback Kevin Harris. Harris, who also drew the start in Week 1, rushed for 33 yards on seven carries and added two receptions for eight yards. He put the Gamecocks up early for the second game in a row, plunging into the end zone from two yards out.
Quiet in The Swamp?
Saturday’s game didn’t sell out even with limited capacity due to coronavirus protocols, and about 12 minutes to kickoff, the crowd looked even more sparse than expected at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
Gamecocks travel roster vs. Florida
South Carolina cornerback Israel Mukuamu (groin) is in Gainesville and warming up early with the Gamecocks. He’s expected to play after missing the second half against Tennessee. Among the USC players who did not travel for the game includes sophomore linebacker Jahmar Brown (knee).
Florida working to get fans to fill limited seating
South Carolina had a crowd of 15,009 at Williams-Brice Stadium for its season opener against Tennessee. That’s short of a “sellout” in a season played with reduced stadium capacities and COVID-19 safety protocols in place. The Gamecocks capped capacity at around 20,000 spectators. The Florida Gators, with about 17,000 tickets being sold per home game, were 3,000 short of a sellout late in the week.
New look for South Carolina uniforms
The Gamecocks will wear an all-white look vs. Florida that features new garnet and black striping along the sleeves and helmet to match the throwback black uniforms that debuted last season and have become part of the team’s regular rotation. These new uniforms feature a thick garnet stripe, surrounded on both sides by narrow white and black stripes. The stripes are also moved down onto the sleeve of the uniform, displacing the block C logo that had been there.
This story was originally published October 3, 2020 at 11:21 AM.
