Five things we learned in South Carolina’s SEC upset of Florida
Somehow, some way, we’re a week into through November and South Carolina is above .500.
Saturday, South Carolina (5-4, 2-4 SEC) downright dominated Dan Mullen and his Florida (4-5, 2-5 SEC) squad in a 40-17 throttling in Columbia.
Here are five things we learned in the Gamecocks’ shocking rout:
Jason Brown might be the answer at QB
South Carolina’s revolving door at quarterback has been unusual by any normal standards.
But in a season that’s swung toward falling off the rails almost every other week, Jason Brown looked cool, calm and collected in the pocket against Florida on Saturday.
Brown finished his first start as a Gamecock 14 of 24 for 175 yards and two touchdowns. His 50-yard pass to Josh Vann in the second quarter gave the USC offense life. His 24-yard touchdown pass to Vann three plays later then pushed South Carolina’s lead to 10.
It wasn’t an all-world performance by any stretch. Brown missed a few throws and just overshot Vann and Dakereon Joyner on would-be big plays. But for a third-string quarterback who just last year was at FCS St. Francis (Pennsylvania), Saturday went as well as Brown, Beamer and the USC staff could’ve hoped for.
RB Kevin Harris is getting back to full health
Kevin Harris’ encore to a 2020 campaign in which he led the SEC in rushing has been a disappointment just about any way you slice it.
Saturday, though, the Harris of old returned. He finished his night with 128 yards on just 11 attempts, more than doubling his season-high rushing output for any game this fall.
Harris bounced off, bowled over and blew by tacklers with the precision that helped him lead the league in rushing a season ago. His speed still didn’t quite appear to be a top gear, but he’s clearly getting closer.
South Carolina’s running game has been a mess this year. If Harris can stay healthy over the last three weeks, USC ought to like its chances down the stretch.
RB ZaQuandre White is earning more touches
Sticking on running backs, ZaQuandre White turned in his second consecutive impressive performance in Saturday’s win over Florida.
White, who led all Gamecocks rushers with 59 yards on eight carries at Texas A&M two weeks ago, finished just behind Harris against the Gators, notching 111 yards on just 13 touches.
The former Florida State signee has had limited opportunities this fall. Thrice this year he didn’t even record a carry. But with back-to-back dynamic efforts, expect White to get a heavy workload next week at Missouri.
WR Josh Vann looks to be back on track
Josh Vann exploded onto the scene with 127 yards against East Carolina and 128 yards at Georgia in South Carolina’s first two games against FBS competition this year.
Since then, Vann hadn’t gone for more than 45 yards or three catches in a contest. Until Saturday.
Facing a Florida defense that has been susceptible at times this season, Vann recorded 111 yards on seven catches to lead the team in both categories. He also narrowly missed on another big gain when a pass from Brown drifted just far enough out of bounds that he couldn’t get a foot down.
South Carolina’s offense had come to a complete stop without Vann involved of late. With Brown taking a few more shots downfield and Vann’s ability to beat defensive backs one-on-one, USC has a recipe for more points over its final three games.
South Carolina’s opportunistic defense continues to show up
South Carolina’s defense is ahead of schedule.
Ranked in the middle of the pack in the SEC, that’s a massive step forward for a defense that was torched week in and week out in Will Muschamp’s final season at the helm.
Saturday, it was defensive tackle Jabari Ellis who scooped an Emory Jones fumble and took it 18 yards to the end zone to push South Carolina’s halftime lead to three scores.
For all the issues USC has had offensively, its defense entered the week leading the SEC in forced turnovers. Ellis’ touchdown also marked the Gamecocks’ fourth defensive score of the season.
South Carolina takes on a Missouri team next week that has thrown the fifth-most interceptions in the league this year. If the Gamecocks can again set up the offense for success, USC might be bowl-eligible as soon as next Saturday.
This story was originally published November 7, 2021 at 7:40 AM.
