First look: Top storylines, betting odds for South Carolina vs. Florida football game
South Carolina travels again this week, this time hitting the road to face Florida.
USC won its most recent game against Vanderbilt to get back in the win column. The victory also brought the team’s conference record back to .500.
Florida leads the all-time series 29-10-3.
The Gators are led by head coach Billy Napier, who is in his first year with the team.
SOUTH CAROLINA VS. FLORIDA GAME INFO
Who: South Carolina Gamecocks (6-3, 3-3 SEC) at Florida Gators (5-4, 2-4 SEC)
Where: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Florida
When: 4 p.m. Saturday
TV: SEC Network
Stream: via ESPN app/ESPN.com
USC VS FLORIDA BETTING LINE
Florida is a 9-point favorite to start the week, according to Circa Sports. That was down to 7.5 points by Monday, according to the VegasInsider consensus line.
BOWL BOUND
For the second year in a row, South Carolina is eligible for a postseason bowl game.
The team won exactly six games last year in the regular season. Saturday’s game marks the first of three tries the Gamecocks have to improve upon its 6-6 mark from 2021.
South Carolina reached The Associated Press top 25 once this season and received some attention in the poll after the win against Vanderbilt.
OFFENSIVE BALANCE ON DISPLAY
USC placed much emphasis on involving its best offensive players in the game plan against Vanderbilt.
Eleven different skill position players touched the ball against the Commodores, and South Carolina finished the game with 492 yards of offense. The 38 points were the most the Gamecocks have scored against an SEC opponent this season.
The team was missing its workhorse running back MarShawn Lloyd, but they made up for it by running the ball by committee.
South Carolina will bring that offensive momentum to face a Florida team that surrenders 29.2 points per game.
GATORS’ SUCCESS AT THE SWAMP
Florida is 4-2 at home, and one of those losses came against then-No. 20 Kentucky.
The Gators average 31.2 points per game in Gainesville. They scored 35 or more points the last two times they hosted USC.
Florida is 24-6 at home since 2018. The team hasn’t lost more than two home games in a season since 2017.
The last time South Carolina beat Florida on the road was in 2014 with a 23-20 win. USC defeated the Gators at home last season under Shane Beamer.
GAMECOCKS AND GATORS PLAYERS TO WATCH
Jaheim Bell, TE, South Carolina: Bell found his way back into the offense against Vanderbilt with 19 touches and 83 yards of offense. He was touted before the season began as the team’s do-it-all “wide back,” and he had the chance to show that last week. South Carolina could continue to look for him in different ways against Florida.
Antwane Wells, WR, South Carolina: Wells is seventh in the SEC with 41 catches and tied for seventh with 574 yards. Wells has developed a strong connection with Spencer Rattler in the passing game and continues to be a big part of the team’s offense.
Montrell Johnson, RB, Florida: Johnson leads the Gators with 549 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. The Gamecocks sometimes struggle against the run, so there could be opportunities for Johnson to make plays on Saturday.
Amari Burney, LB, Florida: Burney is an active defender for Florida. He’s recorded four sacks this year along with two interceptions. Burney has three quarterback hits and two forced fumbles this year as well.
This story was originally published November 7, 2022 at 7:00 AM.
