Five things we learned about South Carolina from Gamecocks’ loss to Florida
It was another “disappointing” day of football, coach Shane Beamer said after South Carolina’s 41-39 loss to Florida on Saturday. Even with a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter, the Gamecocks couldn’t stop the Gators’ late-game efforts and dropped to 2-4 (1-3 SEC).
Here are five takeaways from the loss.
Missed signals, missed tackles
There were multiple examples of the USC secondary missing tackles to stop the Florida run game and lower UF quarterback Graham Mertz’s completion rate, and Beamer was quick to point it out.
“We should be off the field and we didn’t get it done,” Beamer said. “So it’s disappointing.”
It wasn’t all bad throughout the night, and the USC defense forced field goals that Beamer gave credit for the effort. But those field goals didn’t do enough justice.
Fourth-quarter breakdown
After tight end Joshua Simon’s touchdown, everything that could’ve gone wrong for the Gamecocks went wrong.
Mertz and the Florida offense stormed down the field and, with the help of a defensive pass interference, the Gators were positioned to score a touchdown and did just that. It was one thing after another on defense for the Gamecocks. And when USC quarterback Spencer Rattler had an opportunity to try and save the game, it fell short. Instead of a near 45-yard gain, the ball was intercepted with 20 seconds to play.
“Just trying to make a play,” Rattler said about the interception. “It’s rare of me. Obviously I gotta be better in that moment. You know, it won’t happen again.”
While USC hasn’t suffered this magnitude of a breakdown yet this season, it’s a sign that there are clearly issues.
More O-line issues
Vershon Lee, now the starting right tackle instead of at center, didn’t play in the second half against Florida with an apparent knee injury, Beamer said postgame. Lee had limped off the field just before halftime after the Gators’ defensive line sacked Rattler on third-and-long.
Beamer afterward said he wasn’t sure of the extent of the injury. However, it’s a starter on an already thin offensive line.
“He tried to go in the second half and didn’t feel like he could do what he needed to do,” Beamer said.
Adjustments did the job
The Gamecocks made a few adjustments heading into the game that seemed to pan out. There were two distinct changes to the offense that showed up, and solved some glaring issues following the loss to Tennessee — Lee and Nick Gargiulo swapped positions, and offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains called plays that allowed those who aren’t No. 17 to create explosive plays.
Tailback Juju McDowell found the end zone twice, marking it his first multi-score game of the season, plus Simon scored a 23-yard touchdown that gave South Carolina the 10-point lead in the fourth quarter. Tight end Trey Knox was the top target of the night for Rattler.
The immediate turnaround from Tennessee week to Saturday night was one of the positive takeaways from the loss to the Gators, even if it’s in the shadows of other problems.
Behind the eight-ball
There are six games left in the regular season — two away and four at home, in that order. Four of the six are conference contests, and one is the Clemson rivalry game. South Carolina needs four to secure a bowl game.
It’s not the complete worst-case scenario, but it’s not good either.
“We should be undefeated, that’s just how I feel,” Debo Williams said. “Woulda, coulda, shoulda.”
Saturday’s loss puts lots of pressure on the Gamecocks to, at the very least, split the two-game road trip to avoid having to go undefeated the final games of the season. Still, South Carolina believes it can still get a bowl bid, even if the odds are stacked against it today.
