Instant reactions to Florida's homecoming loss to South Carolina
· Yahoo Sports
For the second straight week, Florida football was embarrassed by an opponent they were favored to defeat. This time, it was the South Carolina Gamecocks who prevailed, 38-19, to spoil homecoming for the Orange and Blue for the first time since 2018.
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Much like against Missouri in Week 5, the offense went limp and the defense was as porous as a broken colander, continuing Florida's futility on both sides of the ball. Jadan Baugh's Heisman Trophy campaign is moribund at best at this point, while defensive coordinator Brad White has to feel nervous about his job security.
Immediately after the dust settled on the second brutal loss of the Sumrall era, the Gators Wire staff submitted their instant reactions and analysis to the defeat in good, bad and ugly format. Here is what we had to offer.
Adam Dubbin
GOOD: There are not too many positive takeaways from this game, but the one thing that stood out to me was Aaron Philo's early deep pass to Bailey Stockton for the first score of the game. I have been extremely critical of his downfield game — with good reason — and it was an off-balance throw on the run, but it looked great at the time.
He made the exact same throw at the beginning of the fourth quarter for another completion to Stockton for 22 yards. Maybe Buster Faulkner needs to design more plays around his jump-throw ability.
BAD: Staying on topic with Philo, his interception into double coverage in the second quarter proved to be a pivotal moment in this game. Tied 10-10 and on his own 24-yard-line, he threw the ball right into Vicari Swain's hands, setting up an eventual touchdown and giving the Gamecocks a lead they would not relinquish.
UGLY: This defensive unit just seems to get worse and worse each week — particularly the secondary. Every single defensive back got burned at some point, and while Sellers deserves some credit for making some good passes, the defenders simply gave their assignments too much room to make plays all afternoon.
Giving up 393 total yards for 38 points to the nation's 98th-ranked offense (per PFF) coming into the game is not only embarrassing, it also bodes very poorly for Florida's upcoming matchups against Texas and Georgia.
David Rosenberg
GOOD: There was not much to celebrate, but Patrick Durkin deserves some credit for bouncing back after missing from 43 yards at the end of the first half. Yes, we're at the point of praising kickers… He came back out on Florida’s opening drive of the third quarter and drilled a 48-yarder to cut South Carolina’s lead to 17-13.
It briefly looked like the Gators had found some momentum coming out of halftime. That obviously did not last, but Durkin responding to a miss with a 48-yarder was one of the few positives Florida had.
BAD: Florida’s end-of-half operation was a mess. The Gators had already worked their way into field-goal range in the final seconds, but instead of simply centering the ball and setting up Patrick Durkin, they ran one more play for 5 yards and then called timeout with three seconds left.
Durkin pushed the 43-yard attempt wide right as time expired. Whether that was playcalling, communication or a lack of urgency, Florida never looked like it had a clear plan for the final few seconds.
UGLY: Third-and-long apparently did not mean much against Florida’s defense. South Carolina converted 10 of 16 third downs, including an absurd 5 of 7 when facing third-and-9 or longer. Florida kept putting the Gamecocks behind the sticks and still could not get off the field, allowing gains of 15, 16 and 35 yards on third-and-long conversions.
Brutal. Getting an offense into obvious passing situations means nothing if the defense still cannot get off the field.
Michael Trim Jr.
GOOD: Bailey Stockton and Dallas Wilson looked the part today, combining for just under 200 yards and a touchdown, accounting for most of the Gators’ yards on Saturday. Their performances were encouraging considering how little Florida got from the rest of its offense.
Both showed the ability to create separation, make plays after the catch, and add much-needed explosiveness to the passing game.
BAD: Florida's biggest problem was how dependent the offense became on the passing game. When two players account for a majority of the team's yardage, it usually means the rest of the offense isn't doing enough, and that was the case Saturday.
The Gators struggled to establish a consistent rushing attack, involve their other playmakers or string together productive possessions. That made life considerably easier for the opposing defense as the game progressed, leading to South Carolina's big scoring outbreak.
UGLY: Whether it was mistakes, poor execution, or simply losing individual matchups, Florida ended too many possessions before it could establish any rhythm. That put extra pressure on the defense and kept the Gators from taking control of the game.
The most concerning part is the contrast between this performance and the explosive offense Florida displayed earlier in the season. The offense needs to go back to the drawing board to figure out what's wrong.
Michael Long
GOOD: Bailey Stockton was one of the few bright spots for Florida on Saturday. The senior hauled in eight receptions for 127 yards and a touchdown. Stockton emerged as Aaron Philo's most reliable target as he accounted for more than half of the Gators' receiving yards.
BAD: For the second week in a row, the Gators' ground game was stifled by an SEC opponent. Jadan Baugh's Hesiman push came to a screeching halt as he managed only 57 yards on 14 carries after netting 13 total yards against Missouri. Florida's scoring attack lacked the balance that catapulted them to the top of FBS offensive rankings. Two turnovers from Philo made matters worse for Buster Faulkner's unit.
UGLY: Florida's defense had absolutely no answer for LaNorris Sellers, who threw for 279 yards and four touchdowns as South Carolina built a commanding lead going into the fourth quarter. The Gators' front collected three sacks and eight tackles for loss but could not get stops when it truly counted.
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Instant reactions to Florida's homecoming loss to South Carolina