Florida football will hope to bounce back as it starts its most important part of the schedule.
The Gators travel to South Carolina to face a team that just knocked off then No. 3 Georgia on the road.
The Gators Territory staff shares their predictions for Saturday's matchup from Columbia.
JACQUIE FRANCIULLI: On GT's "On the Beat" this week, I predicted Florida would win by 10 points or by two scores, however, that was before I saw the weather forecast had changed for South Carolina. I think the rain will make this a tighter game on Saturday.
It's true that the Gators are going to be shorthanded this weekend on the defensive line with both Jabari Zuniga and Jonathan Greenard not likely to play. However, the South Carolina offense has not been firing on all cylinders, and they have questions under center with both of their quarterbacks banged up.
Although the Gamecocks have a few talented defenders, and they certainly shut down Georgia's offense, the defense is giving up 403.7 yards per game. UF showed its ability to sustain long drives, and I imagine Dan Mullen and company will look to repeat that on the road this weekend. If Florida takes over the clock, South Carolina's offense does not have quick-fire offense like LSU - the home team should struggle to keep up.
I think this will be a closer matchup than I previous stated due to weather. I'm going with a one score game. Florida 24, South Carolina 17
COREY BENDER:
Whether Jabari Zuniga and Jonathan Greenard are playing or not, I think Florida has enough talent on the edge to hold its own. However, as Jacquie noted, not only is South Carolina's offense dealing with injuries at a key position, but they have fell short of expectations when healthy as well.
South Carolina ranks in the bottom half of the SEC in passing yards and has thrown for just seven touchdowns, placing them in a tie with Kentucky for 13th in the conference. UF's Jeremiah Moon has also been more than servicable in his increased role and will likely step into a full-time starting role a year from now, so UF has some depth there.
Weather will certainly be a factor though, and that is where it gets interesting for UF, especially considering their struggles with running the ball consistently. I expect Dan Mullen to provide some trickery to open things up, while Kyle Pitts becomes even more of a significant factor.
Kyle Trask has surpassed everyone's expectations and still managed to rack up 300+ yards and three touchdowns during a primetime matchup in Baton Rouge. I think that has been somewhat missed during the lead-up to this game. Travaris Robinson's defense is equipped with top-shelf talent, especially along the defensive line, but I think Trask picks up where he left off and delivers when needed.
I also expect Todd Grantham's unit to produce an early turnover and place the offense in favorable positions in terms of field position. Momentum will be key and I don't think the Gamecocks have enough fire power to keep up with Mullen's offensive attack.
Florida 27, South Carolina 14
JOSEPH HASTINGS: The Gators have to feel comfortable on offense after the performance they turned in last weekend vs. LSU.
Although they were unable to convert on a couple of red zone opportunities, Florida went toe-to-toe with an explosive offense in one of the most hostile environments in college football for the first half.
Key injuries to Jabari Zuniga and Jonathan Greenard hurt Todd Grantham and company on defense as the team was unable to generate any pressure and had no sacks on the night. The possibility of Greenard and Zuniga not suiting up again could be a factor against South Carolina, but I think Florida's offense will be able to hold their own on Saturday.
Despite a schedule that has featured some challenging games, UF has put up at least 24 points in each of their seven matchups so far. Meanwhile, South Carolina has only met that mark just two times this season.
Minus his fumbles, Kyle Trask has performed exceptionally well since taking over for Feleipe Franks in Lexington, Kentucky, on Sept. 14. In four starts, the redshirt junior has passed for over 250 yards per game, is completing 68% of his pass attempts and has 10 total touchdowns.
I believe the Kyle-to-Kyle connection with Pitts will work well again versus the Gamecocks and I expect Florida to come out on top to gain much-needed momentum heading into their showdown with Georgia. Florida 33, South Carolina 20
LAUREN REYNOLDS: This SEC matchup will set the tone for the rest of the Gators' season. Before last week, I would’ve said this game was an open-shut case for Florida. But, with coming off a loss to LSU and South Carolina excited over a big win against Georgia, I’m not so sure.
The numbers say Florida is a shoe in. South Carolina only has 1,298 passing yards on the season, compared to an LSU team that Florida held their own with who has nearly double that. But with two of the Gators’ top pass rushers likely out this weekend, the defense will really have to step up to compensate for that deficiency.
When Kyle Trask and Emory Jones are on the field, the Gators’ offensive line will have to keep the quarterback protected and watch out for linebacker D.J. Wonnum, who’s recorded 3.5 sacks this year. Other than that, South Carolina’s defense really isn’t anything to write home about. Sure, they’ve got a big defensive line, but Florida should still be able to move the ball well.
Florida sits at number one in the SEC East right now and they want to keep it that way. I’m trusting the numbers; the Gators go into their bye week fresh off a big win. Florida 35, South Carolina 17
TANNER DENNIE:
After last week's loss to LSU, Florida will have to find a way against a South Carolina team brimming with momentum following a massive win in Athens.
Florida should have success moving the ball with Kyle Trask at the helm, but the defense could be without both Jabari Zuniga and Jonathan Greenard, which diminishes the Gators' chances at affecting the quarterback.
However, Gamecocks quarterback Ryan Hilinski is also not 100 percent. With a defense that has performed very well against freshman quarterbacks this season, I expect Todd Grantham's defense to bounce back and contribute to a victory in Columbia, bumping the team's record to 7-1. Florida 37, South Carolina 20
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