GAMECOCKFANATICS OFFICIAL PREVIEW & PREDICTION THREAD:
Who: Florida Gators (6-1, 3-1) vs South Carolina Gamecocks (3-3, 2-2)
When: Saturday October 19, 2019
Kick-off: 12:00 pm ET
Where: Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia, SC
TV: ESPN
The Gamecocks return to friendly confines with a groundswell of confidence and momentum with their upset victory over #3 ranked Georgia in Athens, as they play host to another top 10 ranked SEC opponent in 9th-ranked Florida Gators. The game will be another noon kick-off, and televised on ESPN.
The Coaches
USC Gamecocks
Head Coach: Will Muschamp (age 48), 4th year, 25-20 (53-41 as Head Coach - 8th year)
Offensive Coordinator/Wide Receivers: Bryan McClendon
Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Backs: Travaris Robinson
Quarterbacks: Dan Werner
Running Backs: Thomas Brown
Offensive Line: Eric Wolford
Tight Ends: Bobby Bentley
Defensive Line: John Scott Jr.
Special Teams/Linebackers: Coleman Hutzler
Special Teams/Nickle Backs/Sam Linebackers: Kyle Krantz
Outside Linebackers: Mike Peterson
UF Gators
Head Coach: Dan Mullen (age 47), 2nd year, 16-4 (85-50 as Head Coach – 11th year)
Defensive Coordinator: Todd Grantham
Co-Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line: John Hevesy
Co-Offensive Coordinator/Wide Receivers: Billy Gonzales
Special Teams Coordinator/Running Backs: Greg Knox
Safeties: Ron English
Quarterbacks: Brian Johnson
Tight Ends: Larry Scott
Cornerbacks: Torrian Gray
Defensive Line: David Turner
Linebackers: Christian Robinson
The Series Match-up
This season's game will be the 39th in the series that dates back to 1911. Florida holds a 27-9-3 overall series advantage, although South Carolina has been more competitive in recent years, with 5 wins in the previous 9 seasons, and 6 wins over the previous 14 seasons. Will Muschamp is 1-2 against as Gamecock Head Coach against the program he debuted as a college head coach in 2011, while Dan Mullen is 1-0 versus South Carolina as UF Head Coach, and 2-2 overall at both Florida and Mississippi State.
Key Match-ups In The Game
Florida brings another top defense in the nation to Williams-Brice. The Gamecocks have faced 3 of their 5 FBS opponents thus far with scoring defenses in the national top 14 (UGA #6, Missouri #11, Alabama #14), and Florida comes in at #10 in that regard. One thing that will be a major impact to Florida’s defense will be the game status of the Gator’s top two pass rushers in LB Jon Greenard and DE Jabari Zuniga. Both players were unable to play last week in their loss against LSU due to ankle injuries, and are expected to be game-time decisions for our game. The Gators have dealt with injuries to other players this season, and still come in 6-1, but those two losses may be too much to overcome for Florida.
South Carolina is also dealing with it’s own injury situation to a key player, in QB Ryan Hilinski. Coach Muschamp stated in his SEC Conference Media call-in Sunday that Hilinski just has a sprained knee, and is “expected” to play Saturday, but we’ll really not know until he tries to practice and see how his knee responds. QB Kereon Joyner, who came into the season as the 3rd-string QB behind original starter Jake Bentley and Hilinski, and has also played at WR, is the projected starter for USC should Ryan not be able to go. Even without their top 2 players on defense, playing a 3rd-string QB against a stout defense like Florida’s is not the best scenario, but Joyner performed well in the 2nd half against Georgia, who’s own defense is higher ranked.
South Carolina Will Win If
The Gamecock defense played outstanding last week against UGA, who came into the game with what was considered one of the better offensive lines in the nation. Florida’s own OL is not in their league, ranking towards the bottom in the SEC in sacks allowed (10th in SEC with 14 sacks in 7 gms – USC’s allowed 13 in 6 gms, tied for 8th in SEC) and tackles for loss (13th with 39 TFL in 7 gms – USC’s allowed 26 in 6 gms, good for 2nd in SEC). Florida has also feasted on weaker competition, with 23 sacks and 42 TFL versus Miami, UT-Martin, Tennessee, and Towson, versus only 3 sacks and 9 TFL versus Kentucky, Auburn, and LSU.
If South Carolina can dominate the lines of scrimmage again for the 2nd week in a row, and the DL attack UF’s susceptible OL, they can fluster the Gator’s Trask, who is having as productive a season as UGA’s Fromm has. Florida’s run game has not been as productive in 2019 as UGA’s (UGA is 16th nationally in run offense, compared to Florida ranked 93rd), so that should allow the Gamecocks to rush 3 and focus on containing the strength of the Gator offense, which is their passing game with Trask. This will mean another strong effort from Mukuamu and Horn, and the Gamecock Secondary.
Florida Will Win If
Florida also has feasted on it’s weaker opponents offensively, out-scoring Miami, UT-Martin, Tennessee, and Towson 141 to 23, while only out-scoring Kentucky, Auburn, and LSU 81-76. A lot will depend on how well the Gamecock offense produces at home with our QB situation, and whether the Gator defense is healthy. They are still pretty stout, so if they are able to penetrate USC’s OL and harass our QB, and prevent Dowdle and Feaster from being productive, they could stifle our offense, and make it one-dimensional and put pressure on our battered passer(s). If the Gator OL can keep Trask clean and give him time, he’ll pick our still improving Secondary apart.
Gamecock Fanatics Prediction
South Carolina 31, Florida 27
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