GAINESVILLE, Fla. – If you decipher their words closely, the Gators seemed to do some soul searching this week.
Coming off a disheartening performance on Homecoming, it started right after the loss to Missouri when fifth-year senior R.J. Raymond, a former walk-on who earned a scholarship in fall camp, gave a passionate speech in the locker room. A lifelong Florida fan, Raymond reminded his teammates of what it means to wear the Gator logo, what an honor it is to run out of the tunnel on a Saturday afternoon at the Swamp.
As the week progressed, others backed up Raymond's plea that there is too much to play for to give up on a season that started so promising. The No. 19-ranked Gators (6-3, 4-3) are already bowl eligible and if they can straighten up their act, can finish with 10 victories in head coach Dan Mullen's first season.
To do so, they are going to have to play smarter, harder, tougher and more inspired than in their snoozer of a loss to Missouri.
"I feel as if in the past few weeks, we've gotten away from ourselves," center Nick Buchanan said. "We're back to competing every single rep, you know. We didn't really get the outcome we wanted on Saturday, so we came together and said we wanted to compete."
The offense was held to 323 yards. The Florida defense surrendered a season-high 471 yards to the Tigers, a week after Georgia rolled up 429 yards.
"We didn't quit at all in that game,'' junior linebacker David Reese said. "We played till the last play. Nobody gave up. It was just part of scheme and, you know, we got outplayed."
To turn their season around with three regular-season games remaining, the Gators need a win against South Carolina (5-3, 4-3) and former UF head coach Will Muschamp. The Gamecocks overcame an early deficit to win at Ole Miss a week ago despite the Rebels putting up 616 yards and 44 points.
Florida fans know the trademark of a Muschamp-led team: they might not win, but they go down fighting. Mullen saw the same in the Gators despite what happened against Missouri.
The Gators will need a fighting spirit on Saturday to snap their two-game losing streak, but that won't do it alone. Not after the way the Gators came out lethargic and then stumbled on offense and defense.
"It wasn't great execution,'' he said. "I don't see a lack of effort, but I see a lack of maybe mental effort, [which] can lead to execution. I didn't think it was our guys not trying. But I mean, to me, there's the mental strain as well as the physical strain to execute at a high level."
We should know early Saturday if the Gators hearts and minds are in the right place.
In this week's edition of The Opening Kickoff, here is a closer look at the Florida-South Carolina matchup:
THREE QUESTIONS WITH … O-LINEMAN MARTEZ IVEY
Q: What does it mean to you knowing you have only two games left in your career in the Swamp? Martez Ivey
A: It's big to me. I mean, I grew up wanting to go to Florida always. I dreamed about playing in the Swamp. I think it was one Senior Day I watched, it was Andre Debose. He was on everybody's shoulder pads and he was crying, it just showed how much it meant to be a Gator, how much it meant for him to have the logo on his chest and just to play in the Swamp. I don't know how I'll feel when it's all said and done and it's my last game here, but I wouldn't trade it for nothing in the world..
Q: Can the team rally for the seniors and snap out of its funk from past couple of games?
A: I think so. Once you're playing for somebody, you're not playing for yourself. There's no more selfishness. It makes you want to play a little harder. It makes you more accountable. It makes you more willing to do something because you're playing for somebody else. You want to give your all for them, the guy next to you.
Q: Do you consider your decision to come back for senior year a good one?
A: I believe so. I wasn't really concerned about it benefiting me. I want to leave out on the right note. Right now that's what I'm trying to finish, leaving on the right [note], not leaving on the 4-7. Forget that. That's not the Florida Gators and that's not what we represent.
THREE STORYLINES
Can the Gators bounce back after their uninspired outing in last week's Homecoming loss to Missouri? It was an embarrassing performance and marked the low point under first-year coach Dan Mullen. With four game left, Florida still has a shot at a 10-win season and Mullen has emphasized the season is not over.
The return of ex-Gators coach Will Muschamp isn't as overblown as two years ago when Muschamp brought his first Gamecocks team to the Swamp. Now in his third season, Muschamp is 19-14 at South Carolina and in contention for a third consecutive bowl trip.
The season-ending injury to reserve quarterback Kyle Trask thrust Feleipe Franks back to the forefront of the news cycle. Franks connected on just 9 of 22 passes in the Missouri loss before being replaced by Trask. Much like the Gators, everyone will be watching how Franks responds.
THREE PLAYERS TO WATCH
Missouri quarterback Drew Lock tested Gators freshman cornerback Trey Dean on several occasions with success, including a pair of touchdown passes. You may notice a theme here. Keep an eye on Dean to see if South Carolina QB Jake Bentley takes the same approach as Lock.
Speaking of Bentley, he is coming off his best game of the season (22 of 32, 363 yards, 2 TDs) in South Carolina's shootout win at Ole Miss. Bentley enters the game sixth on South Carolina's career passing yardage list (5,880) and could move into fourth with a 300-yard game Saturday, ahead of Blake Mitchell (5,992) and Connor Shaw (6,074).
Florida's offense has mustered only 598 yards the past two games, losses to Georgia and Missouri. Mullen said the quarterback play is always under the microscope but that in the Missouri loss, Franks was under constant pressure. The veteran offensive line of Martez Ivey, Tyler Jordan, Nick Buchanan, Fred Johnson and Jawaan Taylor must get some push and protection on Saturday.
THREE DIGITS
10 –Consecutive field goals made by freshman kicker Evan McPherson, who is 13 of 14 overall. 1,126 -- Combined yardage in South Carolina's 48-44 win at Ole Miss a week ago. 950 –Combined rushing yards for UF running backs Lamical Perine (480) and Jordan Scarlett (470) this season.
"Everybody knows what Dan Mullen is doing around here and how he has changed the program significantly, and just how good we can be. It's just about doing the little things, it's just being technically sound and knowing what to do and how we got to do it and executing it. That's all. There's no funk around here. That's how I see it." -- Gators offensive lineman Martez Ivey
"Never. Never. In my mind, he shouldn't get touched. People evaluate sacks. Sacks are a number that everyone keeps. Sacks don't hurt as much as hits on quarterbacks.-- Gators offensive line coach John Hevesy when asked if he is pleased at pass protection
"I mean, you're supposed to feel like crap. That's not good. That's not acceptable. We gotta handle it in practice and do better." UF defensive tackle Adam Shuleron allowing 74 points in last two games
"After the game, they were all in there, they were listening. We have guys that are learning to do things the right way. I still don't feel any resistance on the team. We've got to come out desperate to compete on every play." -- Gators coach Dan Mullen on team's attitude
"We'd still be [at Florida] if he hadn't got hurt.'' -- South Carolina coach Will Muschamp on Will Grier's back injury in 2014 while at UF in a story by Matt Hayes of Bleacher Report
This is the third time former Gators head coach Will Muschamp has faced the Gators as head coach at South Carolina. When Dan Mullen was hired to take over the Gators, he became the sixth coach in school history who has faced Florida as a head coach. A glance at the past games a Gators head coach has faced Florida as the opposing head coach:
Florida leads the all-time series 26-9-3. Florida is 14-2 against the Gamecocks at home, both of those losses this decade (2010, '14).
In the only meeting between Dan Mullen and Will Muschamp as head coaches, Mullen's Mississippi State team defeated South Carolina 27-14 in 2016 in Starkville, Miss.
Muschamp's staff is loaded with familiar faces, including former UF assistants Coleman Hutzler and Travaris Robinson, former Gators linebacker Mike Peterson, and former UF staff members Jeff Dillman and George Wynn.
In South Carolina's 28-20 victory over the Gators last season, Gamecocks quarterback Jake Bentley threw for 249 yards and rushed for a pair of scores.
Junior receiver Bryan Edwards has caught a pass in 33 consecutive games for the Gamecocks, the fifth-longest streak in school history. Edwards could find himself being covered by Gators defensive back Brian Edwards on Saturday.
UF linebacker Vosean Josephentered the season with two career games with 10 or more tackles Joseph has 12-plus tackles in three of the last four games.
Receiver Van Jefferson leads the Gators in receptions (23) and receiving yards (298). No UF receiver has at least one catch in every game this season.
The Gators have been outscored 55-30 in the first half of their last three games and have not led at halftime since a 14-10 advantage over LSU on Oct. 6.
Florida's 23 sacks through nine games matches its total from a season ago in 11 games, topped by a team-high seven from defensive end Jachai Polite.
THE OTHER SIDE
Love him or hate him -- and you'll find Gators fans in both camps -- Will Muschamp's four seasons at Florida had a little bit of everything.
Quarterback controversies. A Sugar Bowl berth. Charlie Weis calling plays. Great defenses. Sideline meltdowns. A losing season.
However, Muschamp apparently never took a spin in a Mini.
Check out Muschamp taking a ride with University of South Carolina President Harris Pastides to talk SteveSpurrier's throwing ability, motivating players and much more:
BOTTOM LINE
The bottom line didn't go so well last week. Coming off the Georgia loss, I had the Gators glad to be back in the Swamp and ready to roar. They barely made a whimper as the Tigers rolled up 471 yards and left town with a 21-point win. Let's takes the opposite approach this week. The Gators come out sleepy and South Carolina makes them pay. For those who prefer their prognosticators to provide a more genuine hot take, this one is probably going to be close. UF freshman Evan McPherson could be the difference. South Carolina's Parker White (12 of 13) is solid, too.
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