Saturday, November 6, 2021 | Football, Chris Harry
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By: Chris Harry, Senior Writer
THE QUICK SLANT
SOUTH CAROLINA 40, FLORIDA 17
WHAT HAPPENED: A former FCS quarterback making his first career start and an offense that had been struggling all season came together Saturday night at the Gators' expense, with the Gamecocks jumping to a 20-point halftime lead and finishing off a 40-17 victory at Williams-Brice Stadium. Jason Brown, a graduate-transfer from St. Francis (Pa.) elevated from third-string due to QB injuries, threw for 175 yards and two scores, Parker White kicked four field goals and the South Carolina defense returned an Emory Jones fumble 19 yards for a touchdown, as USC, which had won just one of its previous 11 games against Southeastern Conference opponents, handed Florida a third straight loss. The Gamecocks, an 18-point underdog with an offense ranked 115th in the country, scored on all five of its offensive possessions in the first half and did not punt until the 12:25 mark of the third quarter. USC went on to roll up 459 yards of total offense, compared to just 340 for the Gators, and did not turn the ball over. The tailback tandem of Zaquandre Wright (128) and Kevin Harris (111) accounted for 239 of South Carolina's season-best 284 rushing yards, as the Gamecocks averaged 6.8 per carry. Jones, back in the starting role after redshirt freshman Anthony Richardson suffered a concussion in the loss to top-ranked Georgia last week, finished 17 of 30 for 258 yards and a couple scores, but the turnover bug that had torpedoed the Gators all season (and wrecked Richardson's starting debut a week ago) reared itself with the killer scoop-fumble by defensive lineman Jabari Ellis with just 46 seconds to go before intermission. Jones also had a second-half interception. Before that, Brown threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to Josh Vann, wildcat QB Juju McDowell had short rushing TD and White nailed field goals of 35, 39 and 35 all before the break to turn a game tied at 10-all into a Gamecocks lead of 30-10 at intermission en route to 30 unanswered points for the home team. White added a field goal and Brown a TD pass in the third quarter, stretching the lead to 40-10. Jones threw a 9-yard TD pass to Rick Wellsearly in the fourth quarter to cap the scoring.
It was a long night in Columbia for quarterback Emory Jones (5), Coach Dan Mullen and the rest of the Gators. (Photo: Leslie White/UAA Communications)
WHAT IT MEANS: A third straight defeat matches the longest under CoachDan Mullen, whose team dropped the final three of the 2020 season, and marks the first time the program has lost three consecutive SEC road games since the 2017 season under Jim McElwain and interim Randy Shannon. UF dropped to fifth place in the SEC East Division, with fourth the best the team can finish this season. The 23-point margin of defeat was the largest in any of the the Gators' 10 losses (of their 42 meetings) against the Gamecocks. USC's 40 points were the most ever scored in the series that dates to 1911.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: It'll be up to Mullen to keep this team together after what only a month ago would have seemed an unfathomable turn of events.
STAGGERING STATISTIC: The Gamecocks came into the game averaging just 117.2 yards on the ground. That ranked 12th in the SEC and and 106th in the country. They had 147 yards rushing at halftime. South Carolina also came in giving up 168.9 yards rushing per game, which ranked ranked 11th in the league and 87th nationally. UF, which began the day as the sixth-best rushing attempt in the country at 242.6 yards per game, went to the break with 18 rushing yards on 10 attempts, with 14 of them coming on one play. With a 20-point deficit, the running game basically was out the window. Florida finished with 82 yards on 23 carries.
UP NEXT: The Gators (4-5, 2-5) step out of conference play for a home date against FCS opponent Samford (4-5, 3-4), which defeated The Citadel 35-14 in a Southern Conference game at home Saturday. The Bulldogs have not faced an FBS program since losing at Auburn 52-0 in the final game of the 2019 season. UF has not played an FCS team since defeating Towson 38-0 and Tennessee-Martin 45-0 during the 2019 season. South Carolina (5-4, 2-4) is home against Missouri next week.
