The Gators will travel to Columbia, South Carolina to take on the Gamecocks in week seven, marking the 44th meeting between Florida and South Carolina including the 22nd matchup in Columbia.
Gator Country brings with a Q&A with South Carolina expert Chris Clark to preview this critical SEC East matchup. Clark is currently a football / recruiting insider at Gamecock Central. You can find more of his work on Twitter (X) @GCChrisClark or at gamecockcentral.com
Q. What are the strengths and weaknesses of the 2023 South Carolina Gamecocks?
CLARK: In terms of strengths, there have been standout performances individually on offense. Spencer Rattler has been good to extremely good for most of the season. Freak athlete Xavier Legette has had a breakout year, too.
Freshman Jalon Kilgore has been perhaps USC’s steadiest player on defense. He stepped in early in game one after an injury, then proved too good to keep off the field.
Pete Lembo’s special teams are not as dynamic as last season, but you can always count on them to be solid. The Gamecocks have one of the better kicking batteries in the country with Kai Kroeger and Mitch Jeter.
Defensively, this is a team that has been inconsistent. They’ve stopped the run well at times, but have allowed too many explosive rushes.
Offensively, opening running lanes and protecting the quarterback has been a big issue.
Q. South Carolina ranks 81st in the FBS in scoring offense; how would you evaluate the Gamecocks’ offense this season? What are the keys to success for the Gamecocks offensively?
CLARK: Playing better up front is the bottom line. USC’s front has been hit hard by injuries, and Spencer Rattler’s been under pressure way too much this season. There’s also been very little running room on the ground, which means the Gamecocks have been in too many unfavorable down/distances.
With Juice Wells still on the shelf, it’s important for USC to start winning more on-one-one battles.
The keys for USC in this one is to find a way to play better up front, or to mask that play, so that there can be a semblance of a rushing attack and so Rattler can make throws.
Q. The Gators will more than likely attempt to get the running game going early against South Carolina; how does the Gamecocks’ front seven fare against Florida’s offensive line? Give us a few players to watch out for on defense.
CLARK: TJ Sanders has been really good for USC and the Gamecocks missed him against Tennessee in the second half once he went out with injury. Kilgore has been, too. Debo Williams is very active at linebacker and has proven to be a hard hitter. Marcellas Dial has been the strongest in coverage.
USC allowed just 27 rushing yards at home to Mississippi State, but had poor performances against Tennessee and in the second half of the UGA game.
Q. What kind of threat does QB Spencer Rattler pose to a Gators’ secondary that allows just 166.7 passing yards per game? Should Florida be concerned about Rattler’s rushing ability?
CLARK: Rattler’s done more than expected out of necessity running the football. None of them have been by designed, but he’s been timely and crafty in escaping the pocket and finding some space.
The short answer is because of his talent, Rattler poses a pretty big threat. The issue is whether or not USC can protect him, not be one-dimensional, and find some receivers who can step up other than Xavier Legette.
Q. South Carolina enters the game coming off a bye week. How do you expect Shane Beamer’s team to respond after a 21-point loss to Tennessee in their last contest?
CLARK: Shane Beamer has done a great job through two seasons keeping his team engaged when on the outside, folks may be writing his team off. His teams are 2-0 after bye weeks. Last season, this team got trounced by Florida on the road, then turned around and hung 63 points on Tennessee and beat Clemson on the road.
I’m not projecting a turnaround of that sort this season, but I don’t believe this 2-3 team is hanging its head right now. USC also plays a good bit better at home. It will need a really good performance to win on Saturday.
Q. South Carolina is currently two-point favorites over the Gators. How do you expect this game to go? Give us a score prediction.
CLARK: I think this is a pretty evenly matched game. Given how both of these teams have played on the road versus at home, it all comes down to location for me. If this was in Gainesville, I’d pick the Gators. I’ll pick USC narrowly inside the friendlier confines of Williams-Brice Stadium. 28-24 Gamecocks.