The Gators are on a roll as the season begins to die down. Florida (5-3, 4-3 Southeastern Conference) is riding a two-game win streak against SEC East opponents Georgia and Vanderbilt. With UF heading into its SEC finale — a noon matchup against South Carolina (4-5, 2-5 SEC) — here are five matchups to watch.
1.) Dylan Thompson vs. the Florida secondary: The Gators defense has improved its game against the pass since its 42-21 loss to the Crimson Tide on Sept. 20. In the five games since surrendering 449 passing yards against Alabama, Florida’s opponents are averaging just 175.8 yards through the air. That could change Saturday when UF faces a South Carolina offense helmed by quarterback Dylan Thompson. The redshirt senior is second in the SEC in yards per game (287.6) and has thrown 22 touchdowns compared to just 10 interceptions. His highlight game came in South Carolina’s 42-35 loss to Auburn on Oct. 25, when he tied the Gamecocks’ single-game record with five passing touchdowns. If Thompson gets hot early, it will be a long day for Florida.
2.) Matt Jones and Kelvin Taylor vs. the South Carolina defense: To put it simply, the Gamecocks are terrible at defending the run, giving up an SEC worst 223.4 yards and 2.7 touchdowns per game on the ground. This could mean a field day for Florida’s one-two punch in Matt Jones and Kelvin Taylor, who have accumulated 526 yards and five rushing touchdowns during UF’s two-game win streak.
3.) Development of Treon: The story of Treon Harris’ role in Florida’s offense is still evolving. In his first start against Georgia, calling him a game manager would be an extremely generous gesture.
His lone responsibility was feeding the ball to his running back and not botching a snap. But fast forward just one week to the Vanderbilt game, and Harris found himself in a traditional quarterback role, attempting 21 passes and accruing 215 yards in the process.
He showcased his ability to throw the ball deep, completing passes of 60 and 48 yards to Quinton Dunbar and Ahmad Fulwood, respectively. When the Gators return to the Swamp on Saturday, fans will see which role Harris will assume in Florida’s offense.
4.) Battle in the trenches: As of late, the Gators have excelled on both sides of scrimmage, ranking sixth in the SEC in sacks (2.5) and fifth in sacks allowed per game (1.5). In its last three games, UF has forced four sacks and 16 quarterback hurries. The Gamecocks, on the other hand, are 14th and 11th in the same categories, respectively. Florida’s pass rush — led by Dante Fowler Jr., Bryan Cox and Jon Bullard — will look to continue its successful run that has arisen as of late.
5.) Turnovers: After Florida’s abysmal 42-13 loss to Missouri, the Gators’ saw their season turnover margin drop from +5 to even. But since Harris was handed the offense during the bye week that followed, Florida has started to right the ship. The Gators are now tied for sixth in the SEC and tied for 37th in the nation with a +4 turnover margin. The Gamecocks, on the other hand, are -4 in the turnover battle, which puts them 12th in the conference and tied for 97th nationally.
Follow Jordan McPherson on Twitter @J_McPherson1126
Florida wide receiver Ahmad Fulwood (left) and defensive back Jalen Tabor (5) celebrate with fans following UF's 38-20 win against UGA on Saturday at EverBank Field in Jacksonville.
