If there were holograms instead of fan cutouts in the stands at The Swamp, Saturday’s game could have been a Black Mirror episode.
The walk to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium was stark prior to the gates opening. Fans and first responders donned face masks while fraternity houses along Woodland Drive reverberated in preparation for kickoff. Midtown was desolate, and the air was cool and crisp.
Needless to say, the environment Saturday morning was miles off from the typical home-opener and noon-kickoff vibes in Gainesville.
And through it all, the No. 3 Gators defeated the Gamecocks in its home opener 38-24.
Florida’s victory over South Carolina started off a lot like its win against Ole Miss last weekend. By the end of the first quarter, the Gators were up 14-7 on the Gamecocks, just as they were at the end of the first quarter last weekend. Running back Dameon Pierce and tight end Kyle Pitts were responsible for Florida’s first two scores.
Pierce ran for two yards into the endzone as an answer to South Carolina’s early touchdown by running back Kevin Harris. In the first “Kyle-squared” touchdown of the game, quarterback Kyle Trask completed a 13-yard pass to Pitts with six seconds left in the first quarter.
Senior Kadarius Toney then danced through the Gamecock defenders for a graceful 26-yard punt return. However, Toney’s work proved to be in vain when Trask fumbled the ball seven seconds into the drive. The Gamecocks then took about five-and-a-half minutes to retort back with a touchdown of their own when wide receiver Shi Smith secured a four-yard pass from South Carolina quarterback Collin Hill. Tie game, 14-14.
On Florida’s next possession, kicker Evan McPherson drilled a 26-yard field goal to put the Gators back in the lead. The offense capitalized on this momentum with a quick scoring drive that ushered in the end of the quarter after another Kyle-to-Kyle touchdown pass. The Gators led 24-14 heading into the locker room.
By halftime, Pitts tied UF’s school record of 12 career touchdown receptions by a tight end — two of which happened during the first two quarters Saturday.
After a quick three-and-out to start the third quarter for the Gators, linebacker Ventrell Miller recovered a Gamecock fumble on the 37-yard line to give his offense another chance to score.
Trask and wide receiver Trent Whittemore capitalized on this opportunity when they wrapped up Florida’s fifth scoring drive of the game with a four-yard touchdown reception to put the Gators up 31-14 on the Gamecocks.
On Florida’s next possession, Toney caught a seven-yard pass and plowed through a bundle of white jerseys for 50 more yards and a touchdown. The Gators led 38-14 with about four minutes left in the third.
“I mean anytime you get Kadarius in the open field, you know, something good is gonna happen,” Trask said about the touchdown pass. “And just like you saw there, he made, I don’t know, four or five defenders miss with the ball so you know, he can do some very special things with the ball in his hands.”
Back-to-back scoring drives for South Carolina, featuring a field goal by kicker Parker White and a nine-yard touchdown pass caught by Harris, allowed the Gamecocks to tighten the gap to 14 points in the fourth quarter.
Despite South Carolina’s last ditch efforts, the Gators left The Swamp with a win.
Tackling proved a persistent issue for Florida’s defense after a nine-month offseason that presented only two opportunities to practice such. However, defensive tackle Zachary Carter and cornerback Kaiir Elam were bright spots in the Gators defense. Carter accumulated 1.5 sacks for a total loss of 12 yards, while Elam led the team with eight tackles — along with Carter and senior Shawn Davis — and broke up two potential South Carolina passes.
"I think we try to be, try to have a shutout every game, and I think we have a long ways to go with everything, offense, defense,” Elam said about the defense’s performance Saturday. “I think we have a long ways to go, but I'm happy we had a nice team win. But there's a lot to improve on."
Contact Payton Titus at ptitus@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter @petitus25.
A view from the stands at Florida's home opener Saturday. The Gators beat the Gamecocks 38-24.
Payton is a sophomore journalism major from Jacksonville, Florida. She is The Alligator's Spring 2021 digital managing editor. Her previous roles include softball beat writer, football beat writer and online sports editor.
