The No. 11 Florida Gators (8-1, 6-1 Southeastern Conference) travel to Columbia, South Carolina, to face the South Carolina Gamecocks (3-6, 1-6 SEC) in both teams’ final conference game of the year. The Gators already clinched the SEC East and are now focused on running the table for a potential College Football Playoff berth. The Gamecocks are on the outside looking in for the postseason, needing to win their final three games to become bowl eligible. Here’s a look at South Carolina’s season to this point and what the Gamecocks bring to the game:
So long, Head Ball Coach: After starting the year 2-4, South Carolina head coach Steve Spurrier announced his resignation on Oct. 13. Co-offensive coordinator Shawn Elliott took over as interim head coach and has been 1-2 since replacing Spurrier.
A 19-10 win over Vanderbilt and a pair of road losses to Texas A&M and Tennessee both decided by seven points or fewer.
The Skai’s the limit: After a successful sophomore season, South Carolina’s Skai Moore is stepping his game up another notch. Through nine games this year, the 6-foot-2, 218-pound middle linebacker has a team-leading 89 tackles — including 6.5 for loss and two sacks.
Moore has also been a valuable force in the Gamecocks’ pass defense.
He has a team-best four interceptions — the same amount as UF All-American corner Vernon Hargreaves — and has defended eight passes, which ranks tied for fourth nationally among linebackers. Moore’s presence will force Florida quarterback Treon Harris to attempt more passes along the sidelines or deeper down the field.
Containing Cooper: Pharoh Cooper serves as the heart of South Carolina’s passing game. The junior wide receiver has a team-best 48 catches, 656 yards and five touchdowns.
He’s already rattled off four 100-yard games this season, most recently a seven-catch, 160-yard outing against Vanderbilt on Oct. 17. No one else on the team has more than 20 catches or 300 receiving yards.
Recent series success: As of late, South Carolina has found ways to end up on top against Florida. The Gamecocks have won four of the last five matchups in the series, with their lone loss coming in 2012.
Last season, South Carolina won 23-20 in overtime in a game that ultimately cost Will Muschamp his job. With the Gators leading 17-10 in the fourth quarter, South Carolina blocked a UF field goal and punt on back-to-back drives before tying the game with 12 seconds left when Mike Davis recovered his own fumble in the end zone.
South Carolina held Florida to a field goal in the first overtime period and then took the win after Dylan Thompson capped off a four-play, 25-yard drive with a 4-yard rushing touchdown.
This and that: This year marks the second consecutive season where South Carolina has a losing conference record.
The Gamecocks are also on the verge of their first overall losing season since 2003, when they went 5-7 overall and 2-6 in SEC play.
Outside of rushing offense, South Carolina is ranked 10th or worse in the 14-team SEC in all yard-based offensive and defensive categories.
The Gamecocks have used a different starting lineup on offense in every game this season and a different starting lineup on defense in eight of nine contests (UCF and Missouri).
Nine South Carolina players have started every game this season, six on offense (Cooper and offensive linemen Brandon Shell, Mike Matulis, Alan Knott, Will Sport and Mason Zandi) and three on defense (Moore, defensive tackle Gerald Dixon Jr. and defensive end Marquavius Lewis).
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South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier points to fans as he walks off the field after South Carolina's 42-35 loss to Auburn on Oct. 25 in Auburn, Alabama.
