South Carolina-Florida 3-2-1: Three key plays, two game balls, one burning question
GamecockCentral breaks down the dismal loss at Florida.
Three Key Plays
1. Incomplete pass
On Florida’s first possession, Anthony Richardson tried to hit Ricky Pearsall near the hash marks. Darius Rush read the route and jumped the pass, but the football went through his hands and off Pearsall’s shoulder for an incompletion. Instead of an early turnover, Florida went on to score a touchdown on the possession. At the time, the 75-yard drive was Florida’s longest of the season. At the time. It ended the day number three.
2. Incomplete Pass (The Sequel)
Florida led 14-0, and the Gators tried to go for the kill shot. Richardson threw deep into triple coverage, but South Carolina couldn’t make the interception. It wasn’t an easy pick, but South Carolina needed a big play. Billy Napier sensed that the only way South Carolina could get back in the game was with Florida’s mistakes, so he called a safe run play. Trevor Etienne took a handoff through a gaping hole in the middle of the defense, ran away from one tackle, and went 85-yards for a touchdown. It took over as Florida’s longest drive of the season.
3. Fumble
As horribly as the first half went, South Carolina wasn’t out of the game at halftime. A fake punt touchdown pass from Kai Kroeger to Dakereon Joyner got the Gamecocks on the board before halftime and they got the ball to start the third quarter. On the first play, Spencer Rattler completed a swing pass to Antwane Wells. Wells got hit hard on the tackle and fumbled, with Florida recovering. South Carolina would fumble on three of its first four plays of the third quarter. Florida only got seven points out of it, but it was demoralizing and embarrassing.
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Two Game Balls
Kai Kroeger
Kroeger averaged 45 yards on six punts. He dropped three of them inside the 20, and had punts down at the seven- and three-yard lines.
Kai Kroeger
Kroeger dropped a dime on the touchdown pass to Joyner on a fake punt, holding the punt look long enough to get the defense out of position. . He is 3-3 for 84 yards and a touchdown this season.
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Win this print! Williams-Brice Stadium, South Carolina State Fair
One Burning Question
How can South Carolina bounce back?
For the second time in three games, South Carolina didn’t show up. Florida was sloppy (the Gators had a blocked field goal, a fumbled snap on a field goal, and failed to defend South Carolina’s obvious fake punt), Richardson completed less than half his passes and repeatedly missed receivers, and Florida fumbled four times.
And the Gators won 38-6 and it was never really close.
South Carolina’s rush defense has bent all season, but Florida was the first team determined to make it break, and the Gators did just that. Offensively, South Carolina failed to move the ball, but more disappointing was how often the Gamecocks couldn’t even get lined up correctly. It’s hard to get very deep into the playbook when you run only 50 plays, yet the playcalling was still uninspired. After the tenth straight time the run up the middle followed by the screen to the flat didn’t work, why would it work the next time?
The dud against Missouri was one thing. Repeating it two games later gives the appearance that something within the program is wrong.
