1 winner and 5 losers from Florida Gators’ embarrassing homecoming loss vs. South Carolina Gamecocks
The Florida Gators have some major soul-searching to do after getting walloped by the South Carolina Gamecocks.
The Florida Gators had a homecoming to forget. South Carolina came into Gainesville having lost eight straight SEC games and left with a 38-19 win on Saturday afternoon, handing Florida one of the most embarrassing losses in years.
There are real questions about whether this Gators team is as good as many believed it could be. The issues are spread across the roster, and there weren’t many positives to take away from the game. Here are the winners and losers from the loss to the Gamecocks.
Loser: QB Aaron Philo
Philo was supposed to be the answer at quarterback, especially since he spent two years operating under Buster Faulkner at Georgia Tech and showed some nice flashes in that offense. Even without much starting experience, knowing the system gave him a huge advantage over any other quarterback coming to Florida.
That hasn’t come to fruition over the last two games. Philo completed 21-of-28 passes for 227 yards, one touchdown, and one interception, and he lost a fumble in the red zone. He is functioning as a point guard who distributes the football rather than a quarterback who elevates the offense around him, and that is now a problem with everyone around him struggling.
With the offensive line struggling, is Philo the right man for the job, or is it time to hand the reins to Tramell Jones Jr.? Sumrall has said Philo is the starter for now, but he hasn’t committed to him for the entire season. It’s something to monitor.
Loser: Offensive line
This offensive line has not been good the last two weeks. Offensive line coach Phil Trautwein is a phenomenal recruiter who has done a nice job coaching up his players. However, everyone knew going into the season that this wasn’t the most talented group on the roster, and it’s starting to show.
Over the last two games against Missouri and South Carolina, the unit has allowed six sacks and 17 tackles for loss. Neither defense is viewed as elite, which is where the problems lie.
Help is on the way through recruiting, with five-star offensive lineman Maxwell Hiller and multiple other high-end recruits arriving next year. Even so, they’ll be true freshmen. This could be a position where Florida has to attack the transfer portal heavily.
Loser: The secondary
The cornerbacks continued to struggle, as they have throughout the SEC slate. They let receivers get behind them, didn’t attack the football, and allowed opposing pass catchers to dictate the action. Last week, Austin Simmons cooked them, and on Saturday, LaNorris Sellers did the same.
After a rough start, Sellers settled in and helped South Carolina convert 10 of 16 third downs. That 62.5% conversion rate is unacceptable and won’t win many football games. He also created outside of structure, escaping the pocket and making plays down the field as the Gators’ pass rush plan broke down more often than not.
When the pass rush isn’t getting home, a weaker secondary keeps getting exposed. With the Texas Longhorns up next, it’s only going to get harder with Cam Coleman and Ryan Wingo.
Loser: Head coach Jon Sumrall
It’s time to call a spade a spade: Sumrall is not having a good time right now. He keeps saying this team has a lot more talent and a lot of work to do. He even called out his players after a 52-3 win over Campbell, warning that playing that way would not lead to success in SEC play.
“If we play like we did in the second half, we’re about to have a real rude awakening, and we have got a lot of improvement to do,” said Sumrall after the game. “While I’m really happy to be 1-0 this week, I’m not real pleased with where we are from a maturity standpoint and executing at a really high level all the time because what we’re about to walk into in conference play, we will get absolutely embarrassed if we don’t improve a ton. So a lot, a lot to be excited about, but a lot to work on.”
Unfortunately, he was right, and the Gators aren’t playing well at all. At a certain point, words are just words. Sumrall has to show they mean something quickly, or the fan base will start turning on him. Florida didn’t just lose on homecoming; It got destroyed by a team that had dropped eight consecutive conference games.
Loser: RB Jadan Baugh
How much of this falls on Baugh versus the offensive line is a complicated question. He needed a bounce-back game after managing 13 yards on 12 carries against Missouri, and he didn’t get one. Against South Carolina, he finished with 15 carries for 59 yards and a touchdown.
He needs more help up front, but he also needs to create more on his own, particularly with his patience and vision. Finding holes and attacking them is the job. If that doesn’t improve, things could get catastrophic for this offense.
Winner: WR Bailey Stockton
The lone bright spot was Stockton, who got the start with Vernell Brown III still out with a knee injury. He caught eight passes for 127 yards and a touchdown, finding ways to create explosive plays within the context of the offense.
His best moment came in the first quarter. Philo hit him in stride in the honey hole against Cover 2 up the sideline for a big gain.
Stockton, Philo’s high school teammate, emerging as a star is a great sign for the Gators. If the quarterback play, the offensive line, and the secondary don’t improve, though, it may not end up mattering.
