South Carolina football: Gamecocks post most impressive win in Florida series

The South Carolina football program shocked the SEC over the weekend, soundly defeating Eastern division rival Florida by a score of 40-17. The Gamecocks came into the contest as three touchdown underdogs but it was Shane Beamer’s group that jumped out to a 20-point lead in the first half.

That lead grew to 30 points in the third quarter before the Gators were able to tack on one final score late in the game. The Gamecocks’ 40 points were the most they’ve ever scored against Florida in a series that dates back to 1911. It was also South Carolina’s largest margin of victory in the series.

The performance was certainly an unexpected one as it was the South Carolina’s first time scoring more than 23 points in a game against FBS competition. Add on the fact that the Gamecocks were being led by their third string quarterback and it’s safe to say that no one saw the decisive upset coming. Don’t forget that this is a Gator team that entered the season as a top 15 team and gave Alabama all it could handle in a 31-29 defeat back in September.

South Carolina football shows signs of life on offense.

While Jason Brown was stellar in his first career start in the SEC, it was the Gamecocks’ run game that finally showed a pulse. The team entered the matchup ranked near the bottom of the league in every rushing category, but on Saturday they found themselves posting more than 280 yards of rushing in the box score.

Both ZaQuandre White and Kevin Harris notched 100-yard games while freshman MarShawn Lloyd broke off his longest run of the year. The Gamecocks averaged nearly seven yards a carry as a team.

The passing game benefited from the success in the run game, being able to capitalize on big plays over the top of the Gator secondary. Jason Brown connected with Josh Vann on two long throws down the field, one of which ended in a score. Brown tossed two touchdowns on the night while Vann tallied his third 100-yard game on the season.

It marked the first time in two decades where the Gamecocks had two 100-yard rushers and a 100-yard receiver.

Can South Carolina football continue offensive success?

The Gamecocks have a great chance to build on the offensive prowess displayed this past weekend as they travel to Missouri for a matchup with the Tigers. Missouri’s defense ranks dead last in the conference in both scoring and total defense. The Tigers are allowing 271 yards a game rushing, which should benefit a Gamecocks backfield that is finally shaping into form.

The Gamecocks will matchup with the Tigers on Saturday at 4 PM. You can tune in on SEC Network or stream live at Fubo TV.