8 winners and losers from South Carolina's upset win over Florida in Week 5

There was a lot to love from South Carolina's 38-19 upset victory over the No. 16 Florida Gators on Saturday. The win gave the Gamecocks their first win over the Gators in Gainesville since 2014, and put head coach Shane Beamer's 2026 season right back on track. 

Let's take a look at the biggest winners and losers from the Gamecocks' Week 7 victory over the Gators.  

Winner: DE Dylan Stewart and his triumphant return  

Stewart had a rough week prior to this game. He was suspended by the SEC and by Coach Beamer, and was away from the team for the entirety of the Kentucky game and the week of practice leading up to it. 

It had also been a quiet season for him in general. He missed the first two games against Kent State and Towson as he worked back from the back injury he was rehabbing all offseason. In games against Mississippi State and Alabama, he had logged just a single tackle. 

But following a week off, he came back and led South Carolina's defensive pass rush against Florida. He had five total tackles and forced two forced fumbles in the win.

He finally looked like the Stewart we all know and love, and it couldn't have come at a better time. South Carolina's defense allowed Florida quarterback Aaron Philo and Trammel Jones to throw for just 267 yards and two interceptions on the day. 

Winner: QB LaNorris Sellers looks like his old self 

At the beginning of this game, it felt like it might be a similar outing as some of his more recent games. He was even seen on the sidelines frustrated with one of his receivers early in this game. 

But the Gamecocks had no problems in the passing game, as Sellers threw four touchdown passes and rushed for another to give him a season-high five scores. It was the most touchdowns for him in a game since his 2023 win over Missouri, when he also had five. He also found several different receivers on touchdowns, including Nyck Harbor, Mazeo Bennett Jr., Donavan Murph and Lex Cyrus. 

On the ground, he also looked comfortable too, rushing for 20 yards. This was the Sellers we expected to see in Kendal Briles' scheme. Better late than never, right?  

Winner: South Carolina's offense on third down

Florida's defense could not get off the field on Saturday. The Gamecocks were automatic on third down, finishing 10-for-16 (62.50%) on the day. In South Carolina's previous three games, the Gamecocks finished at 50% against Kentucky, 21% vs. Alabama, 33% against Mississippi State and 50% vs. Towson.  

It was South Carolina's best third-down conversion percentage since the Week 1 win over Kent State, when South Carolina converted on 7-of-8 third-down attempts. As a result, the Gamecocks also were able to win the time of possession battle, edging Florida 30:37 to 29:23. 

Loser: The penalties could be cleaned up a bit

If there's one thing South Carolina can improve on from this game, it's not incurring penalties. The Gamecocks had six penalties for 53 yards. Had this game been closer, that could have proved to be costly for South Carolina. 

The Gamecocks average 6.3 penalties in the nation, which ranks 55th nationally. 

Winner: South Carolina's rush defense

During Missouri's win over Florida, the Tigers provided a blueprint on how to shut down the Gators' previous red-hot offense. If you make Florida's offense on-dimensional and shut down the run game, the Gators struggle to rely on just an aerial attack. 

South Carolina did just that, allowing the Gators to rush for just 120 yards on the ground. The unit also did a great job containing star running back Jadan Baugh, as he had just 59 yards on 15 carries with a touchdown. 

Going into the bye week, South Carolina's rush defense ranks 30th in the country, allowing an average of just 103 yards on the ground per game. 

Loser: Judge Collier getting hurt 

Nobody wants to see any South Carolina player get hurt, and unfortunately Gamecock defensive back Judge Collier left the Florida game in the first half.

South Carolina was already without Quay'Sheed Scott in the secondary, as he was ruled out prior to Saturday's game. Collier left the game with an apparent concussion and did not return. The Gamecocks still did a good job stopping the pass, forcing two Gator interceptions. Luckily it sounds as though Collier is expected to be good to go for next week's Tennessee game.

Winner: Shane Beamer's tweak to practice 

A big storyline for South Carolina at halftime of this game was how it would respond in the third quarter with a lead. The Gamecocks were previously outscored 31-0 in the quarter in its last two games. 

Against Florida, the Gamecocks outscored Florida 14-3, and forced the Gators to punt on its only other possession of the quarter. After the game, Beamer told reporters that he made a key switch in practice leading up to the Florida game. Instead of having a special teams period coming out of halftime, he did a good-on-good period, recognizing that his team needed a jumpstart entering the third quarter. 

Safe to say his decision paid off and then some versus the Gators.

Loser: Those who thought Shane Beamer being fired was a given 

It was no secret that Coach Beamer entered this season squarely on the hot seat. And after blowout losses to Mississippi State and Alabama, including an overtime loss to Kentucky, it appeared that South Carolina would at least consider making a coaching change this offseason. 

But if South Carolina plays like it did against Florida, wins over the likes of Tennessee, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Arkansas and Clemson seem likely. Depending on which bowl game South Carolina potentially makes, that could put South Carolina up to eight or nine wins, which would be plenty to keep him around.

That saves the athletic department a lot of money not having to pay Beamer's $21 million buyout. It will keep the strong 2027 recruiting class that South Carolina has in-place, too. 

ALSO READ: Tennessee vs. South Carolina kickoff time, TV network set by SEC for Week 8

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