Gamecocks and Gators Set for Saturday Night Showdown

First-year head coach Shane Beamer and the South Carolina Gamecocks (4-4, 1-4 SEC) are back in action this week after enjoying their lone bye week of the 2021 season. They will host the Florida Gators (4-4, 2-4 SEC) in an SEC Eastern Division showdown on Saturday, Nov. 6. Game time is set for 7:30 pm at Williams-Brice Stadium (77,559) in Columbia.
 
OVER THE AIRWAVES: SEC Network has the television broadcast with Taylor Zarzour and Matt Stinchcomb in the booth and Alyssa Lang on the sidelines. Todd Elis and Tommy Suggs handle the call for the Gamecock Radio Network with Jamar Nesbit on the sidelines.
 
A LITTLE HISTORY: 2021 marks the 128th season of intercollegiate football at the University of South Carolina dating back to 1892. It is the 115th-consecutive year in which South Carolina has competed on the gridiron. The University did not field a team in either 1893 or 1906. Carolina owns an all-time record of 618-599-44, a .508 winning pct.
 
IT JUST MEANS MORE: The 2021 season marks South Carolina’s 30th year in the Southeastern Conference. South Carolina and Arkansas joined the league prior to the 1992 campaign. The Gamecocks earned the SEC Eastern Division title in the 2010 season. The win earlier this season over Vanderbilt marked South Carolina’s 100th conference win since joining the SEC in 1992. They are 100-138-1 (.421) all-time in SEC regular-season play.
 
THE STRETCH RUN: After playing for eight-consecutive weeks, the Gamecocks enjoyed their lone bye week of the season last week. They have had two weeks to prepare for the stretch run, a four-game trek in which all four games will be played in Columbia – three in South Carolina and one in Missouri. The Gamecocks need a pair of wins in their final four games to become bowl eligible.
 
CAROLINA VS. FLORIDA: This is the 42nd meeting in a series that dates back to 1911. The Gators lead the all-time series, 29-9-3, including a 12-7-1 lead when playing in Columbia and a 16-2 advantage in Gainesville. The teams have also met three times at a neutral site with Florida winning once and the other two games ending in a tie. The Gamecocks have won five of the last 11 contests between the two squads after losing 18 of the previous 19 meetings.
 
JUST GETTING WARMED UP: The Gamecocks have won five of the last 11 gridiron battles with the Gators after winning just four of the first 30 meetings between the two schools.
 
THE LAST TIME THEY MET: South Carolina ventured into the Swamp on Oct. 3, 2020 and dropped a 38-24 decision to the No. 3/3 Florida Gators. Statistically, the game was closer than the final score indicates, as the Gators gained just 19 more total yards (348-329), while the Gamecocks had more first downs (25-18) and ran 30 more plays (83-53) while controlling the clock for 36:23. Sophomore running back Kevin Harris reached the 100-yard rushing mark on 22 carries in the contest.
 
THE LAST TIME IN COLUMBIA: Kyle Trask threw for a career-high four touchdowns as No. 9/9 Florida rallied past the Gamecocks, 38-27, on Oct. 19, 2019 in Columbia. Carolina held a 20-17 lead going into the final period, but surrendered 21-consecutive points on three touchdowns passes by Trask in the fourth quarter. The Gator quarterback completed 21-of-33 passes on the day for 200 yards with an interception. Tavien Feaster had his best game as a Gamecock, rushing 25 times for 175 yards. Ryan Hilinski was 17-of-35 for 170 yards in the loss.
 
THE LAST CAROLINA WIN: Jake Bentley shook off three interceptions to throw for 249 yards and scored a pair of rushing touchdowns as the Gamecocks posted a 28-20 win over the Gators and interim head coach Randy Shannon on Nov. 11, 2017 in Columbia. A.J. Turner ran 22 times for 136 yards and Mon Denson rushed for the first two touchdowns of his career, as Carolina had its best offensive game of the season with 469 total yards.
 
SCORING POINTS: The Gamecocks have tallied at least 24 points in each of their last four meetings with the Gators after being held below that threshold in each of the previous six contests. Ironically, despite scoring more, they are just 1-3 in the last four contests after splitting the previous six games evenly.
 
ONCE A GATOR: Defensive ends/outside linebackers coach Mike Peterson was both a player (1995-98) and member of the strength & conditioning staff (2014-15) at Florida. Defensive backs coach Torrian Gray coached the Gator cornerbacks in 2019 and 2020. University of South Carolina Director of Football Operations George Wynn held a similar position at Florida from 2011-17.
 
IT JUST MEANS MORE: The Gamecocks boast 11 players from the state of Florida including Matthew Bailey (Deland), Jaheim Bell (Lake City), Ahmarean Brown (Tampa), Jahmar Brown (Ft. Lauderdale), Gilber Edmond (Fort Pierce), Mark Fox (Miami), Landon Grier (Ft. Lauderdale), Dominick Hill (Orlando), Vincent Murphy (Ft. Lauderdale), Tyrese Ross (Jacksonville) and ZaQuandre White (Cape Coral).
 
THE LAST TIME OUT: The 17th-ranked Texas A&M Aggies dominated in all three phases of the game to post a 44-14 win over the Gamecocks in College Station on Saturday, Oct. 23. A&M rolled up 477 total yards while limiting Carolina to just 185. Backup quarterback Jason Brown came off the bench to lead the Gamecocks on a pair of fourth-quarter touchdown drives in his most extended duty of the season. Safety Jaylan Foster recorded his NCAA-leading fifth interception of the season, while punter Kai Kroeger averaged 46.9 yards on seven punts, including a career-long 73-yarder.
 
FOSTER’S JUBILEE: “Super Senior” safety Jaylan Foster continued his push for All-America honors, as he notched his NCAA-leading fifth interception of the season against Texas A&M. It’s the most interceptions in a season by a Gamecock since Ko Simpson picked off six passes in 2004. Foster was recently named one of 12 semifinalists for the Jim Thorpe Award, which recognizes the nation’s top defensive back, and was a Sporting News Midseason All-American.
 
SEEMS LIKE THE FIRST TIME: Redshirt freshman running back MarShawn Lloyd and redshirt sophomore tight end Traveon Kenion both scored their first career touchdowns at Texas A&M, while redshirt senior quarterback Jason Brown tossed his first touchdown pass at the FBS level.
 
IT’S A BLOCK PARTY: M.J. Webb blocked a field goal attempt at Texas A&M. That marked the fourth blocked kick recorded by the Gamecocks this season. In addition to Webb’s block, Carolina has blocked three punts in 2021, two by Debo Williams and one by Jahmar Brown. The four blocked kicks is the most in a season for the Gamecocks since they recorded four in 2014. The school single-season record is eight, set in 1994. The three blocked punts are a high since blocking three in 2000. With four blocked kicks, the Gamecocks lead the SEC and are in an eight-way tie for second in the NCAA behind only Old Dominion (5). With three blocked punts, the Gamecocks lead the SEC and are in an eight-way tie for second in the NCAA behind only ODU (4).
 
BOMBS AWAY: Carolina punter Kai Kroeger is really hitting his stride of late. In the last two games he has punted 11 times for 555 yards, a 50.5-yard average, including a 70-yarder against Vanderbilt and a career-long 73-yarder at Texas A&M, the longest for a Gamecock since Joseph Charlton had a 73-yarder in 2017. Kroeger was recognized as the SEC Special Teams Player of the Week and the Ray Guy National Punter of the Week for his performance against the Commodores. He has raised his season average from 42.1-yards per punt to 44.6 over the last two contests.
 
SO YOU’RE SAYIN’ THERE’S A CHANCE: The Gamecocks have been very good in the fourth quarter, outscoring their opponents by a 60-19 margin in the final period. They rallied late to defeat both East Carolina and Vanderbilt in the final minute.
 
THAT’S OUR BALL: The Gamecock defense has been outstanding in forcing turnovers this season. They forced a season-high four turnovers against Troy, and have forced at least two turnovers in six of their eight games (EIU-2; ECU-2; UGA-3; UK-3; Troy-4; UT-0; VU-2; A&M-1). For the season, South Carolina has forced 17 turnovers – 11 interceptions and six fumbles, ranking first in the SEC and in a six-way tie for 10th in the NCAA in turnovers gained. Middle Tennessee leads the nation with 25, while four teams are tied for second with 20. The 11 interceptions have the Gamecocks ranked tied for first in the SEC and in a six-way tie for eighth in the country behind Iowa (16), Cincinnati (14), Kent State (13), Troy (13), Middle Tennessee (13), East Carolina (12) and Notre Dame (12).
 
WE’RE GOING THE OTHER WAY: The Gamecocks have logged 281 interception return yards this season on 11 picks, just 63 yards off the record of 344 return yards, set in 1984 when the squad intercepted 23 passes. The 281 interception return yards is the second-most in the NCAA this season, behind only Ohio State’s total of 286.
 
THE BEST OFFENSE IS A GOOD DEFENSE: The Gamecock defense has scored three times this season on pick-sixes. In the opener against Eastern Illinois, it was defensive end Jordan Burch who picked off a pass and rumbled 61 yards to paydirt. That was Carolina’s first pick-six since Israel Mukuamu went 53 yards for a score at Georgia in 2019 and the first for a Gamecock defensive lineman since Devin Taylor raced 48 yards at Arkansas in 2011. Linebacker Damani Staley got the Gamecocks on the scoreboard with just a minute left in the first half on a 63-yard interception return against East Carolina. David Spaulding went 74 yards with an interception return in the final minute of the first half against Troy. The three interception returns for touchdowns is the most for Carolina in a season since 2010 (5).