# SEC Football Preview: South Carolina Gamecocks at Florida Gators **Published:** 2026-10-04 — **By:** Stacy Stanfield **Category:** games — **Type:** game-preview **Source:** https://secscouts.com/news/sec-football-preview-south-carolina-gamecocks-at-florida-gators **Teams:** [Florida](https://secscouts.com/florida/), [South Carolina](https://secscouts.com/south-carolina/) --- ## Matchup Overview No. 11 South Carolina goes to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Thursday, October 8 to face No. 8 Florida. Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. CT, and the TV network is still to be announced. The two teams arrive in very different places. Florida is 4-1 overall and 2-1 in SEC play, which keeps the Gators in the conference race heading into the middle of the season. South Carolina is 2-3 overall and 0-3 in the SEC. The Gamecocks have had a tough stretch in league play, but their ranking shows they are still respected nationally. The stakes are clear. A win would give South Carolina its first SEC victory and could turn its season around. A win would also move Florida to 3-1 in the conference and protect its standing in a crowded race. The Gamecocks need this game more, and they have to win it on the road against a top-10 team in a Thursday night spotlight. Both offenses have three clear yardage leaders, so this one could become a shootout. ## Keys to the Game ### South Carolina: Get LaNorris Sellers going early The Gamecocks' offense starts with LaNorris Sellers, who averages 211.8 yards per game. On the road, against a team with a better record, South Carolina can't afford a slow start. Sellers has to set the pace in the first quarter and quiet the crowd. South Carolina also has a second option in Mason Love at 124 yards per game and a third in Matt Fuller at 86.6. The Gamecocks need all three involved so that Florida can't key on one player. ### Florida: Lean on its three-man output Florida's offense is the most balanced in this matchup. Aaron Philo leads at 222.8 yards per game, Alec Clark adds 129.3, and Jadan Baugh contributes 122.6. That gives the Gators three players above 120 yards per game. South Carolina has two. If Florida keeps all three involved, the South Carolina defense will have a hard time choosing what to take away. If the Gators stay patient and spread the ball around, that depth should show up as the game goes on. ## Key Matchups ### LaNorris Sellers vs. Aaron Philo The biggest individual matchup is between the two yardage leaders. Philo (222.8 yards per game) holds an 11-yard edge over Sellers (211.8), and the two are close enough that this could decide the game. Whoever moves the ball more efficiently on Thursday will probably give his team the edge. If one of them has an off night, the other team's offense likely takes control. ### Mason Love vs. Alec Clark The No. 2 producers are nearly even. Love averages 124 yards per game for South Carolina and Clark averages 129.3 for Florida. Both are their team's most reliable option after the leader. If Love can outgain Clark, South Carolina can cancel out one of Florida's advantages. ### Matt Fuller vs. Jadan Baugh This is where the gap is biggest. Baugh averages 122.6 yards per game for Florida, while Fuller averages 86.6 for South Carolina, a difference of 36 yards. Florida's third option produces about as much as South Carolina's second. If Fuller has a big night, it would go a long way toward closing that gap. ### South Carolina's top three vs. Florida's top three Added together, South Carolina's three leaders produce 422.4 yards per game. Florida's produce 474.7. That 52.3-yard edge is the clearest statistical gap between these teams, and it mostly comes from Florida's third player. ## Players to Watch ### South Carolina: LaNorris Sellers (211.8 YDS/game) South Carolina's best chance at a first SEC win depends on Sellers. He is the team's top producer by a wide margin, almost 90 yards per game ahead of Love. A big game from Sellers on the road is the most likely way for the Gamecocks to pull off a ranked win and change the direction of their season. ### Florida: Aaron Philo (222.8 YDS/game) Philo leads all players in this matchup in yards per game. With Clark and Baugh both above 120 yards per game behind him, defenses can't focus only on Philo, which makes him even harder to stop. If he plays to his average at home, Florida will be tough to beat. ## Prediction South Carolina has enough talent to keep this close. Sellers at 211.8 yards per game and Love at 124 give the Gamecocks a top two that is roughly even with Florida's. The difference is depth. Baugh's 122.6 yards per game gives Florida a third weapon that South Carolina can't fully match, and the Gators get that edge at home in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Expect a back-and-forth first half as Sellers and Philo trade drives. In the second half, Florida's balance among Philo, Clark, and Baugh should wear on the South Carolina defense and give the Gators the late edge. **Prediction: Florida 31, South Carolina 24** --- *Original article: [SEC Football Preview: South Carolina Gamecocks at Florida Gators](https://secscouts.com/news/sec-football-preview-south-carolina-gamecocks-at-florida-gators) — SEC Scouts*