For a second straight week, the Gators produced a dismal defensive showing in a game they were favored to win.
Looking to rebound from a 45-17 blowout loss to Missouri, Florida returned to The Swamp to face a struggling South Carolina squad. But rather than responding and keeping the Gamecocks winless in SEC play, the Gators allowed South Carolina to score on five consecutive drives and tally nearly 400 yards of total offense.
South Carolina quarterback LaNoriss Sellers threw for 279 yards and four touchdowns, and he added 20 yards and a score on the ground. Meanwhile, Florida allowed two running backs to average over five yards per carry, with Matt Fuller and Jabree Coleman totaling 91 yards on 17 rushes.
Now with a second multi-score loss under their belt in conference play, here’s how each Gators defensive position group performed in Florida’s 38-19 loss to the Gamecocks.
“We wore down a little bit, really in all phases,” head coach Jon Sumrall said. “Defensively, I think maybe we felt like they were finishing forward on more runs. The disappointing part is when we have them bottled up in the backfield a couple of times, and they get out of it.”
Defensive line
Over their last two games, the Gators have allowed opponents to convert on 17 of 29 third-down opportunities.
The Gamecocks were extremely efficient on third down Saturday, converting 10 of 16 attempts. They found success on 7 of 11 attempts in the first half alone, keeping the offense on the field and wearing down Florida’s front seven.
Though Florida’s defensive line was effective at limiting Sellers in the rushing game — he averaged just 1.4 yards per carry — the inability to get off the field on third down bogged down the Gators’ pass rush.
Florida allowed explosive plays in both the passing and rushing game, with South Carolina generating a balanced attack of 279 passing yards and 114 yards on the ground.
Despite being on the wrong side of the scoreboard for the better part of the afternoon, a handful of Gators stood out.
Jayden Woods came into Saturday having recorded four sacks in three games, and extended his productive sophomore campaign. The JACK brought Sellers down, alongside D-lineman DK Kalu, with 8:59 remaining in the first half after flying by the Gamecocks’ right tackle. The sack went along with his team-high three quarterback hurries. While Woods logged a handful of explosive plays, he notched just a 53.2 pass-rush grade on dropbacks, per Pro Football Focus.
A week out from forcing his first fumble as a Gator, Emmanuel Oyebadejo was far less productive against Sellers than he had been in prior weeks. He added just two combined tackles and struggled to produce quality pressure on the South Carolina signal caller. Oyebadejo logged a season-high 47 snaps, but a defensive grade of 61.1.
LJ McCray has shown immense promise in his third season in Gainesville. The Florida native led the Gators with a pass-rush grade of 89.4, which topped his previous career high of 66.5 against Central Florida on Oct. 5, 2024.
McCray also performed well against Missouri, despite the loss. He boasted a defensive grade of 74.2 to go along with his two tackles.
Defensive coordinator Brad White made it evident that Florida’s group would have to elevate its game heading into the second half of the season. Those improvements may have to wait until the Week 7 date in Austin.
Linebackers
The Gators allowed five touchdowns against Missouri, and they didn’t fare any better at home against South Carolina. The Gamecocks scored five touchdowns, too, and they came away with points on all four of their trips to the red zone.
Florida came into the contest allowing just four red zone passing touchdowns, but surrendered the same total Saturday alone.
The Gators’ linebacker tandem of Aaron Chiles and Myles Graham stood out as the pair were No. 1 and No. 2 in tackles, respectively. Chiles came out of the loss with nine and a sole tackle-for-loss, while Graham had eight tackles, two for loss and two sacks.
“Of course it’s tough,” Chiles said. “We lost two games. I don’t believe it’s the end of the world.”
Graham, a 6-foot-1 junior, had just a 0.5 sack on the year that came in Week 1, but exploded onto the scene Saturday. His defensive grade of 79.2, run defense grade of 88.6 and pass-rush grade of 81.7 were all season-highs. Graham flipped the switch since his Missouri outing when he failed to generate any pressure on Tigers quarterback Austin Simmons.
Before the Gators made the trip to Columbia, they were averaging two takeaways per game with eight through four weeks. Saturday marked the second consecutive week without forcing a turnover, making it difficult for Florida’s offense to have additional chances to put points on the board.
“That’s a big problem,” Chiles said. “On defense, that’s one thing we preach and that’s one of the keys to victories, just takeaways. So, I feel like we gotta do a better job.”
Secondary
The Gators’ secondary saw major issues persist in the 19-point loss to South Carolina. After watching Missouri quarterback Austin Simmons throw for 340 yards, it was clear Florida needed to tune up its coverage.
But in their Homecoming game against the Gamecocks, the Gators allowed 12.1 yards per reception and didn’t record a single pass breakup. They saw Sellers complete 23 of 35 passes and allowed longs of 35, 26 and 21 yards to three different receivers.
Though Sellers wasn’t perfect — he made multiple errant throws — his ability to convert on third down and find wide-open receivers downfield kept the
“In the throw game, they hit some explosive pass plays today,” Sumrall said. “It wasn’t on just one guy. It was certain guys in different situations, and we have got to win 50-50 balls down the field and be in competitive position to make plays on those balls.”
Defensive back Cormani McClain struggled mightily on Saturday, logging a 33.5 coverage grade, per PFF. He was targeted nine times and allowed five receptions for 70 yards — the most on the team. McClain allowed 14 yards per catch, a long of 26 yards and two touchdowns, signaling his inability to shut down South Carolina receivers in man coverage.
Safety DJ Coleman struggled as well, earning a team-low 30.5 coverage grade, per PFF. He flashed solid run defense, though, finishing with a 72.7 run defense grade, the third-highest on the team.
“We gotta do a better job attacking the ball, going after the ball,” Chiles said.
One of the few defensive bright spots for Florida was defensive back Kanye Clark, who logged two tackles for loss. He was targeted only once across 24 coverage snaps and allowed a completion for -1 yard. Clark also shined in the rushing game and proved to be the most well-rounded defender on Saturday. He posted a 78.4 run defense grade, per PFF, and finished with the second-highest pass-rush grade, 81.7.
Ben Hanks III also had a decent showing among a sea of unproductive Gators. He allowed two catches for 20 yards on four targets, earning Florida’s second-highest coverage grade of 68.7, and he finished with a 72 run defense grade.
Safety Bryce Thornton logged the Gators’ third-highest coverage grade of 65.5, per PFF. He was only targeted twice across 27 coverage snaps and allowed 24 of South Carolina’s 279 passing yards.
Florida’s defense will look to bounce back next week against its toughest opponent yet — Texas. The Longhorns are coming off a 27-24 loss to Oklahoma and will be looking to get back in the win column against the Gators on Oct. 17.
Contact Curan Ahern at cahern@alligator.org. Follow him on X at @CuranAhern.
Contact Riley Orovitz at rorovitz@alligator.org. Follow her on X at @rileyorovitz.
Curan is a senior sports journalism student in his sixth semester at The Alligator. He is currently a sports editor and football beat reporter for the Gators and the Jaguars. He previously served as a men's tennis and sports enterprise reporter, and he is pursuing a public relations minor.
Riley is a junior sports journalism student and a Fall 2026 sports editor and Gators football beat reporter. Currently in her third semester with The Alligator, she has previously covered Gators swim & dive and Gators gymnastics. She is an avid South Florida sports fan and enjoys playing/following all sports in her free time.
