Fresh off their first loss of the season, Jon Sumrall and the Florida Gators are looking to bounce back in a big way. At 12:45 p.m. Saturday, No. 16 Florida will host South Carolina at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in a battle between teams on opposite sides of the conference standings.
As part of this week’s Tailgate Edition, I spoke with John Davis, the sports editor at The Daily Gamecock, the University of South Carolina’s student-run newspaper.
Davis has worked at The Daily Gamecock since September 2025 and has been the sports editor since May. He answered questions about South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers, edge rusher Dylan Stewart and head coach Shane Beamer’s job security before giving his prediction for Saturday’s contest.
The following interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Q: What has been the biggest issue for South Carolina in its 2-3 start?
We’ve seen in these SEC games what the issues are: Somehow, some way, the team manages to come out with a lead to start the game; they look like the team to beat in the first quarter, and then the team falls flat on their face.
[Defensively], once a quarterback and the play caller on the opposite sideline recognize the scheme that South Carolina is trotting out on the field, all of a sudden, teams are able to adjust. They made [Alabama quarterback] Keelon Russell and [Mississippi State quarterback] Kamario Taylor come out and look like Jesus Christ.
Q: In your opinion, how is LaNorris Sellers playing?
He’s not the reason this offense has faltered … When you look at 2024, that offense was simple. Things went well. Then you switch to a professional, NFL-minded play-caller last year. You tell LaNorris not to rely on his legs as much; you tell him to stay in the pocket and go through reads. That doesn’t work in college … He’s stayed the course. [To start the season,] it was quick reads; it was decisive. It’s what he’s best at. That has kind of dissipated since … By no means has he looked polished as a passer, but that’s more of a testament to the inability for South Carolina to trot out a consistent offensive ideology.
Q: What about the rest of the offense? What’s been good? What’s been bad?
You had a couple of receivers go down in the preseason, and the receiver room really has no answer … With Nyck Harbor, at 6-foot-5 and who is a freak athlete track star, you’d expect him to beat anybody over top. The thing is, you have to be able to catch the football. Nyck Harbor has not been able to catch the football … The offensive line has been better, and I think the run game has been better because of that … But a lack of pass catchers and a lack of consistency in telling LaNorris what ideology to strive for has made it hard for the offense to find an identity.
Q: Missouri was able to pressure Florida early and often to great success. Do you think South Carolina can have that same effect on the Gators?
It depends on Dylan Stewart. It’s a night-and-day difference pressuring the quarterback with and without Dylan Stewart. Obviously, he was suspended for a game. Whether that’s a sign of culture issues or not remains to be seen.
South Carolina really hasn’t been a blitz-heavy team this year, and that’s because even if they send seven, they don’t have the guys in that back four to prevent explosives. So, there’s room to be concerned.
Q: There’s been a lot of noise surrounding Shane Beamer and his job security. Do you think a change is imminent?
I don’t think so … Beamer’s buyout is $27, and that drops to [$22 million] after the season. So, if you’re going to do it after the season, [that difference] isn’t the issue. It’s $8 million for the rest of his coaching staff to be gone. Then it’s $25 million for whatever coach you hire next.
A competent program would have Beamer gone after this [upcoming] blowout loss to Florida, and he wouldn’t make the trip home … But what I’ve heard from anyone out of the university is that they simply won’t front the money for what you assume is probably not going to be a big difference a year or two from now.
Q: If Beamer does finish the season, what would be defined as a successful season? How would the fans react to no change in status?
Let's face it. If Florida really hangs 50 [points] on South Carolina, and they’re embarrassed for the fourth straight week, the embarrassment factor might just trump everything.
But the more likely outcome of firing Beamer is you promote someone as an interim for the rest of the year, and then whoever you decide to make the head coach, you do the exact same thing in two or three years.
If Beamer beats Arkansas, somehow sneaks out a win against Oklahoma and then beats Clemson to end the year and goes 5-7, how mad will people be? I think you could convince people that maybe next year is the year.
Q: What’s your final score prediction?
45-24 Florida. Coming off a must-win game [against Kentucky] that you lost at home in overtime at night, that deflates the team so greatly. Now, you’re going into The Swamp, on the road, playing at noon. And [Florida] is now in a must-win game coming off the biggest embarrassment most of the men in that locker room have probably faced.
I think Florida handily takes care of business. I think South Carolina could score on their opening drive, maybe have 10 points at halftime, but 20 minutes into this game, you’ll know who will come out on top, and it will be the Gators.
Contact Max Bernstein at mbernstein@alligator.org. Follow him on X at @maxbernstein23.
Max Bernstein is a fourth-year sports and media journalism major and sports management minor. This Fall, he is a Sports Editor and a Florida Gators and Jacksonville Jaguars reporter at The Alligator. Now in his ninth semester with The Alligator, Max previously served in roles including Digital Managing Editor, Sports Editor, Assistant Sports Editor and Football Reporter. He has also made appearances on the Paul Finebaum Show. In the rare moments Max isn't working, he's usually with his girlfriend Reese, watching sports with his fraternity brothers or missing his family and his two cats.
