After hot start, Florida hits full nose dive after embarrassing loss to South Carolina

Florida struggled to find a pulse against the Gamecocks, who were previously winless in SEC play And if Jon Sumrall was sick to his stomach after last week's loss at Missouri, Saturday's stunning 38-19 defeat to South Carolina should be vomit-inducing for the first-year coach amid a horrific stretch for the Gators. Since hopping into the top 10 and College Football Playoff conversation last month with an upset over then-No. 4 Ole Miss, the Gators have failed to compete in consecutive losses and will likely fall out of rankings entirely — this one coming in an inexcusable fashion at home as a double-digit favorite. The Gamecocks' victory was only their third all-time at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium and snapped an eight-game SEC losing skid under hot-seat coach Shane Beamer, who said this week he believes his team was close to turning the corner after blowing leads against Mississippi State and Kentucky this fall.

On a day the Gators honored Steve Spurrier and the program's 1966 team with throwback uniforms and a massive pre-game celebration, South Carolina's former head coach and the winningest in school history watched from the box as his alma mater got pushed around by the Gamecocks. It marked South Carolina's first true road win under Beamer since taking out Clemson in November 2024 and was the Gamecocks'