Florida vs South Carolina Prediction - College Football Picks 10/14/23
The Florida Gators will play the South Carolina Gamecocks in a SEC game on Saturday afternoon at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina. Florida bounced back with a win over Vanderbilt last week, while South Carolina lost to Tennessee in their last game.
Florida Preview
The Florida Gators are 4-2 (2-1) this season after they defeated Vanderbilt by a score of 38-14 in their last game. Florida led 28-14 going into the fourth quarter and was able to add a couple of scores to run away with the win. The Gators out gained Vanderbilt by a total of 495-340 and forced Vanderbilt to go 1-10 on third downs in the game. Florida lost to Kentucky in their previous game by a score of 33-14 and they lost their season opener to Utah by a score of 24-11. The Gators do have a nice win against Tennessee this year. The Florida offense is scoring 27.2 points per game with 256.7 passing yards per game and 153 rushing yards per game, while going 34.8% on third downs this season. Graham Mertz has thrown for 1,474 yards, nine touchdowns, and two interceptions for the Gators this year. Montrell Johnson Jr. has rushed for 388 yards and four scores, while Ricky Pearsall has caught 34 passes for 453 yards and two touchdowns. The Florida defense is allowing 16.8 points against per game this year.
South Carolina Preview
The South Carolina Gamecocks are 2-3 (1-2) this season after they lost to Tennessee by a score of 41-20 in their last game. South Carolina led 10-7 in the second quarter, but allowed Tennessee to score 24 straight points to pull away. The Gamecocks were out gained by a total of 477-333 and went 2-15 on third downs in the loss. South Carolina has also lost to North Carolina and Georgia this year, but they did play Georgia very tough in that loss. The South Carolina offense is scoring 27 points per game with 312.2 passing yards per game and 87 rushing yards per game, while going 35.7% on third downs this year. Spencer Rattler has thrown for 1,411 yards, seven touchdowns, and three interceptions for the Gamecocks this season. Mario Anderson has rushed for 230 yards and two touchdowns, while Xavier Legette has caught 32 passes for 606 yards and three scores. The South Carolina defense is giving up 29.4 points against per game this season.
South Carolina Gamecocks Team Facts
- The home team has won each of South Carolina's last four games.
- South Carolina has failed to cover the spread in seven of its last eight matches at Williams-Brice Stadium when playing with a rest advantage.
- South Carolina has won the first half in three of its last four home games against conference opponents.
- South Carolina has won the first quarter in three of its last four home games against conference opponents.
- Each of South Carolina's last four October games as a home favorite have gone UNDER the total points line.
Florida Gators Team Facts
- Florida has lost six of its last seven road games against non-AP-ranked teams.
- Florida has failed to cover the spread in eight of its last nine matches when playing with a rest disadvantage.
- Each of Florida's last three games against non-AP-ranked teams at Williams-Brice Stadium have gone OVER the total points line.
Pick
Florida comes into this game after a win over Vanderbilt at home, but they got blown out in their last road game against Kentucky. South Carolina had a bye week last week, which was much needed after that loss to Tennessee. The South Carolina defense has struggled this year and is allowing over 300 passing yards per game, but can Graham Mertz take advantage of that? Florida has struggled on the road this season and I think Rattler will make enough plays to get South Carolina the win.
AUTHOR: David Racey
