South Carolina Vs. Florida: The Halftime Report

Florida has outexecuted South Carolina through two quarters; what major issues stand out?

There's really no other way to put it, South Carolina has taken an absolute shellacking at the hands of the Gators so far in this contest. They have been out-schemed, out-coached, and out-executed in every single facet of the game so far.

Which mistakes have been the most glaring so far?

Misfitting Gaps and Missing Tackles

The first couple of issues goes hand and hand with one another as the Gamecocks continue to underperform in terms of the basic fundamentals of rush defense. No defensive linemen are wreaking havoc up front, and there have been multiple instances where linebackers are finding themselves out of the correct gap. 

This has culminated to the point where  South Carolina's secondary is finding themselves having to make the majority of the stops, which can be quite difficult for a unit to deal with considering the young players they rely on the persistent injuries they've had to overcome.

It's the kind of lackluster performance where Clayton White might have to completely scrap whatever the initial game plan was and figure out a new plan at halftime because, at this moment, nothing is going right for this side of the ball.

No Lloyd, No Movement...

It's painfully obvious that offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield and this offense are missing the playmaking ability that running back MarShawn Lloyd brings. Add on the loss of running back Christian Beal-Smith, and it's been the Jaheim Bell show at the running back position.

Bell has been the clear focal point of the offense, which is evidenced by the fact he touched the ball seven times on South Carolina's first three drives. The issue, however, is that the Gamecocks' first three drives produced 16 plays collectively and saw Carolina get only three first downs.

The offensive line unit has also had a poor showing regarding their pass blocking, as Lloyd's absence has made it more imperative that the position group holds the proverbial fort down, and Florida has gashed them consistently.

At the rate this game is currently going, South Carolina's entire program will have some serious soul-searching that'll need to take place in the coming weeks.

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