The Positive & Negative Trends From South Carolina's Loss To Florida

South Carolina's football team looked better on offense, but there are still a lot of questions on the defensive side of the ball after an upsetting loss to Florida.

In South Carolina's week seven loss to the Florida Gators, there were some bright spots offensively that offer plenty of optimism, and also some reoccurring issues that showed up once again on the defensive side of the ball. Let's look at the main trends in the Gamecocks' fourth SEC 'bout of the season.

Offense

Spencer Rattler came up huge on several different occasions, not just with his arm, but his legs. Spencer maneuvered the pocket well to extend plays and scramble for valuable yardage when no one could get clear separation. Mario Anderson Jr. continued to show not only is he the best back on the team, but he could arguably be one of the toughest backs in the SEC. Anderson finished the game with 121 total yards and one touchdown through the air.

Mario Anderson Jr. Evading A Gator D-lineman (14th Oct., 2023) / Jeff Blake | USA Today Network

The offensive line looked miles better than they had in the first five games. They were able to give Spencer Rattler time and create in the run game, particularly on the edge. Hopefully, this trend continues for this group, as it would help maintain balance on this side of the ball.

Defense

Giving up big explosive plays continues to be an issue, in large part due to biting on play-action passes. The secondary and linebacking crew must do a better job moving forward in that department.

Another trend that has haunted this defense halfway through the season is missed tackles. The defense puts themselves in rough spots because of this as well, as on a couple of occasions, they blew up the Gators' originally-designed play, but the missed tackles allowed Florida to turn a bunch of them into explosive gains.

Some things should have the fans excited after the bye week in this game, but other areas may still be a concern. The games won't get any easier over the couple of weeks, and the path to a bowl game gets even tougher from here.

You Might Also Like:

• Final Thoughts: South Carolina Vs. Florida
• Three Players To Watch: Florida's Defense
• Three Players To Watch: Florida's Offense

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