South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers fired four touchdown passes and rushed for a score as the Gamecocks broke a three-game losing streak with a 38-19 Southeastern Conference upset of No. 16 Florida on Saturday afternoon in Gainesville, Fla.
After blowing a 17-point lead in a home overtime loss last week against Kentucky, the Gamecocks (3-3, 1-3) snapped an eight-game conference losing streak as Sellers went 23 of 35 for 279 yards, with no interceptions. Nyck Harbor had 83 receiving yards and a touchdown on four catches.
The Gators (4-2, 2-2) lost their second straight game as Aaron Philo was 21 of 28 for 227 yards and a touchdown, with one interception. Bailey Stockton had 127 yards and a score on eight receptions.
Florida struck first in its homecoming game as Philo threw a 59-yard scoring strike to Stockton, who tight-roped the final 5 yards for a 7-0 lead with 11:25 left in the first quarter.
After failing on a 47-yard field-goal try, the Gamecocks evened the score when Harbor went up and pulled down Sellers’ 15-yard pass with 12 seconds left in the quarter.
South Carolina made an impressive defensive stand in the red zone in the second period. The stand forced Florida to settle for Patrick Durkin’s field goal from 21 yards that gave the Gators a 10-7 lead with 8:50 left.
Malik Orsan drilled a 37-yard kick to make the score 10-all with 4:13 remaining in the first half.
Vicari Swain intercepted Philo on the next series to set South Carolina up at the Florida 26. Mazeo Bennett Jr. soon made a sliding touchdown catch of Sellers’ 12-yard strike for a 17-10 halftime lead for the Gamecocks.
Following a lightning delay at the break, Durkin kicked a field goal from 48 yards as Florida cut the margin to 17-13.
Sellers tossed his third score by finding Donovan Murph from 26 yards. The signal-caller scored on a sneak with 1:08 left in the third for a 31-13 lead.
The Gators drove into the red zone in the fourth, but South Carolina star edge rusher Dylan Stewart stripped Philo at the 15. Shawn Murphy fell on the ball for the Gamecocks’ first fumble recovery this season.
After South Carolina stopped Florida on fourth down, Sellers lobbed a 21-yard ball to Lex Cyrus to make it 38-13 with 8:07 to play.
Jadan Baugh (15 carries, 59 yards) scored his NCAA-best 12th rushing touchdown with 1:01 left for the final margin.
–Field Level Media
