Florida vs. South Carolina: Prediction, pick, odds, spread, football game time, watch live stream, TV channel

By OnlyGators.com Staff
November 12, 2022
Florida vs. South Carolina: Prediction, pick, odds, spread, football game time, watch live stream, TV channel
Football

Image Credit: Graphic by Michael Nash

With their most complete effort of the season last week at Texas A&M now in the rear-view mirror, the Florida Gators aim to carry their momentum into their home finale as they host the South Carolina Gamecocks. Normally a simple SEC East rivalry game, this year’s showdown has plenty of added intrigue.

Florida is seeking revenge from a 40-17 demolition it suffered at South Carolina’s hands last season, its worst loss in series history dating back to 1911. The Gators are also one game away from bowl eligibility, a key goal in Year 1 under Billy Napier. And given the way the end of their schedule sets up, they are also seeking to end the season on a high note by potentially winning out across their final four games.

That effort begins as the Gamecocks enter Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Saturday afternoon as winners in five of their last six games. South Carolina itself crossed the bowl eligibility threshold last week in a closer-than-expected win over Vanderbilt.

Beyond seeking to take down a rival, Florida will be celebrating Senior Day in The Swamp with 2022 marking the earliest in the schedule that the festivities have been held since 2016. It will also honor members of the United States Armed Forces and local first responders in a pregame ceremony that will take on even more meaning than usual.

What will go down Saturday afternoon as Florida welcomes South Carolina? Let’s find out.

Tale of the tape

Florida GatorsSouth Carolina Gamecocks
Head coachBilly NapierShane Beamer
Record5-4 (2-4)6-3 (3-3)
ConferenceSECSEC

Injuries and absences

Questionable (2): WR Justin Shorter (ankle), OL Ethan White (upper body)
Out (5): WR Ja’Quavion Fraziars (shoulder), K Trey Smack (lower body), TE Keon Zipperer (hamstring), TE Arlis Boardingham (shoulder), TE Nick Elksnis (upper body)
Out for season (2): CB Devin Moore (shoulder), LS Marco Ortiz (upper body)

Viewing information

Date: Saturday, Nov. 12 | Time: 4 p.m. ET
Location: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium — Gainesville, Florida [88,548]

TV: SEC Network (Taylor Zarzour, Matt Stinchcomb, Alyssa Lang)
Live stream: ESPN+ | SiriusXM: 133/192 | Radio: WRUF, TuneIn
Live updates: @OnlyGators on Twitter

Game notes

» Florida leads the all-time series 29-10-3 over South Carolina with a 16-2 mark in The Swamp where the Gators have not lost to the Gamecocks since 2014.
» UF has scored 24+ points in just nine of its last 15 games.
» Florida is 5-0 this season when rushing for 150+ yards and 4-0 when leading after the third quarter.
» UF is second nationally in yards per carry (5.9) and first in the SEC in turnovers gained (18).
» The Gators are 7-13 against ranked opponents (2-5 vs. top five teams, 5-7 vs. top 10 teams) and 31-9 against unranked opponents since 2018. They are 1-3 against AP Top 25 teams this season.
» Florida was the only team in the nation to play three top-20 opponents in the first four weeks of the season. It has faced five teams ranked at the time of kickoff and three teams in the current top 10 of the College Football Playoff Rankings.
» UF is one of two FBS teams nationally (Alabama) that has not yet lost to an opponent that finished the season with a losing record since 2004.
» The Gators have scored in 432 consecutive games, an NCAA record.

Prediction and analysis

Spread: Florida -8.5 | O/U: 58

The expectation here is the Gators win on Saturday. The atmosphere in The Swamp will be electric, and bowl eligibility is on the line for a Florida team that should be feeling itself coming out of its best performance of the season at Texas A&M. The Gators have gone three straight games without committing a turnover, they have the most takeaways in the SEC this season (18), and their running game should be able to control the clock against a Gamecocks team that can put points up but is not necessarily electric offensively.

However, the question is not whether Florida will win but rather whether it will cover a spread over a touchdown. That’s a tougher ask given the Gators have consistently been a come-from-behind team this season, one that has single-digit wins in two of its three Power Five victories. South Carolina has impressively won five of its last six games, but it has also given up 48 points to Georgia, 44 to Arkansas and 27 to Vanderbilt. The Gamecocks are also 128th out of 131 teams nationally in success rate against the run, whereas the Gators boast one of the most explosive rushing offenses in the country.

None of this is to mention the incredible special teams edge that South Carolina possesses with the best such unit in the country. Florida has struggled with consistency in the kicking game, and it has not been particularly effective returning the ball, either. The Gators had a huge edge in special teams last week, but the ‘Cocks will be a tough challenger. That leads me to project a victory inside the spread with the total barely sliding over.

2022 records: ATS picks 3-6 | O/U picks 6-3

Odds and ends

» Uniforms: Florida will wear blue jerseys, blue pants and orange helmets for first and only time this season. The Gators have only worn blue jerseys and white pants with orange helmets in their prior home games in 2022.

» Saluting Those Who Serve: Florida will honor veterans, active members of the United States Armed Forces and local area first responders ahead of kickoff.

» Senior Day: Nineteen Gators will be presented with jerseys ahead of their final game in The Swamp. The ceremony will begin at 3:50 p.m. The following players will be honored: Trey Dean III, Richard Gouraige, Lorenzo Lingard, Ventrell Miller, Jordan Pouncey, Justin Shorter, O’Cyrus Torrence, Trent Whittemore, Nay’Quan Wright, Jack Anders, Jack Brady, Justin Curtis, Kyle Engel, Travis Freeman, Will Harrod, Noah Keeter, William Sawyer, Tyler Waxman, Chase Whitfield

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