The No. 16 Florida Gators suffered their first bad home loss of the Jon Sumrall era, falling to the South Carolina Gamecocks, 38-19.

Florida came into this game off a blowout road loss to then-No. 25 Missouri, 45-17, but this loss against South Carolina has to sting even more. The Gamecocks entered on a three-game losing streak, all in conference play.

South Carolina had also lost eight straight SEC games dating back to September 2025. It marks the first time in school history that the Gamecocks have won at Florida with a head coach not named Steve Spurrier. Thirty-eight points is also the most that South Carolina has ever scored in The Swamp.

Midway through the fourth quarter, Florida opted to roll the dice and go for it on fourth-and-3 from its own 27-yard line. Quarterback Aaron Philo sailed it out of bounds for the turnover.

A few plays later, South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers took advantage of broken coverage and connected with Lex Cyrus, who had no one within 10 yards of him.

LaNorris Sellers adds another TOUCHDOWN pic.twitter.com/E9yn7GXE4b

— Grant Reacts (@GrantReacts1) October 10, 2026

After the touchdown, Florida brought in backup quarterback Tramell Jones Jr., benching Philo. The starter took a hard hit on the team's previous drive and left the field for a play, but returned for the failed fourth-down conversion.

The Gators controlled the scoring early, taking a 7-0 lead and then a 10-7 lead. After that, it was almost all Gamecocks. Sellers looked like his 2024 self, especially with a highlight-reel run in which he stiff-armed a defender into the upside down and somehow ran it to the 1-yard line, setting up a score.

LANORRIS SELLERS YOU ARE BAD MAN!!
MAN, SELLERS JUST SHORT OF THE TUDDY pic.twitter.com/4smQzjT2Rw

— ClutchWire (@ClutchWireHQ) October 10, 2026

Sellers finished with 279 passing yards and four touchdowns. He added 20 yards and a touchdown on the ground, sneaking in a score after getting the Gamecocks to the 1-yard line.

South Carolina's defense has been rough all season, already blowing 16- and 17-point leads. The Gamecocks entered the game with just two turnovers, and then forced three against the Gators.

The South Carolina defense also got a boost with Dylan Stewart's return. He missed last week's loss to Kentucky while serving a one-game suspension for punching an Alabama player in the Gamecocks' loss to the Crimson Tide. Stewart finished with a sack and a forced fumble.

The road for Sumrall and Florida doesn't get any easier in the short term. Fans likely thought this South Carolina game was a get-right or tune-up because the Gators will go on the road to play No. 1 Texas next week. Then, after an off week, it is the World's Largest Cocktail Party against No. 2 Georgia on Halloween.

Sumrall's 4-0 start to the season, including a 24-point win over then-No. 4 Ole Miss, made it seem like the Gators were destined for the College Football Playoff. Now, Florida heads into next week's showdown with Texas at 4-2, and another loss could be a nail in the proverbial coffin for the Gators' CFP chances, marking a stark drop-off since the start of October.

Source: Yahoo Sports