Henry A. Moore // Alligator Staff
2 FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2026 TAILGATE EDITION
Florida eyes comeback against South Carolina THE NO. 16 GATORS HAVE WON FIVE OF THE LAST SIX MATCHUPS BETWEEN THE PROGRAMS By Riley Orovitz Sports Writer
Florida football was riding high for four weeks before it was hit with a gut-wrenching reality check. After capturing its first 4-0 start in six years, the Gators were exposed against then-No. 25 Missouri in a 45-17 rout. Week 6 ushers in a daunting task: tackling the adversity. “There’s a lot to learn in every scenario you go through,” head coach Jon Sumrall said Oct. 5. “When you lose a game, I think it forces everybody to take more direct accountability to what we’re doing.” No. 16 Florida (4-1, 2-1 SEC) plummeted eight spots in the AP Top 25 Poll following the road loss. It now faces South Carolina (23, 0-3), which has yet to prove it can tango with top SEC talent. The Gamecocks opened the season 2-0 but have failed to play a cohesive 60 minutes in any of their three latest contests. South Carolina is captained by dual-threat quarterback LaNorris Sellers. The junior has tallied 1,059 passing yards coupled with 391 on the ground. Sellers came out of SC’s overtime loss against Kentucky on Oct. 3 with 226 passing yards, two touchdowns and 147 rushing yards on 17 carries. Florida has experience against mobile quarterbacks this season after facing Auburn’s Byrum Brown and Ole Miss’ Trinidad Chambliss in back-to-back weeks and keeping them to 65 and 44 rushing yards, respectively. Florida JACK Jayden Woods particularly stood out against the signal callers, totaling 3.5 sacks and 10 tackles in the contests. “Rushing smart but not scared will be key for us,” Woods said Oct. 6. Despite Sellers’ efforts, the Gamecocks blew a second-quarter 17-point lead against Kentucky in Week 5. The Wildcats went on a 24-3 run heading into the fourth quarter and kicked a field goal with 4:13 remaining to send the contest into overtime. Sellers connected with tight end Maurice Brown II in the end zone on the first possession of OT, and the extra point made it 3427, but Kentucky soon took advantage. The Wildcats tacked on a touchdown four plays later, and quarterback Kenny Minchey found his tight end wide open in the back of the end zone for the walk-off two-point conversion to stun the South Carolina faithful. Gamecock fans at Williams-Brice Stadium were used to the late-game heartbreak, though. On Sept. 19, the Gamecocks dropped a two-possession lead heading into halftime
against Mississippi State. The Bulldogs went on a 27-point run to take a commanding 41-23 lead in the fourth quarter, and the Gamecocks failed to create a resurgence of their own. South Carolina hasn’t defeated the Gators in The Swamp since 2014. Florida leads the at-home series 17-2 and the all-time meetings 31-10-3. Saturday also brings extra motivation for the Gators to get the job done in Gainesville: Homecoming. They are 31-5 across their last 36 Homecoming matchups and 73-26-2 all-time. Florida’s last contest brought a 23-21 victory against Mississippi State on Oct. 18, 2025. Running back Jadan Baugh scampered for 150 yards in the win, a statline Florida looks to replicate. The Gators’ lack of success on the ground proved costly against Missouri. Baugh rushed for a career-low 13 yards (min. five attempts). The junior saw just 12 carries in the loss and couldn’t generate any semblance of offense outside of a sole rush. Baugh ran for 12 yards on the second play of the game but was stuffed at the line of scrimmage or in the backfield in the rest of the attempts. South Carolina gives up the SEC’s sixth-fewest rushing yards per game at 100.4. Both Kentucky and Alabama’s backs failed to eclipse 50 yards against the Gamecocks in their respective matchups. Baugh was riding a five-game streak of 135 rushing yards or more, dating back to last season. Florida is built on playing complementary football, so the Atlanta native will have to get it together to lead the Gators to a much-needed victory. In past matchups against South Carolina, Florida has had immense success on the ground. The Gators tallied 374 net rushing yards against the Gamecocks in 2022, marking the program’s highest SEC total over the last 12 seasons. Similar to the Gators, the Gamecocks are offense-driven and have produced quality performances despite their record. South Carolina has a slew of firepower at wideout with four receivers at 150 yards or more on the year. Mazeo Bennett Jr. leads the committee, coming off the best performance of his three seasons in Columbia. Bennett added 92 yards on eight receptions against Kentucky. The Gamecocks sit just 0.2 yards behind Florida in yards per game with 491. South Carolina is No. 3 in the conference in the category and No. 1 in average rushing yards with 256. The team’s running back Matt Fuller leads the pack with 433 yards on the year and will be a major factor Saturday. Florida has allowed the conference’s seventh-most yards on the ground (126.4), paving the way for Fuller and Sellers to find potential success in The Swamp. Fuller is putting together his best season with the Gamecocks in his three years with the program and
has found the end zone in each of the team’s five games. “The running back doesn’t get enough credit,” Sumrall said. “I think he’s really good.” The Gators skyrocketed to No. 8 in the AP Poll following their beatdown of Ole Miss in Week 4, but Missouri brought them back to Earth Oct. 3. The Homecoming contest marks
Florida’s final game before it takes on backto-back powerhouses on the road against No. 1 Texas and No. 2 Georgia. “Our players take great pride in what this program is all about and we want to build upon that,” Sumrall said. “Being at the University of Florida, the pressure of that is a privilege, and it’s something that I embrace.” @rileyorovitz rorovitz@alligator.org
Noah Lantor // Alligator Staff
Florida head coach Jon Sumrall talks during SEC Nation’s show on Plaza of the Americas before Florida hosted Ole Miss, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026, in Gainesville, Fla.
TAILGATE EDITION FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2026 3
‘Recalibrate, readjust’: Jon Sumrall, Florida look to rebound against South Carolina THE GATORS ARE FRESH OFF A 45-17 LOSS AT MISSOURI By Max Bernstein Sports Writer
In his debut season as Florida head coach, Jon Sumrall has made his mission statement clear: Go 1-0 every Saturday. But for the first time in his tenure, his Gators didn’t achieve their goal. In fact, his then-No. 8 Gators fell well short Oct. 3 in Columbia, Missouri, falling to the then-No. 25 Tigers 45-17 in an all-around lackluster effort. Now back in Gainesville, Sumrall and his team have one thing on their mind: bouncing back in a big way this Saturday. The No. 16 Gators (4-1, 2-1 SEC) will look to regain momentum against South Carolina (2-3, 0-3 SEC). “I hate losing more than I like winning,” Sumrall said. “Week in, week out in this league, we’re going to be challenged. So, we have to recalibrate, readjust and keep going and move forward.” The Gamecocks have struggled mightily over the past two seasons, going 6-11 overall and 1-10 in SEC play, including eight
straight conference defeats. But while they’ve struggled as a unit, some of their key players have shown positive growth throughout the season. Quarterback LaNorris Sellers, who exploded onto the scene with over 3,000 all-purpose yards and 25 touchdowns in 2024, has struggled with consistency over the past two seasons. In his breakout campaign, Sellers completed just under 66% of his passes; this mark dipped to just above 60% over his past 17 contests. But Sellers has improved on the ground game this season after dropping from 674 yards in 2024 to 270 yards in 2025. Across five games, the 6-foot-3 signal caller dashed for 391 yards on 53 carries, including 147 yards on 17 carries in South Carolina’s narrow 35-34 overtime defeat to Kentucky last Saturday. Florida’s up-and-down 2026 defense has struggled to contain mobile quarterbacks: Auburn’s Byrum Brown tallied 65 yards and a touchdown while Trinidad Chambliss recorded 44 yards and found the end zone twice. Still, Sellers isn’t the only runner the Gators must account for. Sophomore Matt Fuller, who was
a reserve last season, has been uber-efficient thus far, racking up 433 yards and five touchdowns on 71 carries. He has also added 109 yards and a touchdown through the air. With Sellers and Fuller leading the ground attack, the Gamecocks have posted 256 rushing yards per game, ranking No. 7 nationally and No. 1 in the SEC. After struggling to shut down Missouri back Jamal Roberts, who exploded for 211 yards and three touchdowns Oct. 3, the task isn’t getting any easier for the Gators. “This outfit is one of the best rushing offenses in college football,” Sumrall said. “That quarterback [Sellers] and running back [Fuller] are going to run the ball down your throat.” Florida’s run game will look to bounce back from an uninspired Week 5 performance. The Gators ran for 214-plus yards and threeplus touchdowns in their first four games, but Missouri completely halted that success in Columbia, holding UF to a measly 42 yards on 25 carries. The Tigers also shut down Florida star running back Jadan Baugh, who, after recording over 600 yards and 11 touchdowns
over UF’s first four contests, mustered only 13 yards on 12 carries. Sumrall said Baugh texted him to apologize for his subpar performance, but Florida’s head coach remains confident the junior back will bounce back. “We didn’t do enough to help him as a team on Saturday, and I don’t think it was his best, either,” Sumrall said. “But I love Jadan because he owned it, and he’s ready to move forward.” But where Florida could find major success on Saturday is in the air. In their three-game skid, the Gamecocks have surrendered 895 passing yards and 12 touchdowns while only forcing one interception. That could give UF quarterback Aaron Philo, who’s coming off his worst statistical performance as a Gator thus far (21 for 34 passing, 197 yards, one touchdown, 62.1 quarterback rating), a chance for a major rebound. If the Gators want to take advantage of the Gamecocks’ defensive limitations, they need to keep their quarterback upright. Per Pro Football Focus, Missouri pressured Philo 16 times, which gave the junior signal caller little time to operate in the pocket — a sea-
son-low average of 2.34 seconds to throw. “I thought our offensive line had responded to the challenge most of the year,” Sumrall said. “[Saturday] was the first time that we didn’t elevate our style of play.” While South Carolina’s pass rush has been solid, only two Gamecocks have posted multiple sacks so far this season. Even more notable, 2025 All-SEC edge rusher Dylan Stewart, who recorded 11 sacks over his first two seasons with the program, reportedly returned to practice Oct. 6 after being suspended. Stewart received a one-game ban from the SEC after punching Alabama tight end Josh Ford and refusing to substitute out of the Gamecocks’ Sept. 26 loss to the Crimson Tide. Beamer, however, has not publicly disclosed when or if the projected future first-round selection might return to the field this season. Read the rest online at alligator.org. @maxbernstein23 mbernstein@alligator.org
Brad White, Buster Faulkner encourage players to increase ‘dog mentality’ ahead of South Carolina THE OFFENSE HAS TO STAY ON SCHEDULE WHILE THE DEFENSE NEEDS TO LIMIT EXPLOSIVES, THE COORDINATORS SAID By Curan Ahern Sports Writer
Florida football saw glaring issues hinder its effectiveness on both sides of the ball in its 45-17 loss to Missouri, but with the Gators set for a Homecoming bout against South Carolina on Saturday, defensive coordinator Brad White and offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner spoke on the exact improvements that need to be made ahead of Florida’s 12:45 p.m. kickoff. “You want it to sting,” White said. “A lot of people just say ‘Flush the tape,’ ‘Burn the tape,’ whatever. You can’t, man. You have to learn from it so you don’t experience it again.” The biggest issue with White’s defense in Missouri — and through all five weeks thus far — was allowing explosive plays.
The Gators allowed longs of 47, 36 and 29 yards to three receivers as Missouri quarterback Austin Simmons threw for 340 yards. For a Florida defense looking to rebound against South Carolina, it’ll be imperative to limit those inadequate reps in man coverage that allowed multiple long passing touchdowns. “We’ve got to eliminate those plays,” White said. “We won’t be a good defense until we do that, and then at that point, then you can start playing competitive football.” Despite a strong run defense early on, Florida allowed Mizzou running back Jamal Roberts to break away for 77- and 80-yard rushes in the second half. “It doesn’t matter that you played 30 good reps and two bad reps,” White said. “If the two bad reps are really freaking bad, then it’s all bad.” The Gators also need to be able to face adversity and fight back when the going gets tough, he added, but the defensive coordinator knows “it’s all talk until we do it.” “When one thing goes bad, what we can’t do is we can’t melt, we can’t wither,” White
said. “We’ve got to be able to respond in those moments.” In his eyes, the way to get his defense back on track is getting it to play with an edge. White said everyone understands they have to limit big, explosive plays, and that starts with playing with more violence and playing through the catch point. “When the ball is in the air, there has to be more of a dog mentality,” he said. “There’s too much survival mode right now and not enough hunting. We need to hunt … I told them, ‘I would much rather you go down freaking swinging and straining and playing hard than playing soft and playing like a coward.’” That mindset and playstyle will be put to the test against a South Carolina team led by quarterback LaNorris Sellers, who White said is one of the most physical quarterbacks he’s faced in his career, especially with how well Sellers runs the ball. White compared Sellers to NFL running back Saquon Barkley because of his extreme lower-body strength and ability to stay off the ground.
Florida’s offense didn’t fare much better at Missouri. It rushed for just 42 yards and only found the end zone twice. Faulkner attributed the lack of efficiency to his offense being off-schedule and unable to find a rhythm all game. Quarterback Aaron Philo was forced to pass a season-high 34 times in the loss, completing just 21. It was the most he’s had to throw all season by a solid margin, with his second-highest number of passing attempts being 23 against Ole Miss. “It’s tough when you drop back as much as we did and you’re off rhythm, and [the] defensive line gets to pin their ears,” Faulkner said. “Overall, we’ve got to play better. We’ve got to coach better. We’ve got to all do it better. It wasn’t just [Philo]; it was all across the board.” Read the rest online at alligator.org. @CuranAhern cahern@alligator.org
4 FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2026 TAILGATE EDITION
From ‘Dad’s Day’ to water ballet, here’s a look at Florida Homecoming traditions THE GATORS PLAYED THEIR FIRST HOMECOMING GAME AGAINST THE CRIMSON TIDE IN 1916
By Alisa Gershman Alligator Staff Writer
In The Swamp, Florida football has a reputation that exceeds the orange and blue. It comes from a tradition shared by universities across the nation and that some may say the SEC does best: Homecoming. Florida’s Homecoming football game, originally dubbed “Dad’s Day,” was created as an opportunity for students’ fathers to come to campus. But in 1916, it became the school-spirited event modern Gators recognize. The first Homecoming game took place Oct. 21, 1916. Held at Fleming Field, which has since been removed and replaced by Ben Griffin Hill Stadium, Florida was defeated by the Alabama Crimson Tide 16-0. Each year since, fans eagerly wait to watch the Gators and cheer them on, whether that’s at home or on the TV screen. This year’s Homecoming will feature familiar events like the Homecoming Parade, which has been held since UF’s first Homecoming, and the Gator Gallop Fun Run, a 2-mile run through campus and along the parade route. Friday events close out with Gator Growl, a series of performances introduced by Florida Blue Key honor society in 1923, during which UF hosts celebrity actors, musicians and
comedians. Comedian Nikki Glaser, who went viral in 2024 for “The Roast of Tom Brady,” headlines this year’s event. The event is entirely studentrun and the largest college peprally in the nation, according to the Gator Growl website. Campus organizations hold musical performances and skits for Florida students to enjoy ahead of the headliner. The event was free until 1972, and tickets currently range from around $26 to $62 depending on the section, according to Ticketmaster. The Homecoming queen and king, roles introduced in 1953, are also crowned at the event. From 1948 to 1964, Homecoming featured an aquatic ballet that performed the week leading up to the game, according to a UF News article. The Swimcapades, made up of over 100 synchronized divers and swimmers, would compose an underwater performance to dazzle the crowd. Homecoming’s centerpiece game will kick off Saturday at 12:45 p.m. when No. 16 Florida will face the University of South Carolina Gamecocks in The Swamp. The Gators will seek to come back from their only loss of the season this far and leave Saturday’s matchup 5-1 (3-1 SEC). Florida’s record stands at 7426-2 for Homecoming games, and it holds a 31-10-3 lead over the Gamecocks in the all-time series. @angershman agershman@alligator.org
Gator Lore: Revisiting 3 Florida football Homecoming classics A THROWBACK TO TIM TEBOW’S JUMP PASS, LAMICAL PERINE’S 88-YARD DAGGER AND MORE
By Jeffrey Serber Sports Writer
For over a century, Florida’s Homecoming has been a cornerstone of Gators football. No. 16 Florida (4-1, 2-1 SEC) will look to add to the rich history when it hosts South Carolina for the 103rd Homecoming football game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. “This is a proud, storied, traditional program. It’s got unbelievable former players,” Florida head coach Jon Sumrall said. “Being at the University of Florida, the pressure of that is a privilege, and it’s something that I embrace.” No. 10 Florida vs. No. 7 Auburn - Oct. 5, 2019 In 2019, Florida hosted Auburn for a top-10 SEC Homecoming matchup. Both teams entered the contest 5-0 with two conference wins. But Dan Mullen’s Gators came out on top 24-13 with close to 90,600 Gator fans cheering them on. A key to Florida’s success was running back Lamical Perine. The Mobile, Alabama, native ran for 130 yards on 14 attempts. His 88-yard rushing touchdown on the drive’s first play gave the Gators the 24-13 advantage with 9:04 left in the contest. Perine also had four receptions for 15 yards. “It almost brought tears to my eyes,” Perine said after the game. “Big-time atmosphere, big-time crowd, and I’m glad I was able to make that big-time play.” Florida quarterback Kyle Trask threw for 234 yards and two touchdowns, completing 19 of his 31 attempts. However, Trask did lose three fumbles, which helped keep the Tigers in the contest. Trask’s first passing touchdown came on a 64-yard completion to wide receiver Freddie Swain, giving the Gators a 7-0 advantage less than two minutes into the game. Swain finished the contest with six receptions for 146 yards. Trask’s second touchdown was on a 13-yard pass to wide receiver Josh Hammond, extending the Gators’ lead to eight less than two minutes into the second quarter. Defensively, Florida gave Auburn quarterback Bo Nix a rude awakening, forcing him to throw three interceptions. Cornerback Marco Wilson picked off Nix with 2:30 left in the fourth quarter, putting the game away. The Gators finished the 2019 season 11-2 with a 3628 win over Virginia in the Orange Bowl. No. 10 Florida vs. Vanderbilt - Nov. 7, 2015 With the chance to win its first SEC East title since 2009, Florida hosted a struggling Vanderbilt team that entered the game with a 3-5 (1-3 SEC) record. What seemed like a cakewalk on paper was anything but. The two teams combined for 16 points in a defensive matchup. The Gators won 9-7 on an Austin Hardin 43-yard field goal with 2:22 left. Hardin was 3-for-7 on the season before that kick and replaced Jorge Powell, who suffered a knee injury two weeks prior. “When you’re on a championship run … sometimes there are games like this,” head coach Jim McElwain said after the nail-biting win. “Champions figure out
ways to win.” Vanderbilt’s defense held the Gators to 258 yards on offense, including just 57 in the second half. They also forced four turnovers, including quarterback Treon Harris’ first interception of the season. Florida’s defense held Vanderbilt’s offense to 175 yards and forced 10 punts throughout the game. The Gators put the game away by forcing a turnover on downs with 36 seconds left. The Gators opened the scoring with a 3-yard rushing touchdown from running back Kelvin Taylor. However, walk-on kicker Neil MacInnes, who won an open tryout to replace Powell, shanked the extra point and pushed the Gators to a 6-0 lead with 6:16 left in the first quarter. Running back Ralph Webb scored the Commodores’ sole touchdown on a 74-yard run with 48 seconds to halftime. He finished the contest with 118 rushing yards on 22 carries. It was an ugly win, but it sent Florida to Atlanta for the SEC Championship Game against Alabama. Florida went on to finish the season 10-4 after losses to the Crimson Tide (29-15) and Michigan in the Citrus Bowl (41-7). No. 5 Florida vs. No. 9 LSU - Oct. 7, 2006 The last — and oldest — game on this list comes from 2006, when the No. 5 Gators hosted the No. 9 Tigers for a marquee top-10 SEC matchup. Under head coach Urban Meyer, Florida came out on top 23-10 backed by just over 90,700 fans, the second-largest crowd in school history at the time. “That was one of the best environments I’ve ever been a part of,” Meyer said after the game. “I’ll put our Homecoming up against anyone in America’s after today.” Future Heisman Trophy winner and quarterback Tim Tebow threw his first touchdown pass as a Gator during this game, finding Tate Casey on a jump pass from 1 yard out to give the Gators a 14-7 lead with 22 seconds before the half. On his second and only other throw that game, Tebow connected with sophomore wide receiver Louis Murphy from 35 yards out to give UF a 23-7 lead three minutes into the second half. On the ground, Tebow ran for 35 yards and a touchdown on nine attempts. His rushing touchdown came on fourth-and-goal on the LSU 1-yard line, tying the contest at 7. Chris Leak started at quarterback for the Gators. The Charlotte, North Carolina, native threw for 155 yards, completing 17 of 26 passes. He also threw an interception. Florida’s defense was the difference-maker against the Tigers. Florida’s secondary picked off LSU quarterback JaMarcus Russell three times, two coming from junior cornerback Ryan Smith. The Gators also forced two fumbles and tallied a safety. UF’s victory gave the Gators a 6-0 start to a season that ended in the program’s second national championship win 41-14 over Ohio State. @JeffreySerber jserber@alligator.org
TAILGATE EDITION FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2026 5
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6 FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2026 TAILGATE EDITION
The Rival Rundown: A look at Florida vs. South Carolina from the other side John Davis, the sports editor at The Daily Gamecock, spoke with The Alligator By Max Bernstein Sports Writer
Fresh off their first loss of the season, Jon Sumrall and the Florida Gators are looking to bounce back in a big way. At 12:45 p.m. Saturday, No. 16 Florida will host South Carolina at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in a battle between teams on opposite sides of the conference standings. As part of this week’s Tailgate Edition, I spoke with John Davis, the sports editor at The Daily Gamecock, the University of South Carolina’s student-run newspaper. Davis has worked at The Daily Gamecock since September 2025 and has been the sports editor since May. He answered questions about South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers, edge rusher Dylan Stewart and head coach Shane Beamer’s job security before giving his prediction for Saturday’s contest. The following interview has been edited for length and clarity.
to a professional, NFL-minded play-caller last year. You tell LaNorris not to rely on his legs as much; you tell him to stay in the pocket and go through reads. That doesn’t work in college … He’s stayed the course. [To start the season,] it was quick reads; it was decisive. It’s what he’s best at. That has kind of dissipated since … By no means has he looked polished as a passer, but that’s more of a testament to the inability for South Carolina to trot out a consistent offensive ideology. Q: What about the rest of the offense? What’s been good? What’s been bad? You had a couple of receivers go down in the preseason, and the receiver room really has no answer … With Nyck Harbor, at 6-foot-5 and who is a freak athlete track star, you’d expect him to beat any-
body over top. The thing is, you have to be able to catch the football. Nyck Harbor has not been able to catch the football … The offensive line has been better, and I think the run game has been better because of that … But a lack of pass catchers and a lack of consistency in telling LaNorris what ideology to strive for has made it hard for the offense to find an identity. Q: Missouri was able to pressure Florida early and often to great success. Do you think South Carolina can have that same effect on the Gators? It depends on Dylan Stewart. It’s a night-and-day difference pressuring the quarterback with and without Dylan Stewart. Obviously, he was suspended for a game. Whether that’s a sign of culture issues or not remains to be seen. South Carolina really hasn’t
been a blitz-heavy team this year, and that’s because even if they send seven, they don’t have the guys in that back four to prevent explosives. So, there’s room to be concerned. Q: There’s been a lot of noise surrounding Shane Beamer and his job security. Do you think a change is imminent? I don’t think so … Beamer’s buyout is $27, and that drops to [$22 million] after the season. So, if you’re going to do it after the season, [that difference] isn’t the issue. It’s $8 million for the rest of his coaching staff to be gone. Then it’s $25 million for whatever coach you hire next. A competent program would have Beamer gone after this [upcoming] blowout loss to Florida, and he wouldn’t make the trip home … But what I’ve heard from
Q: What has been the biggest issue for South Carolina in its 2-3 start? We’ve seen in these SEC games what the issues are: Somehow, some way, the team manages to come out with a lead to start the game; they look like the team to beat in the first quarter, and then the team falls flat on their face. [Defensively], once a quarterback and the play caller on the opposite sideline recognize the scheme that South Carolina is trotting out on the field, all of a sudden, teams are able to adjust. They made [Alabama quarterback] Keelon Russell and [Mississippi State quarterback] Kamario Taylor come out and look like Jesus Christ. Q: In your opinion, how is LaNorris Sellers playing? He’s not the reason this offense has faltered … When you look at 2024, that offense was simple. Things went well. Then you switch
anyone out of the university is that they simply won’t front the money for what you assume is probably not going to be a big difference a year or two from now. Q: If Beamer does finish the season, what would be defined as a successful season? How would the fans react to no change in status? Let’s face it. If Florida really hangs 50 [points] on South Carolina, and they’re embarrassed for the fourth straight week, the embarrassment factor might just trump everything. But the more likely outcome of firing Beamer is you promote someone as an interim for the rest of the year, and then whoever you decide to make the head coach, you do the exact same thing in two or three years. If Beamer beats Arkansas, somehow sneaks out a win against Oklahoma and then beats Clemson to end the year and goes 5-7, how mad will people be? I think you could convince people that maybe next year is the year. Q: What’s your final score prediction? 45-24 Florida. Coming off a must-win game [against Kentucky] that you lost at home in overtime at night, that deflates the team so greatly. Now, you’re going into The Swamp, on the road, playing at noon. And [Florida] is now in a must-win game coming off the biggest embarrassment most of the men in that locker room have probably faced. I think Florida handily takes care of business. I think South Carolina could score on their opening drive, maybe have 10 points at halftime, but 20 minutes into this game, you’ll know who will come out on top, and it will be the Gators.
Bayden Armstrong // Alligator Staff
Florida running back Jadan Baugh (13) celebrates during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Auburn, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, in Auburn, Ala.
@maxbernstein23 mbernstein@alligator.org
TAILGATE EDITION FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2026 7
The Conference Call: The Alligator’s football reporters pick Week 6 SEC matchups FOUR REPORTERS PROVIDE WEEKLY PREDICTIONS ON THE SEC SLATE By Ava DiCecca, Max Bernstein, Curan Ahern & Riley Orovitz Sports Writers
After an exciting Saturday filled with SEC action, the Alligator’s Florida football beat reporters, Ava DiCecca, Max Bernstein, Curan Ahern and Riley Orovitz, are back to pick this week’s seven-game slate. Each reporter earns a point for a correct pick and three bonus points for an accurate score prediction. Here’s a look at the current standings from Weeks 1 to 5. 1: Curan Ahern - 61 T2: Ava DiCecca - 52
T2: Max Bernstein - 52 4: Riley Orovitz - 50 Now, here are the picks for all Week 6 SEC bouts.
DiCecca: Georgia 35, Alabama 30 Bernstein: Alabama 30, Georgia 27 Ahern: Georgia 38, Alabama 35 Orovitz: Georgia 35, Alabama 32
South Carolina (2-3) at No. 16 Florida (4-1) Florida leads the series 31-10-3. Florida is 7-3 in the last 10 matchups. Florida won the last matchup 41-39 on Oct. 10, 2023.
Read the rest online at alligator.org.
DiCecca: Florida 48, South Carolina 24 Bernstein: Florida 41, South Carolina 21 Ahern: Florida 45, South Carolina 27 Orovitz: Florida 48, South Carolina 28
@avadicecca24 adicecca@alligator.org @maxbernstein23 mbernstein@alligator.org @CuranAhern cahern@alligator.org @rileyorovitz rorovitz@alligator.org
No. 2 Georgia (5-0) at No. 6 Alabama (5-0) Alabama leads the series 45-27-4. Alabama is 8-2 in the last 10 matchups. Georgia won the last matchup 28-7 in the 2025 SEC Championship game on Dec. 6, 2025.
Florida-Georgia ♥ To The Girl With The Beautiful Blue Eyes: Rivalry Issue
Another year is upon us….46 years since our first Homecoming! Unfortunately, we cannot be in Gainesville this year, but we will beTwo celebrating a joyous occasion. This rivalry great schools: one legendary football weekend marks our beginning from all those years ago. TOTAL DISTRIBUTION: 14,000 copies distributed on camTwowere greatatstudent newspapers: oneparties. special keepsake edition It seems like that we The Swamp and the pus, 2,000 distributed before the game and 2,000yesterday sent to alums and supporters GeorgeSpace Burns performed at Growl. is limited, so make sure you are part of this high-profile event!
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This year,FRIDAY, we celebrated our 41st AD DEADLINE: OCTOBER 15 wedding anniversary! We took two great trips,
including the completion of getting our kicks on Route 66! Also, Little Blue Eyes and her husband celebrate their 6th wedding anniversary this weekend! Time keeps Whether you callmoving it the Georgia-Florida or thetoFlorida-Georgia and I’m sogame lucky have you by my side during our journey. game — or the world’s largest outdoor cocktail party — there is no Everybetween year and every day, my love for you grows stronger. question the annual matchup the University of Georgia Bulldogs University of Florida Gators is one of the greatest rivalry Here’s to the next 46! spectacles in college football.
ILY, While the teams prepare battle it out on the field, the newsrooms ♥ Liarface of The Red & Black and the Florida Alligator are cooperating to produce a special keepsake issue. This issue will be distributed on both campuses on Monday, Oct. 25 in advance of the game and in the “neutral sites” in Jacksonville and St. Simons Island before the game. In addition, the student news organizations will be engaging in an alumni donation duel in the weeks leading up to the game. Everyone who pledges support to the newspapers will get a copy of this keepsake publication.
Florida-Georgia Tailgate Edition Florida-Georgia Rivalry Issue
Rivalry Issue
Fri,schools: Sept.one25 vs. Ole Miss Two great legendary football rivalry TOTAL DISTRIBUTION: 14,000 copies distributed on camFri, Oct. 9onevs. S.legendary Carolina Two great schools: one football rivalry Two great student newspapers: special keepsake edition pus, 2,000 distributed before visitors the game and 2,000 sent to out-of-town expected, this is a alums and supporters TOTAL DISTRIBUTION: 14,000 copies distributed on camSpaceyour is limited, so make sure you are part26 of one this event! edition Two great student newspapers: special keepsake Mon, Oct. vs.high-profile Georgia terrific opportunity to highlight
This tailgate edition will preview our 18,000 upcoming matchup. With close to 50,000
18,000
pus, 2,000 distributed before the game and 2,000 sent to alumsbusiness and supporters or organization. 3,000 copies to
AD DEADLINE: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15Space is limited, so make you 6arevs. partOklahoma of this high-profile event! Fri,sure Nov. be passed on campus and throughout the
Fri, Nov. 20 vs. Vanderbilt
AD DEADLINE: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15 community on the Friday and Saturday
Whether you call it the Georgia-Florida game or the Florida-Georgia leading to thelargest game. We’ll beparty restocking game — orup the world’s outdoor cocktail — there is no *Run in 4 out of 5 publications and questionyou thecall annual matchup the University ofFlorida-Georgia Georgia receive 15% off of each ad news racks thebetween stadium, and passing Whether itnear the Georgia-Florida game or the Bulldogs University of Florida Gators is one of the greatest rivalry them out by hand. game — or the world’s largest outdoor cocktail party — there is no JACHA I’S THE spectacles in college football. HOME-OPENER EDITION LIMIT INSIDE
Florida defensive his Twitter end Jachai handle. Polite ONLINE has a singular goal in Follow his life. along with our goofed It’s all in over the weekly picks column past week. and find out who done
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INSIDE
INSIDE
Gators-Skyhawks preview Fan upgrades for the stadium
ONLINE
Check out the Gator Bites podcast on SoundCloud. Follow @alligatorSports for live updates during Saturday’s game.
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Campus BoxBox 14257, advertising@alligator.orgTHE || (352)376-4482 boththe campuses Monday, Oct. 25 in advance ofInc., theP.O.P.O. game and Campus Communications Inc., 5126,inGainesville, Gainesville,Florida, Florida32604-2257 32627-5126 || advertising@alligator.org While teams on prepare battle itCommunications out on the field, the newsrooms the “neutral sites” in Jacksonville and St. Simons Island before the of The Red & Black and the Florida Alligator are cooperating to game. In addition,keepsake the studentissue. newsThis organizations engaging on produce a special issue willwill be be distributed in an alumni donation duel inOct. the weeks leading upoftothe thegame game.and in both campuses on Monday, 25 in advance Everyone who pledges support to the newspapers will get a copy the “neutral sites” in Jacksonville and St. Simons Island before the Is he Superman? Is he Batman? like a superhero. ius Toney plays Either way, Kadar
of this keepsake publication.
8 FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2026 TAILGATE EDITION
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