Sellers’ five touchdowns lift South Carolina past No. 16 Florida

LaNorris Sellers threw four touchdown passes and ran for another as South Carolina beat No. 16 Florida 38–19 Saturday in Gainesville, turning an early deficit into its first SEC victory of the season.

The Gamecocks entered with three conference losses and a 2–3 overall record. They left Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at 3–3 and 1–3 in league play after Sellers connected with four different receivers for touchdowns. Florida, which began the afternoon 4–1, fell to 4–2 and 2–2 in the SEC.

Florida struck first when Aaron Philo found Bailey Stockton for a 59-yard touchdown. South Carolina had to work through a missed field goal before Sellers answered with a 15-yard scoring pass to Nyck Harbor late in the opening quarter. The teams traded field goals in the second, keeping the game level at 10–10 until the Gamecocks' defense created a short-field opportunity.

Vicari Swain intercepted Philo, and Sellers followed with a 12-yard touchdown pass to Mazeo Bennett Jr. South Carolina took a 17–10 lead into halftime, then waited through a lightning delay before resuming a game that remained close early in the third quarter.

Patrick Durkin's 48-yard field goal brought Florida within 17–13. Sellers' response changed the game. He found Donovan Murph for a 26-yard touchdown on South Carolina's next possession, then finished another scoring drive with a 1-yard rushing touchdown. The Gamecocks' lead grew to 31–13 before the fourth quarter began.

Sellers added a 21-yard touchdown pass to Lex Cyrus in the final period. It was Cyrus' first touchdown as a Gamecock, according to the team's official post, and gave Sellers his fifth total score of the afternoon. South Carolina scored 21 consecutive points after Florida's third-quarter field goal.

Sellers completed 23 of 35 passes for 279 yards without an interception. Harbor caught four passes for 83 yards, while Bennett had seven receptions for 35 yards. Murph's two catches produced 32 yards and a touchdown; Cyrus added 30 yards on two catches.

Stockton remained Florida's most productive receiver, finishing with eight catches for 127 yards. His long first-quarter touchdown kept Florida ahead early. Jadan Baugh added a 2-yard touchdown run with 1:01 remaining, but the Gators' two-point attempt failed and the late score could not change the outcome. Philo completed 21 of 28 passes for 227 yards, one touchdown and an interception, but Florida could not turn its early lead into sustained scoring.

The Gamecocks' defense also got production from Dylan Stewart, who recorded five tackles and a sack. South Carolina's offense supplied the larger swing: Sellers' second-half touchdowns took a four-point game and gave the visitors room to close out their first conference win.