South Carolina Football: 3 keys to victory vs. Florida in Week 8

2 of 4

BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA – OCTOBER 12: Kyle Pitts #84 of the Florida Gators catches a pass as Grant Delpit #7 of the LSU Tigers defends at Tiger Stadium on October 12, 2019 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Photo by Marianna Massey/Getty Images) /

3. Contain Kyle Pitts

Kyle Pitts is a dynamic tight end for the Florida Gators. He has more receptions than any other gator on the team. He also has more receiving yards than anyone on the team. He is tied for first on the team with three touchdown receptions as well.

It’s uncommon to say that the offense runs through the tight end this day and age, but that statement rings true for the Gators. Quarterback Kyle Trask uses Pitts like a big safety blanket. The 6-foot-6, 240-pound tight end also plays a similar role to how Jimmy Graham did in his prime. He comes in tight to block, he runs the flag and curl routes for easy tosses, and he can spread out wide and run with the defensive backs on any given play.

If South Carolina wants to dial down the Gators’ offense, they are going to have to limit the ball to Pitts. There is no doubt that the game plan will be similar to last week. South Carolina’s defense will want to come out in man coverage and impose their will on the offense. That means that the linebackers Earnest Jones and TJ Brunson will have to be able to stay in Pitts’ back pocket.

If they can limit the touches for the star tight end, the offense will have to find another avenue for the passing game.