Florida Football: 3 takeaways from big Week 5 win over South Carolina

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Oct 3, 2020; Gainesville, FL, USA; South Carolina receiver Shi Smith (13) spins out of a tackle by Florida Gators defensive back Jaydon hill (23) during a football game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad McClenny-USA TODAY NETWORK /

2. Defense isn’t where it needs to be

If you’re a Florida football fan, you’ve been spoiled for years with elite defensive play and you never had to worry about the Gators on that side of the ball.

But 2020 is different.

The Gators are putting up big numbers on offense but the defensive side of the ball is a major work in progress. Dan Mullen’s team put up 38 points with ease against South Carolina but couldn’t seem to shut the door with a put-away score. They also let the Gamecocks score 24 points which seems surprising given the fact that South Carolina’s offense is shaky.

Florida’s usually-elite secondary allowed 212 yards and two touchdowns to Collin Hill which isn’t terrible considering he had 47 attempts, but after watching Matt Corral throw for about 400 yards last week, this wasn’t exactly a feel-good performance.

The run defense allowed 132 yards on 28 carries from running backs while Hill brought the total down with -15 yards rushing. This wasn’t a sparkling performance, by any means.

This is not a championship defense yet.

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