Florida vs. South Carolina: Three Key Matchups That Could Decide the Game

Which personnel matchups could decide Florida vs. South Carolina?

Editors note: GatorMaven has partnered with ExpandTheBoxScore.com to provide in-depth stats. Interested in accessing their database? Use promo code "GatorMaven" to receive 10% off of an annual subscription! An example of the data you can find on their site is pictured at the bottom of this article.

The ninth-ranked Florida Gators are set to play in - stop me if you've heard this before - the most important game of their 2019 season this weekend in Columbia against the South Carolina Gamecocks.

Following a loss to the now-No. 2 LSU Tigers, the Gators are in no position to drop another game as they start their SEC East schedule, or else they could fall out of the SEC championship race. And South Carolina pulled off an upset over the formerly No. 3 Georgia Bulldogs in Athens this past weekend, so it is not a team to take lightly.

Here are the three most important personnel matchups that could decide the game, with in-depth stats from Pro Football Focus and Expand The BoxScore for context.

STAR vs. Bryan Edwards

Last week against LSU, the Gators' STAR position came into question as Trey Dean III was seemingly benched in favor of cornerback Marco Wilson. Dean had allowed three receptions on as many targets to go for 48 yards and a touchdown in the first half.

Dean is listed as the starter at STAR this week, but it wouldn't be surprising to see Wilson or linebacker Amari Burney take some reps at the position due to Dean's struggles so far. He has allowed 18 of his 24 targets in coverage to be caught, allowing 244 yards with 86 coming after the catch.

The production that Dean has allowed won't fly against South Carolina, as their best receiver Bryan Edwards thrives in the area that the STAR is responsible for. Edwards has made some money in the short, seeing 26 of his 36 touches coming within 13 yards of the line of scrimmage. He's seen 11 targets in the middle of the field between 0-10 yards of the LOS, hauling in seven for 43 yards.

Manning up Edwards will require discipline in the middle of the field, and Wilson is probably the most polished when it comes to man coverage. Expect to see that matchup quite a bit, with Wilson playing both outside and at STAR.

Florida's outside WRs vs CB Israel Mukuamu

If you watched the South Carolina vs. Georgia game, you were probably impressed with cornerback Israel Mukuamu's three interception performance against quarterback Jake Fromm.

While he had a huge game, that performance is not indicative of what Mukuamu has done all year for the Gamecocks. He has allowed 21 of his 33 targets to be caught, which has led to 282 receiving yards and a touchdown. Prior to the Georgia game, Mukuamu only had one interception on the season. He even allowed five receptions to Georgia on eight targets - the remaining three were his interceptions.

Florida has seen a lot of success targeting slot receivers and TE Kyle Pitts with Kyle Trask at quarterback, but this game should belong to the outside receivers. While the slots and Pitts could always have a good day, look for Van Jefferson, Trevon Grimes, or Tyrie Cleveland to be the most productive on Saturday.

Pressure QB Ryan Hilinski

The South Carolina quarterback coming off of a knee injury, meaning his mobility is already a bit hampered - Florida needs to put as much pressure on Hilinski as possible on Saturday.

That could be a little more difficult than usual should edge rushers Jonathan Greenard and Jabari Zuniga be unable to go, but pressure on Hilinski totally changes his game. When he's been kept clean, Hilinski has completed 70.2% of his 124 attempts, for 795 yards, five touchdowns and one interception. Under duress, Hilinski is only completing 40% of his 40 passes, going for 232 yards, one touchdown and two picks.

The Gators need to dial it up to knock Hilinski off of his game, and him coming off of an injury only helps Florida should its starting edge rushers not play. Preventing the freshman QB from building any momentum has to be a key focus for Florida to win this game in Columbia.

Other names to know

Defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw: Earning potential first-round draft hype, Kinlaw has been an animal for the Gamecocks' defensive line this year. He has recorded 24 QB pressures and five sacks in six games. However, the Gators' offensive line has held its own in pass protection this year, and while some plays could go Kinlaw's way, Trask's pocket presence improved enough vs. LSU that the matchup isn't as crucial as others.

South Carolina RBs: Rico Dowdle and Tavien Feaster have been productive for the Gamecocks this year, averaging a combined 5.72 yards per carry on 134 attempts, and scoring seven times. The two running backs are elusive, as they've combined for a whopping 36 missed tackles forced. Florida missed 10 tackles against LSU last week, per head coach Dan Mullen - they have to fix that to counter South Carolina's rushing attack.

At the same time, though, Florida is allowing only 3.7 yards per carry this season - As long as tackling is improved, it should handle South Carolina's rushing attack just fine.

Freddie Swain's in-depth stats through Week 6, at ExpandTheBoxScore.com.