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The Florida Gators and head coach Jon Sumrall, despite a brutal Week 5 loss, have quickly become one of the hottest teams in college football, thanks to star running back Jadan Baugh.

After rushing for 1,170 yards last season, the prolific offensive weapon decided to stay with Sumrall and the Gators for 2026. And it’s safe to say that Baugh made an excellent choice to play what will likely be his final college season before entering the 2027 NFL Draft at Florida.

Through the first four weeks of the season, Baugh rushed for 600 yards and 11 touchdowns on 83 carries. His 7.2 rushing yards per carry was a career-best, as he not only became the catalyst for the Gators’ offense but also a frontrunner for the Heisman Trophy after tallying 142 rushing yards and three touchdowns against Ole Miss in Week 4.

However, the hype surrounding Baugh came to a screeching halt in Week 5 when Florida took on the Missouri Tigers on the road.

Florida’s efficient offense was nowhere to be found on Saturday, as head coach Eli Drinkwitz and the Tigers held Baugh to 13 rushing yards on 12 attempts. The lack of production in the run game led to a crushing 45-17 loss, which makes the program’s Week 6 contest against the South Carolina Gamecocks an important matchup for Sumrall and the Gators.

Unfortunately for the offense, Baugh and the rest of Florida’s running backs must overcome the Gamecocks' stout run defense on Saturday in order to avoid a two-game slide.

Baugh vs. South Carolina’s Run Defense

While Baugh looked good in his first four games of the 2026 regular season, Missouri’s defense was bound to slow down the talented running back last week.

This year, the Tigers’ defense allowed an average of 88.6 rushing yards per game, which ranks fourth in the SEC behind the likes of Georgia, LSU, and Alabama. Florida’s offense has been one-dimensional under offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner, so the Week 5 matchup was bound to be a disaster for the Gators.

To make matters worse for Faulkner and the Gators, the Gamecocks have found plenty of success when defending the run this season.

South Carolina’s 2026 season through the first five weeks has been disappointing, with their most recent battle against the Kentucky Wildcats resulting in a heartbreaking overtime loss, 35-34. Still, the defense allowed an average of 100.4 rushing yards per game this year, ranking sixth in the Southeastern Conference. The Gamecocks forced the Wildcats to beat them through the air, as the defense held running back CJ Baxter to 48 rushing yards and one touchdown on 13 carries.

Now, Florida must find a way to generate production on the ground against a defense that continues to bottle up opposing run games.

Highly-touted EDGE rusher Dylan Stewart’s availability for Saturday’s contest will be a key storyline to follow for Gators fans throughout the week, as he received an indefinite suspension from head coach Shane Beamer after an altercation with the coaching staff during their Week 4 contest against the Alabama Crimson Tide.

If Stewart is out, look for Florida to take advantage of the opportunity due to how massive his presence is against both the pass and run game.

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