COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Graham Mertz threw for a profession-best 423 yards and a few touchdowns, the previous a 21-lawn toss to Ricky Pearsall with 47 seconds left, and Florida rallied from 10 details down in the fourth quarter to beat South Carolina 41-39 on Saturday.
The Gators (5-2, 3-1 Southeastern Meeting) appeared finished when Spencer Rattler linked for his fourth TD to Joshua Simon for a 37-27 lead with 9:11 to play.
But Mertz followed with a pair of 75-garden landing drives to pull off the comeback. He strike restricted finish Arlis Broadingham on a 4-property scoring pass to lower the direct to 37-34 with 4:40 remaining.
The Gators compelled a punt on South Carolina’s following collection and Mertz was off to the races after more. Pearsall caught a 26-property go on fourth-and-10, then Eugene Wilson III collected a move that bounced off a teammate’s hand to arrive at the Gamecocks’ 16.
Mertz gave a shoulder faux on the match-profitable toss and Pearsall was extensive open for the capture.
Safety Miguel Mitchell picked off Rattler on South Carolina’s remaining possession. The Gators took a safety with 4 seconds left for their 2nd straight SEC win.
The comeback ruined a fantastic performance by South Carolina’s Rattler, who handed for 313 yards and four touchdowns.
The Gamecocks (2-4, 1-3) have lost two straight and a few of their final 4.
The Gamecocks trailed 27-24 on the last of 4 Trey Smack subject goals halfway by way of the third quarter. Two collection later, Rattler led the go-forward drive that integrated his 27-yard operate into Florida territory and a 20-yard scoring toss to Trey Knox for a 31-27 guide.
Rattler was at it all over again the future time he acquired the ball, ending a 70-property generate with a 33-garden scoring toss to restricted stop Joshua Simon.
The to start with half was a classic shootout with the groups investing long drives and big performs. The groups merged for 521 yards and 26 initial downs in a half exactly where neither defense could make a quit.
Florida scored on 4 of its 5 very first-50 percent belongings and Smack’s fourth discipline aim, from 28 yards, sent the workforce into halftime ahead 24-21.
Rattler linked with 4 different receivers on his touchdowns, which includes a 20-yard toss to tailback Mario Anderson the place the Division II transfer leaped in excess of security Miguel Mitchell to arrive at the stop zone.
THE TAKEAWAY
Florida: The Gators pulled off the comeback at the rear of Mertz, who came into the recreation second in the nation in go completion proportion (80 percent). They shook off a lackluster initially 20 minutes of the 2nd half and bought very hot when it counted most.
South Carolina: Throughout their bye week, the Gamecocks had hoped they could fix what went incorrect in a 41-20 loss at Tennessee two months in the past. It seemed they had solved some challenges just before their go hurry obtained caught flat-footed at the conclude and allow Mertz and the Gators pull off an surprising rally.
UP Subsequent
Florida gets a 7 days off before heading to Jacksonville to perform No. 1 Ga on Oct. 28.
South Carolina begins a two-activity highway excursion at Missouri on Saturday.
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