It’s easy to get caught up in Florida’s last two games. A program in disarray, the Gators have lost their last two games by a combined score of 87-23.

But that’s exactly what Will Muschamp is trying to prevent as the Gamecocks get ready to host the now Randy Shannon-led Gators this Saturday at Williams-Brice.

That’s been the mantra in practice so far this week, and it seems players are absorbing it.

“We know that they’re a talented team. They’re not going to lay down, first of all,” Javon Kinlaw said. “They’re going to come in here and try to knock our heads off.”

Also see: What Will Muschamp had to say in his weekly press conference

South Carolina’s struggled with Florida somewhat recently, dropping two of the last three match-ups with the Gators, including the last two.

But this year is a little different. The Gamecocks (6-3, 4-3 SEC) come in having already locked up bowl eligibility and can clinch at least a share of second place in the SEC East with a win.

Florida has lost its last four games, including back-to-back blowouts against Georgia and Missouri as bowl eligibility quickly inches farther away.

Saturday will be just the third time in the last 10 seasons the Gamecocks will enter with more wins than Florida, but players know they can’t take any game against an SEC East team lightly.

“What happens on Saturday is what happens on Saturday,” linebacker T.J. Brunson said. “You have to come in each week regardless of what’s going on and the team that comes out on Saturday.”

Also see: Tuesday media notes, plus more on D.J. Smith being limited in practice

Despite giving up gobs of points over the last two weeks, the Gators still rank in the top half of the league in total defense, opponent third down conversions, opponent first downs and red zone defense.

Muschamp knows the Gators have athletes on defense, well, because he recruited some of them while he was the head coach in Gainesville. So his message to the team this week is to not take anything lightly.

He’s even telling his players to focus on watching film when Florida played earlier in the season against Tennessee and Texas A&M, not the last two weeks.

“We can’t look at the score of the Missouri game or any other game and not think they’re a great defense,” Jake Bentley said. “They got a lot of great players on their team: they’re DBs are good, great d-line. So we got to come in ready to play.”

Also see: Breaking down the star power on the field this Saturday

But this is more than just another game against a team without a true head coach. This is Florida. This is a program Muschamp spent four years at, four years he says he enjoys. Four years where he worked with great people, he said.

But it’s still Florida. It’s still an SEC East rival and another road block in the way for South Carolina to start achieving its goals of beating the East and winning the state, a phrase Muschamp’s used so much it wouldn’t surprise anyone if it was tattooed on his arm.

So he knows what kind of team will roll into Williams-Brice Saturday, and he’s not taking any chances.

“They've had a lot of uncertainty off the field and certainly, having been through it, it is a distraction and will take it's mental toll,” Muschamp said. “But again, that's why the consistent message from me all the time is about our preparation and how we prepare and how we go about our business and our preparation for the game is going to determine the outcome of the game and not about what the other team does.”