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Hurst eager to show Florida what they are missing

Jake Bentley makes his first career road start Saturday afternoon at The Swamp against Florida.
Jake Bentley makes his first career road start Saturday afternoon at The Swamp against Florida. (Gamecock Central)

When South Carolina tight end Hayden Hurst steps onto the field at The Swamp around noon on Saturday, he would like nothing better than to show Florida what it's missing.

A few months after Jim McElwain was hired by Florida, Hurst decided to give up baseball and pursue a career in college football. Being a Jacksonville native, he contacted Florida about the possibility of joining the Gators program.

Florida’s response? We have no room at the inn.

Being friends with USC quarterback Perry Orth, Hurst contacted the Gamecocks to gauge their interest in his services. They said yes.

Going into Week 11, Hurst leads South Carolina with 35 receptions for 426 yards, and is just two receptions from tying Jared Cook (37 in 2008) for the single season school record of most catches by a tight end.

Has Hurst forgotten Florida’s snub? Not a chance.

“When I was trying to picking schools (to play football), Florida was one of my choices, but they said they didn’t have room for me (even as a walk-on),” Hurst said. “So I figured if they didn’t want me, I could come here and play against them. This game has been circled on my calendar for a little while, so I’m excited to get down there and play. That’s the plan (to show Florida what it is missing).”

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Hurst signed to play baseball at Florida State after graduating from The Bolles School, but opted for the pro route after being drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 17th round of the 2012 MLB Draft. Nonetheless, he expects Gator fans to heckle him for signing with the rival Seminoles.

“I would expect that because that’s just how Florida fans are there,” Hurst said.

Hurst’s family continues to have close connections to Florida. His younger sister attends UF, allowing Hurst the opportunity to support the Gators “a very small bit.” His grandfather attended UF as well.

“That is about as far as my devotion goes,” Hurst said.

If Hurst maintains his lead through the end of the season, he will become the first non-wide receiver to lead the Gamecocks in receptions since Ryan Brewer logged 28 in 2002 and the first tight end to lead the Gamecocks in receptions since Chris Corley in 1982.

Hurst is good friends with Florida QB Luke Del Rio, son of the Oakland Raiders coach and former NFL linebacker. Del Rio attended The Bolles School for a period of time when his father was coaching the Jaguars. However, Del Rio suffered a shoulder injury in last Saturday’s loss at Arkansas and won’t play Saturday, handing the starting reins to graduate transfer Austin Appleby.

“I read a little about that (Del Rio’s injury) yesterday. It’s a shame he is not going to be able to play. But I know he’ll be there. It will nice to see him because I haven’t seen him in a while.”

Statistically, Florida possesses the best defense the Gamecocks have faced to this point. Led by several players signed by Muschamp, the Gators rank in the top four of the SEC in all four major defensive categories – total defense, scoring defense, rushing defense and pass defense.

However, two starting linebackers (Jarrad Davis and Alex Anzalone) are likely sidelined for Saturday’s game because of injuries. Davis (56 tackles) and Anzalone (53) are Florida’s top two tacklers.

Since Florida will be without its top two most productive linebackers, Hurst could find some open space in the middle of the Gators' defense

“They are very good even though they are down a few players this week,” Hurst said. “Those two guys have vital roles on their defense. But we know they have guys that will step in and fill the shoes of the guys that are down. We’re excited for the challenge. I’m sure we’ll have some stuff put in for me to go up against some of their linebackers.”

After three home games, freshman quarterback Jake Bentley makes his first career start on the road at The Swamp, one of the loudest venues in the league.

Hurst believes Bentley will handle the tough environment like a veteran.

“The key for Jake is keeping his composure,” Hurst said. “But he has impressed me week in and week out. I wouldn’t expect anything out of the ordinary from Jake. There isn’t a whole lot that fazes that kid. He takes everything and rolls with it. He has impressed me every single week he has gone out there. He doesn’t act like an 18-year old. I would not expect anything less from Jake this week.”

NOTES:

-- The Gamecocks have 17 players from the state of Florida, including major contributors Hurst, Rashad Fenton, Chris Lammons, Keir Thomas, Jordan Diggs and Sean Kelly.

-- Saturday’s game marks the 200th regular season SEC game for the Gamecocks. The 2016 season marks USC’s 25th in the SEC since joining the league in 1992.

-- Florida is ranked No. 22 in the AP poll and No. 16 in the USA Today coaches poll. The Gamecocks are looking to knock off their second straight ranked foe after beating Tennessee, 24-21, two weeks ago. USC’s last win on the road over a ranked opponent was the OT win at Missouri in 2013.

-- The Gamecocks remain one of only six FBS teams to hold every opponent this season below 30 points. The other five are Michigan, Washington, Ohio State, Auburn and LSU, all nationally ranked teams.

-- When is the last time the Gamecocks won four straight games? 2013 when they won their last six contests to cap an 11-2 season and a final ranking of No. 4 in the country.

-- Mason Zandi is the only Gamecock senior on the offensive side of the ball on the 2016 roster that came to USC as a scholarship player.

SEC WEEK 11 SCHEDULE (Nov. 12)

Mississippi State at Alabama, noon (ESPN)

South Carolina at Florida, noon (CBS)

Kentucky at Tennessee, noon (SEC Network)

Vanderbilt at Missouri, 3:30 p.m. (SEC Network)

Auburn at Georgia, 3:30 p.m. (CBS)

LSU at Arkansas, 7 p.m. (ESPN)

Ole Miss at Texas A&M, 7:30 p.m. (SEC Network)

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