Will Muschamp makes his second trip to The Swamp as head coach of the South Carolina Gamecocks Saturday, looking to guide his new program to a victory over his old one.

A native son of Gainesville and well-liked by the UF administration (and players) in his time as Florida’s head coach, Muschamp was fired after nearly four years in charge in 2014. In large part, Muschamp was dismissed because he dropped too many games in The Swamp, where his Florida teams suffered eight losses in only four seasons.

On the surface, that might not seem that bad, but for perspective Florida lost fewer home games (five) during both the Steve Spurrier and Urban Meyer eras in Gainesville, which collectively lasted 14 years longer. Muschamp also lost his first game in The Swamp as head coach of the Gamecocks, which means he’ll lose his 10th game as a head coach in Gainesville should South Carolina fall to Florida Saturday.

The good news for Gamecocks fans?

South Carolina appears to be getting No. 15 Florida at the right time.

Florida has dropped two consecutive games, both by double digits, to Missouri and Georgia and has huge question marks at the quarterback position for what seems like the eleventy-billionth season in a row, and a defense that keyed impressive early-season wins at Mississippi State and over LSU has all but collapsed since the second half of the Cocktail Party, surrendering more than 60 points and 600 yards in their last six quarters of football. Throw in rumors of a locker room kerfuffle (which Dan Mullen denies) and you have a Florida team that is on its heels late in the season.

Meanwhile, the Gamecocks are playing their best football of the season, having won two consecutive games since their bye week, with both wins coming in thrilling fashion in the fourth quarter. South Carolina’s offense is averaging more than 40 points in that two-game stretch, and the team is finding ways to win despite injuries to multiple starters. Muschamp was a tough, no-excuses player at Georgia, and that has been his personality in nearly two decades as a successful defensive coordinator and now as a young head coach. The Gamecocks have truly adopted his identity, and they’ll bring that toughness to Gainesville Saturday.

Here are 10 bold predictions for Saturday’s contest that will determine both bowl position and who finishes third in the SEC East.

1. Bryan Edwards has 5 receptions and touchdown

The junior from Conway, S.C. has been brilliant in conference play, collecting 31 catches and 5 touchdowns in South Carolina’s seven SEC games. He has been even better the last two weeks, with 205 yards receiving and 50-yard-plus touchdown catches in each game. Florida’s secondary is far better than Ole Miss’ and Tennessee’s. But Edwards is a big-time player, and with Florida focused on limiting Edwards’ All-SEC teammate Deebo Samuel, Edwards will have favorable matchups most of the afternoon, working against freshman corner Trey Dean or struggling sophomore corner C.J. McWilliams, whom Georgia attacked early and often in the Cocktail Party.

2. Lamical Perine will rush for more than 100 yards

When you think about Will Muschamp defenses, you tend to think of defenses that are physical at the point of attack and do a great job of fitting run gaps and forcing teams to throw the ball to win.

Not this Gamecocks defense.

South Carolina is woeful against the run, ranking 87th nationally in run defense and a staggeringly bad 119th in marginal rushing efficiency (how often opposing teams have successful run plays against a defense).

That’s great news for Florida, who have thrived offensively this season when they have been able to establish the power run game, led by the talented running back duo of Jordan Scarlett and Lamical Perine.

Like the rest of the Gators, Perine struggled to do much against a stout Missouri run defense that ranks among the nation’s best. Expect Florida to be more physical and have plenty of success on the ground this weekend.

3. Jake Bentley will throw 2 touchdown passes

Florida will be just the third top-40 pass defense that Bentley faces, and in the prior two games, Bentley struggled, averaging only 5.5 yards per attempt and tossing 5 interceptions.

Still, Florida’s secondary showed weakness against Georgia and Missouri, and Bentley is coming off one of his most efficient performances as a Gamecock. He’ll exploit some favorable matchups — like the Edwards matchups mentioned above — and throw 2 touchdown passes.

Credit: Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports

4. But Bentley will also throw 2 interceptions

As great as Samuel and Edwards are, the maturation of Bentley is a big reason this is one of the best offenses in Muschamp’s career as a head coach. The Gamecocks rank 25th nationally in passing efficiency offense and 38th in S&P+ offensive efficiency. Only Muschamp’s 2012 Florida offense, led by future Pro-Bowl tight end Jordan Reed and All-SEC running back Mike Gillislee, compared.

But Bentley has continued to struggle against top-level defenses. He has thrown at least 1 interception in every SEC game and at least two 2 all SEC games against Top 50 defenses (Georgia, Kentucky). That trend will continue Saturday afternoon.

5. Bet the under

With all of its struggles at the quarterback position, Florida will look to slow down the tempo and eat clock with its power run game.

South Carolina doesn’t run the ball that well but has been much improved on the ground over the last two weeks, grinding out 224 yards in a comeback win over Tennessee and 147 more against the remnants of the Land Shark Defense in Ole Miss last week. This improvement means Muschamp will be happy to run the clock and give his injury-depleted defense a breather by relying on the run game.

Couple that with two defenses that have something to prove — Florida has allowed 74 points in its last two games, and despite winning, South Carolina has allowed 68 — and you get a game where betting the 54 over may seem like a safe call but really isn’t.

6. Jachai Polite and the Gators defense will have 3 sacks

Dominant early in the season, Florida’s front seven have produced only 3 sacks in the last three games — and one of those came on a Drew Lock scramble that was officially called a sack because Lock slid before the first down marker.

In the last two weeks, Florida has surrendered an average of 37 points, an average of 6.52 yards per play and a staggering 19-of-32 third-down conversion rate. Those miserable numbers aren’t sustainable if Florida hopes to finish the regular season with three more victories.

For all the struggles of Feleipe Franks, the Gators must receive better production up front if they are to snap their two-game skid and put themselves in position for a New Year’s bowl game.

The Gamecocks don’t give up many sacks (only 12 all season) and are in the top 25 nationally in sack rate (number of passing downs where they surrender a sack).

Nevertheless, a Florida assistant told me this was “Florida’s best week of practice in a month,” and I think Polite, who leads the country in forced fumbles and has 9.5 tackles for loss and 7 sacks on the season, helps Florida get back on track with a big game at home.

7. Kadarius Toney gets 10 touches

Florida fans have been clamoring for more touches for the electric Toney since the moment he arrived on campus two years ago.

Toney is a first-down machine, averaging 10.7 yards a touch receiving or rushing this season and more than a first down a touch (10.3) on his career. Including his passing ability, Florida averages 11 yards a play when Toney touches the ball.

With the unfortunate injury to Kyle Trask likely meaning Franks starts again at quarterback Saturday, expect the Gators to try to get the ball in No. 4’s hands early and often to establish rhythm against the South Carolina defense.

8. South Carolina will score the first touchdown of the game

Slow starts have haunted the Gamecocks much of the season, but Muschamp’s team broke the spell last week in Oxford, jumping all over Ole Miss for an early 17-3 lead.

The Gators, meanwhile, continue to struggle out of the gate. On the season, Florida has failed to score a first-quarter touchdown in seven games, a trend that continued against Missouri. The Gators had come back from early deficits all season but simply dug too deep a hole from themselves against Mizzou, falling behind 21-3 before scoring their first touchdown.

There’s no evidence or reason to believe Florida will buck the slow-start trend Saturday, so expect the Gamecocks to score the game’s first touchdown.

9. Florida will have 400 yards of total offense

Sustained offensive rhythm hasn’t been a thing for the Gators during their two losses against Missouri and Georgia, but playing desperate football against a South Carolina defense decimated by injuries and susceptible to the run will be a good fix.

In its last three games, South Carolina has given up a very un-Muschampian 1,425 total yards and an average of 5.75 yards per play.

Florida will move the ball Saturday. The game will be about whether they can finish in the red zone.

10. This game is decided by one score or less

Florida leads the all-time series 26-9-3, but the Gamecocks have controlled the series this decade, winning five of eight. Five of the last eight contests between the schools have been decided by one score or less, including the fateful 2014 game in The Swamp, where Spurrier and the Gamecocks scored late and then won in overtime, sealing Muschamp’s fate as head coach at Florida.

This one will also be decided late and could very well come down to which of the game’s two excellent kickers — Florida’s Evan McPherson or South Carolina’s Parker White — gets the chance to win it with his foot.