Overview
Welcome to the 100th meeting between rivals in what many still call "The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party". The plot this year is somewhat similar to last year's as the Gators are unranked and the Bulldogs are firing on all cylinders as the #1 team in America. Last year the Gators were 4-3 (1-3), but this year the Gators are 5-2 (3-1). Just like last year, Georgia is undefeated. Just like last year the line opened up at 21 points in favor of the defending national champions, but the line has backed down to 14.5 with an over/under of 49. The Gators are only given a 15% chance of victory. As always, the game will be played in Jacksonville and aired on CBS for likely the last time. The series is 44-54-2 in favor of Georgia. The Bulldogs have won two in a row.
Keys to the Game
Graham Mertz is not as explosive as Anthony Richardson was last year, and the running game is nowhere near where it was last year.
In terms of designed runs not counting QB scrambles, the Gators are slightly better than last year. The passing game has shown spurts of explosiveness when Napier has called for or encouraged the deep pass option in his high-low passing concepts. Some of the deep shots were due to SCAR going into Cover-1 or Cover-0 more than other opponents.
Stat Comparison
No surprise here, but the Bulldogs lead the Gators in just about all the statistical categories.
Season Summaries
The Gators have won two in a row since a gut-checking loss to Kentucky. Florida's performance has been relatively steady other than a tendency-breaking offensive explosion against South Carolina, which corresponded with a defensive implosion. The special teams have not been an issue in a few weeks now that the Gators have figured out how to get 10 or 11 players on the field, each wearing unique jersey numbers. If the Gators can keep the game close, the Smack Attack might become the key to a victory.
Georgia's offense has more play makers than Florida, so the Gators will have their work cut out for them when trying to shut down one of their strengths.
Prediction
There is no logical way the Gators can win this game, but this year's Bulldogs have shown occasion windows of vulnerabilty that the Gators could take advantage of if the defense and offense come together at the same time.
Welcome to the 100th meeting between rivals in what many still call "The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party". The plot this year is somewhat similar to last year's as the Gators are unranked and the Bulldogs are firing on all cylinders as the #1 team in America. Last year the Gators were 4-3 (1-3), but this year the Gators are 5-2 (3-1). Just like last year, Georgia is undefeated. Just like last year the line opened up at 21 points in favor of the defending national champions, but the line has backed down to 14.5 with an over/under of 49. The Gators are only given a 15% chance of victory. As always, the game will be played in Jacksonville and aired on CBS for likely the last time. The series is 44-54-2 in favor of Georgia. The Bulldogs have won two in a row.
Keys to the Game
Graham Mertz is not as explosive as Anthony Richardson was last year, and the running game is nowhere near where it was last year.
In terms of designed runs not counting QB scrambles, the Gators are slightly better than last year. The passing game has shown spurts of explosiveness when Napier has called for or encouraged the deep pass option in his high-low passing concepts. Some of the deep shots were due to SCAR going into Cover-1 or Cover-0 more than other opponents.
Stat Comparison
No surprise here, but the Bulldogs lead the Gators in just about all the statistical categories.
| UGA | FLA | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Yards | 509.4 | 421.7 |
| Yards Passing | 337.0 | 280.4 |
| Yards Rushing | 172.4 | 141.3 |
| Yards Allowed | 262.6 | 312.4 |
| Pass Yards Allowed | 171.1 | 187.6 |
| Rush Yards Allowed | 91.4 | 124.9 |
Season Summaries
The Gators have won two in a row since a gut-checking loss to Kentucky. Florida's performance has been relatively steady other than a tendency-breaking offensive explosion against South Carolina, which corresponded with a defensive implosion. The special teams have not been an issue in a few weeks now that the Gators have figured out how to get 10 or 11 players on the field, each wearing unique jersey numbers. If the Gators can keep the game close, the Smack Attack might become the key to a victory.
| Date | Opponent | Result | Record | High Pass | High Rush | High Reception |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thu, Aug 31 | @14 Utah | L24-11 | 0-1 (0-0) | Mertz 333 137.0RAT | Etienne 25 | Pearsall 92 |
| Sat, Sep 9 | vs McNeese | W49-7 | 5-2 (3-1) | Mertz 193 197.1RAT | Johnson Jr. 119 | Pearsall 123 |
| Sat, Sep 16 | vs 11 Tennessee | W29-16 | 2-1 (1-0) | Mertz 166 151.0RAT | Etienne 172 | Wilson III 44 |
| Sat, Sep 23 | vs Charlotte | W22-7 | 3-1 (1-0) | Mertz 284 200.6RAT | Johnson Jr. 63 | Pearsall 99 |
| Sat, Sep 30 | @Kentucky | L33-14 | 3-2 (1-1) | Mertz 244 167.0RAT | Johnson Jr. 42 | Pearsall 62 |
| Sat, Oct 7 | vs Vanderbilt | W38-14 | 4-2 (2-1) | Mertz 254 170.1RAT | Johnson Jr. 135 | Boardingham 99 |
| Sat, Oct 14 | @South Carolina | W41-39 | 5-2 (3-1) | Mertz 423 157.2RAT | Johnson Jr. 50 | Pearsall 166 |
Georgia's offense has more play makers than Florida, so the Gators will have their work cut out for them when trying to shut down one of their strengths.
| Date | Opponent | Result | Record | High Pass | High Rush | High Reception |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, Sep 2 | vs UT Martin | W48-7 | 1-0 (0-0) | Beck 294 158.1RAT | Milton 53 | Bowers 78 |
| Sat, Sep 9 | vs Ball State | W45-3 | 2-0 (0-0) | Beck 283 171.2RAT | Robinson II 38 | Smith 50 |
| Sat, Sep 16 | vs South Carolina | W24-14 | 3-0 (1-0) | Beck 269 141.7RAT | Edwards 118 | Rosemy-Jacksaint 71 |
| Sat, Sep 23 | vs UAB | W49-21 | 4-0 (1-0) | Beck 338 188.4RAT | Edwards 66 | Bowers 121 |
| Sat, Sep 30 | @Auburn | W27-20 | 5-0 (2-0) | Beck 313 153.3RAT | Edwards 76 | Bowers 157 |
| Sat, Oct 7 | vs 20 Kentucky | W51-13 | 6-0 (3-0) | Beck 389 205.4RAT | Edwards 54 | Bowers 132 |
| Sat, Oct 14 | @Vanderbilt | W37-20 | 7-0 (4-0) | Beck 261 133.9RAT | Edwards 146 | Lovett 72 |
Prediction
There is no logical way the Gators can win this game, but this year's Bulldogs have shown occasion windows of vulnerabilty that the Gators could take advantage of if the defense and offense come together at the same time.
