Prediction podcast for the Florida Gators vs. Georgia

GatorCountry’s Friday prediction podcast is back as the crew breaks down the Florida Gators game against the Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday afternoon in Jacksonville.

Andrew Spivey and Nick de la Torre give you the key match-ups to watch for Florida when they’re on defense and also when they are on offense against  Georgia.

Andrew and Nick also give you their three players to watch in the game for the Florida Gators, plus they give you their prediction of how the game will turn out on Saturday night.

TRANSCRIPT:

Andrew:                 Hello, Gator Country. This is your man, Andrew Spivey, and if you hear a little smirk in my voice it’s because it’s hate week for Georgia, and I feel the energy getting ready. Nicholas de la Torre with me. Nicholas, I am getting excited. I might not sleep until Saturday.

Nick:                         I would not advise that. I would advise some rest. You got sick after our last road trip. Rest up. It’s going to be a long Halloween. It should be a fun one too.

Andrew:                 It’s going to be a horror movie for Mark Richt. It’s just going to be a horror movie. It’s going to be like a haunted house all night long with Gators running up and down the field. I am really hoping there is some kind of moment in this game that I can just tweet and be like, get ya some, Mark Richt. I am just feeling something somewhere or another Mark Richt’s going to get a punch to the grill somewhere in this game. I’m just hoping I’m right.

Nick:                         This game’s got you feeling some type of way.

Andrew:                 It has me feeling some type of way. It does. Ben Troupe said it best, why go to Georgia and just be mediocre? This is their national championship game for Georgia. Saturday is their national championship game. They know they can’t win no national championship, so to keep the Gators out of the Georgia Dome would be their national championship. I got news for you, little early prediction. Mark Richt, ain’t happening Captain. You suck.

Nick:                         That is every time when these guys play. The road to Atlanta always goes through Jacksonville. Florida and Georgia have dominated the East, so whether both teams are trying to get to Atlanta or one’s just trying to play spoiler, that’s what the world’s largest outdoor cocktail party is. It’s these two teams. They’re the beasts of the East, and whether you’re playing spoiler or you’re trying to get to Atlanta, that’s what you do in Jacksonville. That’s another reason. There’s so many reasons, but that’s another reason why this game is so important and why there is so much hatred and hype around this game each and every year. Florida came into the game last year at 3-3, and it was still a huge game, still a 3:30 CBS prime time game. To me, that whole aspect of the road to Atlanta goes through Jacksonville is another reason of why this game is so special and why it’s so important.

Andrew:                 It is. Let’s get down to it a little bit. We hadn’t broke this game down a lot. My hatred for Mark Richt has kind of taken over the week. I had a conversation Thursday morning, we’re taping on Thursday, about Georgia with Greg McElroy. Greg told me something interesting, and something that is probably true. I just really haven’t thought about it in depth enough. He said, if Florida’s defensive line wins this game the Gators run away. I was sitting here. I went back, and I was thinking about it a little bit. I was like, that’s pretty accurate here. I don’t think Georgia has a good enough offensive line to protect against this defensive line, and then what happens if they shut down the running game of Georgia, and it’s relying on Greyson Lambert or Brice Ramsey or the Futon Bonto, Monto, whatever his name is, quarterback? I don’t know if they can win the game.

Nick:                         You and I both have seen Sony Michel run in person. He is a very good running back. No slouch. If Nick Chubb wasn’t on this Georgia team, the whole story would be about Sony Michel, and how do the Gators stop Sony Michel? Nick Chubb’s just like a Leonard Fournette. He’s a monster. He’s a machine, something that was created in a lab by aliens, not human. Sony Michel, while human, is a very good running back. While Georgia’s kind of taken a step back from that run, run, run game plan without Chubb, it’s not like they lost Chubb, and now they’ve got a walk-on running the ball. I do think McElroy has a point there saying that this game is really Florida up front versus Georgia’s rushing game, because if you put the game in Greyson Lambert’s hands, let me just tell you, that is Geoff Collins’ game plan. Make Greyson Lambert beat us.

Andrew:                 Yeah. It’s not a good recipe right there.

Nick:                         Something that McElroy didn’t mention is, he mentioned to us Caleb Brantley and Jon Bullard. I think getting Joey Ivie back is big. Joey Ivie’s missed one game this year. That just happens to be the game where Florida had their least amount of tackles for loss, and the only game this year that Florida doesn’t have a sack. Getting Joey Ivie back, not only is he a good player, someone who’s been playing well this year, but that keeps that rotation fresh. Khairi Clark is hurt, might miss the game this week, but he’s a backup guy. Joey Ivie’s a guy that’s been starting, been a big contributor. I think getting him back, keeping Bullard, Ivie, Brantley, that rotation of guys, healthy and fresh throughout the game, is huge for Florida against Georgia’s rushing attack.

Andrew:                 I’m going to go a step further. I think McAllister. I think McAllister’s speed against John Theus could be impactful. Theus is a good left tackle, don’t get me wrong. He does struggle against the speed. That’s McAllister right there, that speed, and that’s a game that he could have a very good game against him. You notice when McAllister has big games they start to double team him, and that’s when Bullard, that’s when Brantley, that’s when Ivie, that’s when Cece and those guys end up having bigger games. You look at the Alabama game real quick, and I go to Alabama because I find Alabama’s defensive line to be a lot like Florida’s, very dominant in the game. Alabama only allowed 106 yards passing and 299 yards total to Georgia.

Nick:                         On your point about Theus, last year matching up Dante Fowler, Fowler had six tackles, 2.5 for loss and a sack. That goes to your point. Fowler was a rare mix of that speed and power. Definitely the speed aspect in being able to get around the edge. That’s the thing. It’s like you mentioned. It sounds cliché, and it sounds like coach speak, but everything is tied in together on both sides of the ball, but we’re talking defense here. Everything is tied together. If the defense shuts down the running game, that makes things easier. It does put more pressure on the secondary, but if Florida gets a lead and they’re able to shut down the rushing game, now Georgia has to pass. It makes it easier for the secondary, because they know, we’re passing. Our eyes shouldn’t be in the back field, but it’s going to put more pressure on them. Also, like you say, now if McAllister comes off, has a couple good series to start the game, now you move over, double team him. Now you’ve got Joey Ivie, Bryan Cox, Jon Bullard in one on one situations, and Florida will take that every day, twice on Saturday.

Andrew:                 I don’t think that there is a player on Georgia’s team that can beat Florida’s secondary. Would you agree with that, or no?

Nick:                         I think there’s two guys that Florida really needs to watch out for, Malcolm Mitchell, obviously. I wouldn’t say that he has the advantage over anyone in the Florida secondary.

Andrew:                 Is Malcolm Mitchell better than the guy Florida’s faced?

Nick:                         No. Absolutely not. Malcolm Mitchell might be the third receiver at Ole Miss.

Andrew:                 I would even say Malachi Dupre’s a better receiver than Malcolm Mitchell, even though he’s younger.

Nick:                         What about those Tennessee receivers?

Andrew:                 You want to get me started?

Nick:                         Let’s not. Let’s not do that. I shouldn’t have pushed that button. I pushed eject way too early. Jeb Blazevich is another guy that I think can cause mismatches, whether it’s Brian Poole on him. It’ll be a really big challenge, because Blazevich is a big kid, a physical player. Brian Poole likes to get up, play that nickel spot, get up on you early on the line of scrimmage. Don’t get tossed around by a big tight end 2 yards off the line and then have him running free across a depleted middle of the field for Florida. Those are really the only two guys, with, in my opinion, Blazevich being the bigger mismatch that Florida kind of needs to account for.

Andrew:                 Blazevich, I’m looking at a quick stat on him. He only has six catches on the year and a touchdown. He’s not getting the ball a ton. The key is here you want him on Brian Poole.

Nick:                         You wouldn’t want Antonio Morrison.

Andrew:                 Yeah. No. No.

Nick:                         Mayday. That’s when you call a time out.

Andrew:                 That’s when you call a time out is if him and Jarrad Davis are matched up on him. Time out. Get out of that big time. Don’t want that. I’ll say this. This is where I think if anybody’s going to hurt Florida against the secondary I think it might be a guy like Reggie Davis. I say that in his speed. Florida has a problem of looking inside sometimes. Dupre beat Florida with that. If Florida allows Reggie Davis to get behind the defense, holy hell watch out. He’s speedster. He’s got the wills, and he’ll put it on. The Tennessee game he had a dropped pass, but if Florida gets caught looking in the back field Reggie Davis is a guy that can beat them with his wills. That’s it.

Malcolm Mitchell, 35 catches, sure he’s a very good receiver. I don’t think he’s better than Florida’s DBs. Terry Godwin, a freshman, he’s got 17 catches. He’s good, but I don’t think he’s better than that. The one thing that will be interesting as well is Sony Michel’s a very good receiver out of the back field. Who matches up with him? Is it Brian Poole? Hopefully it’s not Morrison or Davis, because that’s not a good matchup. That’ll be interesting to see where that goes.

Nick:                         I think that’s where it’s kind of an Achilles heel, but also good. When Alex Anzalone went down that meant Florida, when you got to these two teams. It wasn’t really a huge issue playing those spread offenses, but when you play LSU, and now you have to go into a dime personnel when LSU’s got two tight ends and a running back on the field, that’s not a good personnel matchup for Florida. If Alex Anzalone’s healthy, Florida’s going 4-3 there, trusting their corners on the outside, and probably bringing a safety down into the box. That’s where it hurts. I think that is going to be left up to Marcus Maye. When Florida goes down into the dime, you’re sliding Maye down into the box, and he’s going to be responsible for Sony Michel when he goes out as a passer.

Andrew:                 That’s the big thing is that. Like you said, the key for them right now is can Florida shut down the running game? If Florida shuts down the running game, then you get it into a category of we know what’s coming, we can move our dime package in. Then guess what? Then it’s Tabor on Sony Michel. Then it’s Tabor or Maye on Jeb Blazevich or the tight end, Jackson Harris. That helps out a lot of things. I know the response is going to be, “You’re not going to shut down Georgia’s running game.” I disagree. Alabama did.

Nick:                         Here’s the thing. Alabama definitely the best rush defense that Georgia has played. Shut them down. Florida’s rush defense is kind of middle of the pack. When I do stats at this point of the year I only look at conference stats. I don’t care what you did against New Mexico State. I don’t care what you did against North Southeastern Westerly Tech. Don’t care about that. We’re looking at just SEC games. When I pull these stats, it’s all just what you’ve done against conference opponents. Right now Florida’s rushing offense is 12th in the conference at 99.4 yards a game. Georgia’s is 2nd. They’re averaging over 200 yards, 201 yards exactly, against SEC opponents, and that’s even with a bad game against Alabama. Both rush defenses are kind of middle of the pack. Georgia’s 6th, they’re giving up 139.2 yards, and Florida’s giving up 153. I think that is really your matchup there. Georgia is running the ball against SEC teams almost as good as anybody in the conference, and Florida’s kind of middle of the pack in that aspect.

Andrew:                 Yeah. We’ll see where that goes in the game. Again, Florida does enough. I think that when you say, “You have to run the ball.” That is a miscued stat. There’s a lot of things you can do to implement a running game, the screen passes Florida runs, the play action Florida runs. All of that stuff is what you consider part of the running game. Short game is what it is. You hear about, the New England Patriots, in my opinion, do a great job of this. The Patriots have never been known for running the ball. Last week against the Jets Tom Brady was their leading rusher with 18 yards rushing, and we both know Brady’s not a run oriented quarterback.

They get away from that because they throw the little screen passes, the pop passes, the stuff to make the defense come up, appreciate the run, to open things up over the top. That’s what McElwain does a good job of. Maybe Florida only rushes for 99 yards, but give me every stat that’s from 10 yards and under, and I guarantee you you’re looking at Florida 150, 160 a game, and that’s all part of the running game. That’s what Georgia has to respect, and I think that’ll be the big thing.

The one thing that I’ll look at, I’m looking at this, and it’s kind of concerning is Florida’s given up 20 sacks this year. Georgia’s only given up 8 sacks. That’s going to be tested this week. It’s going to be tested a lot, because, as you said, Florida hasn’t had but one game where they hadn’t had a sack. They’re leading the conference with 21 sacks already this year, so can Florida get pressure? In return, how does this bye week, getting guys like Ivie, Fred Johnson, Cam Dilliard, Tyler Jordan, how did this week get them prepared for the Jordan Jenkins of the world, the Lorenzo Carters of the world? Are they prepared for that?

Also, how does Mac set up with his tight ends? I expect it to be a lot more six man pass pro, seven man pass pro, with three ran routes, or play action to where you get out of the pocket and that pass rush doesn’t exactly have an effect on you.

Nick:                         Yeah. To your point, Tim Skipper met with us on Wednesday, and he even said, “We consider those pop passes, we consider those screens, part of the running game.” Kind of like the New England Patriots consider that short passing game part of the running game. The running numbers could be skewed, especially when you’ve got Treon Harris, played alright, struggled kind of down the stretch against LSU, but getting him into a rhythm, those kind of passes early on are a tool to build his confidence. The running numbers could be skewed a little bit in terms of we’re using that short passing game as our running game. I think that’s a smart game plan against Georgia as well.

Andrew:                 You would think with Georgia’s defensive line being as talked about as they are they’d be better than they are, but only 13 sacks this year. I say 13, and I shouldn’t laugh at that, but that’s 9th in the conference, tied for 9th in the conference. Then you look at a team like Alabama, who’s leading it with 27, and Florida with 21. It’s like maybe this is something else. You look at Jordan Jenkins is he 100%? I think you and I both would agree that that groin injury, as a lot of people know, is probably not an injury he’s going to be 100% for. How does he respond in this game, and does Florida try to chip block him with some of the tight ends in the game?

Nick:                         How do you say groin?

Andrew:                 Groin.

Nick:                         Growing.

Andrew:                 I can’t speak. I say it growing.

Nick:                         I think we all agree that really this matchup and winning this matchup kind of starts in the trenches, and more so Florida’s defensive line versus Georgia’s offensive line, even more so than the inverse of Florida’s offensive line versus Georgia’s defensive line.

Andrew:                 Yeah. Again, it’s more of Georgia’s relying on their run game. Florida’s not relying on their run game. Florida’s defensive line could totally take Georgia’s run game out if Florida’s defensive line plays really well. We look at the LSU game. Fournette had 180 yards. Fine and dandy. Nobody in America’s as good as Leonard Fournette in breaking tackles.

Nick:                         Leonard Fournette is going to get his.

Andrew:                 This is a cliché statement that I’m about to say, but Florida’s defensive line was hitting Fournette in the back field a lot of times, and he was still getting 10 yards, because he’s that good. Florida probably didn’t wrap up as good as they did, but there were some times they were wrapped up really good, and he was still being a man among boys. Sony Michel’s a very good football player, but he’s not Leonard Fournette, doesn’t have that Leonard Fournette bounce in him. Also, let’s remember this. Michel is banged up a little bit, missed practice last week. All of that takes an affect in the game, and then you couple that with Florida doesn’t play four defensive linemen. They play 8-10 defensive linemen. It’s fresh bodies at all times coming into this game.

Nick:                         You saw that happen a little bit with not having Joey Ivie, but Florida’s defensive line with Joey Ivie is different than it is without Joey Ivie. You’re losing a starter, and to steal a line from Marshawn Lynch, Leonard Fournette is probably saying I’m going to get mine more than I get got. When you hit Leonard Fournette in the back field, 3 yards in the back field, and he gets up, and it’s a 1st down, 13 yards later, and you’re wondering what the hell just happened. Sony Michel’s a good running back, but there’s no running back in the country, maybe aside from Derrick Henry, that they’re going to face. Definitely a similar plan of attack from Georgia’s offense, just not that same kind of freak player that’s going to be running that attack.

Andrew:                 Just a couple of quick things. In my opinion, Georgia’s best two opponents of the year were Alabama and Tennessee, would you agree with that before I go on?

Nick:                         Yeah.

Andrew:                 The two games there, 379, 380 yards to Alabama in a game that Alabama walked away from very early. 519 against a Tennessee team that I think you and I would agree is just an okay football team. That’s their two best games.

Nick:                         Wait, are you saying Tennessee’s okay?

Andrew:                 I always said they were okay. I just never said they were great. Butch, don’t start. National championship ring for you, Butch. Don’t even start over there. Okay, not great, not good, okay. Florida’s great. Alabama’s great. LSU is great. Georgia and Tennessee, they’re okay. That’s Vanderbilt level.

Let me get on my point. 379 against Alabama, 519 against Tennessee. To me that shows that the defense is there. The one thing you will see with Jeremy Pruitt, I’m very familiar with Jeremy Pruitt, is this. He’s going to be aggressive as hell. Florida will have opportunities to break big plays. That is a Jeremy Pruitt style defense. He’s aggressive as hell. He will bring the pressure. He will dare you to beat him. Will Florida do it? McElroy told me today, when I was talking to him. I asked him, because Mac said this earlier, he said, “We have some packages we’ve been able to implement into our game plan.” My question to McElroy was, what do you think will happen? He goes, “There will be gimmicks. There will be plays that are put in that you haven’t seen on film.” Guess what? That’s the plays that you take advantage of an aggressive defense.

Nick:                         Right now Florida is 10th in the SEC in long scrimmage plays going 10 yards or more. Haven’t really been able to take advantage of that yet. The numbers get even worse once you get farther out, 20. It seems like all of their long touchdown plays, Callaway’s long touchdown, Brandon Powell’s long touchdown, but Florida really needs more explosive plays. Specifically more explosive plays in the rushing game. That’s something Jim McElwain was asked yesterday. Coach, you mentioned that you guys needed to have more explosive plays, more explosion in the running game, how have you seen that get better over the past two weeks? He kind of just looked at the guy and said, “Still needs to get better. Not where it needs to be.”

Right now Florida is dead last in the SEC with only 26 rushes of 10 yards or more. That’s not all on the running backs. We’re not talking about why isn’t Kelvin Taylor getting the job done? It starts up front. It’s one person on the offensive line misses a block, and now Kelvin Taylor has to dance for 2 yards just to get back to the line of scrimmage. It starts up front with the five offensive linemen. They have to play well, and then it transfers to the running back. Find your hole, explode through it. Then once you get into that second level, and it’s one on one, you versus a linebacker, you versus safety, one on one linebacker versus running back or safety versus running back, no running back wants to lose that matchup.

Andrew:                 It kind of goes back to what we just said. I understand your stat of Florida doesn’t have very many explosive plays on the running game, but those 4 yard carries on 1st down to keep Florida ahead of the chains to me are more important than the explosive plays. That 4 yard gain by Kelvin Taylor on 1st down, that 3 yard gain by Kelvin Taylor, to keep the defense honest and keep the chains moving in my opinion is the biggest thing. That’s what didn’t happen in the LSU game. It was a lot of 2nd and 10, 2nd and 12, 2nd and 13, and that’s something that hurts this offense that is limited with playmakers, and limited with time from an offensive line perspective of giving Treon a lot of time. Florida needs to stay ahead of the chains that 2nd and 8, 2nd and 7, 2nd and 6, those are huge things for me, and that’s what I think decides whether this offense is good or this offense is very bad. This is what sets up the offense to have good drives is when they’re getting in these 2nd and 6, 2nd and 7 opportunities to when they can go to their play action, their dump passes, their crossing routes. Pick up 1st downs that way.

Nick:                         Absolutely. Playing ahead of the chains, staying out of those 3rd and 10, 3rd and 8. Staying ahead of the chains is important for Florida.

Andrew:                 I will agree those explosive plays are big. I agree with that. I’m saying, for me, more so than seeing the explosive plays I just want to see positive gains. Don’t get hit in the back field. Don’t let a Mason Halter get a guy free to where Kelvin Taylor gets hit in the back field for a 4 yard loss.

Nick:                         Right. It’s kind of thing where I agree with that. You want to stay ahead of the chains, and you’ll take a 4 yard per carry run average, even though that’s not sexy. 4 times 3 is 12, so that’s 1st down. In a game like this, in a rivalry, you can kind of throw all of these stats that we’re dumping on you right now you, you can kind of throw them out the window. It really comes down to momentum and emotion, who can handle that emotion, how momentum shifts, and who can control it throughout the game. That 20 yard run, that 30 yard run, a 15 yard run, gets fans up, gets fans excited. That energy transfers to the team.

I remember watching the Dolphins last week, and there was a pass, but Jarvis Landry catches the ball and makes a couple people miss. All of a sudden, Mike Pouncey’s 30 yards down field blocking. Linemen, when they see a play, the coaching staff told us if we did this we would break a big play. We all did our jobs, and there goes Kelvin down the sideline for 40. That gets them up, and that gets their juices flowing. That makes them want to continue following that game plan and keep blocking with that same intensity. I think in a game like this, in a rivalry game where stats, throw them out the window, no idea what’s going to happen in a rivalry game. I think last year proved that to us. Getting those big plays, those explosive plays, are really important for morale, for momentum, and I think Jim McElwain is right to stress that his team this week, every week really, but especially this week.

Andrew:                 I look at that run in the Tennessee game, and what was it? About a 40 some yard run from Kelvin on the first or second drive of the game. It wasn’t a touchdown run, but it was a big run. It got the fans up. It gets the defense on their toes a little bit, and it just gets things moving. It’s like you said. Rivalry games you can throw it out the window. Florida’s 6-1. Georgia’s what? 3-3, 4-2, something like that. I don’t even know. 4-2?

Nick:                         Yes.

Andrew:                 Whatever they are. You can tell how much I know about Georgia. It’s a record, because they suck. It’s a game that you throw it all out the window.

Nick:                         Georgia’s 5-2.

Andrew:                 5-2. Still not going to the Dome, but whatever. Still Mark Richt football team. McElroy said this to me today as well. It was something interesting that I was glad he said. I was glad Mac said this. That is he said, “Rivalry week is something different.” It is something different. There is an extra energy around the program. It is not just another game. It’s not. I don’t care the way you look at it. When Florida plays Florida State it’s not just another game. You are juiced for that. McElroy said the same thing about Mac. He goes, “It’s a game that you go in, and you don’t want to lose.” He goes, “He preaches that, because he loves college football.” I think that’s the biggest thing going into this game right now is this team’s going to be ready to go. It’s off two weeks, and I think it’s going to be a good game plan. Florida’s not going to go into this game. If they do lose this football game, it’s not going to be because of lack of game plan.

Nick:                         A couple things that McElwain has said this year kind of stick in my head. The one thing that he has said that really sticks in my head the most was after the Tennessee game. He said, “Our guys just understood, you don’t lose to Tennessee.” To me, he’s been in the SEC as a coordinator, and he understands these rivalries. He brings up his 1960s, 70s, 80s music and pop culture and former player references. This guy loves history. He’s a history nut. He understands the history of Florida Georgia. He understands the history of Florida Tennessee. I think Greg McElroy said it to you that he is appreciative of being at a place where he can be a part of that history. He’s stressing that to the team.

It also is a delicate balance of stressing the important of that, but then also keeping the team grounded and not making the game, because you’re making the rivalry bigger than the game itself and saying, “We’re just going out there and playing football.” The same thing you’ve been doing your entire life, but this game means more to you. It means more to me. It means more to the university. It means more to the fans. Florida Georgia means more to the state, each state. It goes beyond just schools. This is the state of Florida versus State of Georgia. The two state colleges, who plays better football? Which state plays better football?

Andrew:                 Just go out there and kick their ass. End of story. Kick their ass. Go to Georgia and everything is good. You move on. All things are good. I said it on our Wednesday podcast, and I’ll say it again. That is the one thing that made Will Muschamp a loser in Florida’s mind, and in Florida fans’ minds is he didn’t beat his rivals, outside of Tennessee. You don’t win your rivals you’re not staying very long. Urban Meyer made a killing off of it. Steve Spurrier made a killing off of it. I think Jim McElwain’s going to make a killing of off it as well.

Nick, let’s go into the most anticipated thing of the week. I know everybody wakes up every morning saying, “I wish it was Friday to hear Andrew and Nick’s three picks of the week.” Nick, you have kind of a marginal two game winning streak, after I had a three game winning streak. I think it’s time to get me back on a roll, what do you think?

Nick:                         No. I would say no. It is not time. No. It is time for me to threepeat. Three in a row here.

Andrew:                 It’s only a winning streak if you win more than two, so you’re not on a winning streak yet. As my boy, Chipper Jones, used to say. It’s my turn to pick first, right?

Nick:                         It is.

Andrew:                 It is my turn to pick first. EverBank Field, Nick. Who else plays in that stadium?

Nick:                         The Jacksonville Jaguars play at EverBank.

Andrew:                 That’s right. I’m going with Kelvin Taylor. Something about that stadium, that name and that stadium, just makes this man’s motor run. Kelvin Taylor’s going to have a big game. We all talk about the rushing. You wanted explosive plays. Kelvin Taylor gets two of them, puts another 100 yards on the board, 2 touchdowns, and KT gets a Taylor made tweet from Andrew this week.

Nick:                         I’m going to go ahead and say that Georgia stops Florida’s rushing game. Florida will not be able to rush the ball like they did last year against Georgia. We’ve talked about it several times about how Florida’s defense played pissed off after that Tennessee game. They were embarrassed by all their missed tackles. There’s nothing more embarrassing for a defensive line, defensive front seven, then to give up 418 yards. Brandon Powell said, “We ran two plays. We ran power left and power right, and everything worked.” I think Georgia puts an emphasis, as every team will, on shutting down Florida’s rushing game. I think they will be more successful in it, and that leads me to my first star, Treon Harris. Only threw the ball six times last year, went 3 for 6. I think Treon Harris, going to go out on a limb here, throw more than 6 passes in each quarter. I think Treon Harris has a big game. Three touchdown passes. Three touchdowns, maybe a rushing touchdown in there. Three touchdowns for Treon Harris as my first star of the week.

Andrew:                 Let me say this real quick before I go to my next player. You said they were embarrassed and Florida came back. Let me say this real quick. You’re basically telling me Mark Richt can get his players fired up like Jim McElwain can. There’s your problem, Nick. You’re believing in the train of Mark Richt. The loser has you sold now. The loser has you sold. He can do some. He doesn’t. It’s going to be better next year. He’s a next year guy. Always a next year guy. He doesn’t get embarrassed. I’m going off. I had Jonathan Bullard for my second pick, but to hell with it. Jim McElwain’s my second pick of players in this game. Jim McElwain’s my pick.

Nick:                         He’s not playing.

Andrew:                 He is damn sure playing. Jim McElwain’ll have a game plan to put a smirk on his face and to put a nasty little frown in Mark Richt’s face, because Mark Richt is a loser. He doesn’t get his team fired up. Are you kidding me? The guy doesn’t know what fired up is. If he did he would win a big football game every now and then. Jim McElwain’s the man. Jim McElwain for pick #2.

Nick:                         If you’re picking Jim McElwain, then I’m picking Anheuser Busch as a winner this week, because their sales are going to be fantastic in the city of Jacksonville.

Andrew:                 You know what? Anheuser will be more important than Mark Richt and win more than Mark Richt this week, because Mark Richt doesn’t win.

Nick:                         I’m reeling you in. Your second pick is Jon Bullard. Why is he your pick?

Andrew:                 Jim McElwain’s my second pick. If you want me to tell you why Jonathan Bullard’s my second pick, it’s because of what I said before. I think McAllister ends up having a big start, and they end up double teaming him to where Bullard has a big game off of that defensive tackle, defensive end pick. Let’s make no mistake about it. Jonathan Bullard’s a big game football player. He had a big game against Ole Miss, Tennessee, and LSU, big football games. I think he’s just going to have a big game. I think he has a couple sacks in the game and a couple tackles for loss. Bullard says he’s going to go out on a two game winning streak against the nasty dogs.

Nick:                         There you go.

Andrew:                 Jim McElwain was my second pick.

Nick:                         Mark Richt has lost all control of the podcast. My second pick is going to be Mr. Pick Six himself, Florida will get up in this game. I think Florida will be able to stop Georgia’s rushing game some. Greyson Lambert will throw a pick six to Jalen Tabor.

Andrew:                 Kind of like Joe Haden?

Nick:                         Joe Haden didn’t get in. Jalen Tabor will get in.

Andrew:                 Joe Haden did get in on a pick six.

Nick:                         No.

Andrew:                 No, that’s right. He was out at the 1 yard line.

Nick:                         Yeah.

Andrew:                 Okay.

Nick:                         Jalen Tabor will get a pick six in this game. My second star of the week cornerback Jalen Tabor.

Andrew:                 Can I get a loser pick of the week instead of a winner pick for my last pick?

Nick:                         If you give me your third pick, and it’s the actual player that you said it would be, unlike it has been for the past three times we’ve done this. If you actually stick to your list that we’ve talked to and agreed about, yes, you can have a loser pick.

Andrew:                 Antonio Morrison’s going to have a Brandon Spikes kind of moment. I love that Spikes moment. Nick, I have sent you that picture several times this week. I think it is the iconic play of the rivalry. Antonio Morrison crushing Nick Chubb, talking mad smack, saying, I beat you down. I got you.

Nick:                         I hope he doesn’t crush Nick Chubb. That would be a really ugly situation if Antonio Morrison hit Nick Chubb this week.

Andrew:                 Yeah. My emotions got the best of me. Hits Sony Michel and crushes him down. I think that’d be awesome. I want to see it so much. Morrison, just think of him as your knee injury that you are trying to kill. Think about him as that bad ligament that messed you up. Make Sony Michel pay for your knee ligament.

Nick:                         That sounds off. Anyway. My third player, the most important player of my three, Mr. Jonathan Townsend. Punters are people too. This game will be close. Johnny Townsend is averaging almost 50 yards per punt on the year. I think if Florida’s offense stalls, kind of like they did against LSU, Johnny Townsend will be huge in flipping the field, pinning Georgia down into their own red zone inside their 20. I think you don’t talk about it enough, but Townsend has been a weapon in the same way that Kyle Christy was a weapon back in 2012. In a close game, in a rivalry game, every yard, every inch counts, and I think that Johnny Townsend’s ability to flip the field and pin Georgia deep will be a huge factor in this game. Johnny Townsend, don’t let me down. My punters are people too shirt is on the way. Johnny Townsend, my third pick.

Andrew:                 Johnny Townsend. I like that pick actually. I do. I really like that pick. You said I get a loser pick of the week, and it doesn’t matter. Florida win or lose, Mark Richt’s still the loser of the week, because he still doesn’t win big football games. Guess what? He still lies to people. He still lost to Will Muschamp. Guess what? He still hasn’t won a national championship. Loser of the week. Jim McElwain is your daddy, Mark Richt.

Nick:                         That’s strong. You’re coming strong right there.

Andrew:                 I’m coming strong. I feel like I got my point across without even having to get my blood pressure up. That is how bad Mark Richt is such a bad football coach. I don’t even have to get angry to disappoint him. That’s how bad of a football coach he is.

Nick, let’s move on a little bit. Let’s make a few picks this week. It’s kind of a light week as far as big games go. Probably the biggest game outside of this Florida vs. Georgia game is up in Philadelphia. Temple vs. Notre Dame, my boy Colin Thompson and the Temple Owls are doing really well this year.

Nick:                         Love to see Colin doing well. Temple is hosting College GameDay this week. How about that? Notre Dame coming in. Doing well on the season the Irish are, but they’ve had to deal with some serious injuries. I’m going to go with the upset pick here. I’m taking the Temple Owls to beat Notre Dame and to keep their Cinderella undefeated story going.

Andrew:                 Okay. I like it. I like it a lot. I can’t go against my boy Colin Thompson, even though he’s a Philadelphia Philly, I am going to still go with Temple this week. Fighting Irish don’t have the luck of the Irish this week. Their little four leaf clover fell off in the water on the way. I’m going to Temple Owls over Notre Dame. Gators win this week, so that make Gators go ahead of Notre Dame and get squarely in the mix for a playoff. We’re talking playoffs. Yes we are, Jim McElwain. Mark Richt, you don’t know what that means. Don’t worry about it. Auburn vs. Ole Miss, an interesting matchup, because Ole Miss is a team that you just never know what team’s going to come out. Auburn is a team that could get beat by 60 or could hang on to get beat by 20. What do you think?

Nick:                         I think Auburn gets beat by 60, maybe not gets beat by 60, but I really thought that Auburn defense with the kind of players they have would be much better than they are. Still love Shawn White as a guy, as a player. Ole Miss has kind of been exposed a little bit, but Auburn’s a bad football team. There’s no way around it. Auburn is a bad football team. Ole Miss is better than they are. Ole Miss gets the win.

Andrew:                 You know why they’re a bad football team, Nick?

Nick:                         Why are they a bad football team, Andrew?

Andrew:                 Because we’ll get it fixed. Willy Muschump is there. Nick, I was playing with you off the air. There is no way I’m picking Willy Muschump to win this game. I am going Ole Miss 40-10 in the game. I am telling you what, the heat is getting on Will Muschamp’s britches after this. They do not like him very much in Auburn, Alabama. Paul Finebaum will have some trash to talk, and Ole Miss Rattles run over the Auburn Tiggers this week. Last pick is Tennessee vs. Kentucky.

Nick:                         I suggested this game on purpose.

Andrew:                 Yes you did. It’s only fair that I let you go first, because I can only tell you it’s going to get wild.

Nick:                         Tennessee and Kentucky, both teams not totally eliminated, pretty much eliminated from the SEC East. Will be playing against each other this week. Tennessee is favored, and I am going with the favorite. I think this is typical Tennessee, typical Butch Jones. The season’s pretty much done with. Will get a win, probably a convincing win, and everyone will start saying, Tennessee’s improving. How good will they be next year if they keep playing like this? I think that’s the kind of game you’re going to get from Tennessee, a game where people start dropping that Kool-Aid mix down into the water bucket and start stirring it around.

Andrew:                 You’re going Tennessee to win. How bad?

Nick:                         I think Tennessee wins by double digits.

Andrew:                 Okay. Nick, you don’t expect me to pick Tennessee do you?

Nick:                         I sure do.

Andrew:                 You sure do? You’re crazy. Matt from Sports Radio, he said he wanted Kentucky to get a big win at home. Here you go. I lied. It ain’t a big win when you beat the brick by brick, Mr. I’m going to win next year, again. I’m going Kentucky, and I’m going Kentucky to win this football game 28-20. Butch Jones, the hot seat gets hotter, and him and Mark Richt buy a stock of tissues. They need them bad. It’s getting ugly up in those two schools. I’m also letting them go ahead and make their wish. It’s a long time before New Year’s Eve, but they can make a wish that next year’s their year. Kentucky Wildcats over the Vols.

Nick:                         That brings us to our game, the one we’ve been talking about all week long. Florida vs. Georgia, city of Jacksonville doesn’t like it, but we don’t care about that. It’s the world’s largest outdoor cocktail party. Winner takes the driver’s seat. Listen, even if Georgia wins this game they need some things to shimmy and shake their way. What a time to be alive. A Georgia win over Florida really helps Vanderbilt in the SEC East, because Vandy’s still in it. Florida wins this game almost essentially clinches their spot in the SEC championship game for the first time since 2009. Andrew, who you got? It’s a big football game.

Andrew:                 I can’t even believe you’re asking me this.

Nick:                         It’s a big football game. Mark Richt, what does he do in those?

Andrew:                 He chokes. I just told you he was buying stock in the tissue department. Who make tissues? I don’t even know.

Nick:                         Probably Johnson & Johnson. They make everything.

Andrew:                 Okay. Johnson & Johnson. Their stock is going to go way up. Butch and his little baby daddy, Mark Richt, will be buying them. Mark Richt doesn’t stand a chance. My pick #2 was Jim McElwain. Jim McElwain makes Mark Richt his little do boy this week. He’s on his knees like a puppy dog. He might be Bulldog 12 in a couple years in the air conditioned little thing. Gators 31, Bulldogs 17. Gators clinch Georgia. McElwain walks over and shakes his hand and says, “Got ya.”

Nick:                         Who’s he saying got ya to? To Mark?

Andrew:                 Yeah.

Nick:                         I think it’s going to be an entertaining game. I’m going to go with Florida 28, Georgia 24. I think Florida has some advantages here going into the game. There’s just too much on the line for Florida, and I think that Jim McElwain has done a great job of keeping his players grounded while still impressing on them how big the moment is and to take in the moment. We had a great picture from Cassidy Hill before the LSU game with Rod Johnson. He’s got his arm around Jim McElwain, and McElwain’s got a big smile on his face just pointing something out about Tiger Stadium. I think he does a fantastic job, a wonderful job of keeping the guys in the moment and not letting the moment be too big, while also impressing on them the history and how important the situation is. I think Florida rises to the occasion this week, and they make their way to Atlanta. It’s a huge game. We’re both picking Florida. I don’t think Mark Richt will be buying stock in Kleenex. They’re used to not making to the Georgia Dome. Nothing new this year.

Andrew:                 I feel like I’m wearing off on you a little bit. I feel like a proud papa right now.

Nick:                         You’re like a virus. Contagious.

Andrew:                 I feel like my protégé you have learned from me that it’s okay to hate Mark Richt. It’s okay to hate Butch Jones. It’s okay. Life is okay. Nobody likes these guys. It’s okay. It’s part of the world. It’s like waking up every day and seeing daylight. You know Butch Jones and Mark Richt are going to fail in life. It’s like Jim McElwain says, “What can you do to get better today?” Mark Richt doesn’t use that speech, because he doesn’t know. He doesn’t know what that is. That’s why my pick was Jim McElwain. That’s why it was. Nick, it’s going to be a fun week. I am ready. I’m so ready. I’m fired up. I think it’s going to be awesome. I think it’s going to be a very good football game. I really want to see Mac pregame and postgame. See his emotions. I really like hearing him talk about the environment of this. Any final thoughts before you and I get out of here?

Nick:                         Yeah. Andrew and I will both be there Friday night, Saturday night. I will be out prowling around the landing on Friday night. Saturday, we had a really cool opportunity two weeks ago to hang out with a podcast listener at his tailgate. If you want to give me free food I will be walking around the tailgate scene in Georgia, Andrew and myself, Davie Bowie, and Cassidy Hill. We will all be there. Really looking forward to it. We’ve got some good stories coming up on Friday. Make sure you’re tuning into www.GatorCountry.com. As always, @NickdelaTorreGC on Twitter. @AndrewSpiveyGC on Twitter. GatorCountry on Twitter. News, notes, updates. We did report Wednesday Antonio Callaway’s injury does not appear serious. We’ll expect the freshman phenom to get in there this week against Georgia and possibly have a big game. I did call two weeks ago. I did call that punt return touchdown.

Andrew:                 That’s right. Say your few words. Let me ruin it, and let’s get out of here and head to Jacksonville.

Nick:                         Why do you always ruin it?

Andrew:                 It doesn’t feel right.

Nick:                         All right. If you are going to Jacksonville this weekend, holler at us either on the message board or on Twitter. Let us know. As always, stay classy.

Andrew:                 That’s right. Butch, Mark, you know the deal. You’re not very good. Mark, you find out this week. Because you can be mean if you look this clean as Andrew. I changed it up. I made my own line. As always, guys, go Braves.

Andrew Spivey
Andrew always knew he wanted to be involved with sports in some capacity. He began by coaching high school football for six years before deciding to pursue a career in journalism. While coaching, he was a part of two state semifinal teams in the state of Alabama. Given his past coaching experience, he figured covering recruiting would be a perfect fit. He began his career as an intern for Rivals.com, covering University of Florida football recruiting. After interning with Rivals for six months, he joined the Gator Country family as a recruiting analyst. Andrew enjoys spending his free time on the golf course and watching his beloved Atlanta Braves. Follow him on Twitter at @AndrewSpiveyGC.