The Florida Gators head to Jacksonville off of the bye week as they enter the Georgia game with a 4-3 record.
This week is a tough week as the Gators prepare for a Georgia team that is undefeated and tied at the top of the East with Tennessee.
Florida heads into this week as a two-score underdog against their rival Dawgs as Napier and company look to get things back on a winning track.
There’s a lot of questions surrounding the team heading into the Georgia game and the GatorCountry team will give you their preview of the Georgia game as well as their predictions.
What are you keys for this team on offense this week?
AS: When Florida has been at its best this year it has been because they’re running the ball and being physical at the point of attack. Georgia is good up-front but not as good as last year but the Gators must be able to run the ball in this game and keep the Georgia offense on the sideline.
Nick: My key for this week is for the Gators to have a balanced offensive attack. Just running the ball is only going to get you so far against one of the best defenses in the country. Richardson will need to be on top of his game if the Gators want a chance at an upset this Saturday.
Gentry: Anthony Richardson must make good decisions and be accurate with the football while utilizing his legs. The only chance this offense has against the #4 ranked defense in the country is to run and pass the ball well this Saturday. If Montrell Johnson and Trevor Etienne are running the ball well, Richardson must follow up and hit his throws in the passing game.
What does the Gators need to do on defense to slow down the Dawgs?
AS: Stetson Bennett has been very good this year except for the Missouri game where the Tigers brought pressure all game long and disrupted his timing. The Gators need to follow that pattern of getting pressure on Bennett and not allow him much time as Florida will most likely struggle covering the Dawgs receivers and tight ends for a long period of time.
Nick: The Gators need to make Stetson Bennett beat them. You can’t let the talent around him do all the work. Get pressure on Bennett and let him make the difficult throws. Slowing the run game down is the first step in this process.
Gentry: Finishing plays in the backfield when bringing pressure, along with pass coverage in the secondary continues to be a constant issue for this defense and it hasn’t gotten any better. If Brenton Cox and that entire unit can bring pressure and rattle up Stetson Bennett, then there’s always a chance. However, this means nothing if the defensive backs are leaving opposing receivers wide open and giving up big plays in the air. Unfortunately, I don’t expect this defense to get it together as a whole at this point in the season against this team, but you never know. This game can get weird sometimes.
Anthony Richardson and the running game have been the keys for the Gators this year but can they get the passing game going against Georgia.
AS: I believe Richardson can find some success in the passing game and especially in the play-action game if the running game is working. Richardson is at his best when he’s able to get outside the pocket and throw and that’s the key once again this week.
Nick: I don’t believe the Gators stand much of a chance if they can’t get the passing game going. This Georgia defense isn’t the defense it was last year, but it still ranks amongst the top of the country in multiple categories, including pass defense. I think Richardson will throw for a good amount of yards, but will ultimately struggle with efficiency.
Gentry: This all depends on if Richardson is on his game, which we should be able to tell very early on in the first couple drives. Richardson is known to get rattled and lose confidence at some point in almost every game, and he’s going to get tested more than just a few times Saturday against this defense. How Richardson handles the adversity thrown his way and performs under pressure when throwing the ball and scrambling is the big key.
Who do you want to see get more snaps after the bye week?
AS: Kamari Wilson is going to be my pick here and I know he has played a good bit lately, but I would like to see him play even more going forward. The Gators are going to rely on Wilson in the future and there’s no better time to get him adjusted to the game.
Nick: My pick for this week is Jordan Young. The defensive back room has regressed throughout the season and the cornerback play has been a big part of that. Despite a great spring game performance, we’ve seen just 22 snaps from Young through the first seven games. I would like to see his play time increase throughout the 2nd half of the season.
Gentry: Even though Trey Dean is starting, I’d like to see Kamari Wilson get more snaps than Dean this weekend. This secondary needs some sort of change, which I think starts with getting the younger players more snaps overall in the secondary. Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results, which continues to be a bump in the road for this football team. Getting over that bump starts with the new wave of defensive backs getting more snaps and experience. If for some reason Montrell Johnson and Trevor Etienne can’t get it going Saturday, I wouldn’t mind seeing Lorenzo Lingard get a few touches.
What will be the keys for victory for the Gators this week?
AS: For me the key will be on how the defense can slow down Georgia on the offensive side of the ball. Can the Gators linebacker group keep the Georgia tight ends in check and not allow them to have big games because they have the ability to take over the game. On offense, it’s simple for me and that’s taken care of the ball. Florida can’t afford to turn the ball over.
Nick: Take care of the football. It’s going to be very difficult to beat the top team in the country if you lose the turnover battle. Secondly, win the game at the line of scrimmage. I don’t think the Gators offensive line will have an issue handling Georgia’s front, but the Gators defensive front is a different story. We’ll need to see the best game of the season defensively.
Gentry: The defense needs to finish plays in the backfield while locking it down in the secondary, with Anthony Richardson playing great football in every aspect in the game. Both sides of the football need to be nearly perfect this Saturday in terms of execution and discipline for 60 minutes.
Gives us your prediction on how this game will turn out?
AS: I think Florida keeps the game close for a while but I have Georgia pulling away and winning 42-28. The Gators defense is the biggest key here as I’m not sure they can stop the Dawgs for four quarters.
Nick: I have the Gators keeping this a lot closer than most people. The Gators will move the ball efficiently but come up short on the defensive side of the ball once again. I’m going 34-24 Georgia.
Gentry: I’m going with Georgia 38-27. The Gators have proven to be a team that fights and plays until the end, and I do think the Gators can play well enough to have a chance at winning this game. I just don’t see this defense and secondary playing well enough to beat this Georgia team in the end.