Florida and Georgia are facing off for the 103rd time in the 93rd meeting between the two teams in Jacksonville on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. est. Georgia leads the all-time series 56-44-2. Since 1990, the Gators are 22-13 vs. the Bulldogs but a Kirby Smart led Georgia team has dominated the series as of late, winning seven of the last nine contests including five in a row.
The Gators are looking for their first victory over an AP Top 5 opponent since Nov. 7, 2020; the last time they beat Georgia. As an unranked team, Florida’s last upset over an AP Top 5 opponent was on Nov. 2, 2002, vs. No. 5 Georgia (W, 20-13).
Week ten marks the first game for interim head coach Billy Gonzales, who took over after the firing of Billy Napier on October 19th. Florida interim head coaches have gone a combined 14-9, featuring a 4-2 record in their debut games. Gators interim head coaches are 3-3 vs. ranked opponents, with the highest-ranked win vs. No. 8 Georgia in 1984
(W, 27-0). Week ten marks the first time a UF interim head coach has faced a top five opponent.
Gator Nation is excited for the new era, but what can actually change seven games into the season? For starters, it’s beneficial that Florida had a bye week prior to Gonzales’ first game. That gives the staff more time to tweak things or make changes.
Quarterbacks coach Ryan O’Hara will take over play calling while analyst Steve Spurrier Jr. will be coaching on the field, working directly with DJ Lagway. O’Hara only has one season of play calling experience (Alabama A&M) but has a close relationship with Lagway, which the players and staff believe will be valuable to the team’s offensive success.
When asked what changes could be made offensively, Gonzales noted on pace of play. O’Hara is calling plays to Lagway from the booth, which in itself should create a faster tempo. Billy Napier was calling plays from the field while in communication with Russ Callaway in the booth. Calling plays from the booth directly into the quarterback eliminates the middleman and should speed up the overall process.
Gonzales also mentioned getting more players involved, noting the importance of building a game plan around your playmakers. He wants to get his athletes the ball in space and let them work, something we haven’t seen much of under Napier.
All of these sound like improvements and keys to success, but it won’t be an easy task this weekend.
The 5th ranked Bulldogs hold a 6-1 (4-1 SEC) record entering the contest with ranked wins over Tennessee and Ole Miss. Florida has an uphill battle just for bowl eligibility sitting at 3-4 (2-2 SEC).
For the first time in what feels like forever, Georgia’s defense looks human. They allowed 41 points to Tennessee and 35 to Ole Miss but still won both of those games. The Bulldogs rank 25th in total defense 30th in scoring defense. While those numbers are still good, it’s a lot lower than what we’re used to seeing from a Kirby Smart led Georgia team. They’ve also had games against teams with rather terrible offenses like Austin Peay, Marshall, Kentucky, and Auburn which have buffed their statistics quite a bit.
The bad news: Florida’s offense would also fall under the terrible category, ranking 90th in total offense and 102nd in scoring. The Gators will still have their hands full if they don’t start clicking offensively.
One thing Georgia’s defense does really well: Tackle. The Bulldogs are the second highest graded tackling team in the country behind North Texas. They’ve missed just 40 tackles through seven games, which is the lowest in the SEC. Florida’s perimeter blocking will be key in this matchup, as Billy Gonzales noted on during the week.
They also excel at stopping the run, holding teams to an average of 91.1 rushing yards per game and 3.0 yards per carry.
The Bulldogs love to blitz from the inside linebacker position led by Chris Cole and Raylen Wilson, who have combined for 25 pressures this season. DJ Lagway and the offensive line will need to be on point with their communication and protection assignments.
However, Georgia hasn’t been able to generate much pressure from their defense line. The Bulldogs have just eight sacks this season which ranks 120th in the country. Their pressure grade of 62.0 ranks 126th in the FBS, according to Pro Football Focus. Florida’s offense line should be able to buy time for Lagway, which will be imperative in this contest.
Offensively, Georgia ranks 37th in total offense and 40th in scoring offense. They’ve had monster games against Tennessee and Ole Miss but suffered let down games against Austin Peay and Auburn.
Bulldogs quarterback Gunner Stockton is playing at a really high level, completing 70.5% of his passes for 1,553 yards, 10 touchdowns, and just one interception. Stockton is an excellent decision maker as highlighted by his 2.4% turnover worthy play rate. For comparison, DJ Lagway’s is 7.9%.
Georgia will frequent the quick passing game, but Stockton isn’t afraid to take the deep shot either. He’s attempted 29 passes over 20+ yards this season, which is more passes than he’s attempted between 10-19 yards downfield.
The Bulldogs are only favored by 7.5 points over Florida, which doesn’t seem like a ton given everything that’s gone on with Florida this season. The reality is the lines of scrimmages are more comparable than they’ve been in recent years. Oh, and anything can happen during rivalry week.