Florida, Georgia Eye First Ranked Meeting Since 2020
The Florida-Georgia football rivalry finally returns to once-familiar territory this Halloween — a ranked matchup with both teams alive in the postseason race. The series’ last ranked matchup came in the 2020 shortened season.
A little more than 19,000 fans were scattered across the stands in TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville to watch the No. 8 Gators overpower the No. 5 Bulldogs on Nov. 7, 2020. Quarterback Kyle Trask and tight end Kyle Pitts powered Florida to 571 total yards in a 44-28 gashing of the Georgia defense.
The Gators also held future national championship-winning quarterback Stetson Bennett to only five completions on 16 attempts for 78 yards through the air.
The win was Florida’s last in the series.
The 2020 Gators went on to lose 52-46 to No. 1 Alabama in the SEC Championship Game and Trask finished as a Heisman Trophy finalist.
Six years and two head coaches later, the Gators (5-2, 3-2 SEC) now enter The War for the Oar with a top-25 designation, sitting at No. 17 in the country.
Despite a maligned defensive secondary, the Gators have a level of star power it hasn’t reached in recent years. Halfback Jadan Baugh is in the conversation for the best in the country, while Dallas Wilson and Vernell Brown III headline a talented wide receiver room.
The Gators enter the affair on a rollercoaster of a season that’s seen two top-10 victories and two blowout losses to unranked foes. No. 3 Georgia (6-1, 4-1) has held steady in the top five, peaking at No. 1 before Auburn upset the Bulldogs in Athens.
From 2000 to 2010, the rivalry saw eight-ranked matchups. The Gators won seven, including a 49-10 thrashing in 2008 in a top-10 showdown. The following decade saw five, with Georgia earning three victories.
Georgia has done its part in the 2020s. The Bulldogs have been ranked in the top five every year, while the Gators haven’t been ranked by midseason since the COVID-19 pandemic.
This matchup seems to differ from other ranked showdowns this century because of the uncertainty surrounding the two teams’ seasons.
Florida is in its first season under coach Jon Sumrall, who ushered in an all-new staff. The Gators face an uncertain quarterback situation, with starter Aaron Philo and backup Tramell Jones Jr. both winning games against top-10 opponents. Jones Jr. stepped in against Texas when Philo sat out due to injury. Sumrall said both practiced Monday and both will be available Saturday.
The Gators’ highs have made them look like a national championship contender, even drawing 2019 LSU comparisons from commentators like Josh Pate. Meanwhile, their lows, like a 45-17 beatdown at Missouri and 38-19 clobbering by South Carolina in The Swamp, have made them look like a team with a lot of work to do.
Georgia saw its 53-game win streak against unranked opponents snapped by Auburn in Athens on Oct. 17. Quarterback Gunner Stockton threw two interceptions while Auburn QB Byrum Brown gashed the Bulldogs on the ground, rushing for 115 yards and a score.
Florida has looked inconsistent, while Georgia appears to have exploitable weaknesses.
Both teams find themselves in unfamiliar territory as they prepare to face a very familiar foe. ESPN analytics give the Bulldogs an 82.1% chance of victory and are 10.5-point favorites.
Coverage Saturday begins at 12:30 p.m. on WRUF 98.1-FM/850-AM/103.7 HD ESPN from the Invesco QQQ Atlanta Gridiron Classic at Mercedes-Benz Stadium and at 3:30 p.m. on ABC.
Category: College Football, Feature Sports News, Gators Football, SEC
