ATLANTA — Half orange and blue, half red and black, Mercedes-Benz Stadium was divided by the two sides of one of college football’s fiercest rivalries Saturday afternoon. No. 17 Florida and No. 3 Georgia brought their annual showdown here, where the Gators were rattled in a 27-8 loss.
It’s the sixth consecutive win in the series for the Bulldogs, who took advantage of three Gator turnovers to score 17 points en route to a 24-0 lead at intermission. Florida committed 60 yards of penalties in the first half.
After winning the coin toss and deferring, kicker Patrick Durkin sent the ball flying for 65 yards. Georgia’s offense struggled to reach beyond the 43-yard line and opted for a field goal around the nine-minute mark. The kick sailed wide right and was no good.
Following inconsistency from early in this season, to a turnaround performance in their game against Texas, the defense seemed to carry some of that momentum into the Georgia (7-1, 5-1 SEC) game early on, ending the first quarter with 20 tackles across the board.
Penalties, however, are still an area Florida is struggling with. In just the first half, Florida (5-3, 3-3) had five penalties 60 yards, compared to Georgia’s two penalties for 15 yards. Dallas Wilson, Bryce Lovett and Cormani McClain were among some of the players to draw costly penalties for the team.
Aaron Philo was another sore spot for the Gators. After being announced as starter for the game on Friday, Philo only managed to throw for 26 yards and two interceptions, including an interception that allowed Georgia a 28-yard field goal.
Florida brought out Tramell Jones Jr. early in the second quarter, where hope was given to Florida fans after Jones was able to connect with Bailey Stockton back-to-back for a combined 13 yards.
Despite not being able to break through Georgia’s defense for three quarters, hope for Florida could still be felt in the stands when the Gators were able to stop a 36-yard pass from Georgia’s Gunner Stockton into the end zone. The hope died shortly after, however, when Georgia scored its second 1-yard rushing touchdown of the day to put the score at 17-0.
The offensive line proved to be a weak spot for the Gators, especially in the second quarter when Jones was sacked twice, one sack forcing a fumble that allowed Georgia a 66-yard touchdown return by Chris Cole. The offensive line failed to keep the pocket open enough for both Philo and Jones, forcing each quarterback to make panicked throws and jeopardize the ball throughout the game.
The only touchdown of the game from Florida came late in the fourth quarter. Jones found a gap in the Bulldogs’ defense and rush two yards for the score. The Gators were able to secure the extra points after Jadan Baugh passed the ball off to Wilson for the two-point conversion.
Afterward, Georgia was able to end the night strong, capitalizing on a 21-yard field goal to seal its victory.
Florida was outrushed 217-48, as running back Jadan Baugh finished with 38 yards on 17 carries.
The Gators will look to take a reset before they continue SEC play against Oklahoma back in Gainesville next Saturday night.
