Gators Face Longest Losing Streak Against Georgia Since ’80s
Sitting at 3-4 overall a 2-2 in the SEC, Florida’s schedule is about to get even more rigorous, just as it does every year in late October. The Gators head to Jacksonville to take on No. 5 Georgia (6-1, 4-1) at 3:30 p.m. Saturday at EverBank Stadium.
In recent years, Florida hasn’t even challenged the Bulldogs, producing one of the worst stretches against its rival in more than four decades.
Florida has fallen in the pair’s last four meetings, including a 34-20 loss last season that whittled the Gators down to third-string quarterback Aidan Warner due to a slew of injuries. Florida’s four-game losing streak marks its longest since the 1980s when Florida fell six straight years from 1978 to 1983.
With UF firing coach Billy Napier last week, this season’s contest will also mark the first time since 1989 that a coach has gone winless against the Bulldogs across their tenure, with interim coach Gary Darnell getting only one chance in that season. Napier, obviously, won’t have the opportunity to break the streak in 2025, becoming only Florida’s third coach in the last 50 years to never top Georgia.
The Gators last defeated UGA in 2020 with a 44-28 win under coach Dan Mullen.
Georgia leads with an all-time record of 56-44-2, but the two each hold a seven-game win streak throughout the matchup’s history, the longest between the programs. Georgia took each game from 1941 to 1948 while Florida grabbed every game from 1990 to 1996 under Steve Spurrier. The stint was interrupted by a Bulldogs win in 1997, but Florida went on to win the next six, marking its most dominant era. Spurrier was 11-1 vs. UGA during his UF tenure (1990-2001).
After Florida’s period of success ended in the early 2000s, Georgia found its footing when Ron Zook replaced Spurrier. The Gators then recovered under Urban Meyer (2005 to 2010), who was 5-1 against the Bulldogs.
Since 2011, the Bulldogs have regained control, winning nine of 14 games and are 7-3 in the last 10 contests. Under coach Kirby Smart, they have won seven of nine.
Florida interim coach Billy Gonzales, who experienced success against Georgia while working for Meyer, will have the opportunity to make an early impact at the helm, as UF looks to curb Georgia’s streak and improve to .500 Saturday. The Bulldogs sit third in the SEC and have won their last three games. They’re coming off a ranked win against then-No. 7 Ole Miss and a bye this week, while Florida hopes to have regrouped from its program shakeup over its bye. Three of Florida’s remaining five games are against AP Top-15 opponents.
Category: College Football, Feature Sports News, Football, Gators Football, SEC
