By the Numbers: It’s Florida-Georgia Week

As late October arrives, anticipation is building for the annual Florida-Georgia rivalry.

Recently, the No. 3 Bulldogs (6-1, 4-1 SEC) have dominated the series, winning five straight against the No. 17 Gators (5-2, 3-2). It’s Georgia’s longest winning streak in the series since 1978-1983 when it won six in a row. 

Here are some of the numbers you need to know heading into the game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

104th or 105th Meeting?

This season marks the 104th or 105th meeting between the programs, depending on which school you ask. 

Florida does not count its 52-0 loss in 1904 because the school was not formally established as the University of Florida until 1905. Georgia recognizes the 1904 game and claims a 58-44-2 lead in the all-time series; however, Florida lists the Bulldogs with a 57-44-2 advantage.

More at Stake for Florida 

This year’s edition of the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party carries added stakes. Florida and Georgia are both in the Associated Press poll for the first time since 2020. This is the 23rd edition in which both schools are ranked, with the series tied at 11-11. 

A win would increase the Gators’ College Football Playoff chances from 15% to 48% and their odds of reaching the SEC Championship Game from 13% to 46%, according to AZ Sports. 

A loss, however, is detrimental to their playoff aspirations. The Gators’ chances of making the CFP would drop to 5%, while their odds of reaching the SEC Championship Game would fall to 2%. 

Jon Sumrall’s Introduction 

Jon Sumrall will make his Cocktail Party debut as Florida’s coach. First-year Florida coaches are 9-9 against Georgia. Jim McElwain was the last Florida coach to defeat Georgia in his first season in 2015.

The coach to do it before McElwain was Urban Meyer in 2005. Meyer’s squad entered the Georgia game 5-2, matching the 2026 Gators’ record under Sumrall.

Then-No. 16 Florida stunned No. 4 Georgia 14-10, delivering a defining win in Meyer’s first season. Winning four of their last five games, the Gators finished 9-3 before capturing the program’s second national championship the next season. Sumrall, 21 years later, sits in a similar spot where a win could surge the Gators back to national prominence. 

Different Turf

The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party will also be played under different circumstances. For the first time since 1995, the game will not be played in Jacksonville because of stadium renovations.

In 1994 and 1995, the Gators and Bulldogs played a home-and-home series. This time, the two programs opted to keep the rivalry neutral.

On Saturday, the matchup will be played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. In 2027, it will move to Raymond James Stadium in Tampa before returning to Jacksonville in 2028. Florida is 3-6-1 against Georgia outside of Jacksonville.

Georgia After a Loss

Defeating the Bulldogs will be a tall task, especially after a 27-24 loss to Auburn. Georgia has not lost consecutive games since the 2016 season, when it fell to Vanderbilt and Florida. Before that season, Georgia had not lost to Florida following another loss since 1996. 

Georgia’s last loss before facing Florida came in 2018, falling 36-16 to LSU. The Bulldogs responded with a dominant 36-17 victory against the Gators, as quarterback Jake Fromm threw three touchdown passes and running back D’Andre Swift rushed for 104 yards. 

The Top-Three Wall

Florida has never knocked off Georgia when ranked in the top three of the AP poll. The Gators have beaten the No. 4 Bulldogs twice, but never defeated Georgia when it was ranked No. 1, No. 2 or No. 3.

Florida’s closest victory came in 1980, when No. 2 Georgia outlasted No. 20 Florida 26-21. With 1:03 remaining, Georgia receiver Lindsay Scott took a pass from quarterback Buck Belue 93 yards for a touchdown in a play remembered as “Run Lindsay Run.”

Florida has been outscored by an average of 29.3 points per game against Georgia teams ranked in the AP top three. The largest margin came in 1942 when No. 1 Georgia demolished Florida 75-0. 

Coverage Saturday begins at 12:30 p.m. on WRUF 98.1-FM/850-AM/103.7 HD2 and at 3:30 p.m. on ABC. 

Category: Feature Sports News, Gator Sports, Gators Football