Georgia Regains Favor in SEC East with Win Over Florida

The seventh-ranked Georgia Bulldogs handed the ninth-ranked Florida Gators their second loss of the season, beating the Gators by a score of 36-17.

This was the first top-ten matchup between these two teams since 2008.

Game Summary

The Gators got off to a sloppy start, allowing the Bulldogs to score on their first drive. Georgia ran 12 plays for 71 yards leading up to a 21-yd field goal from Rodrigo Blankenship. The Bulldogs got the ball back quickly after a fumble by Florida’s Jordan Scarlett. This fumble resulted in a 16-yd touchdown pass for Georgia.

The Gators got on the board in the second quarter. An impressive run from Scarlett led to a 1-yd touchdown carry from Franks.

The Gators got the ball back at the end of the second quarter after a huge stop on third-and-one, courtesy of Shawn Davis. However, they were forced to punt on fourth-and-eight with 0:50 left. Georgia led 13-7 at the half.

The Gators opened the second half with a touchdown in the first minute and a half. A 36-yd pass from Franks to Freddie Swain put Florida up 14-13.

However, Georgia responded quickly with a touchdown of their own thanks to a 12-yd pass from Fromm to Holloman.

A fumble from Franks at the end of the third quarter gave Georgia the ball at Florida’s 1-yd line. This would lead to an 18-yd field goal, but not before the Gators stopped the Bulldogs 6 times inside the 5-yd line.

6⃣ Georgia plays, 0⃣ yards.#RelentlessEffortpic.twitter.com/TM8hwicnwj

— Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) October 27, 2018

A pass interference call on Florida DB C.J. McWilliams gave Georgia a new set of downs. Florida coach Dan Mullen exploded on the sideline, resulting in an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

Receiver Freddie Swain said he was frustrated by the number of turnovers the team gave up.

The Gators failed to score more than another field goal, losing the game by a final score of 36-17. The Gators’ Jordan Scarlett said the loss came down to a lack of execution.

Notes

• Florida cornerback CJ Henderson left the game in the first four minutes after possible lower back injury
• The Gators used QB Emory Jones for a few plays. Jones has only appeared in one game, which was the Charleston Southern matchup.

What’s Next

The Gators return to the Swamp next week as they take on Missouri in another SEC matchup on Saturday.