Zachary Carter talks Georgia matchup

As the Florida Gators conclude their bye week, they haven’t called it quits on their season. The team’s bye week was sandwiched between the LSU conference matchup and now upcoming rivalry matchup with No. 1 Georgia. In a press conference on Monday, Gators starting defensive lineman Zachary Carter said the team is looking to finish the season strong. In the presser, Carter also spoke on the Gators defense and the anticipation leading up to the Georgia game.

Defensive Mishaps

In the painful 49-42 LSU upset, the Gators defense allowed the Tigers’ struggling run game to come alive. Prior to the game, out of 130 FBS teams, LSU ranked No.127 in rushing. The Tigers ran for a team total of 321 yards. LSU became so confident in the run game that they only threw the ball one time in the fourth quarter when Max Johnson threw a 1 yarder to Jaray Jenkins for the game-sealing touchdown. The Tigers finished the game with 133 yards in the air.

To add insult to injury, starting running back Tyrion Davis-Price had a historical game. The junior set an LSU school record rushing record with 287 yards in the game.

Carter spoke briefly about the mishaps of Florida’s defense in the LSU game.

Shifting to Georgia

As Carter said in the presser, the team has no time to look back and is shifting the focus to Georgia. The conference matchup held in Jacksonville will tell if the unranked Gators can taint Georgia’s perfect season. With the top-ranked defense in FBS football, Georgia is the 14-point favorite going into the game.

This isn’t the first time this season Florida will face the number one ranked team. Carter said the team will be prepared as they’ve been in this situation and will continue to use their underdog status as motivation.

The matchup is a highly anticipated one as last year the Gators were finally able to snap their three-game losing streak to Georgia. Carter said that he has been anticipating the game himself and wants to close out the season with a big win. He said that last year’s win was last year, they have the opportunity to continue to build off of it and make it happen again.

Going Forward

The loss to LSU essentially solidified the end of Florida’s journey to the SEC Championship Game. For many, it was considered the end of Florida’s season. Carter said that there is still a lot to play for. He said there is still the gator standard to play for and that finishing this season out strong jumpstarts next year’s season.

The Florida-Georgia game will take place this Saturday at TIAA Bank Field. Kickoff is slated for 3:30 p.m.