Georgia didn’t just beat Florida. It squeezed the life out of the Gators with defense, turnovers and enough offense to keep the rivalry game firmly in hand.
The Bulldogs rolled to a 28-7 win in Atlanta, improving to 59-44-2 in the series and stretching their winning streak over Florida to six straight. Under Kirby Smart, Georgia is now 124-22 overall and 9-2 against the Gators.
Florida arrived averaging 39.6 points per game, but Georgia held the Gators to eight. Florida was blanked in the first half for the first time all season, managed just 115 yards before halftime and finished with 252 yards on 60 plays.
The game turned early on defense. On Florida’s first possession, Ellis Robinson IV picked off Aaron Philo after heavy pressure forced the errant throw.
Robinson’s interception was his second of the season and sixth of his career. Georgia later turned that takeaway into points after a roughing the kicker penalty extended the drive.
The Bulldogs kept stacking stops. Florida’s second drive went nowhere, ending in a three-and-out.
On the next series, Demello Jones jumped another pass and returned it to the Florida 33. That interception was Jones’ second of the year and set up a 28-yard Peyton Woodring field goal for a 10-0 lead with 8:55 left in the first half.
Then came the play that blew the game open. Junior Chris Cole scooped up a fumble and raced 66 yards for a touchdown, pushing Georgia’s lead to 24-0 with 29 seconds left in the first half. It was Cole’s second fumble return touchdown of the season and Georgia’s third defensive score this year.
Cole finished as Georgia’s leading tackler with nine stops, adding a sack and the touchdown. Raylen Wilson had eight tackles, while Elijah Griffin, Quintavius Johnson and Gabe Harris Jr. also recorded sacks.
Georgia wasn’t done taking the ball away. Late in the third quarter, with Florida driving to the UGA 3, Braylon Conley came down with his first career interception in the end zone and ended the threat.
Florida finally got on the board with 6:59 left in the game, after Georgia fumbled in the red zone and the Gators pushed the ball back downfield. Florida converted a fourth-and-9 at the UGA 33 with a 23-yard pass, then drew pass interference on fourth-and-4 at the UGA 4 to set up first-and-goal from the 2. The Gators scored on the next snap to avoid the shutout.
Georgia’s offense did enough, even if the defense stole the show. The Bulldogs totaled 318 yards, including 217 on the ground, and held the ball to 65 plays. Gunner Stockton went 13-for-23 for 101 yards and also ran for 45 yards on 12 carries.
The Bulldogs got on the board first when Nate Frazier punched in a 1-yard touchdown run with 1:50 left in the opening quarter. Georgia had opened the game with a 13-play, 50-yard drive before missing a 43-yard field goal, then converted a fourth-and-1 at the UGA 34 to keep the possession alive.
Woodring added the rest of Georgia’s first-half scoring with a 28-yard field goal after Jones’ interception, and Bo Walker scored from a yard out to cap a 10-play, 81-yard march for a 17-0 lead. Georgia led 24-0 at halftime.
Frazier finished with 67 rushing yards and a touchdown on 12 carries, while Dwight Phillips Jr. also ran for 67 yards on eight attempts. Walker added 27 yards and a score. Eight different Bulldogs caught passes, with freshman Craig Dandridge Jr. leading the way with three receptions for 39 yards.
Georgia also got a boost from special teams. Woodring scored nine points, making three PATs and field goals from 28 and 21 yards.
He is now 9-for-12 on field goals this season and 68-for-79 in his career. His 418 career points rank second in Georgia history, behind only Rodrigo Blankenship’s 440 from 2016-19.
Drew Miller punted three times for a 49.0 average, including a long of 62 yards. Sacovie White-Helton added a 30-yard punt return early in the second quarter to help set Georgia up at its own 41.
Georgia’s first-quarter edge kept growing, too. The Bulldogs led 7-0 after one period and have now outscored opponents 94-14 in the first quarter this season. They have scored in 29 of 32 quarters overall, with the only exceptions coming in the second and third quarters against Auburn and the third quarter against Florida.
The Bulldogs also forced four turnovers for the third time this season, matching what they did against #24 Oklahoma and Western Kentucky. Georgia scored 17 points off four Florida turnovers, while the Gators managed eight points off one Georgia giveaway.
The Bulldogs are now plus-6 in turnover margin and have scored 79 points off 15 takeaways. Opponents have scored 30 points off nine Georgia turnovers.
The defensive production has become a calling card in the Smart era. Georgia has had a defensive score in 10 of 11 seasons under Smart, with 2022 the lone exception, and is now 31-2 when it records a non-offensive touchdown.
Georgia’s captains were Earnest Greene III, Gunner Stockton, Chris Cole and Quintavius Johnson. Florida won the coin toss and deferred to the second half. Junior free safety KJ Bolden returned to his starting role after missing the last game.
Next up, Georgia (7-1, 5-1 SEC) heads to Oxford to face #12 Ole Miss (6-2, 4-2 SEC) on Nov. 7 at 7:30 p.m. ET. The Rebels beat Auburn 45-15 in Oxford.
In Other News...
Georgias Auburn Loss Suddenly Looks Even More Costly
Auburns upset of No. 1 Georgia looked like one of the seasons biggest results two weeks ago, but the Tigers have since taken hard losses to LSU and Ole Miss, which has changed the way that defeat is being viewed around the SEC. What once felt like a jolt to the national title picture now reads a little differently, with the Bulldogs left to wonder whether a rough afternoon in Auburn was as much about timing and fortune as it was about anything deeper.
For Georgia, the larger issue is what the loss does to the road ahead. The Bulldogs path to the SEC Championship Game and the College Football Playoff is still alive, but it has become less forgiving, and the next stretch matters even more now. Florida looms as a critical test, the kind of game that could shape whether Georgia stays on course or has to fight through a far narrower postseason lane. [Read more 🡒]
Georgia Gets A Huge Rivalry Boost For Florida Showdown
Talyn Taylor is set to give Georgia another weapon for one of the seasons most familiar pressure points, and the timing could not be better. The wide receiver will be available against Florida for the first time after missing last years rivalry game because of injury, adding a fresh layer to a matchup that already carries plenty of weight for the Bulldogs.
This years meeting also comes with a different backdrop, with the game shifting to Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta and both teams ranked for the first time in the series since 2002. ABC will carry the broadcast, with streaming options available as well, but for Georgia the bigger storyline is simple: a key playmaker finally gets his first crack at a rivalry stage he had to watch from the sideline a year ago. [Read more 🡒]
Georgia Now Has A Bigger Concern Than Beating Florida
Georgias win over Florida came with a fresh concern on the defensive side, as cornerback Ellis Robinson IV went down in the third quarter and did not return. Before leaving, he had already made his presence felt with an interception and tackles, a reminder of how important he has become in the secondary as Georgia tries to keep its momentum rolling through the stretch run.
Kirby Smart said Robinsons knee tightened up, and there was no confirmed structural damage at the time of the report, but the bigger issue now is his status going forward. For a defense that leans on depth and versatility in the back end, the uncertainty around Robinsons availability is the kind of development that can linger well beyond a rivalry game. [Read more 🡒]