Tuesday’s run-up to Georgia-Florida is exactly what you’d expect: plenty of noise, plenty of disdain, and just enough football news to keep the hate week fire lit.
Kirby Smart opened his Monday press conference by talking about his familiarity with both coordinators on Florida coach Jon Sumrall’s staff. He singled out offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner, praising his offensive mind and scheme and saying how proud and happy he was for him as his career has moved along. That said, Faulkner’s path has also included time at Georgia Tech before landing at Florida, which is the sort of detail that does not exactly soothe Bulldog nerves this week.
The game itself has picked up a lot more juice again. Georgia’s trip to Oxford on November 7 already looked important because of the preseason rankings, but that feeling dipped when Ole Miss got steamrolled by Florida in the Swamp a month ago.
Then Georgia went and stumbled at home against Auburn, and with most of the top 10 also taking losses in mid-October, the matchup suddenly feels much bigger again. The game has now been moved to the 7:30 pm ET ABC slot.
Ole Miss, meanwhile, is still dealing with the grind of the 8-game 9-game SEC schedule, and the Rebels may be missing one of their key pieces. Running back and athlete Kewan Lacy is expected to miss significant time because of a shoulder dislocation.
Back to Florida, where the quarterback situation remains unclear. Georgia is preparing for either Yellow Jacket turned Gator QB Aaron Philo or Billy Napier holdover Trammel Jones.
Philo led Ole Miss into the Swamp turf, while Jones beat Texas on the 40 acres. Sumrall has not said who will start or how much each quarterback will play, and that uncertainty could shape some Things To Worry About Florida depending on what emerges later this week.
The receiving corps could also matter. Florida may have top wideout VB3 -Vernon Brown III available, and even though he has missed the last three games, he still leads the team in yards per reception and yards per game receiving. The No. 1 target in that blue-and-orange mess is clearly a real threat to a battered Georgia defense.
Both teams had an off week, and that kept the injury report relatively quiet. Neither side lost any notable players over the break, and neither appeared to run into trouble with ACCPD E-bike patrolpersons.
The NCAA, as ever, remains feckless, so academic progress is not a concern here. The mood, though, is unchanged.
In Other News...
Georgia Backfield Just Got An Encouraging Chauncey Bowens Update
Georgias backfield has been waiting on Chauncey Bowens, and there is at least some encouraging movement after a two-game absence. The running back has been dealing with an injury described as being between the toes, and his return to practice this week offered a sign that the recovery is heading in the right direction. He has been working through agility drills, which is a step forward for a group that has had to keep adjusting without him.
Bowens still is not cleared for full contact or game action, so the Florida matchup appears to come too soon. Even so, the fact that he is back on the field at all gives Georgia reason to think he may factor in later this season, depending on how the injury responds over the next stretch. For a team trying to manage depth in the backfield, that kind of progress matters, even if the finish line is still a little ways off. [Read more 🡒]
Georgias Auburn Loss Exposed A Problem Kirby Smart Cant Ignore
Georgias home loss to an unranked opponent was the kind of setback that can linger well beyond one Saturday in Athens, especially when the details point to self-inflicted damage. Costly penalties and turnovers helped drag the Bulldogs into an avoidable defeat, and even with some bright individual performances, the overall picture was hard to miss for Kirby Smart and his staff.
Freshman receiver Craig Dandridge gave the offense a spark with a team-high 88 receiving yards, while linebacker Raylen Wilson turned in a busy day with 10 solo tackles and a sack. Still, the most jarring number belonged to Auburns Byrum Brown, whose 115 rushing yards topped Georgias entire ground game, a mismatch that underscored a problem the Bulldogs cant afford to shrug off as the season moves on. [Read more 🡒]
Georgia Fans Are Suddenly Eyeing Sanford Stadium For A Huge Reveal
Georgia fans have spent the day trying to decode a simple butterfly image posted by the athletic departments official social media accounts, and the lack of explanation only added to the buzz. In Athens, even a vague tease can turn into a full-blown guessing game, especially when it appears tied to Sanford Stadium and the kind of announcement that could bring a different crowd to campus for a big fall reveal.
One theory making the rounds points to a concert by Grammy-nominated artist Noah Kahan, with the butterfly imagery echoing what is on his tour website and a countdown timer adding to the speculation. Nothing has been confirmed yet, but the clock is clearly ticking, and Georgia fans will not have to wait long to find out whether the tease is about football, music, or something else entirely. [Read more 🡒]