With less than a day to go before Georgia and Florida meet at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, the Florida quarterback situation finally came into focus. Athens-area product Aaron Philo is expected to start for the Gators after sitting out Florida’s upset loss at Texas two weeks ago. He had been listed as questionable earlier this week.
Philo’s path has already been a winding one. He started his career at Georgia Tech, and this season he has completed 105 of 149 passes for 1,341 yards with nine touchdowns and three interceptions.
Georgia, meanwhile, spent Friday putting out its own message. The Bulldogs released their hype film for the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party as they prepare for another shot at a ranked win.
Game 8 Trailer | Through The Lens@PiedmontHealth pic.twitter.com/aW05KBanf3
The No. 3 Bulldogs enter the matchup looking to add to their resume after Florida has already shown it can knock off ranked opponents, beating No.
12 Ole Miss and No. 11 Texas.
Georgia also knows what happens when focus slips. The Bulldogs were upset at home by Auburn two weeks ago, their last time on the field.
That loss, combined with the stretch still ahead, makes this one especially important. Georgia has had two weeks to recover and reset, but a defeat would leave little room for error with trips to No. 12 Ole Miss and South Carolina still to come, along with home dates against No. 23 and lowly Gerogia Tech.
“They have a lot of physicality in the programs,” Georgia football coach Kirby Smart said of the Gators. “They play really hard. When you turn on the tape you see the physicality they play with on both sides of the ball.”
Georgia is also monitoring several injury situations. The Bulldogs are hopeful All-American candidate KJ Bolden can return at safety, while receiver Isiah Canion was also listed as questionable. Running back Chauncey Bowens, however, moved to out on Thursday’s injury report after being questionable Wednesday night, a sign he may be trending back toward the lineup soon.
If Bowens can’t go, Georgia will lean on Nate Frazier, Dwight Phillips and Bo Walker to help revive a ground game that Auburn slowed down in the 27-24 loss. Florida has generally held up well against SEC rushing attacks, giving up 114 yards to South Carolina, 128 to Ole Miss and 102 to Auburn. The exception came against Missouri, whose run game ranked No. 64 nationally and still rolled for 220 yards in a 45-17 win.
That battle on the ground could matter more than ever. Georgia is averaging 197.7 rushing yards per game, good for No. 27 nationally, while Florida is right behind at 194.3 per game. Since 2010, the team that has run for more yards has gone 15-1 in this series.
In Other News...
Georgia Techs Offense Just Made A Bad Stretch Feel Even Worse
Georgia Techs latest loss had the familiar feel of a team searching for answers on offense while trying to hang around long enough for something to break its way. In the defeat to Pittsburgh, the Yellow Jackets managed just 238 yards and 95 on the ground, a frustrating night in which the offense never found much rhythm and the defense had to keep making plays just to keep the game from slipping further away.
There were still a few bright spots on the other side of the ball, with Jonas Duclona turning in one of the more active defensive showings of the night as Georgia Tech tried to slow Pitts run game and create a takeaway or two. But the bigger issue remains the same one that has shadowed this stretch: when the offense is this inconsistent, every mistake feels magnified, and another loss only makes the margin for error feel smaller. [Read more 🡒]
Atlanta Just Got Pulled Into Georgia Florida's Biggest New Tension
The Georgia-Florida rivalry is headed to Atlanta for the first time, and the buildup already has the kind of edge that makes this game feel bigger than a neutral-site showcase. ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit weighed in on the matchup by pointing to Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton, whose recent turnover issues have become part of the conversation as the Bulldogs try to steady themselves in a game that always carries extra weight.
Kirby Smart, meanwhile, has been focused on Floridas offense and the challenge it can present if the Gators get their ground game rolling. One of the names he singled out was running back Jadan Baugh, a player Georgia will have to account for if it wants to control the tempo and keep the rivalry tilt from turning into a track meet. With the game landing in Atlanta, the stakes around this edition feel a little different, and the tension is already building around the details both sides think can swing it. [Read more 🡒]