Saturday marks UF's biggest game of the year, not just because they are suiting up against SEC East rival and fifth-ranked Georgia, but the outcome of this game likely decides the winner of the East division.
Dan Mullen and the Gators are looking to snap their three-game losing streak to Kirby Smart's program, and we at GatorsTerritory break down five UGA players you need to know ahead of Saturday's top-10 matchup.
RB Zamir White
White is UGA's leading rusher with 90 carries through five games, rushing for a total of 402 yards and six touchdowns to the tune of 4.5 yards per carry.
Though Florida did well stopping the run last week against Missouri, I expect Georgia to come out and test the Gators early on the ground and prove they can stop White from running behind the Bulldogs' massive offensive line.
Zamir or “Zeus," as they like to call him, is a former five-star who gets downhill fast and is a punishing runner. He runs behind his pads well and forces a lot of missed tackles. If the Gators want to have a chance to win the game, they will have to make sure they tackle a lot better than they have or White will make them pay.
LB Monty Rice
Rice, along with Richard Lecounte who is out this week due to an unfortunate auto accident after last week's game, are the Bulldogs' defensive leaders and play a huge role in what Kirby Smart wants to do on that side of the ball.
Rice was injured last week and only played because he was pressed into action due to the injury to Quay Walker. It will be interesting to see how healthy he is for this weekend's game, but when he is, he’s an elite linebacker who has sideline-to-sideline range, can cover and comes downhill fast and physical in the run game
WR Kearis Jackson
As the Bulldogs' leading receiver, this is someone you definitely need to keep an eye on.
Kearis has caught 24 passes for 348 yards and a touchdown, but he is also their punt returner. Jackson seems to be Stetson Bennett’s favorite target and is someone UGA's quarterback likes to go to when he needs a completion or is in trouble.
Covering the slot has been quite a rollercoaster ride for the Gators this year, and if they can’t find a way to stay in Jackson’s hip pocket, it could be a long day for Todd Grantham's defense.
CB Eric Stokes
Stokes is a second-year starter at cornerback for the Bulldogs, and by all accounts, the number one cover guy on the field with Richard Lecounte being out.
Eric is second on the team in both interceptions and passes defended, with two for each category. With Lecounte sidelined this weekend, Georgia will need Stokes to lock down his side of the field so they can try and commit safety help to Florida’s most dangerous weapons, Kyle Pitts and Kadarius Toney, who like to do a lot of their damage over the middle of the field.
RB James Cook
If you’ve read any of the previous articles for this series, you would have noticed a pattern of versatile running backs showing up on this list, and Cook is no different.
Cook, the younger brother of former Florida State and current Minnesota Vikings star running back, Dalvin Cook, is the Dawgs' third-leading rusher with 23 carries for 122 yards on the season. He is also a threat in the passing game, as he is UGA's second leading pass catcher, having hauled in 10 passes for 173 yards and a touchdown.
Florida’s linebackers and safeties will have to account for and be able to cover Cook out of the backfield on check downs and when he’s flexed out if they want to pull off the upset over the fifth-ranked Bulldogs.
Stay tuned to GatorsTerritory.