The Florida-Georgia rivalry is one of the fiercest in the SEC, and the two face off again Saturday at their annual meeting in Jacksonville.
The No. 5 Bulldogs (4-1) will look to stretch their winning streak in this series to four games, while the eighth-ranked Gators (3-1) can put themselves on a path to Atlanta for the first time since 2016.
Here are five keys to Saturday’s game.
1. Protect Kyle Trask
Florida’s offensive line has done a great job protecting Kyle Trask this season, earning the No. 2 ranking in the SEC in sacks allowed. John Hevesy’s group has struggled in years past, but now seems to finally have the right pieces in place with veteran starters. That strength will be put to the test in this matchup, as Georgia’s defense has been ruthless so far this season.
The Bulldogs top the SEC with 17.0 sacks for 121 yards, five more than the teams tied for second in this category (LSU and Texas A&M). When Trask drops back to throw, the battle between Florida’s offensive line and Georgia’s defensive front will be key in determining who ends up in the win column.
2. Be competitive in rushing battle
Facing a defense that ranks No. 1 in the SEC in stopping the run, no one can expect Florida to keep up with Georgia in the rushing battle. However, it’s important for UF to at least be competitive and find some success toting the rock. The winner of the last 14 games has been the team that rushed for more yards, which could definitely swing the game in Georgia’s favor.
Florida is averaging about 133.7 rushing yards a game this season, but will likely be held below that mark by the Bulldogs. Their defense only allows 80 per game and has given up just one touchdown on the ground. Florida will likely have to rely on its passing game heavily in this matchup, but can’t let the run go altogether.
3. Touchdowns in the red zone
The Gators shine in the red zone, scoring points on all 21 trips this season and leading the country in conversions. However, the Missouri game was their first time being held to field goals after reaching the end zone on the first 15 trips inside the 20.
The Bulldogs defense, though impressive on almost all other fronts, is not effective in this area. The unit is ranked last in the SEC and 95th nationally in red-zone defense. Obviously taking advantage of every offensive opportunity will be key for the Gators given the vulnerability of their defense, but capitalizing on red-zone trips will be most important.
4. Time of possession
In last year’s 24-17 win by the Bulldogs, they controlled the clock, converted third downs and earned an extra series in the ball game. Georgia is expected to lean on its ground game again this year, allowing the offense to dominate the time of possession and try to keep the ball out of Trask’s hands.
In order for the Gators to win, they can’t be limited to seven series like 2019. They will have to sustain offensive drives against this team and avoid three-and-outs. Their defense, meanwhile, can’t allow UGA to eat up clock and move the chains on 12 of 18 third-down attempts.
5. Interceptions
Will the real DBU please stand up? Florida’s secondary has yet to make a pick this season. The Gators rank 12th in the SEC with only one interception, which belongs to defensive tackle Gervon Dexter. However, that could change on Saturday against Georgia’s Stetson Bennett.
The junior quarterback didn’t have any interceptions in his first three games as the starter, but has thrown five in his last two outings. Trask, by comparison, only has two this season. The UF defensive backs are still trying to get their hands on a pick, and now would be a good time.
