JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Not a whole lot went right in Jacksonville for Dan Mullen and the Gators, as sixth-ranked Florida came up short against eighth-ranked Georgia by the score of 24-17.
Florida quarterback Kyle Trask kicked off the opening drive by locating Kyle Pitts multiple times for gains of 14 and 11 yards, but would ultimately get stopped on 4th and 1 to give Georgia great starting field position.
Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm sat comfortably in the pocket in the first quarter, leading the Bulldogs down the field and completing four-straight third down passes to guide Georgia to an early 3-0 lead.
From that point forward, Georgia took full control of the first half. Florida’s defense struggled in every aspect and couldn’t get off the field in the first half, allowing UGA’s offense to hold the ball for 19:44 compared to Florida’s 10:16.
Florida’s offense moved the ball efficiently through the air in the first half, but only saw the field for 19 plays compared to Georgia’s 40. Trask completed 6-of-11 passes for 101 yards, and had success locating Pitts for four catches and 78 yards.
However, Florida’s running game would get shut down completely, recording 16 carries for an abysmal 10 yards.
Fromm would then continue to have ample time in the pocket and pick apart the Gators' defense. UF's front-seven played a big role in containing D’Andre Swift in the ground game, but failed to apply consistent pressure on Fromm, allowing him to convert on 9-of-12 third downs in the first half; more importantly, giving the Bulldogs a 13-3 lead at halftime.
The Bulldogs would then come out of halftime and continue to punish the Gators' defense, eating up 9:45 off the clock and tacking on another three points to extend the lead to 16-3.
The Florida offense would respond at the beginning of the fourth quarter, with Trask linking up with Jefferson for a 23-yard touchdown on 4th and 2. That score cut Georgia’s lead to 16-10.
Fromm would then follow it up by finding a hole in UF's secondary and connecting with Lawrence Cager for a 52-yard touchdown. Their two-point conversion attempt was successful as well, providing UGA with a 24-10 lead with 10 minutes left in the game.
Trask and the Gators would piece together a 17-play, 75-yard drive which led to a Freddie Swain touchdown with 3:11 left in the game. That cut Georgia’s lead to 24-17.
Fromm and the Bulldogs then converted on a crucial 3rd and 7 to not only seal the victory, but possibly the SEC East as well.
Trask finished the game with 257 yards and two touchdowns on 21-of-33 passing. Freddie Swain led all receivers with eight catches for 91 yards and a touchdown, while Fromm completed 20-of-30 passes for 270 yards and two touchdowns.
Though the defense struggled throughout the entire game, Jonathan Greenard was a bright spot for the unit, leading Grantham's defense with seven tackles. However, fellow defensive lineman Jabari Zuniga would have a hard time making his presence felt against a Georgia offensive line that didn’t give up a single sack and helped produce 398 yards of total offense.
Florida will have to bounce back and eventually shift its focus towards next Saturday's home contest against Vanderbilt. Kickoff is slated for 12:00 p.m. EST.
Stay tuned to GatorsTerritory.
