Everything you need to know about the Florida Gators vs. Georgia matchup

JACKSONVILLE, Fla.– There aren’t many rivalries in college football that play at a neutral site every season. From there, there is only one where opposing teams disagree on a head-to-head record.

The Florida Gators matchup with the Georgia Bulldogs, formerly known as “The World’s Greatest Outdoor Cocktail Party,” remains a constant historical rivalry in an ever-changing world of college football.

“It’s at the top of the list, it’s very unique,” UF head coach Billy Napier said of the rivalry. “The history behind the game, obviously, the neutral site makes it very unique, you know, the split stadium. I grew up watching this game, you know, sitting on the edge of my living room chair, my dad watching this match. So, yeah, humbling to be a part of it.”

However, the rivalry is one that has been dominated by Georgia since 2017, with the Bulldogs winning six of their last seven and three in a row by at least 22 points. It could be much the same on Saturday as Georgia remains a dominant force in college football while Florida continues to battle for bowl eligibility against the nation’s toughest schedule.

However, there is a slightly different feel with this particular part of Billy Napier’s third season leading the Gators.

The Gators are playing some of their best football in recent seasons, with a dominating defense that forces turnovers and a deep-threat passing attack. freshman quarterback DJ Lagway. Florida has turned the positive corner after the first bye week, and if history can repeat itself, the Gators could be in prime position to pull off the upset.

“I think we were lucky,” Napier said. “I think our guard weeks fit in pretty good spots given the schedule we have and we’ve been making the most of them. You spend a little time on future opponents, especially early in the week. We get a good look at every team that we have and maybe some of the concepts that we’re going to get are different.”

However, the Gators will have to do without a major contributor on both offense and defense.

Starting cornerback Jason Marshall Jr., who left Florida’s win over Kentucky two weeks ago with an injury, will miss the rest of the season with a shoulder injury requiring surgery, and receiver Eugene Wilson III he will be out on saturday with a hip injury.

In place of Marshall Jr., Florida will turn to a pair of sophomores Dijon Johnson and Cormani McClain to mitigate the loss. Johnson will start, but McClain, who recorded a pick-6 in his first appearance as a Gator two weeks ago, is one to keep an eye on.

“So I think he’s still learning the defense. I think obviously there’s a lot of concepts, but overall I think he’s got a smile on his face,” Napier said of McClain. “I see him connecting with his teammates. He’s obviously more self-disciplined. He’s doing a good job, we don’t have a problem with him. He’s growing. He’s still a work in progress and he’s definitely getting better.”

Not to mention the fact that Saturday will be a bittersweet reunion with former Florida quarterback Trevor Etienne, who transferred to Georgia in the offseason after two seasons with the Gators. The former Florida quarterback rushed for 422 yards and seven touchdowns on the year.

However, with any loss comes the need to replace, and the Gators successfully replaced Etienne with freshman Jadan Baugh, who rushed for over 100 yards and tied the program record for rushing touchdowns in a game with five since two weeks ago.

Starter Montrell Johnson Jr.’s status remains uncertain after being listed as “questionable” on Friday’s availability report. Still, the Gators have faith in Baugh alongside backup Ja’Kobi Jackson.

“I think for me, it got to a point where you just move on to the next one. I think we did what we needed to do to be productive on the run,” Napier said.

Here’s everything you need to know for the Gators vs. Bulldogs game, including broadcast information and odds, as well as other game day information for those attending the game.

Florida Gators (4-3, 2-1 SEC) vs. Georgia Bulldogs (6-1, 4-1 SEC): What you need to know

Where: EverBank Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida.

When: Saturday, November 2, 3:30 p.m

Other Game Day Information:

Clock: ABC

Times: 81 degrees Fahrenheit, partly cloudy with a seven percent chance of precipitation, right Weather.com.

Radio: Gator Sports Network in LEARFIELD

Odds: Georgia is considered a 14.5-point favorite over Florida in Week 10, according to FanDuel. The over/under is set at 51.5 points.

Series History: Georgia leads the series 55-44-2. The Bulldogs defeated the Gators, 43-20, in the final game of the series on Oct. 28, 2023, in Jacksonville (Fla.).

What’s at stake: Florida is looking to snap a three-game losing streak to Georgia as they continue to fight for bowl eligibility. With matchups against three other ranked teams in Texas, LSU and Ole Miss before ending the regular season on the road at bowl-ineligible FSU, the matchup with the Seminoles could be the Gators’ only favorable matchup remaining. Upsetting Georgia would not only go a long way toward bowl eligibility, but it could put the Bulldogs out of SEC title contention with two conference losses. Plus, bragging rights over a rival make a win all the sweeter.

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