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Florida looking to end a 3-game skid against rival and No. 2 Georgia

By Mark Long
Updated  October 31, 2024 10:26pm EDT
Georgia Bulldogs
Associated Press
article

A general view before the start of a game between the Georgia Bulldogs and the Florida Gators at EverBank Stadium on October 28, 2023 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)

The Brief

    • Jack Pyburn, Florida's leading tackler, is deeply invested in the Florida-Georgia rivalry, having grown up in Jacksonville and experiencing the game's intense atmosphere firsthand.
    • The Florida Gators have struggled in the rivalry recently, losing six of the last seven games to Georgia, with the last three losses being by an average of 24 points.
    • Florida aims to break their losing streak in the upcoming game against the second-ranked Georgia Bulldogs, who enter the matchup with a 6-1 record.
    • Georgia will be without safety Dan Jackson and defensive back Joenel Aguero for the first half, following suspensions due to targeting penalties in the previous game.
    • Georgia’s team includes personnel with Florida ties, including associate athletics director Mark Robinson, formerly of Florida's staff, and quarterback Jaden Rashada, who previously committed to Florida and is now involved in litigation over a name, image, and likeness deal.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Florida defensive end Jack Pyburn grew up in Jacksonville and regularly attended the rivalry against Georgia known. He remembers tailgating in "RV City," riding scooters through parking lots and screaming his head off for the Gators.

His family will be sitting in the same seats on Saturday that they’ve occupied for years. And Pyburn doesn’t want to let them down again.

"For me, it means everything," said Pyburn, a junior and the team’s leading tackler. "Growing up in that environment and really truly knowing what this game is like, it makes or breaks some people’s year for them. … I was one of those people where this game would make or break my year, make or break my week. It was bad."

It’s been even worse for Florida lately.

The Gators (4-3, 2-2 Southeastern Conference) have lost six of the last seven meetings, including three in a row by an average margin of 24 points. They hope to reverse the trend against No. 2 Georgia (6-1, 4-1), which has won three consecutive games by double digits after losing at Alabama to close out September.

Florida defensive end Jack Pyburn grew up in Jacksonville and regularly attended the rivalry against Georgia known as "The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party." He remembers tailgating in "RV City," riding scooters through parking lots and screaming his head off for the Gators.

His family will be sitting in the same seats on Saturday that they’ve occupied for years. And Pyburn doesn’t want to let them down again.

"For me, it means everything," said Pyburn, a junior and the team’s leading tackler. "Growing up in that environment and really truly knowing what this game is like, it makes or breaks some people’s year for them. … I was one of those people where this game would make or break my year, make or break my week. It was bad."

It’s been even worse for Florida lately.

The Gators (4-3, 2-2 Southeastern Conference) have lost six of the last seven meetings, including three in a row by an average margin of 24 points. They hope to reverse the trend against No. 2 Georgia (6-1, 4-1), which has won three consecutive games by double digits after losing at Alabama to close out September.

And with key matchups looming against No. 19 Ole Miss and then No. 7 Tennessee, the Bulldogs probably can’t afford a slip-up against Florida. Few guys on their sideline even know that feeling.

"It is personal," Georgia receiver Arian Smith said. "That borderline rivalry, you already know that it is going to be a physical game. It feels like a good win when we come out of it and our fans are right there cheering for us. We see the other side clearing out. It is just one of those games where we want to come out as a dominant win."

"It is personal," Georgia receiver Arian Smith said. "That borderline rivalry, you already know that it is going to be a physical game. It feels like a good win when we come out of it and our fans are right there cheering for us. We see the other side clearing out. It is just one of those games where we want to come out as a dominant win."

Georgia’s first-half suspensions

Georgia safety Dan Jackson and defensive back Joenel Aguero are suspended for the first half following ejections for targeting against Texas. Jackson is the team’s second-leading tackler with 37, and Aguero ranks eighth with 19.

"I’m not really worried about it," Georgia coach Kirby Smart said. "It is what it is right now."

Two more Florida defectors

In addition to Etienne, the Gators will get an up-close look at two more guys who were in Gainesville. Georgia hired Mark Robinson away from Florida coach Billy Napier’s staff in late July and made him an associate athletics director as well as chief of staff of the football team. Former Florida quarterback Jaden Rashada, who is suing Napier and others over a failed name, image and likeness deal, will face his former team for the first time.