Georgia Bulldogs dominate Florida; winning streak now at 25
Rara Thomas #5 of the Georgia Bulldogs stiff arms Jalen Kimber #8 of the Florida Gators during the first half of a game at EverBank Stadium on October 28, 2023 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)
JACKSONVILLE, Ga. - The Georgia Bulldogs beat the Florida Gators 43-20 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida on Saturday afternoon.
Was there even a question the Georgia Bulldogs wouldn’t dominate the Florida Gators again this year? The Bulldogs were heavily favored going into this historic rivalry, but proved why on the field.
The Gators came out swinging first with Graham Mertz finding freshman Eugene Wilson to make a big drive into the end zone to put Florida up 7-0.
That wouldn’t last long.
Georgia would keep adding to the scoreboard, all unanswered.
Among Georgia’s many achievements Saturday was Ladd McConkey's 100th career catch for Bulldogs.
The Dawgs was the second-to-last in the SEC when it came to sacks. That changed, especially with the help of Georgia defensive lineman Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, who made his first appearance this year due to a foot injury. The Dawgs made four sacks in the first half alone.
This is the third-straight win over Florida.
Georgia now stands at 25 wins in a row and 24 wins over SEC rivals. In fact, the last time Coach Kirby Smart lost a regular-season game was in November 2020. The Bulldogs have been at the top of the AP poll for the 19th week in a row, and likely will be 20 as of Sunday.
The Bulldogs now have the record for the third-longest winning streak ever and the longest for any single SEC team.
Not too shabby for the back-to-back nation champions.
Speaking of which, this is the last week we will be without a College Football Playoff rankings. Wonder where the Bulldogs will rank. The Dawgs are looking forward to Tuesday.
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Here's the breakdown before Saturday's game
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)
Series record: Debatable. Georgia says it leads 55-44-2 and counts a victory in 1904. Florida insists that first meeting came two years before the school formally formed its football program and says it should be 54-44-2.
The Bulldogs have the nation’s longest winning streak, a 24-game run that includes back-to-back national championships. They’ve won two in a row and five of six against the Gators in the neutral-site rivalry nicknamed "The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party." Florida coach Billy Napier, with a top-five recruiting class in the works, is trying to close the gap on the Bulldogs — or at least not fall further behind — and winning in Jacksonville would fast track his rebuild.
KEY MATCHUP
Georgia RB Daijun Edwards versus Florida’s run defense that was gashed by Kentucky and has allowed 4.31 yards a carry, 11th in the SEC. Edwards, who made his first career start at South Carolina last month, had a career-high 146 yards rushing and a touchdown in a 37-20 victory against Vanderbilt on Oct. 14. He leads Georgia with 460 yards rushing and five touchdowns despite missing the first two games while recovering from a sprained knee.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Georgia: With All-American TE Brock Bowers sidelined with a sprained ankle, sophomore Oscar Delp should get a chance to slide into a starting role with the Bulldogs. Delp has 13 catches for 160 yards and two TDs this season.
Florida: WR Ricky Pearsall leads the team with 44 catches for 619 yards and three touchdowns. He also has a rushing score and is the Gators’ primary punt returner. He had 10 receptions for 166 yards, including a 21-yarder for a score with 47 seconds remaining, in a win at South Carolina two weeks ago.
FACTS & FIGURES
Georgia coach Kirby Smart is 5-2 in the ‘Cocktail Party.’ … Carson Beck will be the third Jacksonville native to start at QB in the series in his hometown. Florida’s Don Gaffney (1973-75) and Tim Tebow (2007-09) are the others. … The Bulldogs lead the nation in third-down defense, allowing opponents to convert only 23.6%. Georgia’s last three SEC opponents have been successful 19% of the time on third down. … Georgia is No. 1 in The AP Top 25 for the 19th consecutive week, the third-longest streak of all-time and the longest in SEC history. … The Bulldogs have won 34 consecutive regular-season games, beginning with a 31-24 win over Mississippi State on Nov. 21, 2020. … The Gators have never beaten the nation’s No. 1 team while unranked. ... Florida QB Graham Mertz has completed 76.2% of his passes, which leads the SEC and ranks third nationally behind Oregon’s Bo Nix and Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy. … The Gators have scored in 443 consecutive games, an NCAA-record streak that began in 1988.
The Associated press contributed to this report