No. 3 Georgia crushed No. 17 Florida 27-8 on Saturday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, forcing four turnovers and snapping back from its October upset loss to Auburn. Head coach Kirby Smart called it the Bulldogs’ best defensive performance of the season.
The win was Georgia’s sixth straight in the rivalry — its longest run of success in the series since a six-game streak from 1978-83 — and Smart improved to 9-2 against the Gators while beating first-year Florida coach Jon Sumrall in their first meeting.
Kirby Smart (Credits: ESPN)
Georgia vs Florida: Defense Forced 4 Turnovers
The Bulldogs (7-1, 5-1 SEC) held Florida (5-3, 3-3) to just 246 total yards, with only 48 coming on the ground at a brutal 1.7 yards per rush. The back-breaker came late in the first half, when Quintavius Johnson sacked Florida quarterback Tramell Jones Jr., forcing a fumble that linebacker Chris Cole returned 66 yards for a touchdown to make it 24-0 — his second long fumble return of the season.
Georgia piled up 11 tackles for loss and four sacks, a complete turnaround from the Oct. 17 loss to Auburn, when the defense yielded 192 rushing yards. Standout Florida tailback Jadan Baugh, who entered averaging 109 yards per game, was held to 38 yards on 17 carries.
Smart Sets Aggressive Tone From the Opening Drive
Kirby Smart showed his intentions immediately, keeping the offense on the field on a fourth-and-1 from Georgia’s own 34 on the game’s first drive. Nate Frazier converted the gamble, and his 1-yard touchdown run opened the scoring at 7-0.
The Bulldogs’ offense was effective but unspectacular — 318 yards, with only a field goal in the second half — but with the defense getting stops and takeaways, it was more than enough. Georgia now heads to Oxford to face Ole Miss at 7:30 p.m. next Saturday.
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Source: ESPN — read the full story there.
