Welcome to November.
In most years, the open-date run-up and week-long hype across the annual Florida-Georgia sport would carry the day(s), however Saturday’s showdown between the Gators (4-3, 2-2) and No. 2 Bulldogs (6-1, 4-1) at EverBank Stadium, as large as it’s for each groups, represents the primary turnstile – granted, a quickly whipping one – of a brutal five-game paddle wheel for Coach Billy Napier‘s squad.
[Read senior writer Scott Carter’s comprehensive “Opening Kickoff” setup here]
After UF takes on a UGA staff that has received 53 of its final 56 video games, courting to the Gators’ final victory within the sequence again in 2020, the schedule reveals a highway date at No. 6 Texas, then back-to-back house video games in opposition to No. 16 LSU and No. 18 Ole Miss, adopted by the season-ending rivalry sport at Florida State, the place the Gators have received simply as soon as in 11 years.
Napier and his gamers, after all, aren’t trying previous the instant and monumental problem of the Bulldogs. UGA has received three straight within the sequence (none of them shut, with the common margin 24.0 factors) and 6 of the earlier seven, courting to 2017. The gorgeous 53-3 document since UF’s final victory right here (when Kyle Trask led the Gators’ to a 44-28 win ) is marred solely by a trio of losses to Alabama, the newest a 41-34 shootout at Tuscaloosa on Sept. 28, from which the Bulldogs have rallied for 4 straight wins, together with a one-sided knockout of then-No. 1 Texas on the highway two weeks in the past.
Florida, in the meantime, has received three of 4 since getting clubbed at house by a pair of CFP contenders, Miami (Week 1) and Texas A&M (Week 3), the latter the lone unbeaten staff remaining within the Southeastern Convention., The Gators, regardless of dropping beginning quarterback and sixth-year senior Graham Mertz, have seemed a lot better in all three phases the final 4 video games, however the three groups they’ve overwhelmed over these 4 video games – Mississippi State, UCF and Kentucky – are a mixed 7-19, with MSU and UK an mixture 1-10 in league play.
Translation: The comfortable a part of the schedule is over.
Translation II: If Florida actually, really is a greater staff than a month in the past, everybody will know on the finish of this month.
Perhaps even by Saturday evening.
The Bulldogs’ rating is not essentially mirrored of their convention stats, however that should not idiot anybody. Quarterback Carson Beck (1,993 yards, 15 TD, 8 INT) leads an offense that ranks 41st nationally and eighth within the SEC at 427.9 yards per sport and is averaging 33.0 factors (35th NCAA, 6th SEC). Enthusiastic UF followers level to UGA’s struggles – and scare – in a 13-12 win at Kentucky, an opponent the Gators took to a 48-20 woodshed two weeks in the past in Gainesville.
Do not take an excessive amount of from that.
Those self same followers will probably be on the lookout for some form of revenge in opposition to traitor tailback Trevor Etienne (82 makes an attempt, 422 yards, 7 TD), who transferred from UF to Georgia and is coming off a three-touchdown efficiency within the win at Texas.
Florida freshman quarterback DJ Lagway (1,024 yards, 5 TD, 5 INT) will get his first style of the split-stadium rivalry, to not point out probably the most ferocious move rush he is confronted as a collegian to this point. Lagway accomplished simply seven of 14 passes in his final outing, however bombed Kentucky for 259 yards – or 37.0 per completion – in concentrating on surging wideouts Elijhah Badger (22 catches, 525 yards, 2 TD) and Chimere Dike (21, 420, 2). Of UF’s 476 yards in opposition to the Wildcats, 197 got here on the bottom together with 105 yards and a faculty record-tying 5 touchdowns by freshman tailback Jadan Baugh (259 yards), who stepped in for injured senior starter Montrell Johnson Jr., and excelled.
Defensively, the Gators fee 73rd within the nation and next-to-last within the SEC (370.9 yards per sport) at 65th in scoring (23.6 factors per sport), however over the past three video games they’ve minimize these numbers to only 298.0 yards and 18.7 factors.
The extent of competitors, nonetheless, is about enhance in a most difficult approach. As in probably the most difficult schedule within the nation over the following month.
Will or not it’s a November to recollect?
The course of the Florida program is probably going driving on it.
Protection begins at 3:30 p.m. on ABC, with the A-crew of Chris Fowler on play-by-play, Kirk Herbstreit offering evaluation and Holly Rowe on the sidelines. The Gators Sports activities Community from Learfield broadcast will air with pregame protection starting at 12:30 p.m. and finally give technique to Sean Kelley and Shane Matthews within the sales space, with Tate Casey reporting from the sector. For GSN stations, click on right here.
The sport will probably be re-aired Tuesday at 2:30 a.m. and once more Thursday at midday, each on SEC Community.
Lastly, observe senior author Scott Carter (@GatorsScott) for commentary and evaluation all through the sport. FloridaGators.com may have full post-game protection from the sport late Saturday evening and follow-up content material Sunday, additionally.
E-mail Chris Harry at chrish@gators.ufl.edu