Florida-Georgia enter matchup with both teams near the top of their games
Just along the historic St. Johns River in downtown Jacksonville sits TIAA Bank Field.
The home of the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars has been the site of various football contests for 23 years, and it will serve as host to one of the most riveting college football rivalries on Saturday at 3:30 p.m.
The No. 9 Florida Gators will face No. 7 Georgia in a battle that has often had SEC East conference implications — and maybe College Football Playoff implications, as well.
Both teams are 6-1 overall, 4-1 in the Southeastern Conference and coming off of bye weeks, and it’s just the sixth time where both teams are ranked in the top 10in the Associated Press Poll entering the game.
Add the fact that the Gators have been itching to redeem themselves against the Bulldogs since last year’s 42-7 loss and expect emotions to run high.
“They caught us slipping last year,” receiver Tyrie Cleveland said. “They won at all phases, special teams, offense and defense. So, that’s in the back of our heads, just come out and be physical and hit them in the mouth.”
Eliminating those factors that doomed them in last year’s loss has been the Gators’ focus in their week of preparation; among the most important, containing Georgia’s ferocious ground attack.
The Bulldogs are third in the SEC in rushing offense (fifth in total offense) behind their powerful backfield tandem of sophomore D’Andre Swift and junior Elijah Holyfield.
Swift is the all-purpose back who has a team-leading 71 carries for 362 yards along with 130 receiving yards this season. He’s most explosive when he gets to the edge, and the Gators know that their only way of containing the 5-foot-9, 215-pounder is by closing that perimeter and eliminating any holes for him to potentially exploit.
Holyfield is just as dangerous on the edge, though, and could cause additional problems for the Gators with his ability to plow through defenders and force extra yards after contact.
A Gators’ run defense allowing 4.15 yards per rush can’t afford to leave any gaps for the Bulldogs’ power runners.
“Those are two very good backs as you can see,” Florida defensive tackle Kyree Campbell said. “Very good at running downhill. Very good at running outside. So we gotta do our jobs and stay in our gaps and go to our assignments.”
But the Bulldogs will need to pay attention to Florida’s running back duo in junior Lamical Perine and redshirt junior Jordan Scarlett, who combined for 234 of the Gators’ 292 rushing yards against Vanderbilt on Oct. 12.
The pair has given a noticeable lift to Florida’s offense after a sluggish start to the season. Scarlett leads the team with 390 yards on 70 carries with Perine right on his heels at 378 yards. And Perine has made an impact in Florida’s passing game as well with 142 receiving yards.
Much of the attention ahead of this game has been on the Georgia runners, but Perine welcomes the underdog status he and his teammate have been given.
“I like being under-the-radar so they don’t expect you coming,” he said. “I feel like, honestly, me and Jordan (Scarlett), are just as good as them or even better. So, I mean, I like us against them any day.”