THE QUICK SLANT
No. 8 GEORGIA 24, No. 6 FLORIDA 17
WHAT HAPPENED: Junior quarterback
Jake Fromm passed for 279 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while his UGA defensive colleagues smothered UF's offense and allowed the eighth-ranked Bulldogs to take control of the Southeastern Conference East Division with a statement-making rivalry win Saturday at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville. Fromm fired touchdowns of three yards to
Dominick Blaylock and 52 yards to
Lawrence Cager, the latter coming with 10 minutes remaining and, coupled with a two-point conversion, put the No. 6 Gators, who never led, in a 14-point hole that proved too much to overcome. Georgia came into the game ranked first in the SEC in both total defense and scoring defense, and the Bulldogs played as such. They limited UF to a season-low 278 yards, the second-lowest output of Coach
Dan Mullen's two seasons (a mere three yards better than last year's UGA loss). Fromm, meanwhile, riddled the Gators by completing 20 of 30 passes, but it was UGA's proficiency on third down that absolutely killed UF. The Bulldogs converted 12 of 18 third-down plays and in doing so out-possessed the Gators by more than 12 1/2 minutes. Florida quarterback
Kyle Trask was better in the second half, finishing 21 of 33 for 257 yards and a couple touchdowns, but took a horrific 19-yard sack on a crucial second-half possession after the Gators, down 16-3, had moved into Bulldogs' territory. But it wasn't like Trask had a running game to complement the UF passing game. Florida rushed the ball 19 times for a measly 21 yards (1.1 per carry), compared to Georgia's 119 on 37 carries, and after falling behind, 10-0, had to play uphill all game.
UF tailback Lamical Perine is gang-tackled by a host of Georgia defenders during Saturday's game at Jacksonville.
WHAT IT MEANS: The Bulldogs, by virtue of the head-to-head tiebreaker win, now have the inside track to the SEC East Division title and accompanying berth in the conference championship game. Finishing the job, though, won't be an automatic. Georgia still has to beat Missouri on the road (Nov. 9), Auburn on the road (Nov. 16) and Texas A&M at home (Nov. 23). If the Bulldogs, two-time reigning division champs, lose any
two of those games, and the Gators beat Vanderbilt at home (Nov. 9) and win at Missouri (Nov. 16), Florida would steal the East title. Should UGA close things out, UF is still very much in line for a New Year's Six bowl. That's a decent consolation prize, as the Gators found out last year, but obviously not what they were gunning for. Also, make it three straight losses to Georgia, which now leads the all-time series 52-43-2.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: In Georgia's 36-17 win last season, Fromm hit 17 of his 24 throws for three touchdowns and did so without a turnover. After Saturday's on-point performance, Fromm's combined numbers against the Gators the last two seasons show a completion rate of 68 percent, 519 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions.
STAGGERING STATISTIC: Rushing for just 21 yards certainly jumps out of the box score, but when an offense is allowed to convert 12 of its 18 third-down plays (that's nearly 67 percent), it's demoralizing for a defense and, obviously, reduces the opportunities for the offense even to take the field.
UP NEXT: Florida (7-2, 4-2) plays it first home game in 35 days when the Gators welcome Vandy (2-5, 1-3) in a high-noon meeting at the "Swamp." The Commodores, who upset No. 22 and then-SEC East-leading Mizzou two weeks ago, are at South Carolina later Saturday night.
