The Gators and Bulldogs will renew their storied rivalry for the 99th time Saturday at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville.
Game Day: Florida vs No. 1 Georgia (CBS), 3:30 pm
Saturday, October 30, 2021 | Football, Chris Harry
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By: Chris Harry, Senior Writer
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Associated Press began ranking college football teams in 1934. In the 88 seasons since, the Florida Gators have faced the nation's No. 1-ranked team 16 times, with the first such scenario coming in 1942. Thanks to World War II, it did not go well for the Gators (read on).
UF next ran up against reigning national champion and top-ranked LSU 17 years later (another loss), then went 34 years before its next matchup against No. 1 (another loss). There's a reason they're No. 1, right?
In 2021, Florida will play two No. 1-ranked teams for the first time in the same season. Two months after losing a close one at home to Alabama, the Gators (4-3, 2-3) get rival and No. 1 Georgia (7-0, 5-0) in the 99th renewal of their storied rivalry Saturday at TIAA Bank Field.
[Read senior writer Scott Carter's comprehensive "Opening Kickoff" preview here]
UF's all-time record against No. 1 teams is 3-12, including five straight losses dating to the 2010 season. It'll take a Herculean effort to halt the current losing run, what with the Bulldogs boasting a generational type defense — and positively beastly front seven — that has given up just 46 points on the season and ranks No. 1 (fittingly) nationally in total defense and scoring defense as well as second against the run and the pass.
Stranger things have happened in this series. Ask Lindsay Scott, for example. A middling Gators team was thisclose to ruining unbeaten and second-ranked Georgia's run to the 1980 national championship when Scott went 93 yards with a Buck Belue check down with just over a minute to play to give the Bulldogs an improbable 26-21 win. Seventeen years later, UF was the reigning national champion, ranked sixth and still in the hunt for both the Southeastern Conference and national crown when UGA tailback Robert Edwards rushed for four touchdowns in what turned out to be Steve Spurrier's lone loss to the Dogs in his 12 seasons on the sidelines.
A case can be made that UF has never inflicted that kind of pain on UGA.
Maybe the Florida-Georgia gods owe the Gators one.
Kickoff is set for noon on CBS, with Brad Nessler on play-by-play, Gary Danielson providing analysis and Jamie Erdahl working the sidelines. For radio and television broadcast info, click here. The game will be replayed Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. and Thursday at 1 a.m., on the SEC Network.
Also, check out the "1st & 10 Pre-Game Show," hosted by Jeff Cardozo via the Florida Gators Facebook page, starting at 2:30 p.m. This week's lineup includes chats with Coach Dan Mullen, as well as defensive lineman Daquan Newkirk and offensive lineman Richard Gouraige, plus a double-"Mic'd Up" segment with tight end Kemore Gamble and position coach Tim Brewster.
Follow senior staff writer Scott Carter (@GatorsScott) for commentary and analysis throughout the game. FloridaGators.com will have complete coverage content from the game late Saturday night and fresh content Sunday, also.
And, finally, check out this history lesson.
CHARTING THE GATORS: Florida vs No. 1 Florida State's Charlie Ward in epic 1993 performance at the "Swamp."
Date
No. 1
Site
Outcome
The Buzz
Nov. 7, 1942
Georgia
Jacksonville
L 75-0
Florida's top players went to war (literally, as in Europe and the Pacific). Georgia's best got deferments. The All-America backfield of Heisman Trophy winner Frank Sinkwich and Charley Trippi combined for 7 TDs in the largest margin in series history. The Bulldogs were voted national champs for first time.
Oct. 24, 1959
LSU
Gainesville
L 9-0
The defending national-champion Tigers started the season with six straight wins, all shutouts, with UF being the last of that string. A week later, Billy Cannon had his epic 89-yard punt return against Ole Miss on the way to the Heisman. LSU would go on to lose two games later that season.
Nov. 27, 1993
Florida State
Gainesville
L 33-21
Charlie Ward, also on his way to a Heisman, threw for 446 yards and 4 TD, including an electrifying 79-yarder to Warrick Dunn on a third-and-10 with just over five minutes to play after Terry Dean and the Gators closed a 20-point deficit to just six. The loss was CoachSteve Spurrier's first in four seasons at the "Swamp."
Jan. 2, 1996
Nebraska
Tempe, Ariz.
L 62-24
Option QB Tommie Frazier and the Cornhuskers ruined UF's first unbeaten regular season and third straight SEC title by trampling Gators for 629 yards, including 524 on the ground on the way to a second straight national title in the Fiesta Bowl. Frazier: 16 carries, 199 yds, 2 TD. Lawrence Phillips: 25 carries, 165 yds, 2 TD.
Jan. 2, 1997
Florida State
New Orleans
W 52-20
Danny Wuerffel capped a historic Heisman season with 306 yards, 3 TD (plus 1 rushing) by leading the Gators on the ultimate revenge quest by obliterating the hated Seminoles in the Sugar Bowl to capture the program's first national title. Ike Hilliard: 7 catches, 150 yards, 3 TD.
Nov. 18, 1999
Florida State
Gainesville
L 30-23
27-year-old QB Chris Weinke (263 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT) rallied the Seminoles from a 3-point, third-quarter road deficit, with the help of a blocked UF punt, as FSU remained unbeaten and secured a date against Michael Vick and unbeaten Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl national-title game. FSU went on to win in second championship.
Sept. 7, 2002
Miami
Gainesville
L 41-16
The Gators were bombarded by a frighteningly talented Hurricanes squad in Coach Ron Zook's second game after replacing Spurrier. The list of future NFL stars on that UM team was exhaustive. A sampling: Frank Gore,Sean Taylor, Andre Johnson, Vince Wilfork, Jonathan Vilma ... too many to fit in this tight space.
Jan. 8, 2007
Ohio State
Glendale, Ariz.
W 41-14
After Ted Ginn Jr. returned the opening kickoff 93 yards for a TD, the Gators embarrassed Heisman-winning QB Troy Smith and the top-ranked Buckeyes, holding OSU to a staggering 82 yards of total offense to claim their second title in just their second year under Coach Urban Meyer. UF senior Chris Leak passed for 213 yards, while freshman Tim Tebow threw for one, rushed for one.
Oct. 6, 2007
LSU
Baton Rouge, La.
L 28-24
The Tigers went 5-for-5 on fourth down, including two conversions on a game-winning drive capped by Jacob Hester's 2-yard TD run with 1:09 to go. LSU went on to win the national championship.
Dec. 6, 2008
Alabama
Atlanta
W 31-20
Tebow(216 yds passing, 3 TD; 57 yds rushing) led a 4th-quarter comeback in the SEC Championship Game vs a defense that allowed just 11.5 pts per game. UF captured eighth league crown and, a month later, its first national title (see below).
Oct. 2, 2010
Alabama
Tuscaloosa, Ala.
L 31-3
Crimson Tide scored the game's first 24 points, while Bama defense smothered Gators QB John Brantley in his first big game.
Nov. 29, 2014
Florida State
Tallahassee, Fla.
L 24-19
Gators tried to Will Muschamp out with a mega-upset in his final game, intercepting reigning Heisman winner Jameis Winston four times, but failing to capitalize on offense. Three of those INT became field goals, the fourth a missed FG. Seminoles LB Terrance Smith returned a dropped pass by TE Tevin Westbrook 93 yards for a TD.
Dec. 3, 2016
Alabama
Atlanta
L 54-16
Florida marched to a TD on the first drive, but by late in the second quarter trailed 33-9 en route to one of the most lopsided SEC title games in the event's history.
Dec. 19, 2020
Alabama
Atlanta
L 52-46
Kyle Trask (408 yds, 3 TDs) vs Mac Jones (418 yds, 5 TDs) in 98-point, 1,067-yard shootout in the SEC Championship Game. The Tide rolled on to national title.
Sept. 18, 2021
Alabama
Gainesville
L 31-29
UF rallied behind QB Emory Jones from 21-0 deficit, but a failed 2-point conversion inside four minutes remaining proved the difference.
