Gators linebacker Ventrell Miller (No. 51) and defensive lineman Brenton Cox Jr. tackle LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels. (Photo: Isabella Marley/UAA Communications)
Gators Notebook: A Florida-Georgia Legend Passes, UF Coaches vs. Bulldogs, Quality Control Week at UF, More Tidbits
Thursday, October 20, 2022 | Football, Scott Carter
Share:
By: Scott Carter, Senior Writer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The death Wednesday of Georgia legend Charley Trippi generated headlines across America's football landscape, including an obituary in the New York Times.
Curious to learn more about the 100-year-old Trippi — a name that resonated but without much clarity — I found my way to Newspapers.com. Trippi played in an era unfathomable to the Gators and Bulldogs preparing for next weekend's showdown in Jacksonville.
When Florida and Georgia tangle at TIAA Bank Field in nine days, barring a shift at the top of the AP Top 25, it will mark the sixth time in the rivalry's history that one of the schools is ranked No. 1. The Gators entered atop the poll in 1985, 1996 and 2009. The No. 1-ranked Bulldogs are set to for the second consecutive season.
The first time it happened, Trippi was a Georgia sophomore playing in the shadows of Frank Sinkwich, the Bulldogs' star running back and 1942 Heisman Trophy winner.
In the most lopsided game in the history of the Florida-Georgia rivalry, Trippi scored two rushing touchdowns, returned an interception for a 60-yard touchdown and passed for a score in No. 1 Georgia's 75-0 win over the Gators. The loss left Gators coach Thomas Lieb stunned.
"My boys did their best, but they were beaten by the greatest football team Floridians have ever seen, or probably will ever see again,'' Lieb said afterward. "Georgia has the most deceptive pass pattern we have had to face. Their receivers were simply too fast to cover, and the way the Georgia line operates, the pass defense of that team was invincible. Well, there were seven interceptions, and you can just add that up. Four of them set up touchdowns."
Charley Trippi, No. 62, runs the ball during the 1946 season. (Photo: Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
Three years passed before the next time the Gators had to deal with Trippi in 1945. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1943 as World War II thundered. He returned to the Bulldogs midway through the 1945 season and set a then-SEC single-game rushing record when he ran for 239 yards in a 34-0 win over the Gators. Trippi finished his college career in 1946 with another standout performance against the Gators in a 33-14 win, placing second in the Heisman Trophy race that season to Army's Glenn Davis.
With both the Gators and Bulldogs off this week, we pay tribute to a legend of this great rivalry. Perhaps a moment of silence before next weekend's game is in order.
Meanwhile, Gators head coach Billy Napier gets his first taste of Florida-Georgia in nine days. The bye week for his team came at a perfect time following the 45-35 home loss to LSU.
Napier's debut in the rivalry seems a good time to review how previous Florida coaches fared against the Bulldogs. Here is a closer look:
GATORS COACHES VS. BULLDOGS
COACH
VS. GEORGIA
NOTABLE
Charles McCoy
0-2
Led UF in first matchup against Georgia in 1915, a 37-0 loss
Al Buser
0-1
Lost his only Florida-Georgia game, 16-0, in Tampa in 1919
William Kline
0-1
Suffered a 56-0 loss, 3 blocked punts at Athens in 1920
Tom Sebring
0-2
Lost 32-9 at Georgia in '26 after six-year break in series
Charles Bachman
2-2-1
First UF coach to beat Georgia, 26-6 win in Savannah in '28
D.K. Stanley
0-3
No success against Bulldogs, outscored 35-0 over 3 defeats
Josh Cody
1-3
A 6-0 win in '37 snapped UF's 8-year drought vs. Bulldogs
Thomas Lieb
1-4
Highlight for Lieb an 18-13 upset of Georgia in 1940 game
Raymond Wolf
1-3
Lone win in '49 behind Chuck Hunsinger's 174 yards rushing
Bob Woodruff
6-4
His 30-0 win over Georgia in '52 ushered in new era in series
Ray Graves
6-3-1
Established his presence with 22-14 upset win in 1960 game
Doug Dickey
3-6
Bulldogs a thorn in Dickey's tenure, never more than '76 loss
Charley Pell
0-5
Lindsay Scott, 1980 loss defined rivalry during Pell years
Galen Hall
2-3
He got off to great start with 27-0 shutout of Dawgs in '84
Gary Darnell
0-1
As interim HC, second-half lead vanished in '89 in 17-10 loss
Head Ball Coach owned Bulldogs from start, a 38-7 win in '90
Ron Zook
2-1
Won first two, but already doomed before 31-24 loss in '04
Urban Meyer
5-1
Revamped offense, re-established UF dominance in '05 win
Will Muschamp
1-3
Former Georgia player finally got win in series in final season
Jim McElwain
2-1
Like Zook, won first two, but fate sealed with 42-7 loss in '17
Dan Mullen
1-3
Pulled off a win in 2020, but couldn't keep pace in recruiting
DEALING WITH DEFENSE
The Gators spent the bye week focused on quality control, reviewing every facet of the team on and off the field to see where improvements can be made in the second half of the season.
The defense tops the list.
Florida is ranked 77th among FBS teams in scoring defense (28.1 points per game), 106th in total defense (429.3 yards per game), and dead last in third-down defense (131st), allowing opponents to convert 52.6 percent (51 of 97) on third down.
That is not what Napier nor his defensive coordinator, Patrick Toney, had in mind in their first season together at UF. And needless to say, they have heard the moaning on social media about Florida's inability to get off the field on third down, a trend that proved costly once again in the loss to LSU.
"There's lots of factors that contribute to that," Napier said. "We're in the middle of that entire process, relative to evaluating all of the areas that contribute to winning football. I think at times this year we've played good defense, and then at times we've not played good defense.
"I think it's very fixable. There's no magic pill, or secret potion here. I think there's a lot of contributing factors and we're in the middle of trying to make some adjustments there."
Statistically speaking, Florida's best defensive performance came in its 26-16 loss to Kentucky. Florida limited the Wildcats and quarterback Will Levis to 272 total yards. Florida has held only one other opponent, Missouri, to under 400 yards. The Tigers amassed 370 yards in a 24-17 loss to the Gators.
The unit's struggles are multi-faceted according to Napier, and include coverage, alignment, tackling and communication issues.
"The things that we can control are the things that we're focused on,'' he said. " Fundamentals, communication, alignment, and certainly playing good team defense. Being on the same page at the first, second, and third level. Then finishing, when given an opportunity. We're looking for more consistency as a whole from individual players, from position groups and the unit as a whole."
Defensive coordinator Patrick Toney, hunched over, looks on from the sideline in Florida's win over Eastern Washington. (Photo: Tim Casey/UAA Communications)
Meanwhile, as fans vent their frustration on social media, don't expect Napier, who is only seven games into his tenure, to start tossing players and coaches under the bus. He understood the roster challenges prior to the season and nothing has changed.
He also backs Toney, who helped him build a winner at Louisiana and led to his move to Florida. The Ragin' Cajuns finished 22nd nationally in total defense (334.6 ypg) a season ago on the way to a 13-1 season and Sun Belt Conference championship.
"No one cares more than we do. No one cares more than our players do." Napier said. "No one cares more than our staff does. And certainly, no one cares more than Patrick. Absolutely one of the best coaches I've ever been on staff with and I've been around some of the elite coaches. And he had a lot to do with our defensive turnaround at the previous stop. He's extremely bright and evaluating things objectively, technically, and making the necessary adjustments.
"We've got good people in the building."
There is no rest for the weary.
The Gators face next a Georgia team averaging 41.7 points (third in SEC) and 526.6 yards per game (second in SEC). And for the record, Georgia converts 52.4 percent (44 of 84) on third down, trailing only Ole Miss (53 of 96, 55.2 percent) in the conference. BRAUN DEPARTS
Offensive lineman Josh Braun looked the part, a bearded 6-foot-6, 351-pound hulk of a human. But in Napier's first season, Braun rarely played the part as a reserve glued to the sideline.
He started seven of 13 games a season ago, but after appearing in only two of seven games this season, Braun announced on social media this week that he has left the team and plans to enter the transfer portal on Dec. 5.
Braun's announcement came after he did not play in last week's loss to LSU despite a lower-body injury to starting right guard O'Cyrus Torrence. Richie Leonard IV got the starting nod in Torrence's absence.
Offensive lineman Josh Braun heads to locker room prior to season opener against Utah. (Photo: Jordan McKendrick/UAA Communications)
"I apologize to my teammates for the timing of this announcement and departure, but I must do what is in the best interest of myself and family,'' Braun said in a statement. "I have cherished every second that I have been a Gator, and I look forward to the next chapter of my life."
Braun, who signed with Florida out of Live Oak Suwannee (Fla.) High, got married over the summer. In his statement, he said he plans to transfer as a UF graduate after the season and has a conflict in his studies with football.
Napier wished Braun well on Wednesday during his scheduled appearance on the Southeastern Conference coaches media call.
"Interesting decision relative to being right in the middle of the season," Napier said. "A lot of things going on there relative to big picture for him personally with his wife, his degree, certainly his role on the team. Josh has been a class act. Wants more of a role. We've got nothing but respect in Josh and certainly will help him going forward in any way possible."
Braun arrived at UF as a top 300 national recruit. He originally committed to Georgia before flipping to the Gators. He finishes his Gators career with eight starts and 26 games played. QUOTE OF NOTE
"I don't necessarily know that it's one specific thing. One thing I do know is that there's been a lot of possessions and third downs, or whatever the case may be, individual plays when we've done it well. Consistency is the key, right? And this is a game that requires 11 players do their job to have success. So ultimately, that's what we're looking for. We're looking for more plays where we've got 11 players doing their job with consistency." — Napier on defense EXTRA POINTS
Napier praised running back Lorenzo Lingard for earning playing time in the loss to LSU. Lingard, fourth on the depth chart behind Montrell Johnson Jr., Nay'Quan Wright and true freshman Trevor Etienne, played meaningful snaps against the Tigers. He rushed three times for 16 yards. "Lorenzo has worked extremely hard, in particular as of late," Napier said. "He's had phenomenal practices. I think he's been much more intentional in the meetings and the walkthroughs. Lorenzo earned that and we gave him an opportunity. I thought he did a really nice job." ... Torrence, the transfer from Louisiana who has graded as the top guard in the country according to Pro Football Focus, has returned to practice. He missed the LSU game due to a lower-body injury. "He's making great progress," Napier said. ... Meanwhile, Napier said Wright has not been on the injury report after questions surfaced why he was not among the 33 non-starters to play in the LSU game ... According to the analytics-driven ESPN.com Matchup Predictor, Florida has only a 6.9 percent to beat No. 1-ranked Georgia ... The Bulldogs opened as a 15.5-point favorite according to ActionNetwork.com.
Florida Football | Tim Tebow Media Availability | SEC NationFlorida Football | Tim Tebow Media Availability | SEC Nation
Friday, November 07
Play Breakdown with Billy Gonzales presented by Tower Hill Insurance (November 5, 2025)Play Breakdown with Billy Gonzales presented by Tower Hill Insurance (November 5, 2025)
Wednesday, November 05
Billy Gonzales Media Availability 11-5-25Billy Gonzales Media Availability 11-5-25
Wednesday, November 05
Play Breakdown with Billy Gonzales presented by Tower Hill Insurance 11-5-25Play Breakdown with Billy Gonzales presented by Tower Hill Insurance 11-5-25
