Florida Gators

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JACKSONVILLE — They both grew up in Georgia and worked together at Alabama.

On Saturday here at TIAA Bank Field, Gators coach Billy Napier and Georgia's Kirby Smart will exchange pleasantries before the annual Florida-Georgia game. But after kickoff, they become rivals in one of college football's most storied rivalries.

They paid mutual respect to one another leading up to the matchup between the Gators (4-3) and No. 1 Georgia (7-0).

"I wouldn't have been at Alabama if it wasn't for Kirby," Napier said. "Our dads were high school coaches in Georgia. There was some familiarity there and certainly his influence on that with Coach Saban. He had a lot to do with me being there. I will always be thankful for that."
 

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Smart was Alabama's defensive coordinator when Napier joined the Crimson Tide in 2011 as an assistant. He left for a year but came back for three more. Alabama was 49-6 in the four seasons the two worked together under Nick Saban.

"I have a lot of respect for Billy. I've known him for a long time,'' Smart said this week. "One of the most intelligent coaches I've been around in terms of preparation and understanding what it takes to run a program, an organization. I think he does a fabulous job."

The Napier-Smart connection adds another chapter to this great rivarly, which kicks off at 3:30 on CBS.

For more on Saturday's game between the Gators and Bulldogs, here is The Opening Kickoff:
 

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THREE STORYLINES

• The Gators have had two weeks to prepare for the Bulldogs after losing at home to LSU. Florida's defense came under fire following the LSU loss and while Gators head coach Billy Napier has reiterated there is not a single cause for the unit's struggles, he said the problems are correctable. The test comes Saturday against a Georgia offense averaging 526.6 yards per game, second among FBS schools.
• Florida has an opportunity at a signature win in Napier's first season if it can upset the Bulldogs, who have won 15 consecutive regular-season SEC games. The reigning national champions are a heavy favorite but it's a rivalry game at a neutral site. Florida's three losses have been by a combined 25 points, so the Gators usually hang around. If they can keep it close in the fourth quarter, stranger things have happened.
• Legendary former Georgia coach and athletic director Vince Dooley passed away on Friday. Dooley was a towering figure in college athletics and his death is reminiscent of former Michigan coach Bo Schembechler dying on the eve of the Michigan-Ohio State game 16 years ago. Dooley's death prompted an outpouring of condolences from both sides of the Florida-Georgia rivalry.

 

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THREE PLAYERS TO WATCH 

• Gators quarterback Anthony Richardson made his first career start a season ago against the Bulldogs. He turned the ball over three times late in the first half, leading to 21 Georgia points and breaking open a close game. Richardson makes his ninth career start Saturday and fifth against a ranked opponent, including two against the No. 1 Bulldogs. How Richardson plays will likely determine Florida's chances.
• On the other side, Bulldogs quarterback Stetson Bennett is 21-3 as a starter and is an excellent game manager. He has thrown only one interception in 229 pass attempts and rarely makes the kind of mistakes that cost the Bulldogs points. 
• Gators offensive guard O'Cyrus Torrence is expected to return to the lineup after missing the LSU game due to a lower-body injury. Torrence is rated as the top guard in the country by Pro Football Focus. While Richardson's play will be paramount for the Gators, they will need to establish the run game to help him and Torrence's return is an important factor in that task.

 

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FIVE DIGITS

100 – Meetings between the Gators and Bulldogs according to Florida (counting Saturday).
101 – Meetings between the Bulldogs and Gators according to Georgia.
22 – Consecutive regular-season wins for Georgia since losing 44-28 to the Gators in 2020.
90 – Meetings between Florida and Georgia in Jacksonville.
1 – Times Georgia has eclipsed 500 yards of total offense against the Gators (1976).
 

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INJURY REPORT

GATORS — OUT: LB Diwun Black (lower body), CB Devin Moore (upper body), LS Marco Ortiz (upper body), TE Nick Elksnis (upper body), TE Arlis Boardingham (upper body); QUESTIONABLE — DL Lloyd Summerall III (upper body). GEORGIA — OUT: DB Dan Jackson (foot), RB Andrew Paul (knee), LB C.J. Washington (neck). QUESTIONABLE: DL Jalen Carter (knee), WR Adonai Mitchell (ankle); PROBABLE — LB Smael Mondon (ankle), RB Kendall Milton (groin).
 

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NOTES FILE

• The Gators are 22-10 against Georgia since 1990 but trail the all-time series 53-44-2.
• Gators coach Billy Napier and Georgia coach Kirby Smart served together as assistants at Alabama in 2011 and 2013-15.
• Former Gators head coach Will Muschamp is Georgia's co-defensive coordinator.
• Bulldogs tight end Brock Bowers has a team-high 393 yards receiving on 26 catches.
• The Gators are facing the No. 1 team in the AP Top 25 for the 18th time, including the third time in the last two seasons.
• Florida is averaging 6.4 yards per carry, tops among FBS schools. Meanwhile, Georgia's defense limits opponents to 3.3 yards per carry.
• Both teams are coming off bye weeks. Florida is 18-10 all-time against Georgia coming off a bye week, and Georgia is 9-6 against Florida.
• This marks the sixth time the No. 1 team is playing in the Florida-Georgia rivalry (UF in 1985, 1996, 2009, and Georgia in 1942, 2021, 2022).
• Georgia's 24-17 win over the Gators in 2019 is the only single-digit margin of victory in the rivalry in the last eight meetings.
• Former Bulldogs Brenton Cox Jr. and Jalen Kimber now play for the Gators. Cox has played in the Florida-Georgia game for both schools.

 

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BOTTOM LINE

Few give the Gators much chance against the top-ranked Bulldogs, including the oddsmakers in Vegas. Florida is a 22.5-point underdog, the largest point spread in the series in records dating to 1995. Can the Gators pull off the upset? Doubtful based on the body of work by both teams seven games into the season. For the Gators to win, they must put together their most complete game under first-year coach Billy Napier. Look for the Bulldogs to stay undefeated but for the Gators to keep it closer than expected.