FINAL: No. 5 Georgia 24, Florida 20

Saturday, November 1

Jacksonville, Fla.

3:30 PM

Florida Gators

3-5 , 2-3

Georgia

7-1 , 5-1

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Georgia

Florida

Gators interim head coach Billy Gonzales reacts after a big play in his head coaching debut. (Photo: Anthony Garro/UAA Communications)

FINAL: No. 5 Georgia 24, Florida 20

Saturday, November 1, 2025 | Football, Scott Carter

Box Score Photo Gallery

By: Scott Carter, Senior Writer

What Happened

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Gators responded with a gutsy performance in their first game under interim head coach Billy Gonzales, but not a winning one in their annual Southeastern Conference clash against Georgia here at EverBank Stadium.

The final result was a 24-20 loss to the fifth-ranked Bulldogs (7-1, 5-1) in a game the Gators (3-5, 2-3) had an opportunity to win in the fourth quarter.

Florida took a 20-17 lead on a 54-yard field goal by Trey Smack with 14:52 left in the game. The kick was Smack's school-record ninth of his career of 50 yards or more. However, the Bulldogs had enough time to stifle Florida's upset bid for their fifth consecutive win in the rivalry, Georgia's longest run of success over the Gators since a six-game win streak from 1978 to 1983.

In their first game with Gonzales in charge, the Gators failed on a pair of fourth-down conversions in the final quarter that proved costly. Gonzales said he had "no regrets" about the decisions and stated that the Gators showed what they are made of after a tumultuous two weeks following the firing of head coach Billy Napier.

"I'm super proud of the way they bonded together. The guys played extremely hard,'' Gonzales said. "They don't have any quit in their DNA. We came here to win, but we came up short. The Gators expect to win. There are no moral victories. You either win or you lose."

A pivotal moment for the Gators came after Smack's field goal. Leading 20-17 and at Georgia's 18-yard line, Gonzales opted to go for it on fourth-and-1 instead of running Smack out for another field goal. Running back Jordan Baugh was stopped for no gain, and Georgia took over with 7:54 remaining.

The Bulldogs drove down the field and took the lead on a 36-yard run by Chauncey Bowens that capped a seven-play, 82-yard drive with 4:36 left. The Gators never recovered from the massive momentum swing.

On the ensuing drive after Georgia regained the lead, the Gators were forced to go for it on fourth-and-4 from their 30 with 3:13 remaining. Lagway's pass was broken up, and the Bulldogs took possession and ran out the clock.

The loss was difficult for the Gators to swallow.

"It stinks. It stinks'' said fifth-year senior defensive lineman Tyreak Sapp, who will finish his career without a win in the rivalry. "It hurts real bad, knowing this is my last time playing in this game."

The teams traded scores in the third quarter. First, Georgia's Gunner Stockton tossed a 22-yard touchdown pass to Noah Thomas to put the Bulldogs up, 17-10, with 10:46 left in the quarter. Florida responded with a 12-play, 79-yard drive that ended with a 2-yard scoring run by Baugh. The drive consumed more than seven minutes and tied the score, 17-17, with 3:37 left in the third quarter.

The Bulldogs helped Florida's cause with a pair of pass interference calls. After Gators running back KD Daniels picked up a first down with a three-yard gain on third-and-2 from Georgia's 31, Bulldogs linebacker Raylen Wilson was flagged for interference against Baugh. The penalty moved the Gators to Georgia's 13, and on third-and-4 from the 7, Lagway's pass intended for TJ Abrams in the end zone dropped incomplete. But a pass interference call against Georgia's Zion Branch gave the Gators a first down at the 2, and Baugh plunged in for the score on the next play.

Georgia scored on its opening drive when Stockton connected with Dillon Bell for an 8-yard touchdown pass. Lagway hit Eugene Wilson III for a 40-yard touchdown later in the first quarter to tie the game, and Smack's 22-yard field goal with 3:02 left in the opening quarter gave Florida a 10-7 lead, marking the first time since 2016 that the Gators led the Bulldogs after the first quarter.

during the Gators' game against the Bulldogs on Saturday, November 1, 2025 at the EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. / UAA Communications photo by Madilyn Gemme — **Eugene Wilson III** had a season-high nine catches on Saturday. (Photo: **Madilyn Gemme**/UAA Communications)

What it Means

The Gators failed to move to .500 for the third consecutive time, despite having an opportunity. The Gators were 1-2 when they lost at Miami. They were 2-3 when they lost at Texas A&M. And on Saturday, with an opportunity to move to 4-4, they dropped to 3-5 with four regular-season games left. To avoid a losing record, the Gators must win at least three of those remaining games: at Kentucky, at Ole Miss, and at home against Tennessee and Florida State.

In the Spotlight

The Gators were without their leading receiver, Vernell Brown III, and fellow receiver Aidan Mizell due to injuries. That provided junior Eugene Wilson III an opportunity to shine, and he did. Wilson led the Gators with nine catches for 121 yards. Wilson surpassed his season yardage total (118) entering the game. Wilson continued to be Lagway's favorite target in the second half after freshman Dallas Wilson left the game due to a foot injury.

Staggering Statistic

The Gators ran only 22 plays in the first half compared to 42 for Georgia. Still, the game was tied 10-10 at halftime. Meanwhile, Florida's lack of success on third down continued in its first game under Gonzales. The Gators finished 2 of 11 on third-down conversions and 0-for-2 on fourth down.

Up Next

Florida (3-5, 2-3) remains away from home with a road game at Kentucky. The Wildcats (2-5, 0-5) played Saturday night at Auburn in search of their first conference victory. The Gators have not had success in their last two trips to Lexington, losing in 2021 and 2023. The back-to-back losses came after Florida won 16 in a row at Kentucky from 1988 to 2019.

Email senior writer Scott Carter at scottc@gators.ufl.edu. Find his story archives here.