The No. 8 Georgia Bulldogs will head South to Jacksonville for a meeting with the No. 6 Florida Gators on Saturday.
What’s at stake in the rivalry game? Oh, you know, just control of the SEC East, the ability to remain in the Top 10 and the possibility of playing in the College Football Playoff. No big deal.
This game is already epic without the hype, but just like last year, it’ll be on another level come kickoff.
The fans have talked the talk all offseason, but now, it’s time for the players to walk the walk.
Georgia and Florida in one of the greatest settings in college football.
How can the Dawgs escape Jacksonville with a victory and keep playoff hopes alive? Let’s dive in.
1. The Run Game
Georgia might have the most talented running back room in the country, with D’Andre Swift, Brian Herrien, Zamir White, James Cook and Kenny McIntosh available.
Though the Dawgs have struggled to run the football at times this season, it’s largely due to the predictable play-calling. If Georgia can get more creative with its run plays, open up the edges and avoid using the middle too much, it can take advantage of this Florida team.
In addition, the Great Wall of Georgia is due for a bounce-back game in the trenches. Expect the Dawgs to run wild in Jacksonville, with the depth at running back being a significant factor in Georgia’s edge over the Gators.
2. A Healthier Georgia Team
Though Georgia struggled to pull away from Notre Dame and even dropped an overtime contest at home to South Carolina, the Dawgs have been a bit banged up.
Veteran wide receiver Lawrence Cager appears to be back this week, after tweeting out a funny WWE GIF on Monday. In addition, Tyson Campbell, Demetris Robertson, and Isaiah Wilson are also cleared to play against Florida.
What does this mean? Well, the Dawgs will have two of their experienced leaders in the passing game back, which could lead Smart and Coley to open up the playbook a bit more.
Georgia has had most of its success through the air this season when relying on both Cager and Robertson. Expect them to have an impact on this game, similar to that of JJ Holloman and Terry Godwin last year.
3. The Georgia Defense
Georgia’s defense has been incredible this season, despite what some will tell you. The Dawgs have yet to allow a rushing touchdown all year and aside from a couple big plays, don’t give up much through the air either.
With Campbell back, Georgia will have plenty of depth in the backfield, to try and defend Freddie Swain, Kadarious Toney, Josh Hammond, Trevon Grimes, and Van Jefferson.
Covering tight end Kyle Pitts, however is a completely different story. Lucky for Georgia, it already got all it could handle from Cole Kmet of Notre Dame. Now, why is that a good thing? Because the Dawgs know their own weaknesses and have had two weeks to prepare for Pitts, with the tape from that September 21st Notre Dame game.
Though it won’t be easy, the Dawgs have the edge on defense and the ability to give Florida fits, if it cannot establish the passing game. The Gators struggle to run the football on a consistent basis and heavily rely on their passing game week in and week out. As long as Georgia shuts down the run, it can make Trask and company very one-dimensional, which will affect the direction of this game in a big way.
Lamical Perine, Florida’s leading rusher, has a total of 460 yards on the season. Though Perine had a large burst against Auburn for 88 yards, he has not been that impressive overall, as compared to Swift and others.
Expect Georgia to limit Perine to a similar amount of yards as LSU, who held the senior in check with 65.
4. The Bye Week
Despite both teams having a bye week before the big game, the break could not have come at a better time for Georgia. As stated above, the Dawgs will be close to full strength against Florida, but that’s not the only reason a bye was necessary.
Georgia struggled offensively against South Carolina and Kentucky, though the latter was due in large part to poor weather conditions. Having a break to work on play-calling, Fromm’s passing routes and the entire state of the offense should be huge.
While we don’t expect the Dawgs to come out looking like Ohio State or LSU on offense, they should be well-equipped to give Florida all it can handle.
5. Jake Fromm
Though some of you might giggle when you hear this, Jake Fromm is an experienced leader, with a lot of snaps under his belt for Georgia. Despite a poor showing in the month of October, Fromm has a history of kicking it into a higher gear when the pressure’s on.
Don’t believe us? Look back at the results of the 2017 season after the first Auburn game and the 2018 season after LSU. Fromm looked like a completely different quarterback, with much improved stats and success on the field.
Last season, there were rumors swirling that Fromm would be benched in favor of Fields if he did not perform against Florida. Instead, the former sophomore went 17/24 with 240 yards passing and 3 touchdowns. Fromm will play his best when the time is right, as he has demonstrated time and time again.
Though the mid-season struggles are a bit worrying, we have no doubt the Warner Robbins native will be ready to play on Saturday.
Sure, the junior lost to Alabama twice in Atlanta, but this is a completely different scenario. And even still, he did not have bad games in either of those contests.
We expect Fromm to have a great game Saturday and fully trust him in leading the offense to victory.
Make sure to check out our staff picks to see who we think wins in Jacksonville. Go Dawgs!
