ATHENS, Ga. _ The bad blood runs deep between Georgia and Florida. With two weeks to go before the 97th renewal of their rivalry, it could reach the boiling team before the teams arrive in Jacksonville for their Nov. 2 matchup (CBS, 3:30 p.m. EDT).
With their 21-0 victory Saturday over Kentucky, the No. 10-ranked Bulldogs (6-1, 3-1 SEC) get their second open date of the 2019 season. On the other side of it awaits No. 9 Florida (7-1, 4-1), which also gets the weekend off before the annual clash at what's now called TIAA Bank Field. Thanks to Missouri's loss to Vanderbilt on Saturday, it appears that the SEC East once again will be decided amid what was called the "world's largest outdoor cocktail party."
Georgia leads the series 52-43-2 after beating Florida by the combined score of 78-24 in the last two games. But the intensity in the already-volatile rivalry has increased since Dan Mullen took over as the Gators' coach before last season.
Mullen has lost several high-profile, head-to-head recruiting battles with the Bulldogs the last two years. Interestingly enough, he has responded with a troll campaign against Georgia.
Mullen has mocked UGA's non-conference scheduling, made fun of the length of time since the Bulldogs' last national championship (Jan. 1, 1981) and vigorously pursued the transfer of outside linebacker Brenton Cox when he left Georgia in August while awaiting a one-game suspension for an off-season marijuana bust.
With an extra week to prepare, the two coaches are taking decidedly different approaches to the already building hype surrounding the much-anticipated matchup. Smart is downplaying it, while Mullen is fanning the flames.
"I'm really focused right now on getting our guys healthy," Smart said Saturday when asked about yet another crucial game against the Gators. "We're going to have a walk-through on Monday, then continue to work on Tuesday on Florida and other teams who do things differently. Then we'll get tied down on them on Wednesday or Thursday."
Conversely, Mullen spoke excitedly Saturday about facing the Bulldogs when asked about them after the Gators' 38-27 win over South Carolina. "It's going to be a big one," Mullen said. "It feels great. I love it. You want to head into November in control of your own destiny. That's where we want to be and that's where we expect to be at Florida."
Mullen's players are following his lead.
"Georgia's finally here," defensive end Zachary Carter told the Orlando Sentinel. "We're always thinking about Georgia; they're always in the back of our minds."
Smart's are, of course, following his.
"I don't get into the rankings or the standings or who we're playing," safety Richard LeCounte said. "I just come out there and play some ball. Every game is the best game 'cause it's the next game, that's how I feel about it."
Some things for the Bulldogs to consider between now and then:
