The No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs and unranked Florida Gators are ready for another chapter in their historic rivalry. Florida is looking to spoil Georgia’s undefeated start to the 2022 college football season.
The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party is one of the best rivalries in college football. Anything can happen, but more often than not the winner ends up making the SEC Championship Game. Georgia or Florida has represented the SEC East in the past seven SEC championship games.
Let’s take a look at the history between Georgia and Florida before the No. 101 meeting between the two rivals.
2021: Georgia's dominant second quarter run fuels win
Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett struggled against the Gators. He threw two interceptions, but had a great touchdown pass to Kearis Jackson. Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson couldn’t top 100 passing yards and threw two interceptions. The game was actually statistically balanced, but things did not go Florida’s way.
2020: Motivation for UGA's 2022 team
Lots of players on the Georgia roster remember the disappointing game against Florida in 2020. Two year ago, Georgia’s defense entered the game with a lot of hype and talent. The Dawgs got off to a 14-0 start and held a 21-14 lead after Eric Stokes returned an interception for a touchdown.
However, the first half shoot out was just beginning. The Gators and Kyle Trask poured on 38 first half points. Georgia was unable to respond offensively. The Bulldogs trailed for most of the game, but still only managed nine completions.
The shocking first half included Florida burning the Georgia defense on several wheel routes. The second half did not get much better for Stetson Bennett and Georgia as the Gators won 44-28.
2019: Georgia 24, Florida 17
The Georgia Bulldogs beat Florida in 2019 behind a good effort from D’Andre Swift, Lawrence Cager, and Jake Fromm. Florida struggled to run the ball and couldn’t get the ball back at the end of the game. Georgia made clutch plays on third down all day.
The Bulldogs went on to win the SEC East for a third consecutive season. Georgia’s win over Florida crushed the Gators’ College Football Playoff hopes.
Overall series: Georgia holds lead
Georgia leads Florida 54-44-2 in the rivalry’s history. The Bulldogs won six of 10 games during the 2010s. Georgia beat Florida just three times during the 1990s and 2000s, so the tide of the SEC East rivalry has changed recently. Many Georgia fans remember the nightmare of having to play against Steve Spurrier and the Florida Gators.
Billy Napier's rivalry debut highlights 2022 clash
Billy’s Napier’s first season as the head coach at Florida has been an up-and-down affair. The Gators started hot out of the gate with a win over preseason Pac-12 favorite Utah.
The following week, Florida lost to Kentucky. The Gators struggled against South Florida in Week 3 before losing a close one at Tennessee. Florida blew out Eastern Washington in Week 5 and then topped Missouri in Week 6. The Gators lost to LSU before their bye week ahead of the Georgia game.
Napier and Florida have the No. 8 recruiting class in the country in the class of 2023 recruiting cycle. Unfortunately, Napier’s success will often be measured against Kirby Smart, who is an elite recruiter and is 4-2 in his head coaching career against Florida.
