What You Need to Know Ahead of Florida Gators vs Georgia Bulldogs

The Florida Gators head to Jacksonville to take on the Georgia Bulldogs; here's what you need to know for the game

Here's wat you need to know ahead of the annual Florida-Georgia Game / Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

Over the past seven years, Georgia has been favored over Florida by an average of 11.5 points. The last time that the Gators were projected to beat the Bulldogs was back in 2016, when Florida pulled off a 24-10 win after originally being seven-point favorites.

Ahead of Florida’s historic rivalry game against the University of Georgia, FanDuel Sportsbook has the Gators listed as a 17.5 point underdog. 

Gators Face Toughest Opponent of The Season

Georgia (6-1) is currently ranked second in the AP Top 25 and the Coaches poll. The Bulldogs only loss came in dramatic fashion, falling to Alabama 41-34 earlier in the season.

After entering the year as a Heisman favorite, Bulldogs quarterback Carson Beck’s performance has been relatively underwhelming this season. The sixth-year player ranks fourth among SEC quarterbacks in passing yards (1,993) while having the second-most interceptions (8) in the conference.

Leading the way for the Bulldogs rushing attack is Trevor Etienne. The former Gator has the fourth-most rushing touchdowns in the SEC (7) and has rushed for 422 yards throughout the season.

Florida Offense Starting to Take Shape

After last Saturday’s 48-20 rout over Kentucky, the Gators demonstrated that some substantial strides are being made on the offensive end.

In his first game as the Gators full-time starting quarterback, true freshman DJ Lagway threw for 256 yards while tying his own single-game program record for most completions beyond 40 yards. This season, Lagway has thrown for 1,024 yards and five touchdowns.

Lagway’s ability to connect on several deep passes was likely set up by fellow true freshman Jaden Baugh, who garnered much of Kentucky’s defensive attention while scoring five touchdowns, tying a Florida single-game program record. 

It remains unclear if the Gators current leading rusher, Montrell Johnson, will be ready to return after missing last week’s game due to a lower-body injury that he suffered during Florida’s loss to Tennessee. 

As per usual, both teams have had a bye week leading up to next Saturday's game. The game will air on ABC during the traditional 3:30 p.m. timeslot.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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