Georgia-Florida Series History: Bulldogs Have Won Three Straight
It's that time of year again. Time for Georgia and Florida fans to meet in Jacksonville to renew a rivalry with too many names, and to help decide the champion of the SEC Eastern Division.
This will be the 99th meeting between the Bulldogs and Gators. Georgia leads the all-time series 53-43-2 and enters Saturday on a three-game winning streak.
Streaks have defined the rivalry. Georgia's current three-game streak is a response to a three-game losing skid from 2014-2016, which was a response to a three-game winning streak by Georgia from 2011-2013. However, the streaks that genuinely define the rivalry are Florida's seven-game (1990-1996) and six-game (1998-2003) winning streaks. Those two wiped out a vast series lead enjoyed by the Bulldogs.
During those years, Florida dominated the SEC, while Georgia's program was mired in mediocrity. Florida's run in the 1990s completely flipped the rivalry on its head. Before then, Georgia dominated and regularly prevented Florida from capturing its elusive first SEC championship.
Notable Games
1966: Florida is considered the "Johnny come latelys" of the SEC, having not reached the conference's pinnacle until 1990. The Gators came close to winning an SEC championship several times, most notably in 1966 when Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Steve Spurrier led the team to a 7-0 record. However, the 6-1 Georgia Bulldogs had something to say about that.
With Spurrier, Florida developed a reputation for comebacks, but the Gators started this game hot with an 86-yard touchdown drive. Then, Georgia's physicality won out. Florida wouldn't reach the end zone again as the Bulldogs defense stifled Spurrier and Florida's offense. Georgia trailed 10-3 at halftime, but it dominated the second half.
The Bulldogs scored their first touchdown on a 65-play drive all on the ground, tying the game at 10-10. The defense intercepted Spurrier twice, with the second one resulting in a pick-six by Lynn Hughes, putting Georgia ahead 17-10. Georgia added a field goal and one final touchdown before time expired to defeat Florida 27-10. The Bulldogs went on to share the SEC championship with Alabama.
1976: Ten years later, Florida once again entered Jacksonville looking for its first SEC championship. The Gators were 6-1, but undefeated in SEC play, while Georgia's 7-1 record included a conference defeat.
At halftime, Florida was in a much better position to capture the SEC crown than it was a decade prior, leading 27-13. Thanks to a Georgia defense that woke up, the physicality of the Bulldogs' veer offense and bad decisions by Florida head coach Doug Dickey, the Gators' lead evaporated in the third quarter. By the end of the game, it was Georgia that was on top by a wide margin.
Georgia scored early in the third quarter to cut the score to 27-20, but Dickey's bad fourth-down decision swung the momentum entirely in Georgia's favor. Facing fourth-and-1 at its 29-yard-line, Dickey elected to go for the first down. Now known as "fourth and dumb," the play failed, and Georgia scored moments later to tie the game 27-27.
Georgia's defense found another gear because of the "fourth-and-dumb" play. The unit controlled the rest of the game while Florida had no answers for Bulldogs quarterback Ray Goff and running back Willie McClendon. Georgia scored two more touchdowns to win 41-27. The victory sealed the SEC championship for Georgia.
1980: This was perhaps the most legendary game and most legendary play in Georgia football history. Georgia returned to the Gator Bowl with a 9-0 record and a spot atop the SEC standings. The only thing missing was a No. 1 national ranking.
Lost in the discussion about this game is the season Florida was having. A loss to LSU early in the year was Florida's only blemish. A win over Georgia would mean a possible SEC championship for the Gators. That win was well within Florida's grasp as the Gators led 21-20 and had favorable field position with less than two minutes remaining in the game. However, two already-great Bulldogs then became legends.
Quarterback Buck Belue scrambled into his own end zone on third-and-long. A good block gave him time to set his feet and hit Lindsay Scott around the 25-yard line. All Georgia needed was the first down, which was mission accomplished. When Scott's feet hit the ground, he had a clear lane to the end zone. With Larry Munson's "run Lindsay" endorsement on the radio, the junior didn't stop until he reached the end zone.
The score put Georgia on top 26-21, and the defense made one more stop to preserve the victory. Georgia climbed to No. 1 in the ensuing polls and didn't relinquish its spot at the top. The Bulldogs finished the year with a 17-10 win over Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl to claim the National Championship.
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