STATS: What the Numbers Say About Georgia's Matchup Against Florida
The Georgia vs Florida rivalry matchup is one of the most highly anticipated matchups every single year. It is considered to be one of the best rivalries the sport has to offer and often has a major impact on the final standings for the eastern division in the SEC. While that might not explicitly be the case this season, both teams certainly have something to prove this weekend.
The Gators are currently unranked, while the Bulldogs continue their reign on top of the college football world and the weekly rankings. The current betting odds say that Georgia should win this game by multiple scores, and on paper, the Bulldogs look like the better team. But what do the numbers say about this matchup, and how do these two rivals stack up against one another in that context?
Let's start with the basics. Georgia is currently averaging 40.1 points per game this season, the seventh-best in the country, while Florida is averaging 29.1 and ranks 64th in the country. On the flip side, Georgia also has the seventh-best scoring defense, as they are holding opponents to an average of 14 points per game, while Florida ranks 35th with an average of 20 points allowed per game. Now that we have laid that out let's dive a little deeper.
One major advantage that Georgia holds over Florida is success on third down. Florida ranks 109th in the country for third down conversion rate. Georgia’s defense ranks 1st in the country on third down as their opponents are only converting 23.6 percent of the time. The Bulldogs also have the second-best offense on third down, as they are converting 57.14 percent of the time. That is largely due to how impactful quarterback Carson Beck has been on third down.
Georgia running back Daijun Edwards (30) during Georgia’s game against Florida at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, Fla., on Friday, 28, 2022. (Photo by Tony Walsh)
This season, Beck is completing 68 percent of his throws on third down and has thrown for 409 yards and two touchdowns. Beck is also responsible for converting a first down 25 times this season. As for Florida, Graham Mertz holds a 71.7 completion percentage with 331 passing yards, zero touchdowns and two interceptions on third down this season. Mertz has converted a total of 16 first downs.
Keeping the topic on quarterback play, the Bulldogs might be able to take advantage of the Gators' defense through the air.
Against power five opponents, Florida has the 44th-best passing defense, while Georgia has the 12th-best. The Gators are allowing an average of 222 passing yards per game against power five opponents and rank 82nd for total passing yards allowed in those games.
Against conference opponents, Florida ranks 75th for total yards of offense allowed, with an average of 398.5 yards per game. Georgia ranks 7th with an average of 254.5 yards per game. Offensively against conference opponents, Georgia ranks fifth, averaging 509.8 total yards of offense, while Florida ranks 44th averaging 412.8.
One reason for Florida ranking so low in those statistical categories is due to the amount of explosives they have allowed on defense.
So far this season, Florida has allowed 28 plays that have gone for 20 yards or more (48th), 16 plays that have gone for 30 yards or more (84th), and 10 plays that have gone for 40 yards or more (101st). Finding explosive plays offensively is also an area in which Georgia has found success. They rank 13th in the nation for plays that have for 20 yards or more this season, with a total of 44.
The biggest question for Georgia heading into this week is how the offense will look without star tight end Brock Bowers. After all, he was the focal point of the offense up to this point which means Georgia will have to figure out a way to keep up the production without him against Florida.
The numbers suggest that Georgia shouldn't have a problem doing so against the Gators and that the defense should be able to handle an offense in which Mertz has thrived in thus far.
Other Georgia News:
- Georgia's Remaining Schedule - Who Could Be The Troublesome Game?
- Player Profile: How Can Oscar Delp Contribute to Georgia's Success?
- Reminder of What Georgia Has With Delp, Luckie, and Spurlin
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