Grab your Jorts and a Cocktail, it’s time for Georgia vs. Florida. We will take a moment to ask once again why this rivalry game needs to be played in a boring NFL stadium. This is not the Texas State Fair. The Iron Bowl and the Michigan-Ohio State game are played in a home-and-home format. There is no reason why this one shouldn’t be as well. We know the answer is money, but with the Georgia Tech game headed to Atlanta, you can’t help but wonder what fans are missing out on. Maybe that anger means we need a refill on our cocktail, so grab a drink, hear what Kirby Smart had to say this week, and preview the Georgia vs. Florida. (Note, it is NOT Florida vs. Georgia).
Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry: Georgia vs. Auburn
Opponent: Florida
History: Georgia has won four straight and leads the series 56-44-2.
Last meeting: Georgia defeated Florida 34-29 in Jacksonville last year.
Date and Time: Saturday, Nov. 1st | 3:30 PM EST
Location: EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida
Television: ABC
Spread: #GoDawgs -3.5
What Should You Expect From Florida?
What can Georgia expect from DJ Lagway? Lagway had plenty of hype and was a contender for the Heisman Trophy. He has failed to live up to the hype and is part of the reason Billy Napier will not be on the Gator sideline on Saturday. His low point in 2025 was throwing five interceptions in Baton Rouge earlier this season, but his metrics are still something that Smart said Georgia has to be wary of.
“He’s a really bright player, got a bright future, great arm talent, got an ability to process information quickly, get the ball out on RPOs, and really hard to tackle,” Smart said. “When you do get through on the rush, and if you ever get through, you’ve got to finish, and finishing on a guy that size is harder than you think in terms of him and his escapability and ability to kind of lengthen plays.”
The Georgia defense has had to battle slow starts this season. They have been able to put the clamps down when they needed it most, as seen in the Tennessee and Ole Miss wins. Georgia will need to come out from the jump and not let Lagway get hot.
What Should You Know About Georgia’s Offense?
Gunner Stockton was named as a finalist for the Johnny Unitas Award this week. The award is given annually in the United States to the nation’s top upperclassman quarterback in college football. Stockton has shown himself to be the leader that Smart expected when he named him QB1 back in the Fall. Georgia was rated the #1 most efficient offense, a tip of the cap to sometimes-maligned OC Mike Bobo as well. Smart shared it’s what doesn’t show up on the stat sheet that has made Stockton so effective for the Dawgs.
“We give Gunner a lot of latitude and options in terms of the play call. It’s just more about putting us in the right play to be successful based on what they’re in defensively, and I don’t think he gets enough credit for that decision-making process.” Smart said. “Every play might have two to three decisions he has to make, and those two to three decisions sometimes determine the outcome of that play. I’m really proud of his growth. He’s got to keep doing it and keep taking care of the ball. When he does that, we’re a good football team.”
Ole Miss defense
Photo Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
What Should You Know About Georgia’s Defense?
What’s up with Georgia’s defense? How can they improve? This was an early question that Smart was asked about on Tuesday this week. For Smart, it’s all about the fundamentals. “I think I’d start with tackling. When you look at the two of our lesser performances, there were a lot of missed tackles. The first thing you start with is that. You’ve got to tackle well, which starts with being in position to make the tackle, not being out of position.”
Poor tackling has also left opposing defenses in 3rd-and-manageable situations, resulting in high conversion rates. If Georgia can improve its tackling, it may be able to get off the field more quickly. “Third down defense, I’d like to see us get guys in third and long, because we’re pretty successful when we get guys in third and long,” Smart said. But that starts with first and second down. So it all carries over, and it kind of all bleeds into each other.”
Who Wins Georgia vs. Florida?
Colbie Young is out for sure for the Dawgs with a lower-body injury. Look for Noah Thomas to step into that role and continue to take a bigger part in the offense. This game may be close in the first quarter, and we fully expect Florida to score first. Look for Glenn Schumann and the defense to make their adjustments and make it a long day in Jacksonville for Lagway and the Gators.
Georgia: 31
Florida: 13
Main Photo: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images