Ridaught: Florida-Georgia, so you’re saying there’s a chance

I’ve been fortunate to have been a part of a big chunk of the Florida-Georgia series.One thing I’ve learned is that, in a rivalry game, anything can happen.I often tell the story of my first Florida-Georgia experience in 1982.At the age of 14, I was excited to attend for the first time.I was offered $100 for my ticket, which was a lot of money back then, was told I could watch the game in the person’s motorhome and eat their food.But, I declined.That day, I probably wished I hadn’t.The Gators, who had lost four in a row and seven of eight to the ‘Dogs, were ranked 20th nationally. Georgia was ranked No. 3.Georgia was 8-0 heading into the game and Florida was 5-2, which is very similar to the team’s records this year.Herschel Walker, who went on to win the Heisman Trophy that year, ran all over Florida that day with 219 yards and four touchdowns on 35 carries in a 44-0 win against the Gators.My first memories of Florida-Georgia likely scarred me for a long time.In 1980, Florida was 6-1 and ranked 20th in the AP rankings. Georgia was 8-0 and ranked No. 2.

The Gators had a chance for a monumental upset after kicker Brian Clark’s 40-yard field goal put Florida ahead for the first time, 21-20, with 6:52 to play.Later, with one timeout remaining, Georgia began a drive at their own 8-yard line with 1:35 to play.Facing a 3rd-and-11 from their 7-yard line, quarterback Buck Belue was pressured near the end zone but was able to find Lindsay Scott across the middle. Scott outraced the Florida secondary down the left sidelines for the 93-yard score in a 26-21 heartbreaker.It took “a miracle,” as Munson described it, to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.Just like NFL Hall of Famer Jack Youngblood did for the Gators in the 1970 game when he stripped Georgia’s Ricky Lake at the goal line and recovered the fumble.Georgia led 17-10 and was closing in on a two-score lead in the fourth quarter.Following the strip and recovery, Florida quarterback John Reaves threw a pair of touchdown passes to Carlos Alvarez in the final five minutes as the Gators stunned Georgia in a 24-17 victory.Saturday’s game features two of the most prolific passers in the country in quarterback Graham Mertz of Florida and Jacksonville native Carson Beck of Georgia.Mertz has completed 76.2% of his passes (170-for-223), which leads the SEC and ranks third nationally behind Oregon’s Bo Nix (79.2%) and Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy (78.2%).The redshirt junior has thrown one interception in his last 207 attempts.Beck is on a school-record pace for completion percentage at 73.61, which is ranked sixth nationally. The school record was set last year by Stetson Bennett at 68.28.The SEC record for a season is 77.4 by Alabama’s Mac Jones in 2020.But as far as upsets go, Florida was No. 1 in the country in 1985 and moved the ball up and down the field all day behind the passing of quarterback Kerwin Bell.However, they couldn’t put it in the end zone in a 24-3 loss to No. 17 Georgia.In 2002, Georgia was 7-0 and ranked fifth nationally under coach Mark Richt, while the Gators were 5-3 and unranked in the AP poll under first-year head coach Ron Zook.The first half was tight, with Georgia holding a 7-6 lead with just under four minutes to play in the half when Georgia quarterback D.J. Shockley was intercepted by Jacksonville native Guss Scott, who returned it 47 yards for a touchdown to put the Gators up 12-7.Georgia kicker Billy Bennett made a pair of field goals in the final 1:30, including a field goal with 15 seconds to play in the half, to give the Bulldogs a 13-12 halftime lead, and it stayed that way until the fourth quarter.Florida quarterback Rex Grossman led the Gators team on a 10-play, 89-yard scoring drive, ending with a 10-yard touchdown pass to tight end Ben Troupe.

Grossman ran it in for the two-point conversion to give the Gators a seven-point lead and they held on for a 20-13 upset in what would be Georgia’s only loss of the season.

The Gators did get some breaks that day.Georgia wide receiver Terrence Edwards was wide open at the Florida 30-yard line but he dropped a sure touchdown pass with 2:31 remaining. Plus, they failed to convert a 4th-and-1 on the drive.Florida dominated both lines of scrimmage, which will be a point of emphasis on Saturday.The Bulldogs were 0-for-13 on third down conversions in that 2002 game.One of the keys to Georgia’s success this year is its third down defense.The Bulldogs lead the country with opponents converting just 23.6% of the time. In the past three SEC games, Georgia opponents are a combined 6-for-32 on third downs (19%).The Bulldogs are second nationally in converting third downs (57.1%).By comparison, the Gators are 10th nationally and third in the SEC, allowing opponents to convert just 29.1%.Florida only converts 33% of the time on 3rd down but on 4th down the Gators are 7-for-15 (47%).Since the arrival of Georgia coach Kirby Smart in 2016, the Bulldogs have featured talented defenses and twice led the nation in scoring defense. This season, Georgia is ranked seventh nationally allowing 14.0 points/game.They are also number three in the country in total offense (509.4 yards per game) and tied for 7th nationally in scoring offense (40.1 points per game).In last year’s 42-20 win against the Gators, the Bulldogs finished with 555 yards of total offense, the most-ever against Florida in the history of the series.Georgia led 28-3 at the half, which proved too big of a deficit to come back from.But in that game, All-American tight end Brock Bowers (5 catches for a career-high 154 yards, 1 TD) had the most-ever receiving yards by a Bulldog against UF.

However, Bowers suffered a high ankle sprain in Georgia’s win over Vanderbilt on Oct. 14, and two days later had tightrope surgery, which means he won’t play on Saturday against the Gators. 

It’s a big reason why the point spread went from 23.5 points to 14.5 points. He’s a difference maker.

Florida (5-2) is limiting opponents to 312.3 total yards per game this season, a 127-yard improvement from last year’s 429.3 yards per game through the first seven games.

It will be very difficult to pull off the upset against Georgia (7-0), which has won a school record 24 straight games that began with a 34-11 win over Michigan in the 2021 CFP semifinal at the Capital One Orange Bowl.The ‘Dogs have also won a school record 34 straight regular season games that dates back to a 31-24 home triumph over Mississippi State on Nov. 21, 2020.Who was the last team to beat Georgia during the regular season?The No. 13 Gators defeated the No. 7 Bulldogs, 44-28, on Nov. 7, 2020.The team with the most rushing yards had won 14 straight meetings, but that streak was snapped in that game when Georgia outgained UF, 165-97.A new streak began in 2021 as the top-ranked Bulldogs won, 42-20, and outrushed Florida 239-100 yards.But in rivalry games you can typically throw out records, rankings, and stats.At 3:30 p.m. EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, it all comes down to mistakes.The better team doesn’t always win.Do I think Florida will win? No.

Does Florida have a chance to win? Yes, I’m saying there’s a chance.

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