Florida, Kyle Trask beat Georgia to take control of SEC East
Florida, Kyle Trask beat Georgia to take control of SEC East
A memorable day from Florida's Kyle Trask has shifted the power in the SEC East race.
The No. 8 Gators used a career-high 474 passing yards and four touchdowns from Trask to beat No. 5 Georgia, 44-28, on Saturday. The win not only ended the Gators' series losing streak at three games, but it moved Florida to 4-1 in the SEC East standings. Georgia is now 4-2, giving Florida a huge advantage in the race to Atlanta and the SEC Championship Game.
Trask's passing yards are the most ever by a Florida quarterback against Georgia. Kerwin Bell previously held the record with 408 yards in 1985.
Georgia almost made it a battle in the fourth quarter, when a dangerous Trask pass almost ended in Mark Webb's hands for a pick-6, but it was a dropped interception.
But in the end, Florida's edge at quarterback was too much. Bulldogs quarterbacks Stetson Bennett and D'Wan Mathis combined for only 9-for-29 passing for 112 yards, throwing two touchdowns with three interceptions.
After scoring only 41 points total during the three-game losing slide to Georgia, Trask and the Gators topped that on Saturday, even with TE Kyle Pitts leaving the game after getting hit on a targeting call.
Florida leads Georgia 41-28 after three quarters
Kyle Trask is having a game no Florida quarterback has had before against rival Georgia.
Through only three quarters, Trask has passed for 412 yards — the most by a Gators quarterback against UGA. He also has four passing touchdowns as the Florida offense has stolen the show thus far.
Meanwhile, Georgia will need a big rally if its to beat Florida for the fourth year in a row and likely make a return trip to the SEC Championship Game.
Bulldogs starting QB Stetson Bennett missed time with an injury but came back and has only 78 yards on 16 attempts with one touchdown and one interception. D'Wan Mathis has come in, and he did lead Georgia to a touchdown on the last drive of the third quarter.
Florida 38, Georgia 21 at the half
Kyle Trask and No. 8 Florida are going to force Georgia to play catch up.
The Gators' offense scored the last 24 points in the second quarter to go up 38-21 at the half. Heisman contender Kyle Trask rebounded from a pick-6 to go 20-for-26 for 341 yards and four touchdowns, often beating Georgia on wheel routes.
After scoring a combined 41 points in the series' most recent three meetings, the Gators nearly matched that in the first half on Saturday.
One of the scores was with TE Kyle Pitts, though Pitts left the game after a Lewis Cine hit and targeting call.
As for No. 5 Georgia, QB Stetson Bennett missed time after a hit, but he closed the first half only 4-for-12 for 70 yards. He did throw a touchdown, but receiver Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint sustained a leg injury on the touchdown.
And besides a 76-yard run from Zamir White on the first play of scrimmage, Georgia has struggled to find big plays and gains.
Add it all up and the Gators have to feel good about taking control of the SEC East and heading to Atlanta.
Georgia and Florida tied at 14 after the first quarter
Georgia appeared to be rolling through Florida, but some injuries and a resurgent Gators offense has changed the picture.
UGA RB Zamir White ran 75 yards on the first play from scrimmage before Stetson Bennett found Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint on a 32-yard touchdown.
However, Rosemy-Jacksaint appeared to suffer a bad leg injury on the catch and Bennett sustained a collarbone injury (per CBS).
Florida QB Kyle Trask then got going, as did a Florida ground game on back-to-back touchdown drives.
As long as Bennett is sidelined, it looks like D'Wan Mathis will be tasked with leading the Bulldogs. Mathis started the season opener against Arkansas but lost the starting job to Bennett.
Here's a look at the stats through the first quarter:
Pregame: Florida vs. Georgia
In his first two seasons as Florida's coach, Dan Mullen has posted double-digit win seasons with top-10 finishes.
But the Gators have looked up to Georgia in the division by season's end and have missed out on a trip to Atlanta.
If Florida wants to play for an SEC title and if it wants to remain in the College Football Playoff race, it has to beat Georgia.
Since the start of the College Football Playoff, no team with more than one loss has reached the semifinals. Though 2020 has been full of surprises, it's very likely one of these teams will be out of the CFP picture in the first week of November.
The Bank looks ready for some @SEC football 👀 @GeorgiaFootball | @GatorsFB pic.twitter.com/K4Pz5FkEk6
— TIAA Bank Field (@TIAABankField) November 6, 2020
How to watch Florida vs. Georgia
The most important SEC game this week is the continuation of one of the great rivalries: Georgia vs. Florida. Here's how you can watch and follow along:
- Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
- Date: Saturday, Nov. 7
- TV channel: CBS
- Streaming: CBS Sports
- Location: TIAA Bank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida
Click or tap here for a complete list of Week 10 TV information.
A play that @GeorgiaFootball fans (and all college football fans) will always remember: The Gator Stomp. pic.twitter.com/qQvn3udmFL
— SEConCBS (@SEConCBS) November 5, 2020
Previewing Florida vs. Georgia
The winner in Jacksonville could be on its way to Atlanta next month.
Saturday's Georgia vs. Florida game, besides being an opportunity for bragging rights, could be the difference in the SEC East race. Three consecutive series wins have helped the Bulldogs take the East crown each year.
Is 2020 time for a turn in the rivalry?
Because the SEC is playing a conference-only schedule, Georgia's 4-1 record tops the East — at least right now. Florida is next at 3-1. No other team in the division has fewer than three losses.
One reason the Gators might be optimistic is its Kyles: Trask and Pitts.
At quarterback, Kyle Trask has delivered with 1,341 yards, 18 touchdowns and only two interceptions. Tight end Kyle Pitts is top weapon, as Pitts' 355 yards and seven scores lead the team.
Georgia probably won't lean nearly as much on its passing attack, which is directed by first-year starter Stetson Bennett. Instead, UGA would enjoy letting its rushing attack lead. RB Zamir White had a career-high 136 yards against Kentucky a week ago. Florida's defense has also been less than stingy, allowing more than 430 yards per game.
During the Bulldogs' three-year run in the series, they have allowed only 7, 17 and 17 points. Georgia's defense has a tall task to slow down Trask and will be without safety Richard LeCounte, who has been released from the hospital after a traffic accident. However, with Azeez Ojulari (7.5 tackles for loss) and others, Georgia still has star power on defense.
It's probably going to be close, more like the 7-point difference last year than the 19- or 35-point margins from 2018 and 2017.
Ladies & gentlemen, your SEC Defensive Player of the Week‼️
— Georgia Football (@GeorgiaFootball) November 4, 2020
Comment below to wish @LilEasy_35 a full & speedy recovery! 🙏#GoDawgs #ATD pic.twitter.com/n8tZDEo2Hw
Florida vs. Georgia: Stats breakdown
Georgia is in first place at 4-1 in the SEC East, but Florida isn't far behind at 3-1. The other five teams in the division have either three or four losses, so Saturday's winner gains a huge edge in the race.
| Florida | STAT | Georgia |
|---|---|---|
| 3-1 | Record (SEC games only) | 4-1 |
| No. 8 | AP rank | No. 5 |
| 42.0 | Points per game | 29.2 |
| 29.3 | Points allowed | 16.2 |
| 476.5 | Yards per game | 404.0 |
| 342.8 | Pass yards | 228.8 |
| 133.8 | Rush yards | 175.2 |
| 433.3 | Yards allowed | 300.6 |
| 300.3 | Pass yards allowed | 220.6 |
| 133.0 | Rush yards allowed | 80.0 |
| Kyle Trask 1,341 yards (18 TDs, 2 INT) |
Passing leader | Stetson Bennett 1,089 yards (7 TDs, 5 INT) |
| Dameon Pierce 169 yards (1 TD) |
Rushing leader | Zamir White 402 yards (6 TDs) |
| Kyle Pitts 355 yards (7 TDs) |
Receiving leader | Kearis Jackson 348 yards (1 TD) |
| Ventrell Miller 34 total tackles, 3 tfl |
Defense | Azeez Ojulari 18 total tackles, 4.5 sacks |
Florida vs. Georgia: Series history
There have been stretches of dominance between the Gators and the Bulldogs, though UGA has the all-time lead at 52-43-2.
Georgia was in command starting in the early 1970s through the 1989. But then Florida and coach Steve Spurrier went through a 13-1 stretch (that was also an 18-3 run through 2010). Since 2010, the programs have traded three-game runs. The most recent belongs to Georgia, which won its third in a row last year, 24-17.
Here are the games since 2000, which have all been played in Jacksonville, Florida:
| Date | Winner | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Oct. 28, 2000 | Florida | 34-23 |
| Oct. 21, 2001 | Florida | 24-10 |
| Nov. 2, 2002 | Florida | 20-13 |
| Nov. 1, 2003 | Florida | 16-13 |
| Oct. 30, 2004 | Georgia | 31-24 |
| Oct. 29, 2005 | Florida | 14-10 |
| Oct. 28, 2006 | Florida | 21-14 |
| Oct. 27, 2007 | Georgia | 42-20 |
| Nov. 1, 2008 | Florida | 49-10 |
| Oct. 31, 2009 | Florida | 41-17 |
| Oct. 30, 2010 | Florida | 34-31 (OT) |
| Oct. 29, 2011 | Georgia | 24-20 |
| Oct. 27, 2012 | Georgia | 17-9 |
| Nov. 2, 2013 | Georgia | 23-20 |
| Nov. 1, 2014 | Florida | 38-20 |
| Oct. 31, 2015 | Florida | 27-3 |
| Oct. 29, 2016 | Florida | 24-10 |
| Oct. 28, 2017 | Georgia | 42-7 |
| Oct. 27, 2018 | Georgia | 36-17 |
| Nov. 2, 2019 | Georgia | 24-17 |
College football rankings update
There are two top-10 matchups in Week 10. But before Clemson meets Notre Dame on Saturday night, the afternoon offers No. 5 Georgia vs. No. 8 Florida in Jacksonville.
Here's a look at the polls:
| AP POLL | RANKING | COACHES POLL |
|---|---|---|
| Clemson (33 first-place votes) | 1 | Clemson (43) |
| Alabama (29) | 2 | Alabama (17) |
| Ohio State | 3 | Ohio State (2) |
| Notre Dame | 4 | Notre Dame |
| Georgia | 5 | Georgia |
| Cincinnati | 6 | Cincinnati |
| Texas A&M | 7 | Texas A&M |
| Florida | 8 | Florida |
| BYU | 9 | BYU |
| Wisconsin | 10 | Miami |
| Miami | 11 | Wisconsin |
| Oregon | 12 | Oklahoma State |
| Indiana | 13 | Indiana |
| Oklahoma State | 14 | Oregon |
| Coastal Carolina | 15 | Marshall |
| Marshall | 16 | Coastal Carolina |
| Iowa State | 17 | Iowa State |
| SMU | 18 | SMU |
| Oklahoma | 19 | Oklahoma |
| USC | 20 | USC |
| Boise State | 21 | Auburn |
| Texas | 22 | Army |
| Michigan | 23 | Boise State |
| Auburn | 24 | North Carolina |
| Liberty | 25 | Michigan |
Here is this week's Top 25 schedule:
Friday, Nov. 6
Saturday, Nov. 7
- No. 1 Clemson at No. 4 Notre Dame | 7:30 p.m. | NBC
- Rutgers at No. 3 Ohio State | 7:30 p.m. | Big Ten Network
- No. 8 Florida vs. No. 5 Georgia (Jacksonville, Florida) | 3:30 p.m. | CBS
- Houston at No. 6 Cincinnati | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN
- No. 7 Texas A&M at South Carolina | 7 p.m. | ESPN
- Purdue at No. 10 Wisconsin — CANCELED
- Stanford at No. 12 Oregon | 7:30 p.m. | ABC
- No. 23 Michigan at No. 13 Indiana | 12 p.m. | FS1
- No. 14 Oklahoma State at Kansas State | 4 p.m. | FOX
- South Alabama at No. 15 Coastal Carolina | 8 p.m. | ESPNU
- UMass at No. 16 Marshall | 2:30 p.m. | ESPN+
- Baylor at No. 17 Iowa State | 7 p.m. | FS1
- No. 18 SMU at Temple | 12 p.m. | ESPN+
- Kansas at No. 19 Oklahoma | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN
- Arizona State at No. 20 USC | 12 p.m. | FOX
- West Virginia at No. 22 Texas | 12 p.m. | ABC
- No. 25 Liberty at Virginia Tech | 12 p.m. | ACC Network