Cocktail Party

Gametime 2012 – Georgia vs. Florida

by
Kevin Kelley
Oct 25, 2012

Georgia-Florida 2012 On Saturday, the #10 Georgia Bulldogs (6-1, 4-1 SEC) travel to Jacksonville to face the #2 Florida Gators (7-0, 6-0 SEC). The game will be televised by CBS at 3:30 p.m. ET.

A Florida win would clinch the SEC Eastern Division title for the Gators and a trip to Atlanta for the Championship Game. If Georgia wins, the Bulldogs would have the inside track and would only need wins over Ole Miss (Nov. 3) and Auburn (Nov. 17) to play in the Dome.

“We know what this game means for us and for Florida,” coach Mark Richt said. “I would say our guys are excited about the opportunity to play this game and have it mean as much as it means right now.”

The Bulldogs won last year 24-20, but haven’t won two straight against the Gators since a three-game streak between 1987 and 1989. After that, Florida turned the tide in the series, winning 18 of the last 22 games. Georgia still leads the overall series 48-40-2, however.

Last week, Florida buried South Carolina 44-11 while Georgia slipped by Kentucky 29-24. Next season, both teams will be off prior to the game which will be the second time in history that has occurred.

In order for Georgia to win on Saturday, they will need to play smart on defense and special teams and commit little to no turnovers. Florida, a very average offensive team (ranked 100th in total offense), is very opportunistic and is 9th in the country in turnover margin (+11). The Gators also seem to have a knack for scoring a special teams touchdown against the Dawgs, having done so in five of the last six meetings.

Georgia will also need to get off to a good start, but if they don’t, they need to keep their heads in the game. Last year, Georgia fell behind 17-3, but ended up winning 24-20. The defense was stout in the second half, holding the Florida offense to a mere 32 yards.

A bonus for Georgia should be the return of All-American linebacker Jarvis Jones, who missed the Kentucky game with a sprained right ankle.

Weather will be a concern though as Hurricane Sandy will be moving North off of the Florida coast. It won’t make landfall, but could result in rainy and windy conditions around game time.

Go Dawgs!

Georgia vs. Florida

Date: Oct. 27, 2012, 3:30 p.m. ET
TV: CBS & CBSSports.com
Broadcast: Verne Lundquist (play-by-play), Gary Danielson (analyst), Tracy Wolfson (reporter)
Captains: Aaron Murray, Chris Burnette, Cornelius Washington, and Connor Norman.

Inside the numbers

Georgia is 48-40-2 against Florida.
Mark Richt is 3-8 against Florida.
Mark Richt is 1-0 against Will Muschamp.
Georgia is ranked 18th in Total Offense with 486.86 yards per game. FL is 100th.
Georgia is ranked 17th in Scoring Offense with 39.57 points per game. FL is 54th.
Georgia is ranked 47th in Total Defense with 367.43 yards per game. FL is 7th.
Georgia is ranked 49th in Scoring Defense with 24.14 points per game. FL is 4th.
Georgia is ranked 55th in Turnover Margin (+0 ratio). FL is 9th (+11).
Georgia is ranked 94th in Fewest Penalties Per Game (52 for 358 yards). FL is 104th.