The Florida Gators lost to the top-ranked Georgia Bulldogs 20-42. Although the score indicates a blowout, the Gators did a great job of fighting back in this game. Georgia is perhaps the most talented team in the nation, and Florida found a way to cut the deficit to eight during the third quarter. Still, there’s a long way to go for the Gators to compete for four quarters with the best teams in the SEC. Here’s a quick recap of Florida’s loss to Georgia in Jacksonville.
Florida Found Its Best Talent(s)
Anthony Richardson did have a decent game, finishing with over 250 passing yards and a touchdown. He would normally rush for more than 20 yards, but that’s a tough effort against a stout defense like Georgia. Still, he helped the Gators on offense by not throwing an interception in this game.
There’s no doubt that Trevor Etienne needs more carries for Florida to be a threat on offense. He averaged five yards per carry, and he should see the field often for the Gators’ remaining four games.
Xzavier Henderson also had quite a day with five receptions for 110 yards and a touchdown. Billy Napier and his coaching staff need to find players like Etienne and Henderson on the team, who show out in big games and are willing to put forth maximum effort even when facing a large deficit.
Georgia is Complete
Stetson Bennett did throw for over 300 passing yards, but it’s even more impressive that sophomore tight end Brock Bowers had half of those yards and a touchdown. Bowers is a matchup nightmare, and Florida’s defense could’ve done a better job by throwing multiple bodies at him.
The Bulldogs don’t really have any standouts at the wide receiver position, but Daijun Edwards and Kenny McIntosh were more than enough as running backs in this game. They combined for 200 rushing yards and four total touchdowns. Overall, the Gators’ defense did a better job of limiting Georgia’s offense in the second half.
Concluding Thoughts
The Florida Gators will travel to Kyle Field next week to take on Texas A&M. Both of these teams are 1-4 in conference play, so this game is a much-needed win for both programs. There is incremental improvement in each game for the Gators, but those performances need to start translating into wins for Florida to make a bowl game.