The No. 11 Florida Gators had their seven-game winning streak snapped last week with a gut-wrenching seven-point defeat to the LSU Tigers. LSU head coach Les Miles dug into his bag of tricks of once again, running a fake field goal in the fourth quarter to hand Florida its first loss of the season.
The well-rested Gators will look to get their season back on track this coming Saturday when they take on the Georgia Bulldogs in an all-important SEC East clash. Who will emerge victorious in this college football matchup? Read on below for an in-depth breakdown of this critical ballgame and while you’re at it, you can check out our previews of Ole Miss vs. Auburn and West Virginia vs. TCU.
[sc:NCAAFArticles ]Florida Gators vs. Georgia Bulldogs Preview
Where: EverBank Field, Jacksonville, FL
When: Saturday, October 31, 3:30 PM ET
Line: Florida Gators vs. Georgia Bulldogs – view all NCAA Football lines
TV Broadcast: CBS
Betting on the Florida Gators (6-1, 4-1 SEC)
Florida may have suffered a stinging 35-28 loss to LSU in Week 7, but all is not lost for the Gators in their quest to reach the College Football Playoffs next year. In fact, they even moved up the AP rankings during their bye week, with Florida now ranked No. 11 in the college poll. The Gators can further improve on their standing as well and bolster their SEC East title bid when they face Georgia in an all-important division clash this coming Saturday.
[sc:NCAA240banner ]For the Gators to pull off the all-important victory, they will need another solid performance from quarterback Treon Harris. The sophomore was terrific in his first road start of the season on October 17, completing 17 of 32 passes for 271 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions against the LSU Tigers. Starting in place of the suspended Will Grier, Harris proved even in defeat that he wasn’t afraid of the big stage.
That being said, there’s still plenty of room for improvement for Harris heading into the big game against Georgia. One adjustment that he needs to address is his passing execution down the stretch. He was atrocious in Florida’s final two drives against LSU, going a combined 2-for-10 through the air. He will need to sort that out against a Georgia secondary that’s allowing just 187.0 passing yards per game this season, 27th in the entire FBS.
The Gators are 8-2 SU and ATS in their last 10 games.
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Betting on the Georgia Bulldogs (5-2, 3-2 SEC)
Georgia finally snapped its two-game losing streak with a gritty 9-6 victory over the Missouri Tigers on Saturday. It was a huge bounce-back win for the Bulldogs, who suffered a gut-wrenching 38-31 defeat to Tennessee the previous weekend. With the victory, the Bulldogs improved their record this season to a solid 5-2 slate.
Key to the Bulldogs’ win was their excellent play on the defensive end. They held the Tigers to just six first downs and 164 total yards. The game was such a low-scoring affair that it didn’t feature a single touchdown. It was the Bulldogs’ first victory without scoring a touchdown since a 12-3 win over Kentucky back in 1995. That performance wasn’t a complete surprise, though, considering the Bulldogs have been playing some solid defense this year. They are 27th in the entire FBS in scoring defense, allowing just 19.4 points per contest.
However, pulling off that same defensive feat next Saturday won’t be that easy for the Bulldogs, as standing in their way in the next match are the mighty Florida Gators. Florida is 55th in the FBS in scoring, averaging 31.6 points per game this season. It’s crucial for the Bulldogs that they continue their swarming red zone defense if they are to upset Florida. They held Missouri to just a pair of field goals in its three red zone possessions on Saturday.
Apart from that, it’s also important that quarterback Greyson Lambert step up his play against Florida. He struggled mightily against the Gators’ secondary, passing for just 178 yards without a touchdown and one interception on Saturday. It won’t get any easier for him against a Florida defense that’s allowing just 197.9 passing yards per game this season, 42nd in the entire FBS.
That being said, the Bulldogs will still fancy their chances against the Gators, as they have fared extremely well against them of late. Georgia has won three of its last four meetings against Florida dating back to the 2011 season.
The Bulldogs are 7-3 SU and 4-6 ATS in their last 10 games.
Writer’s Prediction
Florida wins, 35-21.
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