No. 8 Georgia runs past No. 6 Florida, 24-17
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Georgia defeated Florida, 24-17, at TIAA Bank Field on Saturday evening.
No, the Bulldogs technically haven’t clinched anything. But based on the way the rest of the division has played this season, Georgia should be able to get back to Atlanta and the SEC Championship game Dec. 7.
Alabama-lsu will meet to determine the other side of the matchup on Nov. 9 in Tuscaloosa.
It actually is not that simple, but what the No. 8 Bulldogs (7-1, 4-1 SEC) did in what was effectively an upset of the No. 6 Gators (7-2, 4-2), is give themselves a very manageable path to back into the league’s title game.
If the Bulldogs can defeat Missouri (5-3, 2-2) on Saturday
at Sanford Stadium, they will need only a win against Auburn or Texas A&M in the final two conference games to punch their ticket to Mercedes-benz Stadium.
For now, Georgia is assured only of what was a third consecutive victory over the Gators in a series that has been played in the northeast Florida city since 1933. And that had to feel extremely satisfying for the Bulldogs, who had lost at home to South Carolina in a major upset and played unimpressively in a 21-0 win over Kentucky the next time out.
This victory was dominant, though, again, not flashy. With 119 yards rushing – to Florida’s 21 – Georgia’s win marked the 14th consecutive time the team with the best running game that day prevailed. D’andre Swift led the Bulldogs with 86 yards on 25 carries.