No. 3 Georgia smothers No. 17 Florida 27–8 with four takeaways and a defensive touchdown
The Bulldogs scored 24 straight points before halftime, including Chris Cole's 66-yard fumble return, and held Florida to 48 rushing yards at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
ATLANTA — No. 3 Georgia forced four turnovers, ran for 217 yards and beat No. 17 Florida 27–8 on Saturday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, taking control with 24 unanswered points in the first half.
The Bulldogs (7–1) led 7–0 after one quarter on Nate Frazier's 1-yard touchdown run. Peyton Woodring added a 28-yard field goal, and Bo Walker's 1-yard run made it 17–0 with 1:55 left in the second quarter.
The biggest play came 86 seconds later. A sack of Florida quarterback Tramell Jones Jr. produced a fumble that Georgia's Chris Cole returned 66 yards for a touchdown with 29 seconds left in the half, and the Bulldogs went to the locker room up 24–0. The third quarter was scoreless.
Florida (5–3) finally reached the end zone in the fourth quarter. Jones ran 2 yards for a touchdown with 6:59 to play, and running back Jadan Baugh passed to D. Wilson for the two-point conversion, cutting the deficit to 24–8. Woodring answered with a 21-yard field goal with 3:34 left to close the scoring.
The defense and the ground game
- Florida turned it over four times: three interceptions — two by Aaron Philo (5 of 7 for 26 yards) and one by Jones — and the lost fumble. Georgia's Demello Jones and Ellis Robinson IV each had an interception.
- Georgia ran for 217 yards on 42 carries (5.2 per attempt). Frazier had 67 yards on 12 carries, and Dwight Phillips Jr. added 67 on eight.
- Florida managed 48 rushing yards on 28 carries (1.7 per attempt). Baugh had 38 yards on 17 carries.
- Cole finished with nine tackles. Raylen Wilson had eight.
Through the air
Gunner Stockton was 13 of 23 for 101 yards with no interceptions, and Craig Dandridge led Georgia with three catches for 39 yards. Jones was 18 of 25 for 172 yards with an interception for Florida, and Bailey Stockton caught eight passes for 76 yards.
By the numbers
- Total yards: Georgia 318, Florida 246.
- First downs: Georgia 19, Florida 15. Third-down conversions: Georgia 6 of 15, Florida 4 of 12.
- Penalties: Florida 8 for 78 yards, Georgia 4 for 32.
- Time of possession: Georgia 32:11, Florida 27:50.
Earlier today: our first-quarter update and our preview.