Thoughts From the Box: Georgia Defeats Florida 24-17

Jake Fromm owns the Florida Gators.

Georgia’s quarterback beat the Gators with his arm last season, and he did it again today to lead the Bulldogs to a big 24-17 win. Fromm was 20/30 for 279 yards and two touchdowns. His best throw, however, came late in the game on a big 3^rd down completion to tight end Eli Wolfe to seal the victory. When the game was on the line, Jake Fromm stepped up and won the game. He wasn’t perfect by any means, but he did more than enough to beat the Gators for the 3^rd consecutive year.

This was the best Georgia has played all year, and they needed every play to hang on and beat their biggest rival.

Once again, the winning team rushed for more yards. The Bulldogs rushed the ball 37 times for 119 yards compared to just 21 rushing yards on 19 carries for the Gators.

Fromm sealed the game, but Georgia won this game in the trenches. Georgia’s defensive line did an excellent job against Florida, especially against the run. Jordan Davis, Tyler Clark, and Azeez Ojulari were three guys in particular who really stood out from the press box. They closed the running lanes and forced Florida to throw the ball more than they wanted too. That group was outstanding.

The secondary also had a fantastic game. The Gator receiving core will likely be the best Georgia will see until the possible SEC Championship, and the Bulldog defensive backs were more than up to the task. The Gators moved the ball through the air in the second half and mounted a nice comeback, but the Bulldogs offense secured the win on the final drive.

Offensively, the line did an excellent job protecting Fromm in the passing game. Fromm had all day to throw throughout the game and was able to find Lawrence Cager 7 times for 132 yards and a big 52-yard touchdown in the 4^th quarter.

For the second straight year, it was Georgia’s play on 3^rd down that made the difference. The Bulldogs were 12 for 18 on 3^rd downs in the game while the Gators were 2 for 9 on 3^rd down attempts.

A lot of credit should go to offensive coordinator James Coley as well. He dialed up a great play that led to a wide-open Lawrence Cager to break the game open. The Bulldogs have struggled to be explosive on offense, but they found a way to get an explosive play when they needed it the most. 

While the Gators made it close in the end, it was clear that Georgia was the better team today. They controlled the game in the first half and won it with some key plays down the stretch in the 4^th quarter. Georgia didn’t play a perfect game, but for the third consecutive season, they were better than the Florida Gators.

With Georgia’s 24-17 win over Florida, the Bulldogs now lead the all-time series 53-43-2. Georgia has won 3 straight over Florida and have won 6 of the last 9 games dating back to 2011.

The 7-1 Bulldogs will host Missouri next week in Sanford Stadium at 7:00 PM.