No. 1 Georgia will try to extend the nation’s longest winning streak to 25 games on Saturday when it takes on rival Florida in Jacksonville, Fla., on the SEC’s “Game of the Week” program on CBS. The Bulldogs have won two straight meetings and five of the last six against the Gators in this storied rivalry.
The Bulldogs won sloppily 37-20 against Vanderbilt two weeks ago in Nashville, in a game in which tight end Brock Bowers suffered an ankle injury that will keep him out of Saturday’s game. Last week’s bye gave coach Kirby Smart and the offensive staff a little more time to develop a plan without his superstar in the lineup.
The Gators also had last week off. The last time they took the field, quarterback Graham Mertz was playing the game of his life in a thrilling 41-39 victory over South Carolina two weeks ago. The fifth-grader threw for 423 yards and three touchdowns that night, including a game-winning 21-yard strike to Ricky Pearsall with 47 seconds left in the game.
What will happen when the two rivals trade blows on the banks of the St. Johns River? Let’s break down the matchup and pick straight up and against the spread.
Georgia vs. Florida: What you need to know
All eyes are on Delp: According to 247Sports, sophomore Oscar Delp was the No. 51 overall player and the top tight end in the class of 2022. He steps into the spotlight as the No. 1 tight end on the depth chart, replacing Bowers. He’s a 6-foot-2, 220-pound player who, like Bowers, has moved on from the new age of pass-catching tight ends. Even though he’s only a second year, Smart feels comfortable with what he’s learned in his short career.
“I think being close to Darnell [Washington] “And Brock last year was a great learning tool for him because as a Y player and a physical blocker, he was able to see Darnell and be with him and he was able to see Brock do the things that he did,” Smart said Monday . “His growth has been good. “I don’t know if he would be where he is if he didn’t have those two because those two required him to do things right to get on the field. He had to earn the right to play. He earned this through his training and his play.”
Will Delp be as successful as Bowers? Probably not. That’s too much to ask. However, it will be fascinating to see how the offense functions with Delp on offense rather than Bowers, who has been the focal point for the first six games.
Can Mertz build on his success? Mertz was phenomenal against the Gamecocks, helping to shape the identity of a Florida offense that made good strides in the first half of the season. History shows that the Bulldogs defense will make life difficult for Mertz by harassing him on almost every pass. Surprisingly, however, the Bulldog defense ranks 87th in the FBS with a pressure rate of 30.3%.
That will probably have to change if Georgia wants to slow Mertz down. He completes 79.5% of his passes and averages 8.6 yards per attempt. He threw 11 touchdowns and just one interception when not under duress.
This is a very interesting matchup to watch. Georgia’s front seven has long been a strength. However, if it doesn’t take a step forward during the bye week, perhaps Mertz could manage to make this game interesting.
Third down means everything: While Georgia’s front seven has failed to live up to the expectations expressed by the previous two teams, the defense as a whole leads the country in third-down defense at 23.6%. Only two conversions have been allowed on third downs in each of the last three games (Vanderbilt, Kentucky, Auburn).
That doesn’t bode well for Florida. Despite recent success with Mertz slinging everything down the field, the Gators offense ranks 109th in the country in third-down conversions at 33.3%. Even in their thrilling comeback win over the Gamecocks last week, they only managed to convert four of their 15 attempts on third down.
“I think ultimately it’s the third down category that you play in,” Florida coach Billy Napier said Monday. “I think you want to be good at third-down defense and make them play third downs and long. I think they did a good job on the early downs and creating those passing downs. Obviously these are much more difficult to convert. This is this.” The key to practice. I think trying to keep third down manageable will be a part of the game, on both sides of the ball, for us and them.”
This will tell the story of the game. It will take a Herculean effort for Florida to solve this mystery.
Here’s how to watch Georgia vs. Florida live
Date: Saturday, Oct. 28 | Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Location: EverBank Stadium – Jacksonville, Florida
TV: CBS | Live broadcast: CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App (Free)
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Georgia vs. Florida prediction, tips
SportsLine consensus odds
Georgia is 1-5 against teams this season, and that trend will continue this week as a Florida team can even tie with the Bulldogs in the race for the SEC East title if they can pull off the upset . The Bulldogs’ offense will struggle a bit without Brock Bowers in the lineup, and that should allow Mertz to keep his team in the game into the fourth quarter. In the end, the Bulldogs’ depth and versatility will shine through and they will come out on top. This feels like a 10-point game and a Florida coverage. Pick: Florida +14.5
Which college football picks can you make with confidence in Week 9 and which underdogs will clearly win? Visit SportsLine to see which teams will win and cover the spread – all using a proven computer model that has returned more than $2,000 in profit over the last seven-plus seasons – and find out.