The Georgia Bulldogs narrowly escaped a comeback by the Florida Gators to post their third straight win in this storied rivalry 23-20. The victory marks for the first time since 1987-1989 that the Dawgs have won three consecutive meetings against the Gators. Senior quarterback Aaron Murray also became the first quarterback since Buck Belue (1979-1981) to beat the Gators three straight times.
“It’s awesome. You always say ‘Every game is the same. Every game is the same.’ But this one is different. There’s a different feel to it. The atmosphere is different. To go out and beat these guys three years in a row, which hasn’t happened in 24 years, is just an awesome feeling.”
In the first half of play the Georgia Bulldogs dashed out to an early 14-0 lead with most of the first quarter remaining. Many thought it may be a blowout, but due to Florida’s resilience, the game ended up being close.
When Georgia was ahead 20-0 in the first half, it was the first time since 1997 that the Dawgs led the Gators by 20 points or more.
The second half was a different story. The Gators held Georgia to zero points and nearly handed the Bulldogs a crushing defeat. In the third quarter, the Bulldogs registered five yards on just six plays. Fortunately for the Dawgs, Todd Gurley was back in action and rushed for 100 yards on 17 carries which is the 12th time in the sophomore’s career that he has reached or eclipsed the century mark.
From a backwards pass that resulted in a fumble recovery by the Gators, to surrendering a safety in the third quarter, the Bulldogs certainly met their fair share of miscues. However, the Dawgs were able to overcome those mistakes and bring home the W to Athens.
The defense stepped up in multitude of ways today. It was the first time all year that the defense held its opponent to 20 points or less. Senior DT Garrison Smith accumulated more sacks against Florida (2.5) than he had all season long (1.5). Junior ILB Ramik Wilson led the Dawgs in tackles for the fifth time this season (11). The double-digit tackling performance was the third time this season where Wilson has recorded 10+ tackles in a game.
The Bulldogs will enjoy the win and then get back to the drawing board to prepare for their next game against Appalachian State next weekend.
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