No. 1 Georgia puts its 24-game win streak on the line against rival Florida in the 'Cocktail Party'
Georgia quarterback Carson Beck (15) looks to throw a pass against Vanderbilt in the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023, in Nashville, Tenn. Credit: AP/George Walker IV
No. 1 Georgia (7-0, 4-0 SEC) vs Florida (5-2, 3-1), Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET (CBS).
Line: Georgia by 14 ½, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
Series record: Debatable. Georgia says it leads 55-44-2 and counts a victory in 1904. Florida insists that first meeting came two years before the school formally formed its football program and says it should be 54-44-2.
WHAT’S AT STAKE?
The Bulldogs have the nation’s longest winning streak, a 24-game run that includes back-to-back national championships. They’ve won two in a row and five of six against the Gators in the neutral-site rivalry nicknamed “The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party.” Florida coach Billy Napier, with a top-five recruiting class in the works, is trying to close the gap on the Bulldogs — or at least not fall further behind — and winning in Jacksonville would fast track his rebuild.
KEY MATCHUP
Georgia RB Daijun Edwards versus Florida’s run defense that was gashed by Kentucky and has allowed 4.31 yards a carry, 11th in the SEC. Edwards, who made his first career start at South Carolina last month, had a career-high 146 yards rushing and a touchdown in a 37-20 victory against Vanderbilt on Oct. 14. He leads Georgia with 460 yards rushing and five touchdowns despite missing the first two games while recovering from a sprained knee.
Florida head coach Billy Napier checks the scoreboard on third down during the first half of an NCAA college football game against South Carolina on Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023, in Columbia, S.C. Credit: AP/Artie Walker Jr.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Georgia: With All-American TE Brock Bowers sidelined with a sprained ankle, sophomore Oscar Delp should get a chance to slide into a starting role with the Bulldogs. Delp has 13 catches for 160 yards and two TDs this season.
Florida: WR Ricky Pearsall leads the team with 44 catches for 619 yards and three touchdowns. He also has a rushing score and is the Gators’ primary punt returner. He had 10 receptions for 166 yards, including a 21-yarder for a score with 47 seconds remaining, in a win at South Carolina two weeks ago.
FACTS & FIGURES
Georgia head coach Kirby Smart gives instruction to his players in the second half of an NCAA college football game against Vanderbilt, Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023, in Nashville, Tenn. Credit: AP/George Walker IV
Georgia coach Kirby Smart is 5-2 in the ‘Cocktail Party.’ … Carson Beck will be the third Jacksonville native to start at QB in the series in his hometown. Florida’s Don Gaffney (1973-75) and Tim Tebow (2007-09) are the others. … The Bulldogs lead the nation in third-down defense, allowing opponents to convert only 23.6%. Georgia’s last three SEC opponents have been successful 19% of the time on third down. … Georgia is No. 1 in The AP Top 25 for the 19th consecutive week, the third-longest streak of all-time and the longest in SEC history. … The Bulldogs have won 34 consecutive regular-season games, beginning with a 31-24 win over Mississippi State on Nov. 21, 2020. … The Gators have never beaten the nation's No. 1 team while unranked. ... Florida QB Graham Mertz has completed 76.2% of his passes, which leads the SEC and ranks third nationally behind Oregon’s Bo Nix and Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy. … The Gators have scored in 443 consecutive games, an NCAA-record streak that began in 1988.
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