ATLANTA, Georgia turned Florida's mistakes into a decisive advantage Saturday, beating the Gators 27-8 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium behind four forced turnovers and a defense that allowed just 54 rushing yards. The victory came two weeks after the No. 3 Bulldogs suffered a 27-24 home loss to unranked Auburn, with Georgia delivering a markedly stronger performance against its No. 17 rival.
The Bulldogs recorded four sacks, rushed for 217 yards and converted four of their five red zone opportunities. Their sixth consecutive win over Florida improved coach Kirby Smart's record in the matchup to 9-2. Georgia has not enjoyed a stretch this successful in the rivalry since winning six straight meetings from 1978 through 1983.
Florida coach Jon Sumrall started Aaron Philo, who had opened the first six games before a throwing shoulder injury sidelined him. Tramell Jones Jr. had passed for 155 yards and two touchdowns in Florida's 27-24 road upset of Texas on Oct. 17, but initially returned to a reserve role. Neither quarterback escaped Georgia's pressure, and the pair combined for three interceptions. Florida also committed eight penalties totaling 78 yards.
Philo's first interception came after Georgia missed a 43-yard field goal on its opening possession. Trying to evade linebacker Raylen Wilson, Philo attempted an underhand throw toward Jadan Baugh while falling, and cornerback Ellis Robinson IV intercepted it. A Florida penalty for roughing the punter extended Georgia's next possession, which ended with Nate Frazier's one-yard touchdown run.
Another Philo pass sailed high toward Eric Singleton Jr., deflected off the receiver's hands and was intercepted by Demello Jones, who returned it 23 yards. A sideline interference penalty moved Georgia to Florida's 17, setting up Peyton Woodring's 28-yard field goal. Jones replaced Philo on the next possession, but Florida punted again. Bo Walker subsequently scored from one yard out to give Georgia a 17-0 advantage.
Florida's late first-half opportunity instead produced another Georgia touchdown. After Evan Pryor missed a block, Quintavius Johnson struck Jones from behind as the quarterback prepared to pass. Chris Cole recovered the resulting fumble and ran 66 yards for a score, extending the lead to 24-0. Smart credited defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann and his staff with simplifying their approach so players could react quickly against Florida's offense.
The Gators reached Georgia's 3-yard line in the third quarter, only for Braylon Conley to intercept Jones' underthrown pass intended for Singleton in the end zone. Florida remained scoreless through three quarters for the first time since its 30-3 defeat against Oregon State in the 2022 Las Vegas Bowl.
Jones eventually scored on a two-yard run after a fourth-and-goal pass interference penalty, then connected with Dallas Wilson for a two-point conversion. That made it 24-8 with 6:59 remaining and preserved Florida's NCAA-record scoring streak of 481 games. Sumrall acknowledged that his team's mistakes had helped an already strong opponent and said improvement was needed throughout the program.
The rivalry moved to Atlanta for the first time because EverBank Stadium is undergoing a $1.4 billion renovation. Jacksonville has hosted almost every meeting since 1933, with campus games in 1994 and 1995 also prompted by stadium renovations. Next season's matchup will take place at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa before the series returns to Jacksonville in 2028.
