Georgia loses control of the SEC East with loss to Florida
The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party turned into Georgia's nightmare on Saturday.
Not only did the Bulldogs likely lose any shot at a potential College Football Playoff berth with its second defeat of the season, but Georgia lost its grip on the SEC East with its 38-20 loss to Florida in Jacksonville, Fla.
We're all conditioned to expect craziness when it comes to rivalry games, but only a die-hard Florida fan would have envisioned the Gators running for 418 yards on Georgia's defense. It got to the point where Georgia knew that Florida wasn't going to throw the football, and it still couldn't stop the Gators' running game.
Running backs Kelvin Taylor and Matt Jones had nearly identical statlines for Florida. Each had 25 carries and two touchdowns. Taylor had 197 yards. Jones had 192. Meanwhile, Florida quarterback Treon Harris threw six passes. Yes, six.
Georgia's freshman Nick Chubb, starting in place of the suspended Todd Gurley, had 156 yards rushing on 21 carries, but he had a third quarter fumble that cost Georgia any shot of a comeback. After Florida went up 24-7 in the third quarter, Chubb sprinted for a 43-yard gain. However, as he was tackled, he fumbled and Florida recovered. While Florida didn't score on the drive, it was able to put Georgia back deep into its own territory once again.
It was 31-7 by the time Georgia got into the end zone again and the Bulldogs went for two with 11 minutes in the fourth quarter hoping to make the deficit 31-15. However, Chubb lost the ball after he caught it and was tackled by two Florida players in the end zone. The pass was ruled incomplete and it remained a three-possession game.
The beneficiary of Georgia's bulldozing? Missouri, the team Georgia beat 34-0 on the road. Missouri beat Kentucky 20-10 on Saturday and moved to 7-2. While both Missouri and Georgia have two losses, Missouri only has one conference loss. Georgia has two after losing to South Carolina earlier in the season.
Now, if Missouri wins out -- it has games against Texas A&M, Tennessee and Arkansas remaining -- the Tigers are SEC East champions. And even if Missouri goes 2-1, it still could be in great shape. Georgia hosts Auburn on November 15 in what's now even more of a must-win game for the Bulldogs' division hopes.
For more Georgia news, visit UGASports.com.
For more Missouri news, visit PowerMizzou.com.
