In desperate need of a win, the Florida Gators travel to Jacksonville, Fla., to take on the Georgia Bulldogs in the annual World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party.

The Bulldogs are ranked No. 8 and will be a tough matchup for the Gators, a team struggling to find any identity in many phases of the game. However, in rivalry games records often mean very little and anything can happen.

Here are the five keys to the Gators coming away with a surprising victory on Saturday.

Play loose

We saw this last weekend with the South Carolina Gamecocks. In the midst of a very disappointing 2014 season, the Gamecocks played like there was no pressure on them and it nearly worked. They had their best game offensively and even converted five of its six fourth-down conversions.

The Gators should take a similar approach to their matchup with Georgia. The Bulldogs are 13-point favorites and with Florida dealing with a new quarterback and coaching rumors, it wouldn’t be surprising to see UGA win big in Jacksonville.

However, the Florida players should take on the attitude that all of the pressure is on UGA — because it is. Barring a miracle, the Gators aren’t going to Atlanta this year, but Georgia is a team that still has all of its goals remaining and could even be in position to compete for a national title. With nothing to lose, a relaxed Florida team should provide a comfortable environment and attitude among the players, a welcomed change from what the Gators have displayed the last few weeks. It may be just what they need to turn things around for their last five games.

Involve Brandon Powell in the gameplan

Let’s face it — the Gators don’t have many offensive playmakers.

Outside of wide receiver Demarcus Robinson and potentially quarterback Treon Harris, the amount of guys who can break off big plays are few and far between.

In limited action this season freshman running back Brandon Powell provided several flashes of that speed and playmaking ability the Gators so desperately need. He got only garbage time against Missouri, but he still racked up 37 yards rushing on just seven carries to lead the team.

Florida will likely work the screen pass and short passing game to help Treon Harris feel comfortable and confident in his first collegiate start. Getting the ball to Powell early and often should help open things up for Harris and the rest of the Gators’ offense, especially if he’s able to gain big yardage with his electrifying speed.

Head coach Will Muschamp said Powell will have a “significant role” in the game, and he must, if the Gators want to think of upsetting the ‘Dawgs.

Force UGA into passing situations

Everyone knows the backbone of the UGA offense is the running game. Whether its Nick Chubb or Todd Gurley or even Brendan Douglas in the backfield, you can bet Georgia is going to run the ball and run it a lot.

Fortunately for the Gators, they’ve excelled at stopping the run this year and will need its best run defense of the season on Saturday. UGA’s running backs are good enough that it’s virtually impossible to shut them down all game, so the Gators shouldn’t concentrate on that. Rather, it’s important for Muschamp’s defense to force Georgia into more passing situations than the Bulldogs are accustomed to.

Not only does it put the onus of moving the ball on quarterback Hutson Mason, but it certainly gives the Gators’ talented pass rush a few opportunities to make some big plays. Mason’s stayed turnover-free over the last few games, but his arm strength leaves a lot to be desired and the tandem of cornerbacks Vernon Hargreaves and Jalen Tabor could make him pay if he’s pressured enough in the backfield.

This will likely be the most effective way for Florida to create turnovers this weekend and the Gators will need at least a couple to keep UGA’s offense off the board enough to win.

Don’t hold Treon Harris back

Muschamp said at his press conference earlier in the week the bye week should allow Harris to utilize most, if not all of the playbook against Georgia.

It’s understandable to expect some hesitation on the coaches’ part, however, when it comes to “unleashing” Harris. He is just a true freshman after all and it’s just his first-ever collegiate start. But what does Florida have to lose? Nothing.

There’s no denying the athleticism of Harris. He’s a good runner with a decent arm. Giving him full use of the offensive playbook may leave the offense vulnerable to turnovers, but frankly, so can playing timid. It’s important the Gators play to win and not play to lose with their newest starting quarterback.

If they don’t hold him back, Harris could surprise everyone and take over the offense. But if they restrict him, there’s zero chance of that happening.

Win third down

The Gators’ third-down conversion rate is at a disappointing 33.6 percent, good for 13th in the SEC. Georgia on the other hand — thanks to its dominant rushing attack — converts third downs at a rate of 42.7 percent.

A key for Florida will be to keep Georgia’s defense on the field and UGA’s offense off the field. The Gators can do that by extending drives, which means third downs will be crucial to their success. They have the talent on the offensive line and at running back to set themselves up for short distances on third down, but it’ll come down to Harris and his ability to extend and make plays.

Defensively, Florida hasn’t been much better, giving up nearly 40 percent of an opponent’s third down attempts. The Gators have particularly struggled on third and long plays due to several communication breakdowns in the secondary. Florida cannot afford to let UGA convert these kinds of backbreaking plays. It simply demoralizes a defense and that’s the unit Florida needs to play its best game of the season in order to pull of the upset.