It’s been a staple of the Georgia storyline all season, and there it was again Saturday against Florida. Florida running back Jordan Scarlett fumbled on the Gators’ first possession, and Richard LeCounte returned the ball to the 13-yard line.

It was dagger time for the Georgia offense.

Already up 3-0, the Bulldogs ran it twice but went nowhere. It was 3rd-and-long, and you know what that meant — failure. Despite all Georgia’s successes so far in 2018, converting on 3rd-and-long isn’t one of them.

So just when it seemed an incomplete pass from quarterback Jake Fromm was going to lead to another field goal attempt, Fromm instead whistled a perfect pass to Jeremiah Holloman in the left corner of the end zone for a 16-yard touchdown.

Just like that, bam. A touchdown. Two more touchdown passes from Fromm on third down came later as part of the Bulldogs’ huge 36-17 victory over Florida, and all is right with the Bulldogs once again.

“It comes down to execution of all 11 guys on the field,” Fromm told reporters. “As a unit, on third down, we really focused in and came together. That’s a great feeling when they’re all clicking.”

Fromm was 6-for-7 passing on third down Saturday, five getting first downs or scores. He also converted two first downs with his legs. It was in stark contrast to two weeks ago in the loss to LSU, when the Bulldogs were only 6-of-19 in converting third downs. On 3rd-and-5 or more, Fromm was just 2-for-8 passing, with 2 interceptions. It was that bad.

But did Fromm wallow during the bye week? Of course not. He went to work. They all did. And it was fixed, just like that. Practices were that good.

“I was just trying to get better during the bye week. There’s no other way to say it, we had to get better all around, including myself,” Fromm said. “I  really wanted to come out and make a statement today. We had to win this football game. Our backs were against the wall, and we wanted to keep every goal that we want alive.”

Georgia coach Kirby Smart calls Fromm  “a high-character kid who works his tail off every play.” He wasn’t the least bit bothered by the criticism of Fromm after the LSU loss, and he stuck with him for entire game Saturday, opting to keep Justin Fields on the bench.  “The outside noise affects the players more than it affects me,” he said.

Fromm’s teammates see it, too. He knows the offense in and out, and not just his role in it. He keeps everyone involved.

“Fromm is an amazing quarterback. He’s like a coach out there on the field, he’s going to tell you who to block, what defense they are in and what we are going to check to,” said wide receiver Terry Godwin, who caught Fromm’s last third-down touchdown pass. “It is great to have a quarterback like that, because he is going to put you in the right position to make the right plays.”

Even the guys who see him in practice every day know he’s a winner. That LSU game was a rarity, and nothing more. Jake is Jake.

“Jake did today what he’s always done, he’s always been a phenomenal player,” said Georgia linebacker Monty Rice, who’s seen it all in practice against Fromm. “I remember as a freshman, he threw an interception against Missouri, and the next drive he forgot all about it, so he’s always ready to bounce back and make plays.”

Fromm, who is 19-3 as a starter, is so much more than just a football player. He’s a spiritual kid who takes his faith to heart, so forgiving himself and moving on to the next play or the next game is part of his personality. That showed Saturday. The LSU Jake Fromm was nowhere to be found on Saturday.

“I’m not proving anything to anybody, whether they think I’m a good football player or not,” Fromm said. “I’m playing because God put me on the planet to play football and worship him, that’s the reason I play. I play for my family and I play for my brothers in the locker room. I’m not trying to impress anybody or anything.”

Fromm deserves the most credit for simply having a great feel for the game. The final drive before halftime was a perfect example of that. Smart had botched the clock management, keeping two timeouts in his pocket, and Georgia had only 50 seconds to try to add to their 10-7 lead.

Fromm and tight end Isaac Nauta simply took over, and the Bulldogs flew down the field.

Nauta knew Florida would try to cover him with a linebacker, and he told Fromm as much. After a play-action fake, Fromm hit Nauta in stride on the right sideline for a 27-yard gain. Making eye contact with a quick nod, they connected on three more passes in a row

“Sure enough, he threw it, we ran it again; he threw it, we ran it again,” Nauta said, his eyes dancing as he recounted it. “We switched it up and he hit me over the middle; and then he hit me again on the sideline.

“It was huge to be able to make those plays for us and be able to get some points before halftime. And Jake did a great job.”

It was a huge win for Fromm and the Bulldogs, mostly because it knocked a very good Florida team out of the SEC race. Next up is 7-1 Kentucky, and the goal is the same again. Knock them out, too. Fromm will certainly be up for the challenge.

“It just felt like a really physical football game and it was back and forth for a little while,” Fromm said.  “It felt like everything we got today was earned. When that happens it’s a really good feeling for everybody. I thought everybody played pretty well collectively.”

And those third downs? Have faith in Jake now.