If Jake Fromm heard all the criticism, it sure looked like it went in one ear and right out the other. Georgia’s quarterback seemed unfazed by two weeks of negativity on Saturday, and he nearly played a perfect game in the Bulldogs’ impressive 36-17 over Florida in Jacksonville.

It was a nice bounce-back for Fromm, who had his worst game as a Bulldog two weeks ago in the 20-point loss to LSU. He was 17-for-24 passing (71 percent) against the Gators for 240 yards and 3 touchdowns — all on third down — as the Bulldogs stayed in control of the SEC East race with a huge win over their arch-rival.

Jake Fromm did it the Jake Fromm way, being steady and consistent, and also being calm and collected. He made a bunch of huge third-down throws, and he never panicked when the running game seemed to stall for a couple of quarters. He played the entire game, with freshman sensation Justin Fields watching all of this one from the sidelines.

“Jake Fromm is a high character kid that works his tail off every day,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said about his quarterback. “I’m sure he felt and heard the noise (the past two weeks).”

It was Fromm’s show Saturday, from beginning to end. And what a show he put on.

“The difference was we got kids with character,” Smart said. “Everybody questioned these kids because we didn’t play our best game (at LSU), and all we did was work. Everybody questioned and questioned it. They are tough, physical kids. We still have a long way to go. But we got better today. They played their heart out. I’m so proud of the way they played. I’m proud for the University of Georgia.”

It was important for No. 7-ranked Georgia to set the tone early, because it was No. 9 Florida that came into the game with more momentum. The Gators had beaten that same LSU team that thumped the Bulldogs, and they were flying high and confident that they could come to Jacksonville and win.

Fromm and his defensive teammates had other ideas.

Georgia’s first drive was impressive — except for the ending. Fromm led them on a 12-play 71-yard drive but had to settle for a field goal to take a 3-0 lead.

Then Georgia’s defense — as they have done all year —forced a turnover on Florida’s first possession that led to points. Linebacker Monty Rice knocked the ball free from Florida running back Jordan Scarlett and Richard LeCounte returned in 32 yards to the Gators’s 13-yard line. This is has been a trend all year. It’s the fourth time this season where the Georgia defense has forced a turnover on the first possession and it led to a touchdown.

Georgia capitalized on 3rd-and-13, when Fromm threw a great pass to wide receiver Jeremiah Holloman in the left corner of the end zone. It was a big moment for Fromm, who has struggled on 3rd-and-long all season. The quick 10 points had to feel good.

Fromm had another nice stretch right before halftime, when he once again looked very comfortable in running the Dawgs’ fat-paced 2-minute offense.

Smart mismanaged the final few minutes of the first half, failing to call a timeout on defense, which would have saved 40 seconds, but Fromm and tight end Isaac Nauta took over anyway, trying to cover for their coach’s blunder. They paired up on first down for 27 yards, and then three more completions in a row.

Georgia went 75 yards on seven plays in just 48 seconds to get all the way down to 5-yard line. But on second down, with only 6 seconds left, they were forced to settle for another field goal to make it 13-7.  Smart went to the locker room with those two timeouts still in his pocket.

Why did that matter? Well, it mattered a lot because Florida came right out and scored to take the lead on their first drive of the third quarter. It was game on at 14-13 Florida, and Fromm had to have an answer,

He did.

He led Georgia on a 72-yard drive to get the lead back, going 3-for-3 on the drive and finding Holloman again in the end zone for a 12-yard score. Fromm and the soft-spoken Holloman seem to have developed a special connection.

“He just works,” Smart said of Holloman. “He doesn’t say a word. He just works.”

Fromm got his third touchdown when he found veteran Terry Godwin on a 24-yard score to push the lead to 29-17. There was no looking back.

Saturday’s performance proved that this is Fromm’s team, and it has to stay that way. He’s got the tools and he makes good decisions. He proved a lot on Saturday, mostly that the bad game against LSU wasn’t going to define him, That’s a veteran right there.

And a good veteran at that. As a leader, suddenly the Bulldogs are right back to thinking big again, with a clear path to the SEC East title by beating Kentucky next week in Lexington. Many more goals remain alive after that. This is a resilient bunch, one with a clear leader in Fromm.

“This group of men is as tough as they come,” Smart said.