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Saturday’s Florida-Georgia game features two teams that had byes last week. The Bulldogs are coming off a 9-6 slugfest of a victory at Missouri while Florida held its own in Death Valley before eventually losing at LSU 35-28.
This week’s matchup between these bitter rivals has plenty of title implications for the SEC East and national championships. In other words, it feels like much more than an annual cocktail party.
Here is what a few media outlets are saying about the biggest SEC contest of the week:
- Georgia is looking to Sony Michel to boost its sagging offense. Nick Chubb is out for the year, and Greyson Lambert has fallen back to earth after a two-week stretch during which he was completing more than 90 percent of his passes. So it’s no surprise that the Bulldogs are seeking a spark for their offense. The Associated Press feels that turning to Michel is a good idea. So do we.
- Florida and Georgia are in different positions, but the same SEC East goal is within reach. So says ESPN, which is rather obvious. But with Florida entering the game with just one loss, it’s fair to say that the Gators have much more at stake.
- Florida, Georgia enter Saturday’s showdown with questions surrounding their rushing attacks, according to the Palm Beach Post. The Bulldogs’ running game hasn’t been the same since losing Chubb in the 38-31 loss to Tennessee on Oct. 10. The Gators are obviously going to need a big effort from their backs, particularly Kelvin Taylor, who is averaging just 3.6 yards per carry.
- Mark Richt is facing his fifth Florida coach in Jacksonville. The Georgia coach is in his 15th season with the Bulldogs, and in that time, he has gone head-to-head with Steve Spurrier, Ron Zook, Urban Meyer and Will Muschamp, as the Albany Herald points out.
- Gators QB Treon Harris stays cool when lights are brightest. That’s the opinion shared by jacksonville.com, which has to be good news for Florida. Harris did a decent job against LSU two weeks ago, completing 17 of 32 passes for 273 yards, 2 touchdowns and no interceptions.
Stan Chrapowicki is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers SEC football, Alabama and Auburn.
