The Gators were victorious in Jacksonville over rival Georgia. (Getty)
Final Score
11 Florida Gators 6-14-0-0 — 27
Georgia Bulldogs 0-0-3-0 — 3
Box Score
The “World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party” was a bit of a one-sided affair. Both teams got off to slow starts on offense, but the Gators would eventually pull away from the Bulldogs. The Gators 27-3 victory was led once again by their defense.
Florida forced five turnovers which proved to be insurmountable for Georgia. Florida quarterback Treon Harris had a solid day as he went 8-of-19 for 155 yards. Wide Receiver Antonio Calloway was responsible for 110 of those yards and scored a touchdown. Calloway continues to be Florida’s big play receiver. Kelvin Taylor rushed for 121 yards and two touchdowns.
Faton Bauta got his first career start at quarterback for Georgia. Bauta struggled mightily and threw four interceptions.
The Gators are now in the driver’s seat to win the SEC East and head to Atlanta in a month for the SEC Championship. They take on Vanderbilt next week.
Here is how the Gators cruised to victory:
Faton Bauta Started at Quarterback for the Bulldogs
Georgia will make a change at QB this week and start Jr. Faton Bauta in Bulldogs’ rivalry game vs Florida.
The red-shirt junior got his first career start in one of the biggest rivalry games of the year. Bauta previously lost the starting job to Greyson Lambert over the offseason, but the Georgia coaching staff felt a change needed to be made. Early on it was a defensive struggle as neither team could find the endzone in the first quarter.
Gators Got an Interception Late in the First Quarter
Marcus Maye intercepted Bauta at midfield late in the first quarter. It was the first critical mistake he made of the game, but the Gators could not capitalize on the turnover. The Florida offense went three and out.
Florida Scored on a Fumbled Punt
How Florida made it 6-0 on a Georgia fumbled punt
Deep in their own endzone Georgia called for a fair catch, but dropped the punt. Florida was able to recover it in the endzone for the first touchdown by either team. It was the second turnover in the first quarter by the Bulldogs.
Antonio Callaway Scored on a Long Touchdown Pass
#TOUCHDOWN Callaway!! Harris finds him down the sideline and he takes 66 yards! #Gators lead 13-0. #UGAvsUF
Treon Harris connected with his new favorite target wide receiver Antonio Callaway for a 66-yard touchdown. Callaway is picking up where he left off in the Gators last game against LSU where he had a number of spectacular plays.
Bauta Threw His Second Interception of the Game
The Gators put pressure on Bauta and hit his arm as he was throwing the ball forward. The ball popped up in the air and Gators cornerback Vernon Hargreaves got the interception.
Kelvin Taylor Found the Endzone
Shortly after the Gators interception, they took advantage of the great field position. Taylor ran it in for a short touchdown and gave the Gators a 20-0 right before halftime.
Georgia Recovered a Fumble to Start the Third Quarter
The Bulldogs had a nice start to the second half as they recovered a Harris fumble. Georgia was not able to score a touchdown off the turnover but did get a field goal. Later in the third quarter, Georgia was given another fumble recovery but the play was overturned and the Gators retained possession.
Bauta Was Intercepted in the Endzone
#INTERCEPTION in the end zone for @Keanu_Neal! #Gators with a big stop after the #Dawgs drove down the field.
Bauta threw his third interception of the game early in the fourth quarter. The Bulldogs were driving and looked to be on the verge of scoring. Bauta’s pass was picked off by the Gators in the corner of the endzone to end any sort of momentum Georgia was building.
Taylor Put the Game Away
Taylor found the endzone for the second time in the game. It gave the Gators a 27-3 lead midway through the fourth quarter and put the game out of reach for the Bulldogs.
