The Florida Gators (3-4, 2-2) have failed to take down the No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs (6-1, 4-1) since 2020, but the Gators will get the opportunity when interim head coach Billy Gonzales makes his coaching debut Saturday.
“I'm getting chills thinking about it right now,” Gonzales said Monday. “The setting, it's unique. I've always remembered hearing about it when I first got to Florida many moons ago.”
Following the Gators' decision to let go of Billy Napier, offensive coordinator Russ Callaway and play-caller Ryan O’Hara will look to bolster Florida’s offense, which ranks second-to-last in scoring (22.4 PPG) in the SEC.
Here is how the Gators can pull off the upset and improve to 4-4:
Feed Jadan Baugh
The sophomore running back will play a pivotal role Saturday. Baugh is coming off a career-high game against Mississippi State, where he posted 150 rushing yards and added a 19-yard touchdown run.
His fourth score of the season put Florida ahead in the second quarter. If not for a holding penalty, Baugh also would have tallied a 68-yard touchdown run.
Baugh had 23 carries on Oct. 18, his second-highest total thus far. The Gators are 3-0 when Baugh eclipses 100 yards and winless when he falls short of the mark. Heading into Week 10, Baugh ranks sixth among SEC running backs in rushing yards.
It will be key for quarterbacks coach and play caller Ryan O’Hara to incorporate Baugh in the game plan, both on the ground and through the air.
“He can make those plays,” Gonzales said. “He gives you an added receiver in the pass game as well, whether it's coming out of the backfield or splitting out or motioning him … He’s a fantastic player.”
Florida must control the clock and run the ball consistently if it wants to secure a victory. Georgia is allowing opponents to gain 91 yards per game on the ground and is ranked in the top five in the SEC in run defense.
Bulldogs linebacker CJ Allen has tallied 56 total tackles, three sacks and two forced fumbles, leading the team in all categories. The junior is coming off two consecutive outings with 10 tackles.
Start the first half hot
While UGA has a stifling defense, it has shown weaknesses in the opening half of each contest.
In its victory against Tennessee, the Volunteers capitalized on their first three drives. The Bulldogs were down 21-7 after the first quarter.
Similarly, Ole Miss took its first three series to the end zone. Each drive extended over 65 yards and 10 plays.
In its matchup with Alabama, the Crimson Tide scored all 24 of its points in the first half but were shut out in the second.
If the Gators can control the time of possession and maintain quality drives, Georgia will have to adjust in the second half. The key, however, will be if the Gators can maintain that momentum in all four quarters. Florida is averaging 14.7 points in the first half but averages just a touchdown in the second half of games so far this season.
Utilize all available weapons
Lagway has an opportunity to capitalize against a Georgia defensive line that has struggled to generate pressure. The front has just eight sacks on the year.
Lagway has posted 245 or more passing yards in three consecutive games. He’s spread the ball out evenly to his receiving targets all season, placing a larger responsibility on freshman Vernell Brown III.
However, the Gators will be without their standout freshman receiver. Brown suffered an AC sprain against Mississippi State and was announced out in the Gators’ first SEC Injury Report released Wednesday.
Gonzales said extra emphasis will be placed on redshirt sophomore receiver Eugene Wilson III, who has failed to receive much attention this year from his sophomore quarterback.
“He’s embraced hard work,” Gonzales said. “Any time you have a player that's maturing in your program, that means he's bought into the program, he's bought into the system, he's bought into the culture.”
Wilson has just 18 receptions and 118 yards this season. He missed last year’s matchup against Georgia, but when he played in the annual rivalry his freshman season, he posted 11 catches for 75 yards and a touchdown.
Eugene will join Dallas Wilson and senior wide receiver J. Michael Sturdivant in opening up the playbook for Lagway in Gonzales’ first game as head coach.
“We have to be completely bought into the process as receivers, and Tre has done a great job of that,” Sturdivant said. “He’s a very detailed and process-oriented guy.”
Eugene previously received praise from Napier and his teammates for his blocking ability against Texas, despite not recording a reception.
“There's only one ball, and you've got a bunch of skilled guys that are fully capable of taking it to the house or getting the ball in their hands to make plays,” Gonzales said. “When it doesn't come your way, how are you going to respond? How are you going to react? And he's done a fantastic job.”
Pressure Bulldogs QB Gunner Stockton
Georgia’s junior quarterback is fresh off his most efficient game when starting in a Bulldogs uniform.
Stockton completed 84% of his passes with just five incompletions for 289 yards against the Rebels. He tossed four touchdowns in the win, which is the most of his three-year career.
The Tiger, Georgia, native has thrown one interception this season, but has been taken down eight times. The Gators’ front has generated 13 sacks thus far, six of which came in the upset win over Texas.
“He does not make bad decisions," Gonzales said. “So that's one of the things that we're going to look at, and when you start trying to put a game plan together it’s, ‘How can you affect him?’”
Stockton will start against Florida for the first time in his three-year collegiate career. The signal caller spent two seasons behind quarterback Carson Beck prior to taking the starting job.
In addition to Florida’s front seven, the secondary will have to do its part in confusing Stockton. With Bulldogs receiver Colbie Young sidelined, the quarterback will turn to wideouts Zacharia Branch and London Humphreys.
Gators junior defensive back Bryce Thornton is no stranger to UGA or Stockton’s game. The Georgia native competed with Stockton prior to playing in the Swamp.
“He’s a very good quarterback, very poised, always making the right reads,” Thornton said. "I've been playing with Gunner since high school, I played seven-on-seven with him ... and now getting to play him, I'm even more excited."
Riley is a sophomore sports journalism student and is the swim & dive beat reporter for Fall 2025 in her first semester with The Alligator. In her free time, she may be watching past Miami Dolphins or Florida Panthers highlights or hanging out with her friends.
