JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo walked briskly by the EverBank Stadium press field after one more come-from-behind victory on Saturday, shouting, “That is the way in which we prefer it — all the way down to the wire each time!”
The No. 5 Bulldogs’ 24-20 victory over rival Florida proved to be tougher than anticipated, nevertheless it was nothing new for a soccer workforce that has now trailed within the fourth quarter of 4 SEC video games this season, profitable thrice.
“This workforce simply will not go away,” Bulldogs coach Kirby Sensible stated. “One other night time within the SEC. I do not know what else is happening within the nation proper now, however if you play on this league, each sport comes all the way down to the final two possessions.”
That has definitely been the case for the Bulldogs (7-1, 5-1 SEC), who survived to beat the Gators (3-5, 2-3 SEC) for the fifth straight time by making a vital fourth-down cease on protection and once more being on the suitable aspect of a controversial replay ruling.
“I do not consider in enjoying with hearth,” stated Sensible, whose groups are 8-2 towards Florida. “But when I may simply write a script and say, ‘Let’s go up by 14, let’s go up by 21.’ I do not write the script. It performs out. I do know that our children should not uncomfortable enjoying from [behind].
“They do not get chained to a scoreboard. There’s people who play chained to a scoreboard, and our guys are freed from that, and so they simply play and hold chopping and hold chopping as the great issues occur.”
Florida, which was enjoying for the primary time since coach Billy Napier was fired on Oct. 19, took a 20-17 lead on Trey Smack’s 54-yard subject purpose with 14:52 to play. It was Smack’s ninth subject purpose of fifty yards or extra, breaking the Florida profession file.
After the Gators pressured a second straight three-and-out on protection, they drove down the sphere and had fourth-and-1 on the Georgia 18. Linebacker Raylen Wilson and defensive sort out Elijah Griffin stuffed Jadan Baugh for no acquire with 7:54 to play.
“Clearly, vital play for us, however by no means going to second-guess it,” Florida interim coach Billy Gonzales stated. “We needed to go for it. When you kick a subject purpose, you are still down. In the event that they go down and rating, you are still down some extent. We’ll have a look and see the place we went incorrect, however no second-guessing so far as the play that was referred to as.”
After the large defensive cease, Georgia’s offense lastly responded. Quarterback Gunner Stockton transformed a third-and-8 play with an 18-yard move to Zachariah Department. 4 performs later, tailback Chauncey Bowens ran 36 yards for a landing, placing the Bulldogs in entrance 24-20 with 4:36 to go.
Georgia’s protection practically made a catastrophic mistake with lower than 3½ minutes remaining. On third-and-4 from the Florida 31, Gators quarterback DJ Lagway eluded strain and rolled to his left. He threw down the sphere for receiver J. Michael Sturdivant, who slipped previous the secondary and was huge open.
Lagway’s move was underthrown, and Sturdivant misplaced his footing on the Georgia 21 as he tried to make a catch. Officers dominated the ball hit the bottom earlier than Sturdivant hauled it in. After a prolonged replay evaluate, officers upheld the decision.
“I noticed a wide-open man [because] we had a busted protection,” Sensible stated. “We had a man that is imagined to be within the half. He acquired the incorrect sign and performed the incorrect protection. We had no one again there. We had been insanely fortunate that, primary, he did not rating, and he did not catch it.”
It was harking back to a controversial replay ruling close to the top of the primary half in Georgia’s 20-10 victory at Auburn on Oct. 11. Officers dominated that Tigers quarterback Jackson Arnold fumbled when Georgia linebacker CJ Allen punched the ball out on a third-and-goal play with 1:32 remaining within the half. Georgia defensive again Kyron Jones recovered the fumble.
Whereas Tigers coach Hugh Freeze argued that the ball broke the airplane of the purpose line earlier than the fumble, replay officers upheld the decision. The Bulldogs outscored the Tigers 17-0 within the second half.
“I did not see something,” Sensible stated of Sturdivant’s tried catch. “I do not know. I am unable to inform. That is their job.”
Lagway threw incomplete on fourth down, giving the ball again to the Bulldogs with 3:13 to play.
Stockton may have scored a landing on a third-and-1 run however kneeled down on the 1-yard line. Florida was out of timeouts, and Stockton kneeled twice extra to finish the sport.
Stockton accomplished 20 of 29 passes for 223 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.
“He is a gamer,” Sensible stated. “He performs higher as the sport goes on. I did not suppose he performed his greatest sport. They did some good issues defensively. They’re actually tight in protection. We did not run the ball as effectively as we had prior to now. That is each quarterback’s greatest pal.”
The victory was particular for Stockton, whose grandfather, Lawrence Stockton, died of a coronary heart assault in a car parking zone outdoors of the stadium following the Bulldogs’ 34-31 loss to the Gators on Oct. 30, 2010.
It was Gunner Stockton’s solely probability to play the Gators in Jacksonville; the sport might be performed at Mercedes-Benz Stadium subsequent season and Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium in 2027 due to deliberate renovations at EverBank Stadium.
“Yeah, it means so much,” Stockton stated. “My household, now we have some historical past with this sport. Sadly, I misplaced my granddad. However simply coming into it, I had a number of emotion. And I used to be simply actually excited simply to have the ability to play on this sport.”