This Saturday, the Gators will take on Georgia in Atlanta in hopes of reversing the recent trend that has seen the Bulldogs win eight of the last nine games. Florida is actually the team coming in with a bit of momentum after their win over Texas, while Georgia is coming off a loss to Auburn.
Georgia is favored by double digits in this game, but these are the three storylines to watch if Florida is to pull off the upset.
Three storylines to pay attention to on Saturday if Florida is to upset Georgia
Does Jon Sumrall get the starting QB decision correct?
Sumrall was relatively mum on Monday when asked about who his starting QB would be this Saturday. Aaron Philo had been the starter before he was hurt against South Carolina, paving the way for Tramell Jones to start against Texas. The stat line for Jones wasn’t anything amazing, but it was enough for Florida to get the win.
We are going to stick to our thesis that Jones has a higher ceiling than Philo and a bit more playmaking ability. And in a game like this, where one can probably expect Georgia to get a bit of pressure on Florida’s QBs, the Gators are going to need someone who can create on their own if needed.
Either way, if Florida is to win, Sumrall will need to push the right button in this category.
Does Vernell Brown III return and open Florida’s offense back up?
One of the not-so-hidden factors as to why Florida’s offense hasn’t been as explosive the past three games compared to the first four games is the abscense of Vernell Brown III. He’s been out with a knee injury, and despite Sumrall continuing to hint that VB3 has been close to returning, he has yet to return.
Sumrall hinted on Monday that Brown is close to returning and that he was in practice. The reality is that Bailey Stockton, taking his place in the slot, just hasn’t had the same level of explosiveness. Brown being back in the mix could create some matchup nightmares for Georgia.
Does the defense keep up their high blitz rate?
Florida had massive success against Texas because they just started blitzing like crazy, and Arch Manning froze. The numbers would indicate Gunner Stockton does much better when facing a blitz.
But Georgia’s offense doesn’t actually rank that high in terms of explosiveness, so it could actually benefit the Gators to stay aggressive anyway, especially knowing that staying back in a soft zone hasn’t worked against anyone.
Add us as a preferred source on Google