It has been 16 seasons since the Florida Gators have taken the field donning the color combination of orange helmets, blue jersey tops, and blue pants. The team is hoping to bring back some historic luck when they take the field against the Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday for the 103rd edition of the Florida vs Georgia rivalry game, once again donning that jersey combination.
Florida bringing back historic color combo
The last time they left the locker room in this color combination was in 2009 when the Gator legend, Tim Tebow was in the pocket for Florida. That year, he was 15-for-21 passing for 164 yards with two touchdowns; the Gator great also had 18 carries for 85 yards and two rushing touchdowns. Tebow led the then No. 1 Gators to a 41-17 win over the Bulldogs from Georgia in Jacksonville. That win improved the Gators to 8-0 on the season.
Throughout the game, Florida wide receiver Riley Cooper had four receptions for 78 yards and two touchdowns. Running back, Mike Gillislee had three carries in the game for 57 yards, along with Jeff Demps having five carries for 31 yards.
Defensively, the Gators forced four interceptions on the Bulldogs’ quarterbacks, Joe Cox and Logan Grey. A.J. Jones was credited with two of those interceptions and Brandon Spikes and Ryan Stamper each had an interception as well.
On the special teams side of the ball, Caleb Sturgis was 2/2 in field goals with a long of 56 yards.
The Gators dominated on the field in that game, with 374 total yards in comparison to Georgia’s 286. They had no turnovers and were 7/13 in third down conversions.
When Florida and Georgia face off Saturday, it will be more of an uphill battle as the roles are reversed entering into the matchup. Florida is currently unranked while Georgia sits at No. 3 with a three-game win streak.
With Florida being led by a new interim head coach in Billy Gonzales, they will hope their players can adapt and use the new energy in the locker room to ignite a spark. This is Florida’s chance to prove itself and to make a statement in front of a sold-out Everbank Stadium in Jacksonville.
While Florida comes in as the underdog, they’re wearing a memorable jersey combination and have what it takes to take down the Bulldogs. But they have to play a clean game and get going quickly offensively against the Dawgs.