After a week to focus on themselves and find their identity, the Gators (3-3, 2-3 Southeastern Conference) now turn their attention to their annual matchup in Jacksonville with the Georgia Bulldogs (6-1, 4-1 SEC). Here are five questions Florida has heading into the matchup.
1.) Can Muschamp finally get a win in the series?
Will Muschamp has been on both sides of the Florida-Georgia rivalry in many respects.
He wore both sets of colors — donning the red and black from 1991-1994 and has sported orange and blue since taking over as Florida’s head coach in 2011.
He saw the game from the field as a walk-on defensive back for the Bulldogs, and now views the game from the sidelines as the Gators’ main man.
But one factor has been constant throughout all of Muschamp’s experiences in the series: He has always been on the losing end of the ball game.
Through seven games in this series, Will Muschamp is a combined 0-7 in the Florida-Georgia rivalry.
He was part of the first Georgia class to lose all four games they played against the Gators.
Now, Muschamp’s senior class has the potential to fall into that category pending the outcome of Saturday’s game.
A loss to the Bulldogs would mathematically eliminate Florida from contention for the SEC East Title.
It could also mean the inevitable end of Muschamp’s tenure in Gainesville.
2.) How much of a spark will Treon Harris provide to the offense?
Fans have seen glimpses throughout the season of what Harris can do when he takes command of the offense.
The true freshman threw two 70-plus yard touchdowns in Florida’s delayed season opener against Eastern Michigan. He sparked the Gators to a fourth-quarter comeback against Tennessee on the road. He led UF to two scoring drives against Missouri — both of which were at least nine plays and 63 yards.
While he has done well in spurts, it will be interesting to see if Harris will be able to sustain that performance throughout an entire 60-minute, high-pressure contest.
And Saturday’s game in Jacksonville is the perfect test for that.
On paper, Harris has the potential for a big game.
The Bulldogs are ninth in the SEC and 48th in the country in pass defense (215.4 yards/game), which is worse than any other conference opponent the Gators have faced to this point.
3.) Can the Gators contain the ‘Dawgs’ run game?
The Gators’ defense has been solid against the run all year. They’re giving up an average of just 3.08 yards per rush — good for the third-best mark in the conference — have allowed an SEC East-low five touchdowns on the ground and have yet to give up a rush longer than 30 yards. And that’s including matchups against Alabama’s three-headed monster in the backfield (Derrick Henry, T.J. Yeldon and Kenyan Drake) and LSU’s freshman phenom Leonard Fournette.
But that could change Saturday. Georgia is averaging 265.9 rushing yards per game and have 24 rushing touchdowns on the year.
Running back Todd Gurley — who sat out UGA’s last two games while the NCAA investigated whether or not he signed memorabilia for profit — has the chance to return this week.
UGA head coach Mark Richt said Tuesday that Gurley has received "a good bit of reps" and Richt wants him to be to the point that he’ll be able to play well if cleared.
But even without Gurley, who averaged 154.6 yards per game in five contests before being suspended, the Bulldogs are stacked at the running back position.
In Gurley’s absence against Missouri and Arkansas, true freshman Nick Chubb tallied 345 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 68 attempts.
4.) Can Florida get out to a fast start?
Under Muschamp, the Gators are 9-13 when their opponent is the first to get on the scoreboard — that includes a 1-2 record this season. The one win came against Tennessee, when Harris came in with 8 seconds remaining in the third quarter and led Florida to 10 unanswered points.
The two losses came in a 42-21 defeat against Alabama and a 42-13 beatdown by Missouri, where the Gators didn’t even get on the scoreboard until the end of the third quarter.
Conversely, Georgia is 98-18 all-time under Richt and 3-0 this season when they are the first team to score.
If the Gators want a chance to compete against the Bulldogs on Saturday, they need to avoid a slow start and not let the mistakes that have riddled them all season snowball throughout the game.
5.) Will Andre Debose be a factor in the return game?
Georgia is giving up a mere 1.9 yards per punt return this season, which is the best in the SEC and the fourth-best mark in the country. Florida sixth-year senior Andre Debose, on the other hand, is second in the conference and fifth in the nation with a 19.8-yard punt return average. He is one of six players in the country to have multiple punt returns of at least 50 yards this season.
Field position will be crucial on Saturday, and Debose will be vital in helping Florida’s offense start out at a manageable spot.
Follow Jordan McPherson on Twitter @J_McPherson
Georgia's Todd Gurley, right, runs the ball past Clemson's Jayron Kearse in the second half of an NCAA college football game in Athens, Ga. Gurley has been suspended for the last two games while Georgia investigated allegations he broke NCAA rules by receiving improper benefits.
