The Georgia Bulldogs faced a fourth-and-7 at the Florida 33-yard line. The Gators roared back from a 28-3 halftime deficit to cut UGA’s lead to as few as eight points.
After a Bulldogs touchdown and an ensuing Florida turnover on downs, this play was it for the Gators’ brief upset hopes. If Florida could make a stop here, redshirt sophomore quarterback Anthony Richardson and the UF offense could keep the game within reach.
At the snap, senior edge rusher Brenton Cox Jr. jumped offside, allowing Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett to take a shot down the field to sophomore tight end Brock Bowers.
Bowers, who caught a tip-drill 73-yard touchdown earlier in the game, leapt in the air and brought down the catch, dominating his matchup on senior defensive back Trey Dean III to pick up the first down. The Bulldogs scored on the next play and sealed a second-straight win over the Gators.
“I mean [Bowers], he’s one of the most special players in the country and probably one of the best players in the last how many years,” Florida head coach Billy Napier said about Bowers.
UGA, the No. 1 team in the country and reigning national champion, proved to be too much for Florida Saturday en route to a 42-20 win. Georgia’s best players like Bowers and junior defensive lineman Jalen Carter dominated as head coach Kirby Smart’s team looked the part of the country’s top team.
Dating back to Georgia’s 34-7 demolition of Florida last season, the discussion of a talent gap between these two programs has become a hot issue for many Florida fans.
The Bulldogs’ roster features 15 former five-star players, compared to five for Florida according to 247Sports’ team talent composite. That doesn’t include former high-level four-star players like Bowers, who was a recruiting gem for Smart’s program.
Despite the perceived gap in roster talent, Napier dismissed the idea following Saturday’s loss.
“It doesn’t matter if there’s a talent gap or not,” Napier said. “It matters who played the best today — who executed the best. We didn’t execute the best today.”
For a time in the third quarter, Florida did execute. The Gators rattled off 17 unanswered points and forced a pair of Georgia turnovers. Despite a 25-point halftime deficit, Florida showed its resilience and talent against the best.
“I gained a level of respect for [our team] in terms of how they responded at halftime,” Napier said. “That's what I would say that I respect the most; they care.”Florida struggled early against the Bulldogs but still fought to stay in the game. The Gators did the same in losses to Tennessee and Louisiana State earlier in the season, always working to stay in games until the final whistle.
“We’ve been in plenty of games like that before this year,” Richardson said. “We’ve always fought through it. So, that’s just us. That’s just how we play ball.”
The Gators continued to lay the groundwork of Napier’s program in their mentality. This year’s rendition of Florida’s rivalry with Georgia also showed some of the raw talent needed to eventually close the gap on its eastern division counterpart and return to the forefront of college football.
Freshman running back Trevor Etienne finished with 121 all-purpose yards and a touchdown, making plays as a runner, receiver and kick returner. Freshman defensive lineman Chris McClellan made several big stops against the UGA running game and looks to take a larger role along the defensive front in Florida’s final four games.
Both Etienne and McClellan were major recruiting additions for Napier last offseason, highlighting his inaugural recruiting class at Florida. They were the No. 190 and 113 rated recruits in the Gators class according to 247Sports.
“Evaluation of recruitment is always important,” Napier said. “To go where we want to go, to win an SEC Championship, to win a divisional championship, to win our conference, to win a National Championship, you got to do it all really well.”
Florida will look to close out Napier’s first season in Gainesville with a bowl game appearance, needing to win two of its final four to reach the postseason. The Gators also look to finish off a potential top-10 recruiting class to continue the revamped roster build.
UF travels to College Station, Texas, to face the Texas A&M Aggies at noon Saturday. The game from Kyle Field will broadcast on ESPN.
Contact Topher Adams at tadams@alligator.org. Follow him on Twitter @Topher_Adams.
Topher Adams is a fourth-year communications major and in his fourth semester with the Alligator. He previously covered football, baseball and women's basketball. He also enjoys professional lacrosse and Major League Soccer.
