JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Kirby Smart and his Georgia football group eventually paid homage to Vince Dooley on Saturday by turning back competitor Florida like he did for much of his time as Bulldogs football coach throughout his 25 seasons.
The No. 1 Bulldogs gaveup 17 unanswered points in the 3rd quarter priorto pushingback the rally. They made sure they left TIAA Bank Field on the banks of the St. Johns River victors for the 5th time in the last 6 years on Saturday with a 42-20 success.
Georgia leapt to a 25-point halftime lead, heldupagainst the Gators slicing into that in the 3rd quarter and made some huge plays when it required them in the 2nd half.
Georgia is in a golden age for its veryfirst football program and that consistsof versus Florida.
This is the finest stretch for the Bulldogs in the series consideringthat winning 7 of 8 from 1978-85 when Dooley was coach.
The Bulldogs legend passedaway Friday afternoon in Athens at age 90. A minute of silence was held priorto the videogame for Dooley who went 17-7-1 record versus the Gators.
Nick Saban honors late Vince Dooley: ‘One of my preferred individuals in the world’
Georgia enhanced to 8-0, 5-0 in the SEC heading into a face-off with No. 3 Tennessee on Saturday in Athens.
Here are a coupleof things we foundout from the success over the Gators:
Big day for tight end Brock Bowers
Tight end Brock Bowers hasactually made a lot of huge plays in his season-and-a-half-plus at Georgia
The 73-yard goal in the 2nd quarter might leading them all for its sheer wonderment of “how the heck did he get ahold of that ball?”
The fourth-down catch he made in the 4th quarter might haveactually been more essential for the sophomore from Napa, California.
On a fourth-and-7, Florida leapt offsides and quarterback Stetson Bennett took benefit of the complimentary play and hit Bowers on the right side. The sophomore twisted and made the catch for 29 backyards.
Georgia transformed for the 8th time in 8 4th down attempts this season.
Bowers completed with a career-high 154 getting lawns
On the next play, Kenny McIntosh scored on a 4-lawn run with 11: 44 to go to make it 42-20.
Bowers’ long goal pass to the left side in the veryfirst half came with linebacker Amari Burney in protection.
Burney reached out to deflect the ball with his right hand. It appeared to bounce off his helmet and then hit his left hand. That’s when Bowers got into the act.
He turned and batted the ball not assoonas however twotimes with his left hand and then got the ball with 2 hands. With Burney on the ground, Bowers