Three takeaways from No. 7 Georgia’s win over No. 9 Florida
Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm made a very good Florida pass defense look very average Saturday, leading the No. 7 Bulldogs to a 36-17 win over the Gators in Jacksonville.
The Florida-Georgia showdown in Jacksonville is one of the great rivalry games in college football, and the two foes remained close for much of the game, but the Bulldogs put the Gators away in the fourth quarter.
The victory keeps the Bulldogs (7-1) in the hunt for a College Football Playoff spot, while the Gators (6-2) have been effectively eliminated.
Three takeaways from No. 7 Georgia’s win over No. 9 Florida
Jake Fromm burying the quarterback controversy talk
Jake Fromm was the difference for Georgia. Playing with the poise of a senior, the 6-2 sophomore completed 17 of 24 passes for 240 yards and three touchdowns. It’s not like the Gators are some porous Big 12 defense just waiting to be shredded; entering the game, Florida had allowed just 160 passing yards per game, the sixth-best mark in the country and best in the SEC, and had allowed only 16.6 points per contest.
Florida more than doubled that point total, thanks to a balanced attack. D’Andre Swift rushed for 104 yards, and Elijah Holyfield added 71.
But Fromm stepped up every time the Gators needed a big play, including this perfectly placed 12-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Jeremiah Holloman early in the third quarter.
Fromm’s fantastic fade* puts Georgia back on top.
*please excuse the alliteration pic.twitter.com/0Q33JikHwZ
Georgia coach Kirby Smart has been playing true freshman Justin Fields at quarterback in certain situations, and he is a dual-threat asset. But going forward, any whispers that there might be a quarterback controversy brewing in Athens should be put to rest. Fromm is young, and he’s going to make mistakes, as he did in the 36-16 loss to LSU Oct. 13. But as he showed Saturday, he can get the job done against a great defense.
Georgia’s offense could use a bit more creativity
Bulldogs offensive coordinator Jim Chaney’s play calling has been criticized by some for being too predictable. He showed some flair against the Gators, notably calling a jet sweep by Mecole Hardman on third and inches in the first half. OK, so maybe that wasn’t the best time to get fancy, because the play got snuffed. But then, in the third quarter, Georgia ran the ball up the middle on five plays inside the Florida 2-yard line, and gained no yards. It’s nice to have faith in your offensive line to dominate the line of scrimmage, but after three or four snuffs, maybe you try something a little different. In the end, it didn’t matter in this game, but the Bulldogs have weapons and shouldn’t be afraid to open up the offense.
Florida QB Feleipe Franks has great potential, but needs more consistency
Gators sophomore quarterback Feleipe Franks might have been feeling some nerves early in the game, overthrowing a wide open Van Jefferson on a play that likely cost Florida a TD.
I don’t know how Feleipe Franks missed this. Receiver was wide open #Florida pic.twitter.com/gs1Z9fEXyn
Franks also had an ugly interception and underthrew another potential touchdown pass in that first quarter.
But early in the second Franks led the Gators on a 14-play, 76-yard drive, capping it off with a 1-yard TD run. The Gators called some high-percentage pass plays, and Franks looked good completing them.
And Franks looked in control on the opening drive of the second half, hitting Freddie Swain with a beautiful throw for a 36-yard TD.
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WATCH: Feleipe Franks hits Freddie Swain for 36-yard TD https://t.co/5pFYz4OuI1 pic.twitter.com/ktAsKXkiur
But later in the third quarter, Franks fumbled near his own goal line, leading to a Bulldogs field goal. Franks completed 13 of 21 passes for 105 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. The question going forward for the Gators is, which Franks will show up — the Franks who overthrows wide open receivers, or the one who can whip it downfield with confidence. He’s a young quarterback, still learning, but the Gators need the confident Franks at the helm.
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