Georgia vs. Florida score, takeaways: No. 1 Dawgs cruise to victory, but Gators put up fight in second half

The 100th meeting of the Florida-Georgia game was all about the Dawgs ... except for the third quarter

No. 1 Georgia began its rivalry showdown with Florida with a dominating effort, jumping ahead to a 28-3 halftime lead, but after a major Gators comeback in the third quarter, the Bulldogs roared back across the final 15 minutes for a 42-20 win. Georgia star tight end Brock Bowers led the way with a career game, but two interceptions from quarterback Stetson Bennett kept things interesting until late in the contest.

Florida QB Anthony Richardson, who was playing through a thigh/hip injury suffered on his first play from scrimmage, led a 13-play, 75-yard touchdown drive capped by a Trevor Etienne touchdown to start the third quarter. The Gators ultimately scored on their first three possessions of the second half to draw their deficit down to 28-20. Two of Florida's scores during the run began with Georgia turnovers, but once the Dawgs started taking care of the football, they pulled away late.

Bowers established himself in the second quarter with a highlight-reel tip-drill 73-yard touchdown reception and made several big catches as he amassed a career-high 154 yards, but the Dawgs also found success in the run game with Kenny McIntosh and Daijun Edwards combining for nearly 200 yards and four scores.

The victory keeps Georgia unbeaten entering a huge showdown with No. 3 Tennessee next week in the SEC on CBS Game of the Week. The win was also the sixth for Georgia across its last seven meetings with Florida. 

Doing it for Dooley

Georgia's rivalry win came one day after the death of legendary former Bulldogs coach and athletic director Vince Dooley. Serving as Georgia coach from 1964-88, Dooley posted a 17-7-1 record against Florida. The legendary figure coached Georgia to a national title in 1980 and continued as athletic director until 2004. Following the win, current Georgia coach Kirby Smart shared how Dooley was a source of inspiration for the Bulldogs against Florida.

"This win goes to Coach Dooley," Smart said. "He would have been so proud of our first half. He might not have been proud of our second half, but Coach Dooley has meant so much to this university … this win is for him."

Turnover troubles 

The times when Georgia has been most vulnerable this season are when it has stopped taking care of the football. In an underwhelming 39-22 win over Kent State on Sept. 24, the Bulldogs lost the turnover battle 3-1. In a 26-22 win at Missouri on Oct. 1, UGA needed a fourth-quarter rally to avoid a catastrophic upset loss. In part, it was because the Bulldogs lost the turnover battle 2-0. Though the Tigers scored just three points on those turnovers, they kept Georgia from finding a rhythm and taking command of a game they were supposed to win easily. Such was life against Florida in the third quarter. 

A Kenny McIntosh fumble on the Georgia 27-yard line led to a Florida field goal. On the next possession, Bennett was intercepted, which led to a 78-yard touchdown pass from Richardson to Xzavier Henderson three plays later. Georgia closed the game with a bang, but it was another example of a lost turnover battle leading to tense moments in the second half of a game the Bulldogs were supposed to win easily. Similar issues against the No. 3 Volunteers next week, or potential College Football Playoff matchups, could prove more costly.

Crucial calls

Florida was penalized seven times for 53 yards compared to just four penalties totaling 40 yards on Georgia. The Gators entered the game tied for No. 10 nationally in fewest penalty yards per game, and a few calls that went against UF had a particularly large impact on the game. Georgia tight end Ladd McConkey appeared to push off the defender on a critical 30-yard completion that set up Georgia's final touchdown before halftime. Instead, Florida's Jason Marshall Jr. was called for pass interference.

Ultimately, Georgia's ability to avoid penalties is one of its strengths compared to potential SEC Championship Game opponent Alabama. The Bulldogs entered the game ranked No. 5 nationally in fewest penalties per game with four, and that's exactly how many the Bulldogs committed on Saturday. The Crimson Tide, by contrast, rank No. 125 with 8.62 penalties per game.

[Oct 29, 2022 at 6:58 pm ET · David Cobb]

Daijun Edwards over 100

Georgia's junior running back has himself a nice game going. He just surpassed the 100-yard mark as the Bulldogs bleed some clock. Has found the end zone twice as well on just 11 carries. Freshman back Branson Robinson is also getting significant work on this drive as well.

[Oct 29, 2022 at 6:52 pm ET · David Cobb]

Big interception

Anthony Richardson wisely lofted one toward the end zone on fourth down instead of taking a sack that would have turned the football over on downs. It's intercepted, which basically seals this one as Georgia now begins to drain clock on the ground.

[Oct 29, 2022 at 6:47 pm ET · David Cobb]

Gators moving

Florida isn't throwing in the towel here. Gators have the football in the red zone as the sky goes dark in Jacksonville. Lot of ground to make up for UF, but Anthony Richardson can pile 'em up.

[Oct 29, 2022 at 6:40 pm ET · David Cobb]

Dawgs barking

Kenny McIntosh finishes the drive with a 4-yard touchdown run, and just like that the Bulldogs have retaken control of the game. It's 42-20 with 11:44 remaining after Florida quit it to 28-20 with 3:31 left in the third quarter. Bulldogs have found their "Oh, we better try" gear. Spread was 22 or 22.5 depending on when/where you got it.

[Oct 29, 2022 at 6:38 pm ET · David Cobb]

Into the red zone

It was decision time for Georgia facing a fourth-and-7 at the Florida 33 while leading 35-20. The Bulldogs rolled the dice, and it paid off with a completion to Brock Bowers down the right side.

[Oct 29, 2022 at 6:16 pm ET · Barrett Sallee]

We got a game in Jax

3:31 Q3: No. 1 Georgia 28, Florida 20

This game seemed destined for a blowout in the first half, but things changed in a hurry. Gator quarterback Anthony Richardson cashed in Stetson Bennett IV's interception with a 78-yard touchdown to Xzavier Henderson, who was wide open down the right sideline. Richardson has 171 yards passing on the afternoon, despite suffering a leg injury on the Florida's first snap of the game. Buckle up.