Gunner Stockton threw two touchdown passes, Chauncey Bowens scored on a late 36-yard run and No. 5 Georgia escaped the rivalry known as “The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party” with a 24-20 victory against Florida on Saturday.
It was the Bulldogs’ fifth consecutive victory in the series and their eighth in the last nine meetings. But this one was closer than any of those others.
Georgia stopped Florida on a fourth-and-1 at the Bulldogs 18-yard line with a little less than eight minutes to play, a momentum-turning moment in a back-and-forth game. Stockton and Zachariah Branch took over from there, putting Georgia (7-1, 5-1 SEC) in position for its fourth come-from-behind victory in six league games.
Bowens darted up the middle following the duo’s second connection and scampered untouched to the end zone.
Florida (3-5, 2-3) had a chance late, but DJ Lagway’s deep pass short-hopped intended receiver J. Michael Sturdivant. Sturdivant got behind the defense and probably would have scored had the pass not been badly underthrown.
Stockton, a noted alligator hunter in the offseason, completed 20 of 29 passes for 223 yards. Branch caught 10 passes for 112 yards.
Bowens and Nate Frazier combined for 115 yards on the ground.
Florida played inspired football in its first game since firing coach Billy Napier. Receiver Eugene Wilson III was the biggest benefactor of Napier’s departure. He more than doubled his receiving yards on the season, finishing with nine catches for 121 yards and a touchdown.
Interim coach Billy Gonzales made an aggressive call to go for it on fourth down, but giving the ball to Jadan Baugh up the middle was as predictable as anything Napier did in his four seasons with the Gators.
Georgia plays at Mississippi State next Saturday, while Florida plays at Kentucky.
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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