Georgia will see the Gators’ defense at its angriest.
Florida has had two weeks to steam about giving up 500 yards in a blowout loss to Missouri, and watching the film from that game left the players with one thought: never again.
“That’s not characteristic of us,” linebacker Michael Taylor said. “That’s a one-time thing. I can guarantee you that won’t happen again.”
The Gators get to unleash their fury at EverBank Field on Saturday (3:30 p.m., CBS). Florida and Georgia, both unranked and underachieving, will fight to stay alive in the SEC Eastern Division. The Bulldogs have won two straight in this series and are looking for their first three-game winning streak over UF since 1989.
The teams have identical records of 4-3, including 3-2 in the SEC, and nearly identical odds of capturing the division. The winner will have a slim shot. The loser is virtually done.
UF’s hope rides on a defense that has annually been one of top 10 in the nation during Will Muschamp’s three seasons as head coach. The offense is sputtering behind a shaky line and a depth chart battered by injuries, but this defense can give the Gators a chance against anybody. The unit is out to prove its performance against Missouri, the worst by a UF defense in nearly six years, was an exception.
“Our guys are resilient,” defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin said. “They work hard and they’re confident in what we’re doing. You’ll see it.”
Even after absorbing the 500 yards and 36 points delivered by Missouri, UF’s defense ranks among the nation’s elite. The Gators are fourth in total defense (273.1 yards per game), eighth in points allowed (16.3) and second in third-down stops (72.6 percent).
Their secondary features at least four players with NFL-caliber talent, and that group is allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete just 47.5 percent of their passes. This week’s challenger is Aaron Murray, a four-year starter at Georgia who ranks fourth in the SEC in yardage at 1,938 and third in TD throws with 17 versus only six interceptions.
Murray has yet to play a good game against the Gators but is 2-1 in the rivalry. Against all other teams, he has completed 62.3 percent of his throws, averaged 254.2 yards per game and connected on 106 TD passes against 31 interceptions. His numbers in Florida games are substantially lower: 47.4 completion percentage, 210.7 yards per game, six TDs, seven interceptions.
Despite UF’s past success in containing Murray, Muschamp was measured in his comments about the quarterback this week.
“He understands and has a very good feel for their offense and where they need to take the ball,” he said. “We’re probably not going to show him anything he’s not seen over four years at Georgia.”
The larger concern for Muschamp is his run defense. While the overall failure against Missouri was shocking, the Gators’ problems against the run have been evident for weeks.
They still rank ninth in the nation against the run but have stumbled recently. No team had broken 70 rushing yards against the Gators this season until Arkansas gained 111 in early October. LSU followed that with 175 before Missouri pounded UF for 205.
Georgia is averaging 192.1 rushing yards per game, including 164 against the same Missouri defense that held the Gators to 59. Injuries to star running backs Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall slowed the Bulldogs’ ground attack, but Gurley is expected to play Saturday for the first time in over a month. Before going down with a sprained ankle, he was averaging 112.5 yards per game and 6.3 per carry.
A year ago, Gurley ran for 118 yards and a TD in his Florida-Georgia debut, and that performance still lingers in the Gators’ minds.
“We need to keep him under 100,” Taylor said. “Under 50, if we can.”
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