JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — No. 5 Georgia never panicked. Not when Florida took the lead in the fourth quarter and not when the Gators had a chance to put the game away late.
If anything, the Bulldogs were comfortable and confident chasing points down the stretch. It's what they've done all season.
Gunner Stockton threw two touchdown passes, Chauncey Bowens scored on a late 36-yard run and Georgia escaped the rivalry known as the “World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party” with a 24-20 victory against the Gators on Saturday.
Another week, another rally.
“It's better than the alternative, isn't it?” coach Kirby Smart said.
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 go, a momentum-turning play in a back-and-forth game. Stockton and Zachariah Branch took over from there, putting Georgia (7-1, 5-1 Southeastern Conference) in position for its fourth come-from-behind victory in six league games.
“I don't write the scripts,” Smart quipped.
He has witnessed plenty of similar endings. Bowens darted up the middle and scampered untouched to the end zone for the go-ahead score.
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. Smart called his team “insanely lucky.”
“That's how it's been the past couple games,” Georgia cornerback Daylen Everette said. “We get more energy as the game goes.”
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, who simplified the playbook, 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.
“They’re hurting. Our staff’s hurting. I’m hurting,” Gonzales said. “We came here to win. We fell short."
Poll implications
Georgia avoided becoming another top-10 team to lose Saturday and should stay in the top five of the next AP College Football Poll. No. 9 Vanderbilt and No. 10 Miami lost on the road, with the Commodores falling at Texas and the Hurricanes dropping a game at SMU.
Georgia loses two defenders
The Bulldogs lost two starting defenders in the first half and defensive back Demello Jones (elbow) in the second.
Defensive lineman Jordan Hall injured his right knee on Georgia’s first defensive series. He was helped off the field and into the locker room. Defensive back KJ Bolden was ejected for targeting in the second quarter. He was penalized 15 yards for leading a tackle with his helmet.
Florida receiver watches second half in a walking boot
Florida freshman receiver Dallas Wilson came out of the locker room after halftime wearing a walking boot on his right foot. Wilson caught one pass for 7 yards in the first half. He missed the first four games this season with a left foot injury.
The takeaway
Georgia: The Bulldogs have too many holes to be considered a threat in the playoffs. Branch is the team's only offensive star, and the Dawgs rank last in the SEC in sacks.
Florida: Trey Smack set a school record with his ninth career field goal of 50 yards or longer, breaking a tie with Caleb Sturgis. Smack's 54-yarder in the fourth put the Gators ahead 20-17.
Up next
Georgia plays at Mississippi State next Saturday.
Florida plays at Kentucky next Saturday.
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