1. 3-18 – From 1990 through 2010, Georgia went 3-18 against Florida. Most of that destruction came under the watch of the Gators two greatest coaches, Steve Spurrier and Urban Meyer. Spurrier posted an 11-1 record against the Bulldogs, while Meyer was 5-1. Particularly stinging losses came in 2002 and 2003, when Ron Zook-led Florida beat a pair of top five Bulldog teams. That was two decades of misery, and a trail of tears coming back home after Jacksonville losses. Which makes the incredible record of Kirby Smart against the Gators so sweet. Georgia has won seven of the last eight against Florida under Smart’s watch. Combine that with a three game winning streak from 2011-2013 with Mark Richt at the Georgia helm, and the Bulldogs are 10-4 against Florida from 2011-2024.

2. Dawgs and Gators in SEC Championship Game – Between 1992 and 2023, the Southeastern Conference was split into two divisions, the East and West, with the two winners squaring off in the SEC Championship Game. With Spurrier leading the way, the Gators played in the first five title tilts. Florida represented the East 13 times overall. Georgia went to its first SEC Championship Game in 2002, and the Bulldogs have been to 12 total, including an astounding seven of the last eight under Smart’s watch (this counts 2024, the first year of the SEC Championship Game without the league being split into divisions). So of the 33 SEC Championship Games, either Georgia or Florida has played for the crown 25 times.

3. 1997 – The Bulldogs, a 19-point underdog, beat Florida 37-17 in 1997. Jim Donnan was in his second year as Georgia’s head coach, and led the Bulldogs to a 10-2 record and No. 10 national ranking. Robert Edwards ran for four touchdowns, Mike Bobo was the starting quarterback, and junior safety Kirby Smart intercepted two passes. The victory broke a seven game losing streak to the Gators and marked Spurrier’s lone loss to Georgia as Florida’s head coach.

4. The Winds of Jacksonville – Yes the winds blow strong on the mighty St. Johns River, and they get inside the old Gator Bowl and furiously whip and whirl. Many great kickers and punters have gotten sidetracked in this game. Special teams play a big role in every game, but especially this one. Funny things happen in the kicking game in Jacksonville. The Bulldogs boast a dynamic duo of Peyton Woodring and Brett Thorson, and these two tremendous weapons will need to be at their usual best for Georgia to emerge victorious.

5. The (former) Landing – My first trip to the Jacksonville Landing came in 1991. My only trip to the Jacksonville Landing came in 1991. I was with my friends Jay and Ty. It was my freshman year at Georgia. It was tremendously crowded, I mean thousands packed into a space where hundreds needed to be. There was more Orange and Blue than Red and Black. And they were talking. On the second level, a group of Florida fans, with the high ground, were talking smack with some Georgia fans on the bottom. Well, a few minutes later, one of the Florida fans poured a pitcher of beer on the head of one of the Georgia fans, from a good 20 feet above. And then all the Florida crew went into the Gator chomp. There were so many people between that table and the stairs and eventually the upstairs table occupied by those Gators, it would have taken an hour – at least – to have even navigated to the spot of the pouring. The three of us looked at each other and said, let’s get the hell out of here. We did. Then we lost 45-13 the next day. Winning seven of the last eight has been very nice indeed for the Georgia faithful.