Georgia vs. Florida: Bulldogs seek rebound from Auburn loss in Atlanta

ATHENS — Georgia has won five straight against Florida. Its most recent game offered a reminder that reputation doesn’t protect the football or finish a tackle.

Auburn exposed enough mistakes to send the Bulldogs into their open week with a loss and a lengthy repair list. Now Florida gets to inspect the work.

The rivals meet at 3:30 p.m. Saturday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, bringing their annual hostilities to Atlanta for the first time. No. 3 Georgia enters 6-1 overall and 4-1 in the SEC. No. 17 Florida is 5-2 and 3-2. Both teams are coming off open dates.

The new setting will draw plenty of attention. Kirby Smart is more interested in whether Georgia looks different once the ball is snapped.

“How do we not turn the ball over? How do we stay away from dumb penalties? How do we tackle better?” Smart said Monday.

Those questions connect what went wrong against Auburn with what must improve against Florida. The Bulldogs cannot afford to give away possessions, extend the Gators’ drives or turn manageable gains into something much worse.

Center Drew Bobo said Georgia worked to put the Auburn defeat behind it early in the week, then returned to demanding practices. He described quarterback Gunner Stockton as maintaining his steady approach while reviewing the mistakes.

Stockton threw two interceptions and lost a fumble against Auburn. The response has begun in practice, Bobo indicated. Saturday will measure its progress.

Georgia’s defense faces an equally direct examination, and Smart has been preparing his players for it longer than they might have realized.

Throughout the season, he has shown them clips of Florida running back Jadan Baugh. The point was to establish a tackling standard: Were they practicing to stop the next opponent, or developing habits good enough to stop one of the best?

“When you can run the ball and know that your back is going to make people miss in the open field or break tackles by running through them, over them, around them, it certainly gives you the confidence to give him touches,” Smart said.

Baugh makes the first defender’s job difficult. Florida’s scheme makes arriving in the right place difficult, too.

Offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner, a former member of Smart’s staff, builds around his players’ strengths while maintaining a physical running game. Smart considers that adaptability one of his former colleague’s greatest assets.

This week, it gives Georgia two quarterbacks to prepare for.

Aaron Philo started Florida’s first six games before a shoulder injury opened the door for Tramell Jones Jr. Jones helped lead the Gators to a 27-24 victory at Texas. Florida had not named its starter as the week began.

Smart sees little comfort in either possibility. Philo helped beat Ole Miss. Jones won in Austin. Faulkner can tailor the offense to both.

“He gives them so many options, and he can play to the strengths of each guy,” Smart said.

For Georgia’s secondary, that means resisting the temptation to solve one problem by creating another. Cornerback Ellis Robinson IV emphasized that Florida can punish a defense on the ground and throw over it when defenders become too aggressive.

Robinson said tackling received daily attention during the open week. As a cornerback, he studies opposing running backs as well as receivers, preparing to help stop the run when the play reaches him.

“They’re a fast, physical team,” he said.

Having a healthier defense would help, but Smart offered no firm Monday update on safety KJ Bolden or receiver Isiah Canion. Their progress in practice would provide a better indication of their availability.

The open week required a balance between recovery and preparation. Some Bulldogs needed rest more urgently than extra repetitions, Smart said. That creates its own concern when the next opponent demands contact.

“You better be ready to strike somebody in this game because it’s going to be physical,” he said.

Georgia still brings considerable strengths. The Bulldogs lead the SEC in scoring offense at 43 points per game and scoring defense at 15.9. Florida averages 39.6 points but allows 28.3. Even so, Georgia’s fifth consecutive victory in the series last season came by just four points, 24-20.

There is enough offensive ability for the Bulldogs to create opportunities Saturday. Their task is to preserve those chances while making Florida earn its own.

The rivalry has a different roof this year. Underneath it, Georgia’s most important work will look much the same: hold onto the football, avoid the unnecessary flag and get Baugh on the ground.