Cole’s fumble return powers Georgia past Florida
Georgia forced four turnovers, scored 17 points off them and held Florida to 48 rushing yards in the 27-8 victory.
| Kickoff | 3:30 PM ET |
|---|---|
| Venue | EverBank Stadium |
| Spread | Georgia -7 |
| Total | 50.5 |
| TV | Not announced yet |
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The TV network for Georgia at Florida is set by the conference's TV partners closer to game week. Each school's radio network carries the game.
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Follow the full play-by-play and box score →Chris Cole returned a fumble 66 yards for a touchdown as No. 3 Georgia’s defense drove a 27-8 win over No. 17 Florida on Saturday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The linebacker also led the Bulldogs with nine tackles while adding a sack and a tackle for loss.
Quintavius Johnson created the second-quarter score by sacking Florida quarterback Tramell Jones Jr. for a three-yard loss and forcing the fumble. Cole recovered it at Georgia’s 34-yard line and scored to extend the Bulldogs’ lead to 24-0 before halftime. Florida was held scoreless in the first half for the first time this season.
It was Cole’s second long fumble-return touchdown of the season. He also returned a John Mateer fumble 85 yards for a score in Georgia’s 41-13 victory over Oklahoma on Sept. 26. Cole credited Johnson for creating the play and said he was glad to avoid being caught or tackled by the quarterback.
Georgia intercepted three passes and scored 17 points off four Florida turnovers. Braylon Conley picked off Jones in the end zone when the Gators had reached Georgia’s 3-yard line during the third quarter.
The Bulldogs also controlled the ground matchup on both sides. Georgia rushed for 217 yards and held Florida to 48 rushing yards. Jadan Baugh finished with 38 yards on 17 carries. Cole said stopping Florida’s running game and limiting explosive plays had been the defense’s focus.
Florida entered the game averaging 39.6 points but did not score until midway through the fourth quarter. Georgia coach Kirby Smart credited defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann and his staff with keeping the plan simple enough for the Bulldogs to play fast while handling the confusion created by Florida offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner.
Georgia’s offense managed only 14 yards in the third quarter and did not score after halftime until Peyton Woodring’s 21-yard field goal with 3:35 remaining. Pressure, takeaways and run defense limited Florida to eight points during Georgia’s second-half offensive slowdown.
Why it matters
Georgia’s defense kept a Florida offense averaging 39.6 points to eight while covering for a second-half offensive slowdown. Four takeaways and firm run defense prevented the Gators from building sustained pressure.
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