JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – You know the Georgia-Florida rivalry game is near when extra strands are built into EverBank Stadium to increase capacity to more than 76,000. Thousands of more fans will descend on downtown Jacksonville to celebrate one of college football’s best rivalries.
No. 2 Georgia (6-1) will serve as the host team for Florida (4-3) on Saturday at 3:30 p.m.
This will be the 102nd overall meeting between the Gators and Bulldogs, but the 92nd time in Jacksonville dating back to 1933. The annual game moved to Gainesville and Athens in 1994 and 1995, respectively while the Gator Bowl was being renovated for the Jaguars stadium. Georgia leads the all-time series with a 55-44-2 record, and 49-41-1 in Jacksonville. Last season, the Bulldogs won 43-20 for their third straight victory over the Gators. The last time Florida beat Georgia, was in 2020 in a 44-28 victory.
Each year there is debate on whether it’s the Florida-Georgia rivalry or the Georgia-Florida rivalry. If you ask fans, there may never be an agreed answer, but to the City of Jacksonville, they refer to the “host” team first, thus Georgia-Florida rivalry.
Both teams are coming off their bye weeks. The Bulldogs are betting favorites at 16.5 points and will be led by veteran quarterback and former Mandarin High player Carson Beck. The Bulldogs are coming off a huge 30-15 win over then-No. 1 Texas. Florida is also coming off a win, beating Kentucky 48-20 in freshman quarterback DJ Lagway’s first full start.
Next year, Georgia-Florida will play in Jacksonville before taking the rivalry game away from town in 2026 and 2027 while EverBank Stadium is being renovated. In 2026, the teams will play at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Then in 2027, they will play at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay.
There are many local players who will return home this weekend who used to shine on the high school gridiron and now suit up Saturday afternoons in the Gators and Bulldogs uniforms.
“I can tell you for me, it means everything,” Florida edge and former Bolles Bulldog Jack Pyburn said. “Since I’ve been growing up, there’s not a Florida-Georgia game I can remember not going to. I’ve been to every single game since I have memory of them what Florida-Georgia is. Growing up in that environment and really truly knowing what this game is like. It makes or breaks some people’s year for them. It’s a year of trash talk on both sides of the ball. It’s just like the Florida State rivalry to a certain extent.”
Local guys on Florida roster:
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DB Sharif Denson (Bartram Trail)
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RB Treyaun Webb (Trinity Christian)
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ILB Grayson Howard (Jackson)
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DE Bryce Capers (Riverside)
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DE Jack Pyburn (Bolles)
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DE Layne Swafford (Ponte Vedra)
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OL Austin Barber (Trinity Christian)
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OL Roderick Kearney (Orange Park)
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WR Brian Green Jr. (Orange Park)
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WR Marcus Burke (Trinity Christian)
Local guys on Georgia roster:
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QB Carson Beck (Mandarin)
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DB Ali Hall (Westside)
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DL Jordan Hall (Westside)
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OL Jamal Meriweather (Brunswick)
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PK Henry Bates (Ware County)
Since 1996, the day before the game former players are inducted into the Florida-Georgia Hall of Fame each year. This year’s inductees are former Florida players LB Mike Peterson and DB Fred Weary and DB Mike Fisher and DT Bill Goldberg of Georgia.
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