shanksta13
10-22-2007, 11:14 PM
The game will take place at Alltell Stadium in Jacksonville. Gametime is slated for 3:30 PM ET and the game will be covered nationally by CBS.
Overview:
This game between two SEC East contenders will once again be one of the premier matchups in the nation on the final Saturday in October. Florida (3-2, 5-2) enters the game having regained control over their SEC East destiny after an impressive win over 7th ranked Kentucky and a Tennessee loss last weekend. Georgia (3-2, 5-2), on the other hand, enters the game needing a little more help in the SEC East race, because of their two losses to SEC East opponents. This game, quite simply put, is an elimination match. The loser will be effectively knocked out of the SEC East race, while the winner will take the inside track to the SEC East Title. Georgia enters the game having a bye week last week and should be ready to take on the high powered offense of the Florida Gators, led by sophomore Heisman candidate, Tim Tebow. Georgia will have to play great defense and force Tebow to make throws under pressure if they want to have a chance in this one. Florida's defense, which has been downright ugly at times over the last few weeks, must buckle up as they take on Matt Stafford, Knowshon Moreno and the Bulldogs. Florida will attempt to win their 16th game of the last 18 in the series and Georgia will try to buck the trend of the last two decades as the two meet in another epic SEC battle amid the "World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party".
Florida Breakdown:
The Florida Gators know exactly what is at stake here. They once again have control of their SEC Title hopes and face yet another must win situation this weekend in Jacksonville. The Florida offense has been very explosive the past few weeks, looking very impressive against LSU and even more impressive in a 45 point performance last weekend in Lexington. They need to continue to spread the ball around to the playmakers, which consist of a fully healthy Andre Caldwell, Percy Harvin, Louis Murphy and Cornelius Ingram. The Gators also must commit themselves to a more traditional rushing attack to limit the touches that QB Tim Tebow will see on the ground. He is starting to get banged up and the Gators simply cannot afford to lose him if they want to win the SEC East. Defensively, the Gators must come up with answers fast. The rush defense, which looked very impressive through the first few games, is now definitely starting to show signs of weakness up the middle. The secondary has continued to be a concern and the Gators seem to have taken a major step back against Kentucky. Georgia Offensive Coordinator Mike Bobo will look to exploit the weak secondary early and often with QB Matt Stafford and will try to get Knowshon Moreno rolling early on the ground. The Gators must continue to get pressure on the QB like they did at Kentucky, where they sacked QB Andre Woodson 5 times. On special teams, Brandon James needs to continue to be a weapon for the Gators, giving them good field position to open drives.
Georgia Breakdown:
Georgia has struggled recently, barely holding off Vanderbilt in their last SEC contest. However, with an identical record to the Gators, they are still very much alive in the SEC East race. This will be a crucial game for them and after having a bye week last week, coach Mark Richt will have his team ready to go on Saturday. The Bulldogs will look to ride the legs of freshman phenom RB Knowshon Moreno, who has been one of the most impressive RBs in the SEC this season. If Moreno can get rolling on the ground early, it will really open things up in the passing game for Matt Stafford against a young Florida secondary. The WRs for Georgia must be able to hang onto the ball last year if they want to make some headway in this game. Defensively, the Bulldogs will face their toughest test yet against an offense that averages over 40 points per game and scored 59 against a team that manhandled the Bulldogs. Georgia will have to decide whether or not to give Florida the underneath routes, or press coverage and leave the potential big play open to Florida. Expect a lot of disguised blitz packages from the Georgia defense as they try to confuse Tim Tebow and force him into some mistakes.
Matchup to Watch:
Georgia Offensive Line vs. Florida Defensive Line. Florida's defensive line finally started to resemble the National Championship unit of last year as the Gators combined to sack Kentucky QB Andre Woodson 6 times last week. Georgia will start a somewhat inexperienced line that has struggled at times this year and it will be crucial that they get a good push up front in the running game to open up holes for RB Knowshon Moreno. If the Florida defensive line can get a solid pass rush, Matt Stafford may not have the time he needs to pick apart the weak Florida secondary.
X-Factor:
Tim Tebow's right shoulder. Tebow bruised his shoulder against the Wildcats last week and it remains to be seen how much the injury will affect him this week. He is expected to play, but if the shoulder is still bothering him on Saturday, it could limit the number of plays that the Florida offense can use and make the offense more dimensional towards the passing game. However, if Tebow's shoulder is fine, the threat that he creates running the ball should open up the passing game rather nicely for the Gators.
Overview:
This game between two SEC East contenders will once again be one of the premier matchups in the nation on the final Saturday in October. Florida (3-2, 5-2) enters the game having regained control over their SEC East destiny after an impressive win over 7th ranked Kentucky and a Tennessee loss last weekend. Georgia (3-2, 5-2), on the other hand, enters the game needing a little more help in the SEC East race, because of their two losses to SEC East opponents. This game, quite simply put, is an elimination match. The loser will be effectively knocked out of the SEC East race, while the winner will take the inside track to the SEC East Title. Georgia enters the game having a bye week last week and should be ready to take on the high powered offense of the Florida Gators, led by sophomore Heisman candidate, Tim Tebow. Georgia will have to play great defense and force Tebow to make throws under pressure if they want to have a chance in this one. Florida's defense, which has been downright ugly at times over the last few weeks, must buckle up as they take on Matt Stafford, Knowshon Moreno and the Bulldogs. Florida will attempt to win their 16th game of the last 18 in the series and Georgia will try to buck the trend of the last two decades as the two meet in another epic SEC battle amid the "World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party".
Florida Breakdown:
The Florida Gators know exactly what is at stake here. They once again have control of their SEC Title hopes and face yet another must win situation this weekend in Jacksonville. The Florida offense has been very explosive the past few weeks, looking very impressive against LSU and even more impressive in a 45 point performance last weekend in Lexington. They need to continue to spread the ball around to the playmakers, which consist of a fully healthy Andre Caldwell, Percy Harvin, Louis Murphy and Cornelius Ingram. The Gators also must commit themselves to a more traditional rushing attack to limit the touches that QB Tim Tebow will see on the ground. He is starting to get banged up and the Gators simply cannot afford to lose him if they want to win the SEC East. Defensively, the Gators must come up with answers fast. The rush defense, which looked very impressive through the first few games, is now definitely starting to show signs of weakness up the middle. The secondary has continued to be a concern and the Gators seem to have taken a major step back against Kentucky. Georgia Offensive Coordinator Mike Bobo will look to exploit the weak secondary early and often with QB Matt Stafford and will try to get Knowshon Moreno rolling early on the ground. The Gators must continue to get pressure on the QB like they did at Kentucky, where they sacked QB Andre Woodson 5 times. On special teams, Brandon James needs to continue to be a weapon for the Gators, giving them good field position to open drives.
Georgia Breakdown:
Georgia has struggled recently, barely holding off Vanderbilt in their last SEC contest. However, with an identical record to the Gators, they are still very much alive in the SEC East race. This will be a crucial game for them and after having a bye week last week, coach Mark Richt will have his team ready to go on Saturday. The Bulldogs will look to ride the legs of freshman phenom RB Knowshon Moreno, who has been one of the most impressive RBs in the SEC this season. If Moreno can get rolling on the ground early, it will really open things up in the passing game for Matt Stafford against a young Florida secondary. The WRs for Georgia must be able to hang onto the ball last year if they want to make some headway in this game. Defensively, the Bulldogs will face their toughest test yet against an offense that averages over 40 points per game and scored 59 against a team that manhandled the Bulldogs. Georgia will have to decide whether or not to give Florida the underneath routes, or press coverage and leave the potential big play open to Florida. Expect a lot of disguised blitz packages from the Georgia defense as they try to confuse Tim Tebow and force him into some mistakes.
Matchup to Watch:
Georgia Offensive Line vs. Florida Defensive Line. Florida's defensive line finally started to resemble the National Championship unit of last year as the Gators combined to sack Kentucky QB Andre Woodson 6 times last week. Georgia will start a somewhat inexperienced line that has struggled at times this year and it will be crucial that they get a good push up front in the running game to open up holes for RB Knowshon Moreno. If the Florida defensive line can get a solid pass rush, Matt Stafford may not have the time he needs to pick apart the weak Florida secondary.
X-Factor:
Tim Tebow's right shoulder. Tebow bruised his shoulder against the Wildcats last week and it remains to be seen how much the injury will affect him this week. He is expected to play, but if the shoulder is still bothering him on Saturday, it could limit the number of plays that the Florida offense can use and make the offense more dimensional towards the passing game. However, if Tebow's shoulder is fine, the threat that he creates running the ball should open up the passing game rather nicely for the Gators.