Please Read: Welcome to the new-look Inside the Gators
- October Superlatives
- Former Florida Player Feedback: 10 Observations
- Recruit Reaction: I thought the atmosphere was electric
- Parental Perspective: Florida Football Commits Parental RoundTable
- OTM: Is there a path to a fourth year
- Ranking UF’s commits from least to most likely to jump ship
- What names are on your Coaching Hot Board
Here’s what you need to know on the Florida football front heading into Saturday’s game against No. 18 LSU.
- Time: 3:30 p.m.
- Channel: ABC
FORMER PLAYER QUICK Q&A
Former Florida long-snapper Brett DioGuardi was part of the 2020 team, the last time the Gators beat Georgia. He shared thoughts about that game and the series in this Quick Q&A.
Georgia has only lost two regular season games in the last four years. The first of those two was Florida’s 44-28 win in 2020. What do you remember most about that game?
DioGuardi: The 2020 game against UGA was one of my favorite wins during my time at Florida. They had beat us pretty bad the previous two matchups so the game meant a lot to us. I remember falling behind early in the game and the entire team responding to the adversity we faced. We got punched in the mouth and came back swinging. Everyone kept the mindset that we were going to win and we absolutely dominated them in the second quarter and never looked back. It felt great whipping up on the team that had our number previously. It was especially sweet knowing that we had taken sole lead of the SEC East and controlled our own destiny the rest of the way.
Out of the traditional rivals of Florida State, Georgia, LSU, and Tennessee, where would you personally rank UGA as a rival among those four? Why?
DioGuardi: I would personally rank UGA as our biggest rival during my years at Florida. We knew they were our biggest competition in the East; every year it was a battle. It was always a gritty, grind-it-out type of game. Whoever won that game had a clear path to the SEC title game. Makes it even sweeter having my last game against UGA being a nice beat down in Jacksonville.
Here lately the series has tipped heavily in the Bulldogs’ favor, and it hasn’t been competitive the last three years. Yes, there is a talent disparity, but what is the main overall reason that Florida has fallen so far behind?
DioGuardi: Unfortunately, they have dominated the series since my last season at Florida in 2020. I think the main reason for the difference in success right now is the fact that there has been a lot more stability over at UGA. Kirby Smart has done a better job recruiting and building an elite coaching staff and a deep roster over the last several seasons. He has gotten his players to buy into his plan and they have been excellent ever since.
Follow along on the Orange & Blue Board to keep up with all of today’s Gator Game Day events as Inside the Gators reports all afternoon.
Ben McLeish and Mark Wheeler take a closer look at Saturday’s match-up between Florida and No. 2 Georgia including thoughts on what a win or loss would mean for Florida, players to keep an eye on, as well as offering up a score prediction.
To get a better feel for the Georgia Bulldogs, Inside the Gators caught up with Christian Kirby II of Dawgs Daily on SI for a full preview.
Here are five Florida Gators football players who are in the spotlight, and on the spot, to perform this week against No. 2 Georgia.
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