Georgia vs. Florida: Game Grades, Analysis for Bulldogs and Gators

The Georgia Bulldogs hoped to come away from Jacksonville with a fourth consecutive win over the Florida Gators, but it was not in the cards on Saturday.

After racing to a 7-0 lead, Georgia allowed 31 unanswered points before a fourth-quarter rally came up well short in a 38-20 loss.  Along the way, the Bulldogs allowed more than 420 rushing yards to the Gators.

As a result, the SEC East is once again an open race and the Florida Gators now have some momentum on the heels of Will Muschamp's first-ever win over Georgia.

Here are first- and second-half grades and analysis for each position group.

Position Unit	First-Half Grade	Second-Half Grade
Passing Offense	D	B-
Rushing Offense	B	B-
Pass Defense	B	B
Run Defense	D	F
Special Teams	D	D
Coaching	C	C

Georgia Bulldogs Grade Analysis

Passing Offense

Georgia never got the passing game going in the first half, which was a problem on 3rd-and-long situations.  Hutson Mason had time to pass more often than not, but Florida's downfield coverage kept him from connecting deep.  In the second half, Mason faced persistent pressure, and the passing game remained grounded until late in the fourth quarter, when routes began to open up.

Rushing Offense

Georgia once again ran the football well in the first half.  Nick Chubb led the way with 108 rushing yards and a score, but when he was out of the game, the drop-off was noticeable.  Chubb ran well in the second half, but a fumble cost Georgia an opportunity to close the gap in the third quarter.

Pass Defense

Florida attempted only five first-half passes, but Georgia looked fine in such situations.  In the second half, Florida passed even less frequently.

Run Defense

As the second quarter progressed, Georgia's defense looked gassed.  Allowing 162 rushing yards to the Gators in the first half was not a good look.  Things didn't turn around for Georgia in the second half until it was too late.  The Gators racked up more than 300 yards over the course of three quarters and put the Dawgs away in the fourth.

Special Teams

Georgia missed a short field goal, allowed a fake field goal to result in a touchdown, struggled in punt coverage and failed to win the field-position battle.  This was not a strong effort by Georgia's special teams.

Coaching

Vanilla play-calling on offense and a lackluster defensive performance defined the first half for Georgia.  The Bulldogs were out-coached over the first two quarters.  In the second half, Georgia looked downright out-matched.

Position Unit	First-Half Grade	Second-Half Grade
Passing Offense	C	C
Rushing Offense	B	A
Pass Defense	B	C
Run Defense	C	B
Special Teams	A	A
Coaching	A	A

Florida Gators Grade Analysis

Passing Offense

In the first half, Florida had no interest in throwing the football.  Treon Harris was serviceable, but only five passes were attempted.  In the second half, it was evident that Florida didn't need to throw the football to win, so the Gators kept things on the ground.

Rushing Offense

Florida's ground attack was downright impressive early.  Both Kelvin Taylor and Matt Jones ran hard, and the offensive line wore Georgia's front seven out in the second quarter.  The two-headed monster picked up right where it left off after halftime, and the Gators ran the ball at will against Georgia's defense.

Pass Defense

Georgia didn't take many shots deep, but it wasn't for lack of trying.  Florida didn't bite on play-action and covered extremely well in the first half.  Georgia didn't get chances to exploit the deep ball.  Additionally, open-field tackling was sound by Florida.

Run Defense

After getting torched by Nick Chubb for 101 yards in the first quarter, Florida buckled down in the second quarter and, as a result, Georgia's defense stalled out.  In the second half, Chubb had one long run, but it was negated by a fumble.  

Special Teams

Florida's fake field-goal attempt was the best play of the first half, and throughout the game's opening two quarters, the Gators performed well in the third phase.  In the second half, Florida stayed strong in kick coverage and broke one long return on a punt to set up a touchdown.

Coaching

Will Muschamp out-coached Mark Richt on Saturday.  His team came prepared not only to compete, but to win.  He deserves a lot of credit for rallying a seemingly defeated squad.

All stats courtesy of NCAA.com.