Georgia Bulldogs vs. Florida Gators Complete Game Preview

It’s that time of the year again. At the end of October, Georgia and Florida fans flock to Jacksonville for the annual meeting between the two SEC schools.

This matchup could be called the unofficial SEC East Championship Game because the winner will have the inside track of winning the division title.

Florida is coming off a tough loss to LSU. But because the Gators lost to an undefeated LSU team by a slim margin, they proved they are the team to beat in the SEC East.

The Bulldogs are coming off an ugly win against Missouri where they did not score a touchdown for the first time since the 2010 Liberty Bowl. With the loss of Nick Chubb and the struggles of Greyson Lambert, Georgia comes into the game with a chip on its shoulder.

Florida may be the favorite in the game, but because we have seen it many times before in this series, anything can and will happen on Saturday.

Date: Oct. 31, 2015

Time: 3:30 p.m. ET

Place: EverBank Field, Jacksonville, Fla.

TV: CBS

Radio: Gator Sports Network, Georgia Bulldogs Sports Network, Sirius/XM 81/81

Odds: Florida is a three-point favorite, according to Odds Shark.

When Georgia Has the Ball

When Georgia played Missouri nearly two weeks ago, the first play from scrimmage was a sign of things to come, as Greyson Lambert’s pass was picked off. He would finish the game 23-of-32 passing, but the Missouri defense could have picked off a couple of passes.

Even with the loss of Chubb in the Tennessee game, Georgia’s strength is in the run game. Sony Michel had a workman-like game against the Tigers, rushing for 87 yards on 25 carries. For him to be used at his full ability, he will need to have fewer carries and more receptions in the backfield. That means Keith Marshall and Brendan Douglas will see more carries. Both are reliable veterans, but they are not at the same level as Michel.

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Snapshot of @Greyson_Lambert stats thru 7 games. pic.twitter.com/LCIDLn1Fz5

— Bulldogs On 2 (@WSBbulldogs) October 20, 2015"

Georgia went up against a Missouri team that only gives up 12.5 points per game. And the Bulldogs will face another tough defense, as Florida ranks No. 4 in scoring and total defense in the SEC. However, the Gators did give up 35 points and 423 yards in the loss to LSU before their bye. The good news for the Gators is they won’t have to face Leonard Fournette when they play the Bulldogs; he was the reason Florida had a hard time stopping the Tigers.

Florida’s defense is led by linebacker Antonio Morrison, who has 54 tackles and seven tackles for loss. But it’s the defensive line that has been doing big things this season. Jonathan Bullard has 10 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks, while Alex McCalister and Joey Ivie have four and 3.5 sacks, respectively.

When Florida Has the Ball

For the most part this season, Florida has struggled on offense, as the team is eighth in the SEC in scoring offense. And with quarterback Will Grier suspended for the rest of the season, the Gators will have to rely on Treon Harris.

He played well in the LSU game, throwing for 271 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions. However, he did get sacked five times, which proved to be the difference in the game.

Harris has experience playing against the Bulldogs, as he led the Gators to a 38-20 rout last season. However, he only completed three passes and only rushed for 31 of the team's 445 rushing yards.

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Treon Harris brings big-game experience into UGA matchup #UF https://t.co/RMGl9P2y1f pic.twitter.com/kiApOuTryZ

— Gators FB Report (@gators_fb_fanly) October 27, 2015"

The Bulldogs will not have to worry about the Florida rushing attack, because the Gators rank 13th in the SEC in rushing offense, and Matt Jones, who rushed for nearly 200 yards last year against Georgia, is now in the NFL. But Georgia has issues dealing with dual-threat quarterbacks.

When the Bulldogs took on Tennessee earlier this month, Joshua Dobbs ran for 118 yards and two touchdowns and threw for 312 yards and three touchdowns, which led to a Vols win.

It was a poor showing for a Bulldogs team that is ranked third in the SEC in total defense. If the Bulldogs don’t want a repeat performance when they take on the Gators on Saturday, everyone has to stay at home and maintain his assignment.

Player to Watch for Georgia: Malcolm Mitchell

After a 2013 season when he was injured and a 2014 season when he was coming back from an injury, Malcolm Mitchell is back and has become the Bulldogs' main deep threat.

Mitchell is ninth in the SEC in receptions (35), eighth in yards (505) and tied for sixth in touchdowns (four). All those numbers aren’t bad considering the Bulldogs rank ninth in the SEC in passing.

The Gators know the Bulldogs are going to establish the run game, so Florida will do whatever it takes to make Lambert throw as much as possible. So it’s important he is able to find Mitchell early and often so the Bulldogs can stretch the field and have balance on offense.

This game means a lot to Mitchell because he wants to beat the Gators as a senior. He was huge in the game in 2012, as he caught a 45-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter to put the game away.

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#FloridaHateWeek #JeanShorts #GatorsAreLame https://t.co/vPoP1XqQfF

— tgentry97 (@tgentry97) October 26, 2015"

Player to Watch for Florida: Vernon Hargreaves

In order for Mitchell to stretch the field, he will have to go up against one of the best cornerbacks in college football.

Vernon Hargreaves is a big reason the Gators are strong on defense. According to GatorBait.net via Thomas Goldkamp of 247Sports, Hargreaves has only allowed 11 catches for 158 yards on 23 targets. He had better numbers in his freshman and sophomore seasons, but he has been dealing with an ankle injury all season long.

Hargreaves also has a team-high three interceptions, 22 tackles and one forced fumble.

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Vernon Hargreaves, uno de los mejores playmakers en defensa de la NCAA. Una prueba: forzó un fumble vs Fournette. https://t.co/uzaVB7lIAt

— Pedro Dominguez (@pedrominguez_) October 18, 2015"

Nothing is set in stone, but Hargreaves could line up against Mitchell all game long. It will be the best matchup of the game because both have speed and explosion and are disciplined at their respective positions.

Prediction: Florida 24, Georgia 21

Based on what has happened the last few years in this series, this will come down to the wire. Both teams will come out with a lot of energy, because they want to have better performances than the last time they were out on the field.

The loss of Chubb hurts Georgia. It forces Michel and Lambert to do more, and it also means guys such as Marshall, Douglas, Terry Godwin and Jay Rome will need to make plays.

It won’t be easy to do so consistently because Florida has a lot of moving parts on defense and will make sure the Georgia’s running game never gets going. If that happens, the Gators will win, and Bulldogs fans will be beyond angry on how the 2015 season has unfolded.