JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A massive scoring outburst minutes before halftime propelled No. 1-ranked Georgia to a 34-7 win over Florida on Saturday at TIAA Bank Field.
The Bulldogs (8-0, 6-0 SEC) forced three Gator (4-4, 2-4 SEC) turnovers within the final three minutes of the second quarter resulting in 21 points and a 24-0 halftime lead.
Georgia linebacker Nolan Smith snatched the ball out of quarterback Anthony Richardson’s hands to set up the first touchdown of the day before intercepting a Richardson pass on the following drive to set up the second. A 50-yard Pick-Six, courtesy of linebacker Nakobe Dean, were the final points of the first half.
Richardson finished 12-of-20 passing for 82 yards and two interceptions in his first career start for the Gators.
Emory Jones replaced Richardson in the fourth quarter and finished 10-of-14 passing with 112 yards. Jones and the Gators added 161 yards rushing and one touchdown on 39 attempts.
Fifth-year senior quarterback Stetson Bennett started his fourth straight game for the Bulldogs in relief of JT Daniels, who had been sidelined by a strained lat muscle before being cleared to play this week. Bennett finished 10-of-19 passing for 161 yards, 1 TD, and 2 INTs.
Zamir White led the Georgia ground attack with 105 yards rushing and 1 TD on 14 attempts.
The Bulldogs play host to Missouri next Saturday in Sanford Stadium.
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FOURTH QUARTER
Georgia 34, Florida 7, 1:57: Zamir White 42-yard run (Jack Podlesny kick). Drive: 2 plays, 46 yards, :52.
Georgia 27, Florida 7, 2:49: Emory Jones 2-yard run (Chris Howard kick). Drive: 11 plays, 89 yards, 4:53.
THIRD QUARTER
Georgia 27, Florida 0, 1:15: Jack Podlesny 42-yard field goal. Drive: 9 plays, 55 yards, 5:12.
Jakce Chrismann missed 27-yard field goal, 6:27.
HALFTIME
Stetson Bennett is 8-of-14 passing for 121 yards with a TD and an interception.
Anthony Richardson is 11-of-19 passing for 79 yards with two interceptions and a fumble.
Georgia has converted 3 Florida turnovers into 21 points, including Nakobe Dean’s 50-yard Pick 6 just before halftime.
It’s the fifth time this season that the Bulldog defense has blanked a team in the first half.
UF came in averaging 34.4 points a game.
Georgia has outscored its opponents 185 to 16 in the first half this year.
SECOND QUARTER
Georgia 24, Florida 0, :07: Nakobe Dean 50-yard interception return (Podlesny kick).
Georgia 17, Florida 0, 1:35: Kearis Jackson 36-yard pass from Stetson Bennett (Podlesny kick). Drive: 1 play, 36 yards, :08. Key play: Travon Walker tips pass, Nolan Smith intercepts at UF 36.
Georgia 10, Florida 0, 2:16: James Cook 11-yard run (Podlesny kick). Drive: 1 play, 11 yards, :06. Key play: Nolan Smith strips Anthony Richardson at 11-yard line.
Georgia 3, Florida 0, 8:38: Jack Podlesny 21-yard field goal. Drive: 11 plays, 63 yards, 6:22.
FIRST QUARTER
-- Jace Christmann missed 51-yard field goal, 0:00
- Jack Podlesny missed 46-yard field goal, 11:06. Key play: Stetson Bennett intentional grounding, moves ball back from Florida 19 to Florida 28.
The last time Ladd McConkey attended the Georgia-Florida game he was sitting on the stands, but today he figures to be one of the Bulldogs’ prime targets.
“They’ve given me the opportunity, and I’m doing all I can to make the best of it,” said McConkey, who enters today’s game as UGA’s leading receiver and is second on the team in catches. “It’s an awesome experience. It’s something I’ve always dream of. It’s great to help my team win and do all I can do.”
The No. 1-ranked Bulldogs (7-0, 5-0 SEC) kick off against Florida (4-3, 2-3) at 3:30 p.m.
McConkey said he came to last year’s game as a fan — he didn’t make the travel squad — to support his teammates.
“I was in the stands, it was crazy,” the redshirt freshman said. “I was just happy to support my teammates.”
McConkey said he would have liked to have been on the field during the 44-28 loss last year.
Obviously, I would have loved to have been out there and help my team,” McConkey said. “But that’s how it was, I was on the scout team and using that year to get better and build my craft.
“I hated to see it for those guys to get that bad taste in their mouths. But that’s the big thing this week, to get that taste out of our mouths and keep everything we have going, going.”
Availability update
RB Kenny McIntosh (hamstring), probable
WR Arian Smith (shin), probable
QB JT Daniels (lat), probable)
RB Kendall Milton (knee), out
WR George Pickens (knee), out
WR Dominick Blaylock (hamstring), out
WR Justin Robinson (hamstring), out
DB Tykee Smith (knee), out
Team captains
Adam Anderson
James Cook
Quay Walker
Jamaree Salyer
