Florida QB Graham Mertz didn’t hesitate when asked what happened against Georgia.

“First drive we were clicking,” Mertz said, “and then after that — they have great coaches, too, they have great players, too — they made adjustments.”

The Bulldogs certainly did that, scoring 36 unanswered points en route to a 43-20 victory that was even more lopsided than the final score.

Mertz came in looking for a Joe Burrow-like breakout, per his father, and calmly executed a 7-play, 66-yard touchdown drive to stake the Gators out to a quick 7-0 lead.

But then Kirby Smart and his coaching staff kicked in with adjustments and defensive play calls Florida had not seen all year on film.

The Gators mustered only 3 yards on their next five drives and Mertz, a Wisconsin transfer making his 40th career start, could see what was happening around him.

“Anytime you’re in a game, you have to be prepared to give a punch and receive a punch, especially in this sport,” said Mertz, using the same analogy Georgia coach Kirby Smart gave earlier in the season.

“It’s a fistfight and it’s for four quarters, we have to be better prepared for that punch when they punch back, and we have to respond to it.”

Florida was unable to find its way back into contention after falling behind by a 26-7 count by halftime before their eventual 43-20 defeat, Mertz finishing 25-of-34 passing for 230 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Mertz and the Gators had brought momentum into the contest, having rallied from 10 down in the fourth quarter at South Carolina to score a 41-39 victory.

That, coupled with an impressive 29-16 home win over Tennessee had provided hope that Florida might find a way to derail the Bulldogs in Jacksonville.

Mertz was aware that big plays against Georgia would be important.

“We started fast, momentum was going,” Mertz said, “and we knew it was going to be a momentum game, especially with the stands split 50-50.”

The Gators gave their fans reason to cheer early, and they were still engaged at the start of the second quarter before Billy Napier elected to go for a fourth-and-1 at his own 34 with Florida down 10-7.

Mertz was 9-of-9 passing for 69 yards and a touchdown to that point, but his head coach elected to take the ball out of his hands and run a trick play, snapping the ball between his quarterback’s legs to his tailback.

Georgia linebacker Smael Mondon dropped Trevor Etienne for a 3-yard loss on the play, and the Bulldogs scored three plays later to go up 17-7 and seize the momentum.

“The guys are frustrated because we know we’re better than that, and we knows its controllable stuff,” Mertz said. “And we said that at Utah, at Kentucky, and now this game.

Mertz said Florida will “keep punching,” well aware the Gators have a challenging stretch of games remaining with games against Arkansas, at LSU, at Missouri and versus Florida State remaining.