Know Your Opponent: Georgia

This Saturday the Gators play their oldest rival, the Bulldogs of the University of Georgia. As is tradition in the rivalry, the Gators and Bulldogs will play at a neutral location in Jacksonville, Florida. The University of Georgia officially lists its establishment date as 1785, although the first class was not held until 1801. The university now enrolls over 34,000 students (including over 26,000 undergrads). Georgia’s school colors are red and black.

Georgia's three-game winning streak over Florida is the
longest among Florida's annual rivals. The last Gator victory,
which came in 2010, was clinched with a game-winning field
goal by punter Chas Henry. Reminisce that game through my 
previous post on Gator overtime games.
Sam Greenwood/Getty Images

The Georgia Bulldogs possess one of the oldest and most successful traditions in the history of college football. Georgia began playing football in 1892 and became a charter member of the Southeastern Conference in 1933. Georgia has won 12 SEC championships (behind only Alabama and Tennessee), winning its first in 1942 and its most recent in 2005. The Bulldogs play home games “between the hedges” in Sanford Stadium, which can seat around 93,000 fans.

Georgia claims to have won five national championships, although only one (1980) was awarded by the AP. Georgia has produced two Heisman winners (Frank Sinkwich in 1942 and Herschel Walker in 1982). Its 1980 national title squad finished its season with a perfect 12-0 record and a victory over Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl. Earlier in the season, playing Florida, the Bulldogs were on their own seven-yard-line and trailing the Gators 21-20 with time running out. Suddenly, Georgia’s quarterback finds receiver Lindsay Scott wide open near the 25-yard-line. Scott improbably manages to sprint past Florida’s defenders, complete the 93-yard play, and win the game for Georgia, 26-21.

The Gators and Bulldogs first met on the gridiron in 1915 and have played almost every year since (annually since 1944). Florida and Georgia have played a total of 91 games against another; Georgia is Florida’s most frequently played opponent while Florida is Georgia’s third most frequently played opponent (after Auburn and Georgia Tech). Georgia leads the rivalry with 49 wins (Florida has 40 victories and two games ended as ties). Florida has defeated Georgia more frequently than any other Gator opponent other than Kentucky and has been defeated by Georgia more frequently than any other opponent. Of Bulldog opponents, only Auburn has defeated Georgia more frequently than Florida. The rivalry was dominated by Georgia throughout its first 75 years. By 1989, Georgia was leading this series with a commanding 43 wins and only 22 losses. However, in the succeeding two decades, Georgia would only win three games to Florida’s 17. Steve Spurrier lost just one game to Georgia during his 12-year tenure as Florida head coach (the next two coaches, Zook and Meyer, would also lose just one game each to the Dawgs). Will Muschamp has matched the combined loss total of his three predecessors, having lost three times in three attempts.

The Florida-Georgia rivalry is among the few in major college football to be traditionally played at a neutral site. On every occasion except twice since 1933, the Gators and Bulldogs have met in Jacksonville, Florida (the exceptions being 1994 and 1995, when the new stadium was being built in Jacksonville). The rivalry had previously been known as “The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party” until both schools agreed to suppress the use of the moniker.

Rather than utilize an original fight song, the University of Georgia prefers one of the most repetitive songs in college sports, “Glory, Glory”. The song is a simplified version of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic".