Oh, it’s JACKSONVILLE WEEK, baby! The Dawgs are rolling down I-95 with the windows down and the red and black flying, because Georgia–Florida is back at EverBank Stadium at 3:30 p.m. ET — and it’s on ABC, national stage, the whole country tuning in to hear that “Go Dawgs!” echo off the St. Johns. Neutral-site electricity, split stadium, bragging rights on the line. That’s the stuff. 

Kirby Smart’s crew hits the Cocktail Party sitting at 6–1 after stacking October wins over Auburn and a statement-maker versus Ole Miss, with the lone blemish a one-score grinder against Alabama in Athens. That’s a salty résumé for a team that has clearly found its stride after the open date. The scoreboard tells the tale: 20–10 at Auburn, 43–35 over the Rebels, momentum pointed straight at the river. 

Across the field, Florida arrives in transition. The Gators are 3–4, 2–2 in the SEC, and — here’s the headline — they’re led this week by interim head coach Billy Gonzales after a midseason change. It’s still the same rivalry, but the sideline picture is different, and in a game this emotional, steadiness matters. Georgia’s continuity under Kirby is a towering edge. 

Let’s talk quarterbacks, because Gunner Stockton has come into his own. The redshirt junior is playing like a Dawg who refuses to blink — efficient, poised, dangerous when he tucks it — and he’s protected the football at a championship standard while stacking scoring drives in the biggest moments. He’s fresh off that Ole Miss duel, and the confidence is obvious. This is his first Cocktail Party start, and it won’t be too big for him. 

Florida counters with the big-armed DJ Lagway. He’s talented, he’s fearless, and he’ll rip throws into tight windows — sometimes to his own detriment. Through seven games he’s right around 1,500 yards with a 9/9 TD-INT line, and that volatility is exactly where Georgia’s defense can feast if the rush closes in and the picture changes late. Make him hold it an extra beat, and the turnovers come. 

And speaking of rush, this Georgia ground game is peaking at exactly the right time. The Dawgs are chewing up almost 200 rushing yards a Saturday, and the two-headed hammer of Chauncey Bowens and Nate Frazier has shifted from “committee” to “problem.” Bowens has delivered explosive, tone-setting runs — his breakout against Alabama was a statement — while Frazier’s vision and contact balance keep the chains honest. That 1-2 punch, behind a line that’s finally getting healthy, is how you quiet a rowdy half-blue stadium and own the fourth quarter.

The passing game? Keep your eyes on Lawson Luckie, who’s morphing into the classic Georgia tight end nightmare — leverage savant in the red zone, security blanket on third down — and on the perimeter threats who’ve stretched the field enough to open those interior seams. When Stockton marries the boot game to play-action, safeties get nosy, and that’s when the explosives pop. Ole Miss learned that the hard way. 

Defensively, the swagger is back. CJ Allen has been everywhere from the second level, Jordan Hall is collapsing pockets with heavy hands, and the young corners competed their tails off down the stretch against a top-10 offense. That’s the blueprint in Jacksonville: tackle in space, keep Lagway penned in, and force Florida to stack 10-play drives in a cauldron. Few can do it against this group when the Dawgs roll bodies and the crowd starts to hum. 

The history books add their own bassline to the week. Georgia has taken four straight in the series and now holds the all-time edge, and while none of those wins guarantee a thing on Saturday, they do reinforce an identity: the Dawgs have owned the middle eight minutes in Jacksonville. Win halftime. Win the third quarter. Own the rivalry. That travels. 

Zoom out and you can feel what’s at stake. With the AP still slotting Georgia inside the top five, November is a launchpad, and this is the ignition. Handle business in Duval, and the sprint to Starkville, the Texas showdown in Athens, and the finish line all come into crisp focus. You don’t look past Florida — ever — but you absolutely look through them to see what kind of team you’re becoming. This one tells us a lot. 

So what decides it? Physicality and poise. If Stockton keeps stacking clean possessions, if Bowens and Frazier keep denting safeties, and if the front seven keeps Lagway boxed up long enough for a couple of takeaways, the red half of EverBank will be singing well before sunset. Rivalry games can get weird — they always do — but the better-built, better-balanced roster tends to write the last chapter in Jacksonville. That’s Georgia.

Dawgs 31, Gators 20. See y’all on the river. 

When & where to watch: Georgia vs. Florida, Saturday Nov. 1, 3:30 p.m. ET, EverBank Stadium (Jacksonville), on ABC. 

Quick series/context notes: Georgia’s recent run vs. Florida (four straight) and the 2025 setup (UGA 6–1 after wins over Auburn and Ole Miss; Florida 3–4 with Billy Gonzales as interim HC) frame the matchup and the moment. Buckle in. It’s Cocktail Party time.