Here we go again. As if EverBank Field doesn’t get enough boring/bad football of the professional variety, Florida and Georgia are going to get together in Jacksonville to do this whole unnamed rivalry tilt one more time.
Georgia vs. Florida 2016: Start time, live stream, TV schedule, and 3 things to know
Are you ready for The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party?
Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images
This game has not yielded the most aesthetically pleasing result over the last few years. That has a lot to do with the coaches on both sides as much as it does with the personnel. Noted Georgia alum Will Muschamp was at the helm in Gainesville for four years and his offense was many (bad) things, one of which was most certainly not attractive to watch. Georgia under Mark Richt wasn’t much in the way of looking good, either. This is the team that was in such dire straights last year that it started Faton Bauta at quarterback.
Last season’s game (the first for new UF head man Jim McElwain) gave us 30 combined points and just a tick over 300 combined passing yards, 66 of which came on one play. Kirby Smart’s running the show in Athens these days and while Jacob Eason definitely looks like the quarterback of the future, he’s still a freshman, going up against a Florida defense which is one of the nation’s best. That doesn’t make us particularly inclined to think this game will be too much of an offensive showcase.
So why watch? Despite the way it looks, the unpredictability makes this matchup really fun. It ain’t pretty, but it’ll probably get weird.
How to watch, stream and listen
TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, CBS. The announcers are Verne Lundquist, Gary Danielson, and Allie LaForce.
Online streaming: CBSSports.com
Spread: Florida is a 7.5-point favorite.
Make friends: Get to SB Nation’s team blog chats for this game at Alligator Army (for Florida fans) and Dawg Sports (for Georgia fans).
Three big things to know
- When either team gets in the red zone don’t be surprised if fireworks don’t go off. There’s nearly a one-in-four chance that nothing will happen when Florida gets inside the 20-yard line. The Gators are 94th nationally in touchdowns per red zone trip and 121st in red zone scoring percentage. For Georgia, there’s nearly a one-in-five chance the Dawgs will come away with nothing. Georgia is 77th nationally in red zone scoring percentage. On defense, Florida leads the nation in red zone defense allowing opponents to score six TDs, a 64.3 percent red zone scoring rate, and have only yielded 14 trips into the red zone.
- Expect laundry on the field as far as Florida’s concerned. The Gators are 116th in penalty yards per game and 11th in total penalties per game. In a rivalry game where stuff like this happens, things can get heated and chippy. The Gators would be wise to keep their cool.
- Nearly 20 years ago, Kirby Smart had his Florida-Georgia rivalry moment. In a 37-17 beating of the Gators, the head Dawg was a DB for UGA and he snagged two sweet picks to stop the Gators in their tracks.
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