JACKSONVILLE — Florida coach Steve Spurrier said the No. 1-ranked Georgia Bulldogs remind him of some of his SEC Championship Gators teams of the 1990s — on defense, at least.
“Big, strong, powerful team,, they obviously can play defense,” Spurrier said on the SEC Network, asked to describe what he sees in this Georgia football team.
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“The Georgia offense, they don’t have to be fantastic, they just have to be solid,” Spurrier said. “And they are a good offense. They can run it, and they can hit some long passes. They don’t need to throw over 20 or 25 passes a game, and that’s a good way to win football ‘games as we all know.
“Georgia, that’s their style, and they’re going to be tough to beat.”
The Bulldogs are a 14-point favorite over Florida in the 3:30 p.m. game on Saturday at TIAA Bank Field.
Spurrier led Florida to six SEC Championships in the 1990s, included an unprecedented (and still unmatched) four in a row from 1993-1996.
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“A lot of people don’t realize those teams we had back in 90s, we scored a lot of points, but we had great defensive players and they were probably the biggest reason we won all those SECs back in the 90s,” Spurrier said. “Because they would get the other team off the field quickly.”
To Spurrier’s point, Georgia’s No. 1-ranked defense has helped compensate for a Bulldogs’ offense that ranks only eighth in the SEC with 430.1 yards per game.
Here’s a look at how the 1996 national champion Florida team compares to the current No. 1-ranked Bulldogs in statistical team rankings:
Total Offense
No. 2 Florida (503.92 yards per game)
No. 42 Georgia (430.1 yards per game)
Rushing offense
*Florida 170 yards per game, 4.6 yards per attempt (rank unavailable)
No. 39 Georgia 192.7 yards per game, 4.82 yards per attempt
Passing Offense
No. 5 Florida (333.9 yards per game)
No. 62 Georgia (237.4 yards per game)
Scoring Offense
No. 1 Florida (46.6 points per game)
No. 13 Georgia (38.4 points per game)
Total Defense
No 14 Florida (281.1 yards per game)
No. 1 Georgia (208.3 yards per game)
Scoring Defense
No. 15 Florida (16.8 points per game)
No. 1 Georgia (6.57 points per game)
Rushing Defense
No. 18 Florida (108.6 yards per game)
No. 2 Georgia (63.4 yards per game)
Pass Efficiency Defense
No. 12 Florida (96.11 rating)
No. 2 Georgia (94.59 rating)
As for Spurrier’s take that Georgia’s offensive “style” is to throw “20 or 25 passes a game,” that’s largely a matter of which quarterback is in the game.
Bennett, in his four starts this season (UAB, Arkansas, Auburn and Kentucky), has averaged 16 pass attempts per game.
Daniels, in his seven starts at Georgia, has averaged 27 pass attempts -- and that’s counting a start against Vanderbilt when he got pulled after completing 9 of 10 passes in the first quarter.
Spurrier also made the point that this is somewhat of a peculiar season in college football to date, with some surprise teams still undefeated, mentioning Michigan State, Michigan and Wake Forest.
A key to modern-day success, Spurrier said, is the ability to take advantage of the NCAA transfer portal.
“The transfer portal, you can get a lot of good players,” Spurrier said. “Some guys aren’t starting at Ohio State or Georgia, some of those big schools, you say ‘C’mon pal, you can start for us.
“It’s not just recruiting now and wait three or four years — you’ve got to get in that portal and try to find some good ballplayers.”
Daniels and Bennett are both transfers, with Daniels coming to Georgia from USC, while Bennett left UGA to play a Jones (Miss.) Junior College before transferring back to the Bulldogs.
Georgia also features Clemson transfer Derion Kendrick as its most reliable starting cornerback this season.
