Georgia’s dominance against the Gators continued Saturday, whether Aaron Philo or Tramell Jones Jr. was at the controls during a 27-8 loss to the No. 3 Bulldogs at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

The performance extended Georgia’s winning streak in the series to six games and showed first-year Florida coach Jon Sumrall how far his program still has to go.

As a crowd of 72,541 looked on, a slew of penalties, mental mistakes and turnovers undid Sumrall’s squad. Florida entered the day with heightened expectations after its win at Texas on Oct. 17 raised hopes for another upset and the program’s first win in the longstanding rivalry since 2020.

Rather than challenge the Bulldogs (7-1, 5-1 SEC), No. 17 Florida (5-3, 3-3) gifted them 17 of 24 points during an ugly first half that placed the Gators in an inescapable hole. The Gators faced their biggest halftime deficit in the series since trailing 28-3 in 2022 during Billy Napier’s first season.

Saturday’s performance had hints of Napier’s error-prone teams and unimaginative offenses.

In the process, the Gators wasted a strong defense effort. Georgia managed just 318 yards, but didn’t need to do much offensively to build an insurmountable lead.

Florida fell behind 24-0 after committing 60 yards of penalties, Philo suffered two interceptions and Jones coughed up a fumble that Georgia linebacker Chris Cole returned 66 yards for a touchdown 29 seconds before halftime. The turnover came just after the Gators had finally crossed midfield against Georgia’s defense.

Before the fumble, which came on a sack by linebacker Quintavius Johnson, Jones had provided a momentary spark after Sumrall benched Philo following Florida’s third series.

Cole’s scoop-and-score extinguished and effectively ended any slim hopes of a comeback.

Throughout the game, Georgia’s sizable talent gap, Kirby Smart’s superior coaching and the Bulldogs’ physicality were evident.

Smart’s Bulldogs also had a bye week to prepare, and were eager to bounce back from a home loss to unranked Auburn.

Florida’s defense went toe-to-toe with the SEC heavyweight Bulldogs, but received no help from the other side of the ball.

Offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner, a former Georgia quarterbacks coach under Smart from 2020-22, did little schematically to fool his former boss.

Florida also needed more from its playmakers.

Georgia held tailback Jadan Baugh to just 38 yards on 17 carries during his homecoming to the Atlanta area, where he grew up in nearby Decatur. Sophomore receiver Vernell Brown III missed his fourth straight game, ruled out before kickoff because of a lingering knee injury. Receiver Eric Singleton, a native of Atlanta, had just 19 receiving yards and dropped two passes, including a pass that went through his hands for Philo’s second interception.

A penalty for sideline interference tacked on 15 yards to Florida’s 17. Four plays later, Peyton Woodring was good from 28 yards for a 10-0 lead.

Earlier, Florida forced a three-and-out after a head-scratching interception by Philo while he was being sacked gave Georgia the ball on the Gators’ 41. But walk-on receiver Jaden Edgecombe roughed punter Drew Miller, drawing a 15-yard flag and giving the Bulldogs the ball on the 31.

Five plays later, Bulldogs’ tailback Nate Frazier punched it in from one-yard out for Georgia’s first points during a long day for Florida.

Midway through the fourth quarter, the only drama remaining was whether Florida’s NCAA-leading streak of scoring in 480 games, dating to 1988, would end.

An interception in the end zone by Georgia cornerback Braylon Conley had been the Gators’ best chance to extend the scoring streak. But a 42-yard fumble return by linebacker Myles Graham gave Jones another opportunity to salvage something on a three-turnover day.

The 19-year-old sophomore led a nine-play, 48-yard drive, culminating with Jones’ two-yard scoring run on fourth down. Baugh completed a pass to Dallas Wilson for a two-point conversion.

It was too little too late on a day the Gators wilted against the two-time SEC defending champions.

Florida ended with five turnovers and 78 yards in penalties during a nightmarish effort on Halloween.

Florida now turns its attention to November, beginning with a visit Saturday from Oklahoma. Plenty is still at stake as Sumrall continues building his program.

But he and the Gators saw the SEC’s gold standard firsthand in Atlanta — and just how much ground remains between Florida and the program Smart has built in Athens.

Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com

Expected to play throughout the week, Brown was downgraded from probable to questionable on Friday’s SEC availability report. Leading up to 3:30 p.m. kickoff at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Brown was ruled out with a knee injury suffered a month ago. Also sidelined will be back-up tailback Duke Clark and veteran linebacker Jaden Robinson.

Receiver Bailey Stockton was listed as a game-time decision despite battling injuries the past few games, including a left ankle injury in the Oct. 17 victory at Texas.

During Florida’s 4-0 start, Brown caught 17 passes for 271 yards, both team highs, and scored four touchdowns, including twice on punt returns. The Gators scored 96 points in SEC wins over Auburn and Ole Miss, but have scored 63 points and are 1-2 without Brown.

The 5-foot-11, 178-pound sophomore’s return would have restored an explosive offensive element for the Gators (5-2, 3-2 SEC) and create matchup issues for the Bulldogs (6-1, 4-1).

Florida had hoped to have Brown, senior speedster Eric Singleton Jr. and 6-foot-3, 213-pound sophomore Dallas Wilson together for the first time since the first series of the season opener against FAU. Singleton suffered a high ankle sprain while blocking on Brown’s 49-yard touchdown on Florida’s seventh play and did not return until Brown injured his knee against Ole Miss.

Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com.

Expected to play throughout the week, Brown could now miss his fourth straight game after he injured his knee during the first half of Florida’s Sept. 26 win against Ole Miss. His absence has been noticeable.

During Florida’s 4-0 start, he caught 17 passes for 271 yards, both team highs, and scored four touchdowns, including twice on punt returns. The Gators scored 96 points in SEC wins against Auburn and Ole Miss, but have scored 63 points and are 1-2 without Brown.

Brown’s return would restore an explosive offensive element for the Gators (5-2, 3-2 SEC) and create match-up issues for the Bulldogs (6-1, 4-1).

The 5-foot-11, 178-pound sophomore’s elusiveness in the open field, acceleration with the ball in his hands and ability to separate from defenders adds another dimension to Buster Faulkner’s offense while creating opportunities for his teammates.

Florida had hoped to have Brown, senior speedster Eric Singleton Jr. and 6-foot-3, 213-pound sophomore Dallas Wilson together for the first time since the first series of the season opener against FAU. Singleton suffered a high ankle sprain while blocking on Brown’s 49-yard touchdown on Florida’s seventh play and did not return until Brown injured his knee against Ole Miss.

Receiver Bailey Stockton also was listed as questionable for the third straight day after injuring his left ankle in the Oct. 17 victory at Texas.

Whoever lines up at receiver will be catching passes from junior Aaron Philo, who earned the starting nod against Georgia over sophomore Tramell Jones Jr..

Jones led Florida to a 27-24 upset of Texas while Philo sat out with an injured right shoulder. Jones endured a beating during the game. Along with Philo, he was listed as questionable the past two days.

Both quarterbacks were upgraded to probable Friday.

Sophomore tailback Duke Clark was downgraded from questionable to out against Georgia. He rushed for 126 yards and a touchdown during the 52-28 win against then-No. 4 Ole Miss in the Swamp, but he sustained a left ankle injury Oct. 10 against South Carolina.

Veteran linebacker Jaden Robinson also is out, creating more opportunities for sophomore linebacker Ty Jackson. Jackson had two tackles for loss in 14 snaps at Texas.

Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com.

GAINESVILLE — Florida men’s basketball coach Todd Golden never really planned to open the season in Tampa, the site of one of the most painful NCAA Tournament losses in program history.

It just sort of worked out that way.

Nonetheless, facing No. 14 Miami at Benchmark International Arena on Monday night should provide the top-ranked Gators a chance to purge eight months of bitterness.

Winning a second national title in three years would be the ultimate atonement for a stunning, 73-72 loss to ninth-seeded Iowa in March — the one that wiped out any shot at winning back-to-back championships.

For now, though, Florida will use a return to Tampa as motivation while essentially trying to pick up where it left off last season and reignite its chase for another crown.

“It’s awesome; I love it,” guard Urban Klavzar said. “I love going back there, and we’re definitely going to have a different result. I don’t think we should think too much about (being) in the same city, same arena. I think we should take it as, ‘just remember the loss.’”

It’s impossible to forget.

Florida had a three-point lead and the ball with 1:30 to play. But All-American Thomas Haugh shot an air ball and missed a 3-pointer on one possession. Isaiah Brown missed a free throw on another. And the Gators had a defensive lapse in the final seconds that led to Alvaro Folgueiras’ 3-pointer from the corner.

Golden’s group had one final chance with 4.5 seconds left. Xaivian Lee drove the length of the court and into the paint before delivering a low pass to Haugh that bounced off his legs as time expired.

Haugh and several Florida teammates were in tears after the final buzzer, which sent the Hawkeyes and their fans into a frenzy. Haugh called it the most distraught he’s ever been after a game.

“I may have watched it a couple times, but that was like right after it happened,” Haugh said. “That feeling is still deep in our hearts somewhere with everybody that came back, and we’re not going to let that happen again. That’s why we came back.”

Rueben Chinyelu, Alex Condon and Haugh started contemplating a return to Florida a few weeks later. All of them credited that loss as the catalyst for wanting another year – another title shot, really – in college.

Florida made it happen, spending roughly $25 million to bring back four starters and retain nine of its top 11 scorers.

And the setback that defined last season — and set the stage for this one — has been a driving force ever since, whether it was on the court or during 6 a.m. workouts.

“For us to achieve what we want, we have to come out every day and give it our all,” Chinyelu said. “And every guy, from the coaches today, last month, they understood that, and every day they bring it up.”

Florida and Miami played early last season in Jacksonville and had discussed making it an annual series that moves to other neutral sites around the state. Orlando and Tampa were obvious options.

Tampa made more sense because of how last season ended. Florida State and Florida A&M will play in the first game of a double-header.

“It’s a great venue,” Golden said. “It’s been good to us, and we’re not going to let one poor performance dictate whether we play there again or not. Just something that everything kind of aligned for us to be back there.”

Jones stepped in and led the Gators to a 27-24 upset Oct. 17 at Texas after Philo injured his shoulder during a 38-19 loss to South Carolina a week earlier in the Swamp.

The performance positioned Jones to potentially remain in the starting role, but coaches decided to return to Philo, who earned the starting role during a monthslong competition leading up to the season.

Philo then led Florida to a 4-0 and a No. 8 ranking in the AP Top 25, while ranking third in the SEC in passer rating. But during losses to Missouri and South Carolina, the Gators (5-2, 3-2 SEC) fell behind and were unable to rally.

The 6-foot-1, 208-pound junior injured his shoulder at the end of a run against the Gamecocks.

Jones, meanwhile, rallied Florida from a 17-3 deficit at then-No. 7 Texas while making pivotal plays with his arm and legs.

A 17-yard completion on fourth-and-12 led to a touchdown in the final minute of the first half. With Florida clinging to a three-point lead with less than two minutes remaining, Jones ran for 9 yards on third-and-7 after he juked a Texas defender and outran another one.

Jones finished a modest 22-of-35 passing for 155 yards, but threw two touchdowns to Lacota Dippre, while also gaining 52 yards on the ground, excluding an 11-yard sack.

During the Florida’s back-to-back losses, Philo threw just one touchdown and two interceptions in the losses, while taking six sacks.

Saturday’s game with Georgia (6-1, 4-1) carries deep meaning for Philo, who played at Prince Avenue Christian in Athens, Ga. He then spent two seasons at in-state rival Georgia Tech before transferring to Florida in January.

Philo will face a daunting challenge in Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs, the SEC leaders in scoring defense and second in total defense.

Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com

Where: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta

Line: Georgia by 11.5 points

TV: ABC

Weather: Dome

Coaches: Kirby Smart 123-22 at Georgia; Jon Sumrall is 5-2 at UF, 48-14 overall

Quick slant: Florida is 9-8 during games played on Halloween but 4-1 against Georgia, with the only loss coming in 1931. The Gators seek consecutive wins over Top 10 opponents for just the third time, joining the 2006 and 2008 national championship teams.

About No. 3 Georgia (6-1, 4-1): Georgia leads the SEC in scoring offense, averaging 43 points, and scoring defense (15.9 allowed per game). Quarterback Gunner Stockton leads the conference in passer rating, completion percentage (74.1%) and yards per attempt (9.9). Seven Bulldogs have at least 10 receptions. Linebackers Raylen Wilson and Chris Cole have combined for 6.5 sacks and 86 tackles. Safety KJ Bolden, who returns from injury, anchors the secondary, while cornerback Ellis Robinson IV leads the team with six passes defensed.

About No. 17 UF (5-2, 3-2): Sophomore receiver Vernell Brown III is hoped to be back after missing three games, potentially restoring explosiveness to Florida’s offense. The Gators scored 96 points in SEC wins over Auburn and Ole Miss, where Brown was injured, but 73 in conference games without him. Florida’s defense allowed just 278 yards against Texas, its best showing against a Power Four opponent this season. The Gators recorded season-highs of 11.5 tackles for loss and five sacks. Edge rusher LJ McCray had 2.5 tackles for loss, while linebacker Ty Jackson added two in just 14 snaps.

Three things to watch

1. Florida held its own in the trenches at Texas and must do so again. Center Drew Bobo, left tackle Earnest Greene III and nose tackle Elijah Griffin are All-SEC caliber performers up front for Georgia.

2. Florida must slow down the run game. The Bulldogs average 5.99 yards per carry, tied for second nationally with Cincinnati. Georgia has depth, too. Third-stringer Dwight Phillips Jr. stepped in for Nate Frazier at Alabama, rushing for 120 yards in a 20-17 win. Chauncey Bowens will be out Saturday.

3. Linebacker Myles Graham’s strip-sack of Texas quarterback Arch Manning helped seal Florida’s upset. It was, however, the Gators’ first takeaway since generating eight during a 4-0 September. Florida must unsettle Stockton, who had three turnovers during the Auburn loss.

Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com

On Saturday, he’ll see it up close when his No. 17 Gators (5-2, 3-2 SEC) square off against No. 3 Georgia (6-1, 4-1) in Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Kirby Smart’s program has been the SEC’s gold standard since Nick Saban’s retirement at Alabama, where Smart spent nine seasons absorbing the fine points of championship success from one of the sport’s greatest coaches.

Like Saban, Smart demands physicality, instills competitiveness and obsesses over details — traits Sumrall values, too.

“Fire, passion, energy. I mean, relentless in everything that he does,” said Florida offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner, who played two seasons at Valdosta State when Smart was a young assistant and coached at Georgia from 2020-22.

In an era of unprecedented player movement, Smart also has found a way to retain key players and develop them. Rather than rely on quick fixes in the transfer portal, Georgia has built its foundation from the ground up through high school recruiting.

During Florida’s bye week, before turning his attention to recruiting, Sumrall studied Georgia’s roster and found a telling aspect of the program he wants to build. Under previous school in their biographies, the answer for most Bulldogs was the same: Georgia.

“Year One of our program, a lot of our guys on their previous school it says somewhere other than Florida,” Sumrall said. “Half of our roster says the high school they just came from, or a different school. We had to go out and get guys out of the portal just to be able to field a football team that could practice.

“Never again will that be the case here, I hope.”

The contrast currently is clear.

Ten of Georgia’s 11 defensive starters were signed out of high school by Smart, compared with six for Florida. All five Bulldogs starting on the offensive line were high school signees, as was their tight end. Florida, meanwhile, is starting three transfer linemen and a transfer tight end.

And the Bulldogs’ pedigree is exceptional.

Star linebackers Chris Cole and Raylen Wilson, hard-hitting safety KJ Bolden, All-SEC cornerback Ellis Robinson IV and nose tackle Elijah Griffin are among the 18 5-star recruits Smart has signed over the past five classes.

Florida’s lone 5-star during that span is junior edge rusher LJ McCray, a back-up who finally delivered a career performance at Texas.

“They’ve done a really nice job of recruit(ing) high-level high school players, developing those players,” Sumrall said. “Where you may have a roster deficiency, go get a great player. The way they’ve got it built now, they don’t go out and just go to the portal to get a third-string guy.”

The formula has helped Smart’s team dominate the rivalry.

The Bulldogs have won eight of the last nine meetings, including five consecutive wins by an average margin of 18 points. Talent, development and depth are at the root of their run.

Georgia is an 11.5-point favorite after a stunning home loss Oct. 17 to Auburn, coupled with the Gators’ upset at Texas earlier that same day. Until the loss, Smart seemed on track for his third straight SEC title, a feat achieved only once since conference expansion in 1992 — by Saban’s Alabama teams in 2014-16.

The Bulldogs could be vulnerable after the loss, or they could channel their frustration into a statement performance against their archrival.

Either way, Sumrall will get a firsthand look at the standard he hopes to establish in Gainesville.

“They’ve done that year-in, year-out the entire time he’s been there,” Sumrall said of Smart’s program. “They’re developed and they’re calloused and they’re strong and they’re physical. It’s been built over time.

“A really impressive outfit.”

Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com

• 0:00 QB question
• 5:55 Kirby Smart program
• 9:24 Training room — VBIII return
• 12:02 Reason for optimism — 3 amigos on field together
• 13:54 Reason for pessimism — on the road
• 15:20 Matchup offense
• 17:39 Matchup defense
• 19:14 Attention paid
• 21:02 On the spot
• 24:00 Coordinator corner
• 28:57 Final thoughts (recruiting – building from ground up)
• 35:08 Pick the game
• 36:22 The Golden Era
• 42:12 Jeremy Foley’s Corner

Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com

The senior wideout and his two main sidekicks plan to provide a much fuller picture when the No. 17 Gators (5-2, 3-2 SEC) square off with No. 3 Georgia (6-1, 4-1) Saturday in Atlanta.

Teammates, coaches and fans are eager to see Singleton, Dallas Wilson and Vernell Brown III in action at the same time.

Star tailback Jadan Baugh envisions the possibilities, even against one of the nation’s top defenses.

“Six, two, three, any of those guys,” he said, listing off the numbers of Wilson, Singleton and Brown. “I don’t too much see anybody guarding them. When they’re all on the field at one time, it’s very dangerous and electric.”

No Gator might be as explosive as the 5-foot-10, 184-pound Singleton.

A former state 6A champion in the 100 and 400 out of Atlanta, Singleton showcased his exceptional speed for the first time during Florida’s 27-24 win in Austin, a promising sign for a receiving group that has struggled to stay healthy.

“That’s just a little glimpse right there,” he said Tuesday.

Singleton, Wilson and Brown have shared the field for just five snaps on one series that culminated with Brown’s 49-yard touchdown during the season opener against FAU.

Singleton suffered a high ankle sprain while blocking on the play, sidelining him for two games — and for the first time, he said, since the 21-year-old began playing football at age 6.

“This is my first time ever being injured,” he said. “So it was tough on me mentally at the beginning.”

Even though he was far less than 100%, Singleton returned in the second half against Ole Miss and caught a 38-yard pass after Brown injured his knee earlier in Florida’s 52-28 victory.

“I just couldn’t keep watching my guys go out there having so much fun without me,” Singleton said. “I just had to go out there and make a play.”

After missing three games, Brown might finally be on track to get back to his playmaking ways. He had scored four touchdowns and led Florida in receiving at the time of his injury.

Meanwhile, Wilson will make his eighth consecutive start, a season after his promising freshman season started late and ended early, with a lingering foot injury sidelining him for good — after just four games — during the Gators’ loss to Georgia.

Following an offseason spent getting back to full strength and being fitted for new footwear, Wilson leads the Gators with 29 catches for 403 yards and three touchdowns.

Singleton is eager to see the trio’s tantalizing potential become reality back in his hometown against the Gators’ archrivals.

“Very excited,” he said. “We haven’t had too many plays together, so just having each other’s energy to feed off of on the field, it’s going to be great.”

Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com

Up next

No. 17 UF (5–3, 3-2) vs. No. 3 Georgia (6-1, 4-1)

When: 3:30 p.m., Saturday

Where: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta

TV: ABC

Favorite: Georgia by 11.5 points

Coach Jon Sumrall said earlier in the day on the SEC teleconference that the quarterback who handles the first snap for No. 17 Florida against No. 3 Georgia on Saturday in Atlanta will hinge on “health and availability.” He added: “Are both guys capable of being close to their best health-wise?”

Jones stepped in and led the Gators to a 27-24 upset Oct. 17 at then-No. 7 Texas after Philo injured his shoulder during a 38-19 loss to South Carolina a week earlier in the Swamp.

Jones rallied Florida from a 17-3 deficit at Texas while making pivotal plays with his arm and legs. But after making his first collegiate start, the 6-foot, 196-pound sophomore had experienced “a couple of bumps and bruises,” Sumrall said.

Philo practiced Monday, but Sumrall said he was not prepared to name a starter until the week unfolded.

Whoever gets the starting nod will likely have one of the Gators’ key offensive weapons available.

After missing the past three games with a knee injury, star receiver Vernell Brown III is listed as probable. The 5-foot-11, 178-pound sophomore can turn a screen passes into scores, create separation in coverage and has scored twice this season as a punt returner.

Sophomore tailback Duke Clark also is listed as questionable after he didn’t play at Texas. He rushed for 126 yards and a touchdown during a 52-28 win against then-No. 4 Ole Miss on Sept. 26 in the Swamp, but he sustained a left ankle injury Oct. 10 against South Carolina.

The Gators are likely to be without senior receiver Bailey Stockton. He is listed as doubtful after he injured his left ankle at Texas but returned to the game.

Senior linebacker Jaden Robinson also is listed as doubtful, providing more opportunity for sophomore Ty Jackson. Despite playing just 14 snaps, Jackson registered a sack, while forcing a fumble, and forced a turnover on downs with a tackle for loss during a pivotal series at Texas.

Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com