The Florida Gators headed into week 10 of the 2014 football season with a record of 3-3, and coach Will Muschamp’s head on the chopping block against rival Georgia. On the other side of the 92nd edition of the rivalry, were the 6-1 Georgia Bulldogs, who at the time controlled its own destiny in the road to the SEC Championship. Rolling into the 2014 match-up, the Bulldogs had lost 18 of the last 24 meetings between the two foes, however, Georgia was going for their fourth straight win in the series.
This was a perfect year for Georgia to finally take momentum in the series; Florida was down, and the Bulldogs were anything but.
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Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
1st Quarter
The first quarter would not be indicative of how this game would roll. Georgia came out of the shoots scoring on their second drive of the game. Nick Chubb got the Dawgs on top with 9:02 left in the first quarter on a 39 yard scamper. Florida’s first three drives ended in two punts and a fumble from Treon Harris on Gators own 48. UGA Kicker Marshall Morgan missed a 39 yard field goal to close the quarter, but nonetheless the Bulldogs carried the games momentum into quarter number two.
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2nd Quarter
It was as if a different Florida football team appeared in the second quarter. It took a Publix bag boy, yes a Publix bag boy to get the Gators on the scoreboard. Walk-on place holder Michael McNeely dashed for 21 yards and a score on a fake field goal attempt resulting in a touchdown. Shopping on the Georgia defense continued to be a pleasure in quarter number two as the orange and blue tacked on seven more points on their next drive. Sophomore Kelvin Taylor highlighted the series with a 44 yard scamper, then three plays later punched it in from two yards out to give Florida a 14-7 lead.
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3rd Quarter
The start of the third quarter began the end of Georgia’s hope of winning the 2014 segment of this historical rivalry. Running back Matt Jones put UF ahead 21-7 in the second half’s first drive on a 44 yard burst for six points. Georgia had just three opportunities with the ball in the third quarter. The Dawgs punted twice and coughed the ball up once on a Nick Chubb fumble deep in Florida territory. The Gators added on an important three point field goal with 5:09 left in the quarter. The added three points basically made it almost impossible for a Georgia comeback.
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4th Quarter
Georgia was buried alive with 13:49 left in the game on a one-yard run from Florida’s Matt Jones giving the Gators a 31-7 advantage. The Dawgs scrapped their way back to cut the lead to 13 points on a 10-yard pass from Hutson Mason to Nick Chubb. However, they failed to convert on a two-point conversion. Florida sealed the deal on this 92nd chapter of this rivalry with Kelvin Taylor’s second TD run of the game, this time from 65 yards out. Matt Jones and Kelvin Taylor combined for a stellar 389 yards and four touchdowns. Florida knocked off the No. 11 ranked Bulldogs 38-20. Georgia only attempted just six passes through the air for the whole game.
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For Georgia fans, November 1, 2014 was a shot in the heart. The Dawgs conceded the drivers seat to the Missouri Tigers who would not relinquish the SEC East reigns. On the flip side, this game came as a relief and was a shock to most Florida fans. Will Muschamp was on the brink of getting canned after losing 10 of his last 13 games before this showdown in Jacksonville. Muschamp was 0-7 in the rivalry as a player and coach. But this game only prolonged the end of the Muschamp era in Gainesville for the time being, but it did give fans of the orange and blue hope for the future.