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TAMPA, Fla. — Jon Sumrall took over a Florida program that hasn’t measured up in recent years to rival Georgia football not only in the conference standings but in their annual game.
“We got to get our team to play better in that game and put our best foot forward,” the former Tulane coach said.
The “Cocktail Party,” game is on the move outside of Jacksonville for the first time in 30 years this season. It will be played on Oct. 31 in the Bulldogs own backyard in Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
“I think it’s going to be fun,” Florida linebacker Myles Graham said. "It will still be, you know, half blue, half red. I think it’s going to be loud at all times of the game no matter what happens. One side is going to be loud. I think it will be same thing, different area.”
Georgia has won five straight and eight of the last nine games against the Gators.
With major construction going on the next two seasons at EverBank Stadium, the game shifts to Atlanta in 2026 and Tampa, Fla., in 2027.
“Any time we get to play Florida, that’s a great game,” Georgia linebacker Justin Williams said last week. “It’s going to an amazing game to go out there, especially, not really home, but like an hour and 30 (minutes) away. You can’t ask for anything better.”
Georgia has won back-to-back SEC championships in Mercedes-Benz Stadium and beat Georgia Tech there last season in a game shifted from the Yellow Jacket’s campus.
The Bulldogs are 9-5 in the venue overall.
“The Florida-Georiga rivalry is obviously a historic rivalry, a lot of great players,” said Florida wide receiver Vernell Brown III, whose father and grandfather played for the Gators. “Just because you change the sites, you don’t really change the magnitude of the game. It’s been played at different sites other than Jacksonville. I think it will be the same high-pressure rivalry game.”
The game has been played in Jacksonville since 1933 except for a one year break in 1943 during World War II and games in Gainesville in 1994 and Athens in 1995 when the stadium underwent renovations.
“It will be very strange because we’ve played these games in Jacksonville for so long,” said Gators running back Jadan Baugh, an Atlanta native. “For me being to go back home and do it for the people I love and the city I love, it’s going to be everything to me.”
Georgia coach Kirby Smart said media and fans may make a big deal about where the game will be played, but he didn’t think it matter much to players.
He said Florida “has a large contingent and fan base in Atlanta." And, he said, "sometimes down there wind is a big factor, heat. Going to be indoors in an incredible stadium and venue that we've gotten play in multiple times.”
Sumrall said he expects an “electric environment,” for the game in Atlanta.
“I like the Benz Stadium so I’m going to enjoy that one,” Georgia linebacker Raylen Wilson said. “Everyone’s going to enjoy that one.”
This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Florida seeks rivalry turnaround against Georgia football in Atlanta
Continue reading...
“We got to get our team to play better in that game and put our best foot forward,” the former Tulane coach said.
The “Cocktail Party,” game is on the move outside of Jacksonville for the first time in 30 years this season. It will be played on Oct. 31 in the Bulldogs own backyard in Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
“I think it’s going to be fun,” Florida linebacker Myles Graham said. "It will still be, you know, half blue, half red. I think it’s going to be loud at all times of the game no matter what happens. One side is going to be loud. I think it will be same thing, different area.”
Georgia has won five straight and eight of the last nine games against the Gators.
With major construction going on the next two seasons at EverBank Stadium, the game shifts to Atlanta in 2026 and Tampa, Fla., in 2027.
“Any time we get to play Florida, that’s a great game,” Georgia linebacker Justin Williams said last week. “It’s going to an amazing game to go out there, especially, not really home, but like an hour and 30 (minutes) away. You can’t ask for anything better.”
Georgia has won back-to-back SEC championships in Mercedes-Benz Stadium and beat Georgia Tech there last season in a game shifted from the Yellow Jacket’s campus.
The Bulldogs are 9-5 in the venue overall.
“The Florida-Georiga rivalry is obviously a historic rivalry, a lot of great players,” said Florida wide receiver Vernell Brown III, whose father and grandfather played for the Gators. “Just because you change the sites, you don’t really change the magnitude of the game. It’s been played at different sites other than Jacksonville. I think it will be the same high-pressure rivalry game.”
The game has been played in Jacksonville since 1933 except for a one year break in 1943 during World War II and games in Gainesville in 1994 and Athens in 1995 when the stadium underwent renovations.
“It will be very strange because we’ve played these games in Jacksonville for so long,” said Gators running back Jadan Baugh, an Atlanta native. “For me being to go back home and do it for the people I love and the city I love, it’s going to be everything to me.”
Georgia coach Kirby Smart said media and fans may make a big deal about where the game will be played, but he didn’t think it matter much to players.
He said Florida “has a large contingent and fan base in Atlanta." And, he said, "sometimes down there wind is a big factor, heat. Going to be indoors in an incredible stadium and venue that we've gotten play in multiple times.”
Sumrall said he expects an “electric environment,” for the game in Atlanta.
“I like the Benz Stadium so I’m going to enjoy that one,” Georgia linebacker Raylen Wilson said. “Everyone’s going to enjoy that one.”
This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Florida seeks rivalry turnaround against Georgia football in Atlanta
Continue reading...
