Inside Slant

The Sports Xchange

October 23, 2018 at 11:04 pm.

No. 9 Gators ready for showdown with No. 7 Georgia

Fortunes can change quickly in college football.

With a new coach and a new mentality, No. 9 Florida is heading into its pivotal SEC showdown against rival No. 7 Georgia in Jacksonville with a different, more confident mindset.

Last season, the unranked Gators were blasted by Georgia 42-7 on the eve of third-year coach Jim McElwain being fired and replaced by interim coach Randy Shannon.

With first-year coach Dan Mullen at the helm, Florida (6-1) has won five straight since its second-week loss to Kentucky.

“We went through a coaching change which turned out for the better for us,” Florida redshirt sophomore quarterback Feleipe Franks said. “Just a bunch of different things have changed. Our guys, obviously we love it and you know we’re excited for the challenge and we’re going to prepare our tails off for the challenge this Saturday.”

As of now, Florida, Georgia and Kentucky are in a three-way tie for first place in the SEC East with 4-1 league records. The winner of the top-10 matchup will have a leg up in winning the division and earning a trip to Atlanta for the SEC title game.

Certainly, the Gators have exceeded expectations, knocking off Tennessee, Mississippi State, LSU and Vanderbilt since its 27-16 home loss to Kentucky.

“If you said 6-1 going into the Georgia game, take it or leave it, I might take it,” Mullen said.

Florida is coming off a bye week after a 37-27 win over Vanderbilt ranked in the top 10 for the first time since the 2015 season.

“We’re as good as your last game, so hopefully we’ll be ranked in the top 10 after this week,” Mullen said. “If we are, then that’s a good thing. When you win games, the next one becomes bigger.”

The Gators enter the Georgia matchup ranked first in the SEC in pass defense (160.1 ypg allowed) and third in sacks (21). Mullen said the Gators will prepare to face either one of Georgia’s two quarterbacks, sophomore Jake Fromm or freshman Justin Fields. Georgia quarterback Kirby Smart has played both quarterbacks during the course of the season.

“I’m sure we’ll see (Fields),” Mullen said. “I think he’s played in a bunch of games this year. They’ve used him primarily as a runner. You have the opportunity to create some new wrinkles within your scheme, within your system.”