Georgia 27, Florida 8: Four Florida turnovers and a 217-yard ground game

No. 3 Georgia beat No. 17 Florida 27-8 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Saturday, and the game was settled before halftime. Florida turned the ball over four times, Georgia ran for 217 yards, and the Bulldogs went to the locker room up 24-0 after a defensive touchdown with 29 seconds left in the second quarter.

Florida had more possessions than points to show for them. Georgia had one turnover all day and did not need a touchdown pass to win comfortably.

How it was won

Georgia opened the scoring with 1:50 left in the first quarter on a 1-yard Nate Frazier run, with P. Woodring adding the kick. Woodring made it 10-0 on a 28-yard field goal at 8:55 of the second quarter, and Bo Walker scored from a yard out at 1:55 to push the lead to 17-0.

The play that ended Florida's afternoon came next. On a dropback, Tramell Jones Jr. was sacked by Q. Johnson for a 3-yard loss, Florida fumbled, and the ball was returned 66 yards for a touchdown. Woodring's kick made it 24-0 at 0:29.

Florida did not score until 6:59 of the fourth quarter, when Jones ran in from 2 yards and Jadan Baugh threw to D. Wilson for the two-point conversion. Woodring closed the scoring with a 21-yard field goal at 3:34.

The box score tells the same story. Georgia outgained Florida 318 to 246 and held a 217-48 edge on the ground. Frazier ran 12 times for 67 yards and the touchdown, and Dwight Phillips Jr. added 67 yards on eight carries. Gunner Stockton was 13 of 23 for 101 yards with no touchdowns; Craig Dandridge led Georgia with three catches for 39 yards and London Humphreys had two for 16.

Florida could not run. Baugh carried 17 times for 38 yards, and Jones had 11 yards on nine carries. Jones completed 18 of 25 passes for 172 yards with an interception, and Bailey Stockton caught eight of them for 76 yards. Amir Jackson had two catches for 27.

Georgia held the ball for 32:11, converted 6 of 15 third downs and had 19 first downs to Florida's 15. Florida was 4 of 12 on third down.

Against the number

Georgia closed as an 11.5-point favorite and won by 19, so the Bulldogs covered. Their moneyline closed at -410, with Florida at +320.

The total closed at 56.5, and the teams combined for 35 points, a clear under. The first half did most of that work: 24 points, all from one side, and a Florida offense that could not finish drives. Full closing prices are on the game page.

What's next

Georgia moves to 7-1 and has answered its 27-24 loss to Auburn the week before. The Bulldogs travel to No. 12 Ole Miss on Saturday, November 7, on ABC. Their win at No. 6 Alabama earlier in the year was a 20-17 game, and road trips in this league have been close.

Florida falls to 5-3, a week after a 27-24 win at No. 7 Texas. The Gators have alternated strong and weak results since late September, with losses to Missouri and South Carolina around the wins over Ole Miss and Texas. They host Oklahoma on Saturday, November 7, on SEC Network. Georgia beat that same Oklahoma team 41-13 earlier this season.