Here’s what Georgia needs to do to knock off the Florida Gators in the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party. The Bulldogs have to protect Gunner Stockton and take care of the football. Above all, Kirby Smart’s defense has to shut down the Florida rushing attack. And frankly, the last one matters more than the other two combined.

Both teams are coming off a bye week, so I fully expect a slow-paced matchup, especially early. Both staffs have spent two weeks preparing for that opening drive. Neither side is getting caught off guard in the first quarter. The real game gets decided by the adjustments each staff makes in the second half.

Florida’s coordinators know this Georgia staff very well

These two programs see each other every single year, so familiarity is baked in to this one. Then you add another layer. Both of Florida’s coordinators, on offense and on defense, have extensive experience going against Kirby Smart, Mike Bobo, and Glenn Schumann from their previous stop.

And you may say, Tegan, this is a first-time coaching staff for Florida. Why should Georgia be worried about a group that has never coached in this game? That notion doesn’t really apply here. This staff has experience against the Bulldogs, and honestly, it has found real success against them. So Georgia shouldn’t expect any surprises on the Florida sideline, and Florida won’t be surprised by anything Georgia does either.

Don’t hand Florida the game

If we focus on the Georgia side of the coin, the first thing I’m watching is simple: don’t give the game to Florida. That might sound like basic coaching advice, but let’s call a spade a spade. That is exactly how Auburn beat Georgia. The Tigers kept their offense alive, and Georgia turned the ball over on offense. That’s how you lose a game you have no business losing.

That puts the spotlight on Stockton, who is coming off his worst game of the 2026 season. What is he going to look like in this one? Can he manage the pressure? He has been one of the best quarterbacks in the country at handling it, and that’s exactly what the Florida defense is going to test.

The Gators have a lack of quality in the secondary, so they try to speed up opposing quarterbacks and force them into mistakes. Stockton has to do what he has always done. Stay calm, handle the pressure, and don’t give Florida a short field.

Stopping the run ultimately decides this game

With that being said, the No. 1 key outside of all of that is the same one that decides most college football games. Can you stop the run?

Georgia has to keep Jadan Baugh from building any momentum on the ground, along with whichever quarterback lines up for Florida, most likely Aaron Philo or Tramell Jones Jr. If the Bulldogs shut that down with Chris Cole and the rest of the incredible linebackers in this front seven, the Gators have nowhere to turn. A Florida offense that can’t run the football has to put the game on its quarterback’s arm, and that is a matchup Georgia wins.

If Georgia stops the run, I’m confident the Bulldogs win this game by multiple touchdowns. It sounds simple. It is simple. That is the path to a win in one of the biggest games on Georgia’s schedule, and I’ll be watching the first few Florida rushing attempts to see whether the Bulldogs are on it.