Billy Napier is gone, but the University of Florida’s football futility against Georgia lives on. The Bulldogs knocked off the Gators 24-20 Saturday at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville.

Playing under interim head coach Billy Gonzales, Florida lost for the fifth straight time to the Bulldogs and the eighth time in the past nine seasons. In the Southeastern Conference, UF is 2-3 and still has two ranked SEC teams to play: No. 7 Ole Miss and No. 14 Tennessee.

The Gators let an upset win get away. They had the lead and the ball at the Georgia 18 with under eight minutes to go. But the opportunity to go up two scores died when Florida failed to convert a fourth-and-1.

Georgia drove 82 yards for the go-ahead touchdown and the rest felt inevitable. In need of a rally, Florida quarterback DJ Lagway missed an open receiver 50 yards downfield and then threw into coverage on fourth down.

The Gators, poised to win their biggest game of the season, again collapsed under pressure. 

Gonzales still applauded his team's focus and effort given the distraction of the firing of their head coach.

"I'm super proud of the way they bonded together. The guys played extremely hard," Gonzales said. "They don't have any quit in their DNA. We came here to win, but we came up short. The Gators expect to win. There are no moral victories. You either win or you lose."

Momentum Shifts on Fourth-Down Gambles

The game's pivotal moment arrived after Trey Smack's 54-yard field goal gave Florida a 20-17 advantage. Facing fourth-and-1 at Georgia's 18-yard line, Gonzales chose to keep the Gators offense on the field rather than attempt another field goal.

But running back Jadan Baugh was stuffed at the line for no gain and the Bulldogs took over with 7:54 remaining.

Georgia covered 82 yards in seven plays, capped by Chauncey Bowens' 36-yard touchdown run with 4:36 to go. The Gators' decision to blitz from the edge backfired as Bowen found a hole in his line and went untouched into the secondary and into the end zone.

Still, the Gators had one more opportunity to win on their next possession. But facing fourth-and-4 from their own 31, Lagway's pass intended for Eugene Wilson III was broken up by freshman defensive back Ellis Robinson. On that play, Lagway rolled to his left and failed to see Gators receiver TJ Abrams, who was open a few yards farther downfield than Wilson on the same side of the field.

Gonzales defended the fourth-down decisions: “We came here to win."

Lagway Consistently Inconsistent

Even more frustrating for Gator fans than  Lagway’s fourth down incompletion to Wilson III was his incompletion the play before. On third-and-4, Lagway was flushed from the pocket and threw a deep ball toward receiver J. Michael Sturdivant, who had broken free 10 yards behind the nearest Georgia defender.

But the ball was so underthrown that Sturdivant had to put on the brakes and dive back toward Lagway to attempt the catch. Sturdivant appeared to scoop the ball just inches off the turf for a 47-yard gain, but the pass was ruled incomplete and a video review backed up the on-field call.

It’s been that kind of season for Lagway: brilliant one moment, disappointing the next. 

Lagway finished the game 15-of-24 passing for 166 yards, including a 40-yard touchdown strike to  Wilson III in the first quarter. Lagway even sprinted up the middle on a quarterback draw that gave him a career-long 26-yard run in the third quarter.

But what most fans will remember from this game will be the plays that he didn’t make and his inefficiency on third down (the Gators were 2-for-11).  

Third-Quarter Battle Sets Up Dramatic Finish

The third quarter featured a back-and-forth exchange that set the stage for the fourth-quarter drama. Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton connected with Noah Thomas on a 22-yard touchdown pass to give the Bulldogs a 17-10 lead with 10:46 left in the period.

Florida responded with their second longest drive of the season, a 12-play, 79-yard march that consumed more than seven minutes. The drive was aided by two Georgia pass interference penalties, including a crucial call against linebacker Raylen Wilson that moved the ball to the Bulldogs' 13-yard line. After another pass interference penalty in the end zone on Zion Branch, Florida had a first-and-goal at the 2. From there, Baugh punched it in to tie the game at 17-17 with 3:37 left in the third quarter.

Gators Strike First, Trade Early Blows

Georgia set the tone early, scoring on its opening possession when quarterback Gunner Stockton found Dillon Bell for an 8-yard touchdown pass. But Florida answered quickly as Lagway connected with Wilson III on the 40-yard touchdown pass later in the first quarter to even the score.

Smack's 22-yard field goal with 3:02 left in the opening quarter gave the Gators a 10-7 lead, which they carried into the second quarter despite being significantly outplayed in time of possession.

Wilson Shines in Expanded Role

With leading receiver Vernell Brown III and fellow wideout Aidan Mizell sidelined due to injuries, Wilson III seized his opportunity. Wilson had nine catches for 121 yards, surpassing his season total of 118 yards entering the game. He became Lagway's primary target, especially after freshman Dallas Wilson exited with a foot injury in the second half.

Up Next

The Gators will be on the road again next Saturday at Kentucky. The Wildcats (3-5, 1-5) beat host Auburn 10-3 Saturday night for their first conference win. The Gators have not performed well lately in Lexington, losing their in their past two trips there. The back-to-back losses came after Florida had reeled off 16 straight wins at Kentucky from 1988 to 2019.