Quarterback Tramell Jones Jr. and Aaron Philo are both taking reps as Florida prepares to face Georgia on Saturday in Atlanta. Jones led the Gators to a win over Texas in his first career start. (Photo: Hannah White/UAA Communications)
Florida-Georgia: A Century Of Hate, A New Setting And QB Questions
Monday, October 26, 2026 | Football, Scott Carter
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By: Scott Carter, Senior Writer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The annual Florida-Georgia game is widely considered the most unique rivalry in the Southeastern Conference.
For those who grew up outside Dixie, say Palo Alto, Boise or Champaign, they might not realize the two schools can't even agree on how many times they've played. It's part of the rivalry's charm.
But for those diehards from Palatka and Wauchula south of the border, or Lawrenceville and Perry from up north, that's like telling them what each school's colors are. They know all about "Run, Lindsay, Run," Spurrier's half a hundred, Bell to Nattiel and the Dawg Stomp.
As Florida-Georgia celebrates its 100th anniversary as an annual game, the storied rivalry has a fresh twist to untangle in 2026. The teams have met every season since 1926, except in 1943, when Florida did not field a team because of World War II.
For the first time since that famous 1995 game at Georgia, when then-Gators coach Steve Spurrier called pass plays for backup Eric Kresser to see if Florida could become the first opponent to score 50 points at Sanford Stadium – Final: Florida 52, Georgia 17 – the Gators and Bulldogs will play somewhere other than along the banks of the St. Johns River in Jacksonville. The game was moved on campus in 1994 (Florida) and 1995 (Georgia) as the old Gator Bowl was torn down and replaced by the eventual home of the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars.
Thirty-one years later, EverBank Stadium is undergoing massive renovations, and Saturday's Florida-Georgia game will be played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, marking the first time the matchup has been held in the South's largest metropolitan area.
More significantly for the Florida side of the stadium, the Gators are ranked for the first time in six years entering the showdown. Both No. 17 Florida (5-2, 4-1) and No. 3 Georgia (6-1, 4-1) are still in contention for a College Football Playoff berth.
Jon Sumrall is a rookie to the rivalry, but he doesn't need a history lesson.
"You have to embrace it, first and foremost,'' Sumrall said Monday. "Florida-Georgia is different. Anybody that says otherwise is insane. It's not just another game. That's not real."
Quarterback Aaron Philo (right) and receiver Bailey Stockton after Florida's win at Texas. Philo and Stockton are Georgia natives. Philo did not play at Texas because of an injured shoulder and has returned to practice. (Photo: Hannah White/UAA Communications)
The hype surrounding the 104th Florida-Georgia game – 105th for Bulldogs keeping score – is revved up compared to recent years. Florida is coming off a road win at No. 7 Texas in the first career start for quarterback Tramell Jones Jr. Georgia lost at home to Auburn on a last-second field goal.
While Florida has lost five consecutive in the series, marking Georgia's longest win streak since a six-game run from 1978-83, the Gators are riding high after storming back from a 14-point deficit to knock off the Longhorns and return to the national rankings. The Gators, who climbed as high as No. 8 earlier in the season, fell from the polls after back-to-back losses to Missouri and South Carolina.
Georgia is Georgia in Sumrall's eyes.
The Bulldogs, ranked fifth when the No. 8 Gators beat them 44-28 in 2020, have entered the Florida game ranked No. 1, No. 1, No. 1, No. 2 and No. 5 in the past five meetings. Not much has changed.
Despite the Auburn upset, the third-ranked Bulldogs lead the SEC in scoring offense (43.0 points per game) and scoring defense (15.9 ppg). Quarterback Gunner Stockton has passed for 1,570 yards, 16 touchdowns and four interceptions, and the Bulldogs rank 12th nationally in total defense (276.4 yards per game).
In his 11th season as Georgia's head coach, Kirby Smart has suffered back-to-back regular-season losses only twice, both times in his first season in 2016. The last time, Georgia lost to Vanderbilt before its bye week, then fell 24-10 to the Gators in Jacksonville.
The Gators must be at their best to duplicate the feat more than a decade later.
"They're a team that you turn the tape on, you don't see weakness,'' Sumrall said. "Usually, as a coach, you're trying to figure out what our team's strengths and weaknesses. I see a lot of strengths; I don't see weakness."
The most pressing question Sumrall faced Monday was whether Jones, who finished 22 of 35 for 155 yards and two touchdowns in the victory over the Longhorns, or Aaron Philo would start at quarterback. Unsurprisingly, Sumrall said the competition remains open all week as Philo recovers from a shoulder injury and Jones nurses bumps and bruises from his first start.
Philo started the first six games and has passed for 1,341 yards, nine scores and three interceptions. He played well during Florida's 4-0 start. However, in the losses to Missouri and South Carolina, the offense stalled with defenses focused on shutting down running back Jadan Baugh. Baugh was limited to 72 yards in the losses but responded with 91 yards and a touchdown at Texas.
"They're both taking some reps with the ones and the twos," Sumrall said. "We can play both. We probably won't. Once we start the game, it's that guy's game usually, depending how he plays. It starts with health and availability. We'll make a decision [midweek]. There's not going to be a big QB1 announcement for this game or any game."
Whether it's Jones or Philo starting, Sumrall sounded more optimistic than of late when discussing the potential return of receiver Vernell Brown III from a knee injury. Brown has missed the last three games and, when he touches the ball, he's a home-run threat and a dangerous punt returner.
Brown has been a game-time decision the past two games.
"He looked good [at practice], and I didn't go up to him at all today and ask, 'Hey, how you feeling?' I just let him practice, and he looked like he was feeling pretty good,'' Sumrall said. "He looks normal to me."
For the first time in three decades, Florida-Georgia will unfold outside Jacksonville. The Gators hope the change of scenery brings a change in fortunes, too.
Baugh, an Atlanta native, is eager for another shot to end the Bulldogs' dominance.
"Coach said it the other day: 'I'm trying to treat it as another game, but at the same time, it means something,' " Baugh said. "We have to understand that."
