SEC and Big Ten Week 10 Preview: Gators, ‘Dawgs battle for top spot in SEC East

No. 9 Georgia (6-1) at No. 6 Florida (7-1) at 3:30 p.m. on CBS

One of college football’s top rivalries descends on Jacksonville this weekend as Florida takes on Georgia for first place in the SEC East on Saturday afternoon.

The matchup will mark the second straight year that the Gators and Bulldogs meet as Top 10 foes, as No. 7 Georgia topped No. 9 Florida 36-17 in the 2018 edition of the annual clash.

Overall, the Bulldogs hold a 45-41-1 edge in Florida-Georgia games played in Jacksonville, and for 13 years running, the team that finishes the game with more rushing yards has emerged victorious. Georgia enters Week 10 ranked 15th nationally with 236.9 rushing yards per game, while Florida has averaged 142.4 rushing yards through its first eight games.

Now, let’s take a closer look at the teams:

Florida Quick Hits:

• Florida is 7-1 through eight games for the third time in the past eight seasons (2012 and 2015).
• The Gators’ No. 6 ranking is the program’s highest since it reached No. 4 in December 2012.
• Since the start of the 2002 season, Florida is 15-7 in Top 10 matchups. Prior to 2002, the Gators were 16-16-1 when both they and their opponent were ranked in the Top 10.
• Florida’s 2,218 passing yards this season represent the Gators’ highest passing total through eight games since 2001 (3,444 yards).
• Since assuming the starting quarterback role earlier this season, Kyle Trask has completed 110 of 164 attempts for 1,351 yards and 13 touchdowns.
• Florida is one of three FBS teams (Eastern Michigan, Washington State) with at least four pass-catchers with at least 275 receiving yards, 20 or more receptions and at least two touchdowns (Kyle Pitts, Freddie Swain, Van Jefferson and Trevon Grimes).
• Since the start of last season, Florida kicker Evan McPherson is tied for second nationally in field goal percentage (25 of 28, 89.3 percent) among FBS kickers with at least 25 attempts.
• Defensively, Florida is the only FBS team with three three-interception games this year, and its 12 total interceptions are tied for third nationally. Since the start of last season, the Gators’ 44 total takeaways are second only to Syracuse’s 45.
• Florida has eight players with at least 2.0 sacks on the season; no other SEC team has more than six.
• The Gators are outscoring opponents 85-21 in the fourth quarter and 147-55 in the second half this year.
• Click here for Florida’s complete game notes.
• Click here for the Gators’ Week 10 depth chart.

Georgia Quick Hits:

• Georgia is 6-3 against Top 10 teams under Kirby Smart, including a victory over No. 7 Notre Dame earlier this season.
• Bulldogs quarterback leads all FBS quarterbacks with 35 straight starts and is 29-6 overall as a starter.
• After leading the team with 1,049 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns last season, running back D’Andre Swift has tallied 760 rushing yards on 110 attempts and is averaging 6.8 yards per carry.
• Georgia’s offensive line has given up just four sacks through seven games and is the largest in Bulldogs history, with an average player size of 6-foot-5 and 328.6 pounds.
• Georgia has held opponents to 10.6 points per game this season, good for fifth nationally and No. 1 in the SEC. Further, the Bulldogs’ run D also ranks fifth nationally (85.7 yards per game), and Georgia is No. 7 among FBS schools in total defense (266.7 yards per game).
• The ‘Dawgs have allowed just 10 total second-half points in its past five games and are outscoring opponents 65-7 in the fourth quarter on the season.
• Georgia has allowed just 13 plays of 25 yards or longer this season while racking up 26 such plays with its offense.
• Click here for Georgia’s full game notes.
• Click here for the Bulldogs’ Week 10 depth chart.

Here’s a quick look at a few more games we’ll have our eyes on this weekend in the SEC and Big Ten:

No. 14 Michigan (6-2) at Maryland (3-5) at Noon on ABC
Michigan is makings its third visit to Maryland Stadium after winning the 2015 and 2017 matchups by a combined score of 63-10. Overall, the Wolverines are 4-1 against the Terps since Maryland joined the Big Ten.

Nebraska (4-4) at Purdue (2-6) at Noon on FOX
Nebraska completed 20 of 23 passes in last week’s loss to Indiana, marking a new school record for completion percentage in a game. On the other sideline, Purdue has 13 players with a reception this year, including 10 different players with receiving touchdowns.

Rutgers (2-6) at Illinois (4-4) at 3:30 p.m. on BTN
The Illini are looking to win their third straight game after defeating Wisconsin and Purdue in consecutive weeks. A victory would mark the program’s first three-game winning streak since Illinois started the 2011 season 6-0.

Northwestern (1-6) at Indiana (6-2) at 7 p.m.  on FS1
The Hoosiers are off to their best eight-game start since opening with a 7-1 mark in 1993, but the Wildcats enter Saturday’s matchup having won five straight versus Indiana dating back to 2009

Mississippi State (3-5) at Arkansas (2-6) at 3:30 p.m. on SECN
The Bulldogs enter Saturday’s meeting with the Razorbacks having won six out of the last seven meetings, four of which were decided in the final minutes.

Ole Miss (3-5) at No. 11 Auburn (6-2) at 4 p.m. on ESPN
The Tigers are the only team in the current AP Top 25 that has faced three other current Top 25 teams (LSU, Florida, Oregon) and are scheduled to face two more (Georgia, Alabama).

Vanderbilt (2-5) at South Carolina (3-5) at 7:30 p.m. on SECN
South Carolina leads the all-time series against Vanderbilt 24-4 and has won each of its past 10 games against the Commodores.