Defense on the rise, special teams crumbling

The Florida Gators (4-4, 2-3 SEC) fell to the Georgia Bulldogs (7-1, 5-1 SEC) 34-20 in a game that was much tighter than the final score suggests.

So, it’s time for a stock report. Let’s take a look at which stocks are up this week and see which ones are down.

Ja’Coby Jackson, Running Back

Another Gators running back is having a breakout game and will face the No. 2 ranked team in the country. Jackson rushed for a season-high 74 yards, averaging 6.2 yards per carry, and scored the game-tying touchdown in the fourth quarter.

The running game was forced to pick up as much slack as possible after quarterback DJ Lagway was injured. He and Baugh definitely did it.

Alligator Defense

Statistics don’t tell the whole story. They picked off quarterback Carson Beck three times (nearly his fourth) and completely stifled Georgia’s offense in the first half. It could be argued that they accounted for only 20 of the 34 points.

Warner’s interception and special teams fumble put them in places they otherwise wouldn’t have been for the next two touchdowns.

This defense continues to improve as the season progresses. They crushed UCF and Kentucky and put up a fight against two top-10 opponents. This is important.

Aidan Mizell, wide receiver

The redshirt freshman had a career night. He received the only touchdown reception, his second of the season. In a game where the passing game took a backseat, Mizell had a career run.

His 66 receiving yards were 30 more than the next best in the game. If Lagway had been healthy throughout the game, he likely would have had more impressive numbers. But when you put this day into context, it is an impressive day.

Gators special teams

Trey Smack would not have been penalized for missing the 51-yard attempt. There was no guarantee the Gators would go up 16-13 in that situation, and he had two field goals. However, wasting the moment and forcing Georgia to take the initiative is unforgivable.

If Georgia scores that touchdown on a field goal attempt, then it’s fair. But it was a great gift to a team that was losing badly to its competitors. This moment brings down the stock.

The entire Gators Passing game

There are no criticisms of the game’s performance in terms of performance. Lagway was injured. It is what it is. There they receive a pass. Even then they were close to victory over Georgia.

The reason the stock is falling is what it means for the rest of the season. Aidan Warner doesn’t look like a viable option going forward. Of course, Georgia is a strong team, but the competition is not getting any easier. The Gators will play Texas, LSU and Ole Miss in that order over the next six weeks – all SEC teams ranked in the top 25. Maybe they still beat Florida State just because they’ve been so bad this year.

As for Lagway, you could argue that they can handle this competition and maybe even cause some trouble. They nearly took Georgia to the end without a quarterback. The uncertainty of the future leads to calls to sell, sell, sell.