ATHENS, Ga. - The Florida Gators have shown this season that they can score on 63-yard touchdown passes. The Georgia Bulldogs have shown they can give them up.
Georgia's secondary will be out for atonement Saturday afternoon when the No. 3 Bulldogs and Gators vie at EverBank Field in Jacksonville. Despite thrashing Missouri 53-28 in Sanford Stadium on Oct. 14, the Bulldogs allowed four Drew Lock touchdown passes, including a pair of 63-yard scoring strikes to Emanuel Hall.
"We 100 percent want to give Missouri the credit for the things that they were able to do as far as exploiting us on those deep passes, but we just know that we can play better and do a lot of things differently, which would not have allowed those plays to happen," Georgia senior defensive back Aaron Davis said. "Kudos to them for making those plays, but we have to be sound in our coverage and technique to where those things don't happen regardless of what the other team does."
The first Lock-to-Hall touchdown pulled Missouri into a 14-14 tie late in the first quarter, and the second connection knotted it at 21 early in the second.
Lock finished 15-of-25 for 253 yards with the four touchdowns and one interception. The two 63-yard touchdowns accounted for essentially half of Missouri's aerial output, which creates the argument that Georgia's secondary played well for most of the game, but allowing deep scores again this week could be troubling given that Florida and Missouri are in two different area codes defensively.
"I think the biggest thing for us is playing with better technique, understanding where your help is and trying not to put them in those situations," Georgia coach Kirby Smart said. "We need to throw more deep balls so we can play more deep balls - cover fast people in practice. You try to address them on what you call and how you play what you call, then the technique you use when you call it.
"The only way to get better at stuff like that is really to work on it. We've tried to attack some of that, and we'll continue to."
Florida has the most memorable 63-yard touchdown of the season in Southeastern Conference play, with Feleipe Franks connecting with Tyrie Cleveland as time expired for a 26-20 triumph over Tennessee on Sept. 16. Cleveland is the top deep threat of the Gators who hasn't played this month due to a high-ankle sprain, but he is practicing this week and is expected to suit up Saturday.
The winning score against the Volunteers has been the highlight this season for Franks, who ranks last among SEC starting quarterbacks with 800 passing yards. The 6-foot-5, 227-pound redshirt freshman ranks 15th in the league with four touchdown passes, trailing Alabama backup Tua Tagovailoa, who has five.
Gators third-year coach Jim McElwain recently said that six games still isn't a large enough sample size to judge his quarterback.
"He's gotten better in some things," McElwain said, "and I think his dealing with some of the exterior things that come along with the position is a growing thing for him. The guys around him also have to understand what they need to do to be successful around that position as well."
Franks threw for just 129 yards and was intercepted twice in a 19-17 home loss to Texas A&M on Oct. 14, but he had a 79-yard run against the Aggies, so Georgia will be guarding against his arm and legs this Saturday. Not to mention other Florida threats, such as the true freshman tandem of running back Malik Davis and versatile receiver Kadarius Toney.
"They've always shown they can run the ball," Davis said. "Three years ago, both of their tailbacks (Matt Jones and Kelvin Taylor) had like 200 rushing yards. They get you worried about the run, and then they get their athletes to go over the top.
"They've shown they can take the top off of other defenses, so we'll have to communicate and be sharp."
Georgia is tied for 11th nationally in pass defense, allowing 170.4 yards per game. Missouri's 253-yard aerial total represented a season high against the Bulldogs, who are eager to show that was an aberration.
"We definitely feel confident," sophomore safety J.R. Reed said. "We got beat on a couple of plays, but we've made sure that we fixed those things. Now we're ready to get after Florida."
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.