ATHENS, Ga. - The Georgia Bulldogs do not need directions to their next football game.
When the No. 3 Bulldogs (7-0, 4-0 Southeastern Conference) face Florida (3-3, 3-2) on Saturday afternoon, it will mark the sixth trip to Jacksonville's EverBank Field for Georgia fifth-year seniors such as defensive lineman John Atkins and defensive back Aaron Davis. Their first venture to Jacksonville occurred on New Year's Day 2014, when they were redshirting and watched from the sideline as the Bulldogs lost 24-19 to Nebraska in the TaxSlayer Bowl.
That capped Georgia's 2013 season, when Aaron Murray was in his final year at quarterback and Todd Grantham his final year as defensive coordinator.
"I've been to Jacksonville quite a few times," Davis said. "We've been there every year for the Florida game and then twice for the TaxSlayer Bowl, so I'm pretty familiar with Jacksonville. I'm kind of tired of going there.
"We will enjoy it a lot better if we win."
Georgia's past five trips to Jacksonville have yielded a 1-4 record, with the lone victory a 24-17 topping of Penn State in the TaxSlayer Bowl that capped the 2015 season. That triumph hardly had a celebratory feel, with Mark Richt having already been fired as head coach and with interim coach Bryan McClendon having not been retained by current head coach Kirby Smart.
Throw in three straight losses to the Gators by an average score of 30-11, and Jacksonville hasn't exactly been the shiniest, happiest place for the Bulldogs.
With only two exceptions, Georgia and Florida have played annually in Jacksonville since 1933, when the Southeastern Conference was formed. The game was moved to Gainesville in 1994 and to Athens in 1995 due to stadium enhancements that were needed for Jacksonville to welcome its NFL expansion team.
The game is under contract with Jacksonville through 2021, but that doesn't keep those on either side from offering opinions. Richt once suggested the location have a four-year rotation among Athens, Gainesville, Atlanta and Jacksonville.
"I think it is what it is," said Smart, who has played and coached in the rivalry. "The biggest advantage or disadvantage, to me, is the recruiting aspect. I've always said you lose a great opportunity once every other year. You figure in your state you're going to have 100 top players, and every four years they're in high school, there are two opportunities to bring them to a big game and to an environment that would be second to none. You don't get that opportunity.
"They also lose that opportunity. So for the both of us, if anything, that's the impact. I don't think it's an impact on the outcome of the game. I don't think it's an impact on anything other than the fact you lose an opportunity at a good chance to recruit prospects and have them on your campus."
Florida counterpart Jim McElwain is 2-0 in the rivalry and has no qualms with the annual site 90 minutes from his campus.
"Obviously this is a unique game and a fun game," McElwain said. "It's one that I know our guys look forward to and their guys look forward to. Anytime you get an opportunity to play in a neutral-site game in a great city like Jacksonville where the crowd is 50-50, it's a lot of fun. It's also a game where the momentum piece is really different, because there is constant momentum on both sides of the ball when plays are made.
"It's one of the things you go to these schools to play in."
Georgia's players have views ranging from favorable - "It's awesome and one of the coolest environments we play in other than at home," sophomore tight end Charlie Woerner said - to curious - "I think it would be interesting to switch it up," senior tight end Jeb Blazevich said - to totally indifferent - "I've just always played there, so it really doesn't matter," Atkins said.
One thing the Bulldogs can agree on is that traveling to Jacksonville in recent seasons has yielded plenty of lousy trips home.
"Well, we do have the win there against Penn State," Blazevich said.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.