ATLANTA — Georgia linebacker Chris Cole returned a fumble 66 yards for a touchdown, a key play in the third-ranked Bulldogs taking advantage of four turnovers by No. 17 Florida to beat the Gators 27-8 on Saturday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Tramell Jones Jr., the second quarterback Florida used in the game, fumbled when sacked by Quintavius Johnson late in the first half, and Cole picked up the loose ball and scored on his second long fumble return of the season. The 6-foot-3, 235-pound junior also scored on an 85-yard return in Georgia’s 41-13 win over Oklahoma on Sept. 26.
Saturday’s touchdown was just one part of a monster game on Halloween for Cole, who led the Bulldogs in total tackles with nine (one short of the career high he set in the previous game) and in solo tackles with seven (matching his career high) while notching one of four sacks by Georgia’s defense.
The Bulldogs improved to 7-1 overall and 5-1 in Southeastern Conference play while making a strong recovery from their last-second 27-24 home loss to Auburn on Oct. 17. Florida (5-3, 3-3) — like Georgia, coming off its regular-season open date — was unable to deliver a second-straight win over a top-10 team after its 27-24 upset of No. 7 Texas two weeks earlier.
The Bulldogs outrushed Florida 217-48 for their sixth consecutive win in the border rivalry. Kirby Smart, who went 1-3 against the Gators as a defensive back for the Bulldogs three decades ago but is now 9-2 versus them as the head coach at his alma mater, said stopping Florida’s ground game helped set up the key play by Johnson and Cole when the opposition was trying to score.