Georgia’s 36-17 triumph over Florida last football season marked the first top-10 showdown between the Bulldogs and the Gators in a decade.
A week from Saturday, the No. 10 Bulldogs (6-1, 3-1 SEC) and No. 7 Gators (7-1, 4-1) will collide as elite teams again.
These longtime rivals have combined to win the past four Eastern Division titles in the Southeastern Conference, and each team has this weekend off to prepare for the annual clash in Jacksonville. Practicing fundamentals and getting players healthy are the chief objectives this week, and Florida may have the edge when it comes to dwindling the injury list.
Gators defensive ends Jonathan Greenard and Jabari Zuniga, who sustained ankle injuries in the 42-28 loss at LSU on Oct. 12 and missed last weekend’s 38-27 victory at South Carolina, are capitalizing on this extra time off.
“We expect those guys to be back,” Florida coach Dan Mullen told the SEC Network. “This is a big recovery week for us.”
Greenard, a graduate transfer from Louisville, and Zuniga have combined for 12 tackles for loss, including seven sacks.
Georgia hopes to face Florida with sophomore cornerback Tyson Campbell, who has turf toe and hasn’t played since the 55-0 rout of Arkansas State on Sept. 14. Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart said in a news conference Tuesday night that Campbell has returned to practice but has not received any first-team reps.
The Bulldogs also would like for receiver Lawrence Cager, a graduate transfer from Miami, to return to action. Cager is working through a separated shoulder and injured ribs that have kept him sidelined since the second half of the double-overtime loss to South Carolina on Oct. 12. Smart considers Cager “week-to-week,” adding that he is not practicing right now.
Cager was Jake Fromm’s go-to receiver in the 23-17 defeat of Notre Dame on Sept. 21, and his physical 6-foot-5, 220-pound frame was noticeably absent during some crucial moments against South Carolina and again in last weekend’s 21-0 win over Kentucky.
“He’s been a good player for us,” Smart said. “He’s been like Javon Wims was (in the 2016-17 seasons). He’s been an important player for sure, and he’s probably had an even bigger impact in that (position group) room. He is very mature and has played a lot of football.”
Cager has 19 receptions for 245 yards and three touchdowns this season.
Florida also has a receiver, versatile junior Kadarius Toney, on the mend. An injured shoulder has kept Toney out of the lineup for the past six games, but Mullen believes he will be available in Jacksonville.
“He’s a playmaker, and he’s an explosive guy with the ball in his hands,” Mullen said Wednesday on the SEC teleconference. “Obviously the more playmakers you can put on the field, the better you are and the harder you are to defend.
“It would be great to get him back out there.”
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524. Follow him on Twitter @DavidSPaschall.