Ad Disclosure
3 takeaways from Georgia’s stunning upset of No. 3 Florida
By Andrew Olson
Published:
Georgia has pulled off one of the biggest upsets of 2025 in the SEC. The unranked Bulldogs defeated No. 3 Florida 88-83 on Tuesday night in Athens.
UGA led by as many as 26 points in the 1st half and only trailed for only 41 seconds of game time. Florida had multiple scoring runs, but Georgia had just enough answers to avoid another crushing loss.
Here are 3 quick takeaways from UGA’s stunning win over UF:
Late rally saves Georgia from total collapse
In January, Georgia had a disastrous 1st half in Gainesville and could not recover. For Round 2 in Athens, the Bulldogs flipped the script.
Mike White’s team played with intensity and high energy from the opening tip. The Bulldogs were fired up for Tuesday’s big opportunity, and came out on fire.
In the 1st half, Georgia was 19-of-28 (68%) from the field, including 7-of-9 from 3-point range. The Dawgs led by as many as 26 points (39-13, 7:53) in the opening period. Florida cut into that lead, but UGA had a 16-point advantage at the break (51-35).
Both Florida and Georgia fans know all too well that White’s teams have a tendency to go cold at the worst times and blow big leads. It happened again on Tuesday night when Florida stunned the crowd in Athens and made it 79-78.
This time, however, White’s team recovered. The Bulldogs went on an 8-0 run in the final minute to go up by 6 with just over 10 seconds on the clock and were able to close it out.
Mike White finally gets the Gator off his back
Mike White will never say a Georgia-Florida game is about him, but being on the wrong side of the conference rivalry with his former program was undoubtedly wearing on the UGA head coach. Since leaving Gainesville for a fresh start in Athens, White had gone 0-6 against Todd Golden in 5 regular-season contests and an SEC Tournament meeting a year ago.
For White, Tuesday’s win will truly mean more, and help quiet some of the criticisms he has faced during an up-and-down SEC season for the Bulldogs. If White takes the Bulldogs to the NCAA Tournament, Tuesday night could be a turning point in his tenure.
NCAA Tournament impact of shocking upset
Tuesday’s outcome was huge for Georgia’s postseason outlook. The Bulldogs entered the game as a “Next Four Out” team in projections by Joe Lunardi of ESPN at No. 74 overall. Picking up a Quad 1 win over Florida doesn’t guarantee a spot in the field of 68, but it’s a significant boost for a team on the bubble.
Florida, meanwhile, has been solidly in the field of 68 for a while, but trending a bit downward. The Gators moved down to No. 3 in the AP Top 25 and Lunardi dropped Florida from a No. 1 seed to a 2-seed at No. 5 overall. Tuesday’s loss hurts Florida’s slim chances of grabbing the regular-season SEC title away from Auburn, but the Gators are still on track for high seeds in the SEC Tournament and Big Dance.
Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.
