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Local Sports

Local sports in the Panhandle are not just a game, they are a lifestyle. Our community eats, sleeps and breathes cheering on our local athletes.
News13 is On Your “Sidelines” bringing you more than the score.
News13’s Stephen Gunter is committed to giving you stories of the Panhandle’s top athletes, intriguing match-ups and unusual sports you may not even know exist.
sgunter@wmbb.com

Sunday, October 29, 2006

Gators Pound Dawgs With Defense

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Florida’s defense deserved a rousing toast after this game—even if it wasn’t a cocktail party.

The Gators forced two fumbles and intercepted two passes, helping ninth-ranked Florida beat Georgia 21-14 Saturday and continue its recent dominance in the rivalry.

Florida now has won eight of nine and 15 of the last 17 in the series that has been known as the World Largest Cocktail Party.

School and city officials believe the nickname conjures up images of drunkenness—not what they want to promote, especially after the deaths of two Florida students the past two years.

They urged television networks to stop using the moniker altogether.

Whatever you want to call it, it’s been all Gators lately.

With the latest victory, Florida remained atop the Southeastern Conference East Division and moved a step closer to returning to the conference title game for the first time since 2000.

The Gators (7-1, 5-1) need to beat Vanderbilt and South Carolina to make it happen.

The Bulldogs (6-3, 3-3) lost for the third time in four games and essentially dropped out of the division race.

Although Andre Caldwell scored two early touchdowns—a 12-yard run and a 40-yard reception from Chris Leak—Florida’s defense got the credit for this one.

The Gators led 21-0 after Georgia fumbled on the opening play of the second half.

Derrick Harvey knocked the ball out of Kregg Lumpkin’s hands, and Ray McDonald returned it nine yards for a score.

Leak’s first interception in four games against Georgia left the Bulldogs needing five plays to drive 52 yards for their first score, a 13-yard run by Stafford to make it 21-7.

The Associated Press Contributed To This Report

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