Despite the emotions, No. 1 Georgia cruised past the Gators in Jacksonville, 42-20, as Daijun Edwards and Kenny McIntosh scored two touchdowns each. Afterward, the moment was not lost on Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart, who dedicated the victory to Dooley during the postgame interview with Jenny Dell of CBS.
It’s not surprising that Smart would salute Dooley after the rivalry win. Dooley happens to be the winningest coach in Georgia football history with 201 victories, and Smart was a four-year letterman for the Bulldogs in the 1990s when Dooley served as Georgia’s athletic director. “This win goes to Coach Dooley, and he would’ve been so proud of our first half,” Smart said. “He might not have been proud of our second half. But Coach Dooley has meant so much to this university, and his family has meant so much to us and all the people in Athens. This win is for him.”
Georgia improved to 8-0 overall and 5-0 in the SEC with the win. Florida dropped to 4-4 overall and 1-4 in the conference.