Georgia-Florida week arrives without cocktail party atmosphere; it's all about the football

• Georgia plays Florida for the 98th time overall and the 88th time in Jacksonville
• The Bulldogs are 4-1 and the Gators are 3-1
• Georgia may be missing some key defensive players because of injuries

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- This will be a Georgia-Florida week unlike anything since the series moved to Jacksonville on a permanent basis in 1933. 

In fact, it's inaccurate to call it a "week." 

With the exception of the city marina opening about seven dozen or so slips to boaters, the COVID-19 pandemic means there will be no activities on the periphery of the 98th meeting between the two SEC rivals (the Bulldogs hold a 52-43-2 edge) and the 88th in Jacksonville. 

No RV City. 

No Bold City Bash. 

No Georgia-Florida Hall of Fame luncheon (indeed, the two schools have put off adding anyone to the game's Hall of Fame this year). 

And most distressing to those who have grown to love the week of pageantry and partying to excess, no tailgating -- at least in the lots of TIAA Bank Field. 

It's all about the football game, and very little else. But that's not necessarily a bad thing as once again, the SEC East title will hang in the balance when the fifth-ranked Bulldogs (4-1) take on the eighth-ranked Gators (3-1) at 3:30 p.m., with the game televised on CBS. 

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Georgia has won the last three meetings, all under coach Kirby Smart. It also will be the third year in a row in which both teams were ranked among the top-10 at game time.

The maximum number of fans allowed at TIAA Bank Field on Saturday will be 25 percent of stadium capacity, or 17,962. Georgia get 8,962 tickets, Florida received 8,700 (the designated home team usually gets about 200-to-300 more) and season ticket-holders and top-end boosters will get first dibs. 

Since TIAA Bank Field was renovated in 1995 for the Jaguars' first season, the Georgia-Florida game has packed in 80,000 or more fans each time. If all available seats are filled on Saturday, it will be the lowest attendance since an estimated 17,000 fans watched the Dawgs win 19-6 in 1938. 

Both teams bounced back from their only losses of the season so far on Saturday, Georgia winning 14-3 at Kentucky and Florida trouncing Missouri 41-17 at home. 

Georgia's victory wasn't pretty by any definition -- except for a defense that limited Bartram Trail graduate Joey Gatewood to 91 yards passing and sacked him four times. Quarterback continues to be an issue for the Dawgs as Stetson Bennett completed only 9 of 13 passes for 131 yards, and was intercepted twice. 

UGA relied on a punishing running attack as Zamir White gained 136 yards and scored on a 22-yard run in the third quarter. 

Smart said after the game that he was sticking with Bennett against the Gators. 

"[Kentucky] did a great job (of shortening the game)," Smart said of the Wildcats 10-minute edge in time of possession. "They know that they were probably overmatched, and they shrunk the game. They ran the quarterback and they didn't take many chances, but they stayed on schedule. We ran the ball against a really good, physical defense. It's hard to make yourself throw when you're running successfully." 

After the team returned home, safety Richard LeCounte safety was involved in what the school called a "motor-vehicle" accident and hospitalized. He will miss the game.

The Gators not only scored 41 or more points for the third time in four games, but also showed up on defense after an embarrassing showing against the Aggies. UF led 34-7 at one point and while the defense didn't come up with a turnover, the Gators had three sacks and held the Tigers to 248 yards of total offense. 

Kadarius Toney had two touchdowns running and one on a pass reception.

The game was marred by an ugly brawl at halftime after UF quarterback Kyle Trask (21 of 36, 345 yards, four TD passes) was hit late by Missouri’s Trajan Jeffcoat near the end of the half. Starting defensive tackle Zach Carter and reserve defensive lineman Antwuan Powell of the Gators were ejected. 

“This was a big win for us today,” said Florida coach Dan Mullen, who appeared for his post-game news conference wearing a Darth Vader outfit for Halloween. “I was concerned. You're talking about a Missouri team that lit up LSU, beat Kentucky, and hung in there with Alabama for a while.” 

Of the brawl, Mullen said simply, "Our guys are going to defend our quarterback."

The Bulldogs had a week off to recover from a 41-24 loss to Alabama on Oct. 17, and the Gators were playing for the first time in two weeks because of the number of players testing positive for the coronavirus since their 41-38 loss at Texas A&M on Oct. 10. 

The game-day experience on Saturday will mirror the policies that have been in effect for Jacksonville Jaguars games. Masks must be worn from the time fans walk through the gates until they leave, and may be removed only when "actively eating or drinking." Seating will be socially distant and the parking lot will have a space between each car. 

The city said no fans will be allowed in the stadium lots without a game ticket. 

There is one key difference from Jaguars games: No tailgating will be permitted at all, a policy the city of Jacksonville said is in line with the policy at Florida and Georgia home games. The Jaguars "discourage" tailgating but fans are allowed to eat at their vehicles. 

The tradeoff for fans is that beer and wine will be sold inside the stadium. That and all concessions are being sold on a cashless basis. 

Of course, the two schools and the city have no control over private lots and there may be a party atmosphere there, for fans who decide to chance the coronavirus spike in the area.