Florida Gators quarterback Aaron Philo will start against the Georgia Bulldogs in their SEC rivalry game Saturday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, according to a source familiar with the decision. The junior returns after a shoulder injury sidelined him for the Gators' 27-24 upset of then-No. 7 Texas two weeks ago.
Injury timeline and backup performance
Philo was injured in Florida's 38-19 homecoming loss to South Carolina on Oct. 10. He was available only in an emergency role for the Texas game, and coach Jon Sumrall kept him on the sideline. Tramell Jones Jr. made his first career start against the Longhorns, completing 22 of 35 passes for 155 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. Both quarterbacks were listed as questionable on Thursday's SEC player availability report, and Sumrall said there would be no formal announcement on a starter before the game.
Philo's background and season stats
The game serves as a homecoming for Philo, who led Prince Avenue Christian near Athens to consecutive state titles and broke Georgia's all-time high school passing record, previously held by former Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Philo transferred from Georgia Tech, following offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner to Gainesville, where he won the starting job over Jones in preseason. Through six starts this season, Philo has completed 70.5% of his passes for 1,341 yards, nine touchdowns and three interceptions.
Team records and playoff implications
No. 17 Florida (5-2, 3-2 SEC) climbed to No. 8 in the polls after a 4-0 start highlighted by a 52-28 win over then-No. 4 Ole Miss, but lost back-to-back games in October to Missouri (45-17) and South Carolina (38-19). The CBS Sports CFP Forecaster gives the Gators a 9.5% chance to reach the College Football Playoff, which would rise to 29% with an upset of No. 3 Georgia (6-1, 4-1 SEC). Georgia leads the SEC in scoring defense at 15.9 points per game and is one of two teams with only one conference loss, alongside Kentucky. The Bulldogs are coming off a 27-24 home loss to Auburn on a last-second field goal and had a bye week to recover.
Game details
Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC. It marks the first time the rivalry will be played in Atlanta; the traditional venue, EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, is undergoing renovations.
