Florida quarterback Aaron Philo will return to the starting lineup for the Gators' SEC rivalry game against No. 3 Georgia on Saturday in Atlanta, according to a source familiar with the decision. The junior missed the team's 27-24 upset of then-No. 7 Texas two weeks ago due to a shoulder injury sustained in a 38-19 loss to South Carolina on Oct. 10.
Quarterback Situation
Tramell Jones Jr., who started against Texas and completed 22 of 35 passes for 155 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions in his first career start, will be available as a backup. Both quarterbacks were listed as questionable on the SEC's player availability report Thursday, and coach Jon Sumrall indicated there would be no formal announcement on the starter before the game.
Philo's Season and Background
Philo started Florida's first six games, completing 70.5% of his passes for 1,341 yards, nine touchdowns and three interceptions. He transferred from Georgia Tech following offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner to Gainesville and won the preseason competition for the starting job. 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 Trevor Lawrence.
Team Records and Stakes
No. 17 Florida (5-2, 3-2 SEC) climbed as high as 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 Florida a 9.5% chance to reach the College Football Playoff, which would rise to 29% with an upset victory.
Georgia (6-1, 4-1 SEC) leads the conference in scoring defense at 15.9 points per game and is one of two SEC 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 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. It marks the first time the rivalry will be played in Atlanta, as the traditional venue, EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, undergoes renovations.
