Georgia football vs. Florida State in the Orange Bowl: Scouting report, prediction

Georgia football commanded a prime time national stage when it played in the Orange Bowl two years ago against Michigan in a College Football Playoff semifinal game.

This time, the stakes are considerably less for the matchup with unbeaten Florida State Saturday at 4 p.m.

Two other bowl games — the Music City Bowl on ABC and the Arizona Bowl on the CW Network — will share some of the TV window with this one on ESPN matching the No. 5 Seminoles (13-0) and No. 6 Bulldogs (12-1).

It’s a seventh straight year in a New Year’s Six bowl for Georgia in the four-team playoff era before the playoff expands to 12 teams next season.

“I think it’s a springboard for next year,” Georgia tight end Oscar Delp said. “Let people know we’re still going to be here.”

Here are five things to know ahead of the game:

In Carson Beck, Georgia football trusts

Quarterback Carson Beck closed out the national championship win over TCU last season in a beatdown that was well in hand.

Now the Jacksonville native will make his first bowl start after keeping Bulldog fans on edge for a couple of weeks until announcing he would return for 2024 instead of declare for the NFL draft.

“We felt pretty good that Carson was coming back the entire time,” coach Kirby Smart said. “He's communicated with us. He did his research. Certainly, he had options. He's communicated that he wanted to grow and continue to get better. So, he made that choice. “

Beck went 4-1 against top 20 opponents this season, but that one blemish came in the last game when he didn’t throw a touchdown for just the second time this season and had his second lowest passer rating as a starter.

Beck needs just 262 passing yards to become the second Georgia player to hit 4,000 yards in a season. Stetson Bennett threw for 4,127 in the 2022 season.

His return was welcomed by teammates.

“Oh, that’s good,” left tackle Earnest Greene said. “We got chemistry. That’s my quarterback. My job is to protect him. I know his tendencies in the pocket and everything so it’s good to be comfortable.”

Seminoles down to third-string QB to start vs. Georgia football

Florida State will start its third-string quarterback for a second straight game after backup Tate Rodemaker decided to opt out of the game and enter the transfer portal.

Rodemaker, a fourth-year junior from Valdosta High, now won’t face his home state school, Georgia.

True freshman Brock Glenn is now the Seminoles starter.

Star quarterback Jordan Travis was lost to a season-ending leg injury, forcing Rodemaker to start in the win at Florida in the regular season finale.

The 6-foot-2, 213-pound Glenn started in the ACC championship game against Louisville after Rodemaker went in the concussion protocol.

Florida State put up just 219 yards of offense in that game.

Glenn, from Covington, Tenn., went 8 of 21 for 55 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions, becoming the first true freshman to start in a Power Five conference championship game in the last 20 years.

“It was remarkable,” Florida State coach Mike Norvell said. “To be able to go in there — that’s the thing, he’s a true freshman, but he missed the better part of the middle of the season due to injury. He’s got great confidence. He’s going to be a special player. I’ve got a lot of confidence in where his career is going.

Glenn rushed for a touchdown against Louisville, his fourth game seeing action this year.

Florida State Seminoles defense could still present challenge for Georgia football

Florida State is missing most of its key pieces on offense due to opt-outs and injury, but most of one of the nation’s best defenses still is expected to play.

The big loss on that side of the ball is defensive end Jared Verse, a projected first-round draft pick.

Even with Verse opting out, the Seminoles have some players that can put pressure on Beck and the offensive line from a defense that ranks sixth in the nation in points allowed at 15.9.

Linebackers Kalen DeLoach (7 sacks) and Patrick Payton (6) and defensive lineman Braden Fiske (5) remain for a Florida State team that ranks third nationally in sacks with 45. Verse accounted for a team-high 9 of those.

Georgia still leads the SEC in fewest sacks given up with 12 even after giving up two to Alabama.

The Seminoles lead the nation in opponent completion percentage at 46.8 and pass breakups with 77. Cornerback Renardo Green led the ACC in pass breakups with 13.

Florida State Seminoles' offense hit hard by opt-outs, key injury

After Georgia’s 29-game winning streak was snapped in the loss to Alabama, Florida State now carries the second longest winning streak in the nation of 19 games, one behind Washington.

This won’t look like the same Florida State team with its top two quarterbacks, leading rushers Trey Benson and its top three pass-catchers opting out.

“We’ve got all different plans for this game,” Norvell said. “We’re going to have a lot of versatility in where guys are going to be able to be used.”

Backup running back Lawrance Toafili (469 yards, 6 touchdowns) has lined up for direct snaps, but he's not listed on an updated depth chart released on Tuesday. He rushed for 118 yards, including a 73-yard run to set up a touchdown in the ACC championship win over Louisville.

Caziah Holmes, who averaged 7.4 yards on 21 carries this season, has stepped up in bowl practices Norvell said.

“With Trey opting out, it takes a hit on us,” Norvell said while the team was practicing on campus. “It provides opportunity for some guys that have been preparing throughout the course of the season.”

Georgia had 18 scholarship players enter the transfer portal.

The biggest impact on this game probably are outside linebacker Marvin Jones Jr. and walk-on returner/receiver Mekhi Mews. Two-year starting linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson was already sidelined with a forearm injury.

Smart said the bowl is “a time for coaches to grow their team, grow their roster and grow the depth, and still get to play in a game,” he said. “We're going to have kids that didn't play a lot during the year, they're going to have an opportunity that we're getting better at the end of the year that they're going to have a chance to play because of the redshirt rule and things in post-season play. I'm excited about those opportunities.”

Georgia true freshmen who played four games or less can still play in the bowl and still redshirt including running back Roderick Robinson, defensive lineman Jamaal Jarrett and inside linebacker Troy Bowles.

A new backup QB for Georgia Bulldogs

Florida State has had to call on two different backup quarterbacks to start the last two games.

Glenn stepped in for Rodemaker who stepped in for Travis. Glenn is set to start again.

Georgia hopes Beck can go the whole way — or until the game is in hand, but the Bulldogs will have a new No. 2 quarterback behind Beck for the first time this season after Brock Vandagriff transferred to Kentucky.

If Georgia needed to call on another player at the position, redshirt freshman Gunner Stockton now would be the guy.

“My roommate the past two years,” Delp said. “Love the kid. He’s gonna be a great player here. I’m excited for him. He’s a dog.”

The Rabun County product played in three games in mop-up duty, completing 6 of 9 passes for 52 yards and an interception and rushed for 17 yards on 4 carries.

“I like Gunner,” Greene said. “He stays level-headed. As a quarterback, you’ve got to take over and lead. I feel he does well with that.”

Georgia football vs. Florida State prediction

Georgia 34, Florida State 7

Agree or disagree with the playoff committee’s decision to leave out Florida State, the offense produced 224 and 220 yards in two games without Travis. Now the Seminoles are missing other top offensive playmakers. That’s a tough task against a Georgia team that hasn’t lost a bowl game since 2018.

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Five things for Georgia football vs. Florida State in Orange Bowl