ATHENS, Ga. - Ninth-ranked Florida hardly needs any extra advantages for its annual clash with Georgia in Jacksonville.

Not when it's been on the winning side in 14 of the past 16 of these rivalry games.

Florida even has had an extra week to study film, fine-tune a gameplan and rest up for Saturday's 3:30 p.m. game at Alltel Stadium.

Florida coach Urban Meyer has won seven consecutive games coming off an open date. Georgia will be playing its ninth game in a row without a bye.

"I'm not going to lie to you, we're tired. We're banged up," said Georgia coach Mark Richt, whose team ended a two-game losing streak with a 27-24 win over Mississippi State on Saturday. "That's the way the schedule was set. ... We've got to find a way to prepare without wearing down worse."

Georgia is an early 13 1/2-point underdog, the second largest margin under Richt behind the 19 points Florida was favored during his first season in 2001 when the Gators won 24-10.

Georgia (6-2, 3-2 Southeastern Conference) is unranked in The Associated Press poll heading into the Florida game for the first time since 1996, when the top-ranked and eventual national champion Gators won 47-7.

Florida (6-1, 4-1) can stay in contention for one of two spots in the BCS national title game with a win and move into prime position for the SEC East title. The Gators' remaining SEC games are at Vanderbilt and at home against South Carolina.

The Gators jumped to an early two-touchdown lead on the Bulldogs last season with some new offensive wrinkles: a fullback and a tight end.

"I think last year is different," Meyer said. "Last year we had to make a few adjustments. We were dealing with some major injury issues, some personnel issues and system issues. This year, I don't put it at that. We're dealing with a team that's worn out and played like it (in a 27-17 loss to Auburn). What we've got to do is keep an edge, but we also got to keep them rested."

The game is the first of three consecutive away games for Georgia, which will play at Kentucky and No. 7 Auburn before finishing the regular season at home against No. 21 Georgia Tech.

"We've still got a lot of stuff we have to work on if we want to compete with a Florida or an Auburn," senior defensive end Quentin Moses said.