ATLANTA — Florida’s starting quarterback didn’t matter.

Georgia’s dominance against the Gators continued Saturday, whether Aaron Philo or Tramell Jones Jr. was at the controls during a 27-8 loss to the No. 3 Bulldogs at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

The performance extended Georgia’s winning streak in the series to six games and showed first-year Florida coach Jon Sumrall how far his program still has to go.

As a crowd of 72,541 looked on, a slew of penalties, mental mistakes and turnovers undid Sumrall’s squad. Florida entered the day with heightened expectations after its win at Texas on Oct. 17 raised hopes for another upset and the program’s first win in the longstanding rivalry since 2020.

Rather than challenge the Bulldogs (7-1, 5-1 SEC), No. 17 Florida (5-3, 3-3) gifted them 17 of 24 points during an ugly first half that placed the Gators in an inescapable hole. The Gators faced their biggest halftime deficit in the series since trailing 28-3 in 2022 during Billy Napier’s first season.

Saturday’s performance had hints of Napier’s error-prone teams and unimaginative offenses.

In the process, the Gators wasted a strong defense effort. Georgia managed just 318 yards, but didn’t need to do much offensively to build an insurmountable lead.

Florida fell behind 24-0 after committing 60 yards of penalties, Philo suffered two interceptions and Jones coughed up a fumble that Georgia linebacker Chris Cole returned 66 yards for a touchdown 29 seconds before halftime. The turnover came just after the Gators had finally crossed midfield against Georgia’s defense.

Before the fumble, which came on a sack by linebacker Quintavius Johnson, Jones had provided a momentary spark after Sumrall benched Philo following Florida’s third series.

Cole’s scoop-and-score extinguished and effectively ended any slim hopes of a comeback.

Throughout the game, Georgia’s sizable talent gap, Kirby Smart’s superior coaching and the Bulldogs’ physicality were evident.

Smart’s Bulldogs also had a bye week to prepare, and were eager to bounce back from a home loss to unranked Auburn.

Florida’s defense went toe-to-toe with the SEC heavyweight Bulldogs, but received no help from the other side of the ball.

Offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner, a former Georgia quarterbacks coach under Smart from 2020-22, did little schematically to fool his former boss.

Florida also needed more from its playmakers.

Georgia held tailback Jadan Baugh to just 38 yards on 17 carries during his homecoming to the Atlanta area, where he grew up in nearby Decatur. Sophomore receiver Vernell Brown III missed his fourth straight game, ruled out before kickoff because of a lingering knee injury. Receiver Eric Singleton, a native of Atlanta, had just 19 receiving yards and dropped two passes, including a pass that went through his hands for Philo’s second interception.

A penalty for sideline interference tacked on 15 yards to Florida’s 17. Four plays later, Peyton Woodring was good from 28 yards for a 10-0 lead.

Earlier, Florida forced a three-and-out after a head-scratching interception by Philo while he was being sacked gave Georgia the ball on the Gators’ 41. But walk-on receiver Jaden Edgecombe roughed punter Drew Miller, drawing a 15-yard flag and giving the Bulldogs the ball on the 31.

Five plays later, Bulldogs’ tailback Nate Frazier punched it in from one-yard out for Georgia’s first points during a long day for Florida.

Midway through the fourth quarter, the only drama remaining was whether Florida’s NCAA-leading streak of scoring in 480 games, dating to 1988, would end.

An interception in the end zone by Georgia cornerback Braylon Conley had been the Gators’ best chance to extend the scoring streak. But a 42-yard fumble return by linebacker Myles Graham gave Jones another opportunity to salvage something on a three-turnover day.

The 19-year-old sophomore led a nine-play, 48-yard drive, culminating with Jones’ two-yard scoring run on fourth down. Baugh completed a pass to Dallas Wilson for a two-point conversion.

It was too little too late on a day the Gators wilted against the two-time SEC defending champions.

Florida ended with five turnovers and 78 yards in penalties during a nightmarish effort on Halloween.

Florida now turns its attention to November, beginning with a visit Saturday from Oklahoma. Plenty is still at stake as Sumrall continues building his program.

But he and the Gators saw the SEC’s gold standard firsthand in Atlanta — and just how much ground remains between Florida and the program Smart has built in Athens.