Phil Coale / AP

With orders from coach Mark Richt, Georgia's entire team storms the end zone following the Bulldogs' first touchdown against Florida on Saturday. The mass celebration drew two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties, but the No. 20 Bulldogs' still went on to upset the No. 9 Gators.

updated 7:25 p.m. ET Oct. 27, 2007

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Knowshon Moreno leapt into the end zone and was quickly surrounded by all his Georgia teammates — yes, all of them.

Answering coach Mark Richt’s pregame challenge, about 70 players rushed from the Georgia sideline following Moreno’s first-quarter touchdown, jumping up and down and celebrating wildly. Florida just watched, stunned by the brazen Bulldogs.

An even bigger party unfolded a few hours later.

Moreno ran for a career-high 188 yards and three scores, Stafford threw three touchdown passes and No. 20 Georgia upset the ninth-ranked Gators 42-30 on Saturday in a game filled with big plays and momentum shifts.

“I can’t tell you how much fun it was in the locker room and I wish everybody could have seen it,” Richt said.

The Bulldogs (6-2, 4-2 Southeastern Conference) sacked Heisman Trophy hopeful Tim Tebow six times and contained the Gators’ high-scoring offense most of the game. The result was a rare victory for Georgia in one of the South’s most heated rivalries.

Florida (5-3, 3-3) had dominated the series since 1990, winning 15 of the last 17 meetings and eight of nine. Georgia turned it around Saturday, taking advantage of Tebow’s bruised non-throwing shoulder and Florida’s porous defense.

Richt set the tone before the game.

Richt, who had been 1-5 against the Gators in the “World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party,” uncharacteristically orchestrated an on-field celebration earlier in the week to follow his team’s first touchdown.

“I told them if they didn’t get a celebration penalty after our first score, all of them would be doing early morning runs,” said Richt, who chastised his players two weeks ago for jumping on Vanderbilt’s midfield logo following a 20-17 victory. “I wanted to make sure we left this game with our hearts on the field.”

They also left the Gators heartbroken.

Tebow fought back tears during his postgame news conference.

“It hurts a lot,” said Tebow, who was 14-of-22 passing for 236 yards and a touchdown. “We were in control of getting to Atlanta. We were focused, we thought we would bounce back from the two losses and we were playing well. We thought that was a game we should have won. Any time you lose to a rival it’s tough.”

College football Two-man race with Tebow, McFadden

The Florida-Georgia series has been intense over the years, and the Bulldogs have been on the losing end way too often for Richt, his players and the Georgia faithful.

The mass celebration following Moreno’s first TD run drew two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties and forced the Bulldogs to kick off from the 8-yard line. It also drew the ire of Florida players.

“I think it was real disrespectful,” linebacker Brandon Spikes said. “It got the crowd into it and we were kind of shocked to see the whole team rush on the field. I just feel like it was a big disrespect. No class.

“It was fake juice and they kind of fed off it and it got them going. But it was still disrespectful.”

Florida coach Urban Meyer huddled his players on the sideline and had them jumping up and down and vowing to get even. They scored on the ensuing possession, but emotion only carried the Gators so far.

It couldn’t overcome another poor defensive performance.

The defending national champions were exposed in losses to LSU and Auburn, and Kentucky’s Andre Woodson picked them apart in a close game last week.

More news

Karen Warren / AP

Nearly never Johnny Football

CFT: Johnny Manziel nearly transferred out of Texas A&M before the 2012 season after being suspended, according to reports, but he stayed after his successful appeal.

Getty Images

Former Penn St players offer support for lawsuit

About 325 former Penn State players, among them Kerry Collins and Paul Posluszny, have signed a statement supporting the lawsuit filed by the family of former coach Joe Paterno.

Headlines

• Label

CFT: Manziel 'can't wait' to leave College Station

CFT: Michigan not looking to add another QB

CFT: Charges dropped against Carey

CFT: Kill 'cautiously optimistic' about McDonald

CFT: Aggies AD trolls Tide with lunar pun

Day 2 of NCAA hearing on U of Miami violations

CFT: Kiffin makes first offer to Class of '17 QB

CFT: UCLA counters with offer to same 8th grader