JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – In just one season, Florida coach Jim McElwain is on the verge of doing something the 11th-ranked Gators haven't done in the past seven years – win the SEC Eastern Division.

But after Saturday's 27-3 destruction of Georgia, that's just what Florida is about to do.

"Yes, yes I did," said McElwain, who was asked if he thought his team could get to the title game in Atlanta his first year as the Gators' head coach. "I don't expect to lose, and I think we should never come into an event thinking we are going to come in second."

It appears that neither McElwain nor Florida (7-1, 5-1) are going to have to worry about that. With two conference games remaining, Florida just needs to beat Vanderbilt or South Carolina to advance to the SEC Championship for the first time since 2009.

"One thing you learn real quick in this business is that there are no participation remedies," he said. "It doesn't matter who we play, we can in with the mindset that we are going to put a plan together and do whatever it takes to win the football game."

Coming up with a plan was certainly something Georgia was unable to do as the Gators made a 20-0 halftime lead hold up without a fight from the Bulldogs, who as expected, started Faton Bauta at quarterback in place of Greyson Lambert.

Lambert started the first seven games for the Bulldogs (5-3, 3-3) before rumors started circulating midweek that Richt was going to replace the Virginia transfer with the fourth-year junior who had yet to attempt a pass all year.

The results weren't good at all.

Bauta completed 15-of-23 passes for 154 yards and tossed four interceptions as Georgia failed to score a touchdown for the second straight game.

"It was not good. We lost, and all that counts are wins and losses. It's not a good feeling," Bauta said. "It is something you wish you never have to experience. It's part of growing as a person and as a player, and we just have to move on."

Florida, meanwhile, wasn't exactly an offensive juggernaut but it didn't have to be. The Gators turned a trio of Georgia turnovers into 14 points, one on a fumbled punt recovery and another on a 3-yard TD run by Kelvin Taylor, who led all rushers with 25 carries for 121 yards and two scores.

"It was pretty much my offensive line," Taylor said. "We practiced well all week running the ball, and it paid off for us in this game.

Georgia, which has now failed to score a touchdown since the fourth quarter of its game at Tennessee - a span of eight quarters - managed just a 27-yard field goal in the third quarter by Marshall Morgan.

The Bulldogs rushed for just 69 yards, an average of 3.1 yards per attempt.

"We have to create some space and read it right and get the ball moving down the field," Georgia head coach Mark Richt said. "They whipped us up front, and that's going to be tough on any runner."

For Florida, the first half could not have gone any better. For Georgia, well, not so much.

Not that the Gators needed any help, but the Bulldogs were in an obliging mood when punt returner Reggie Davis muffed a punt at the 5-yard line, with with Nick Washington recovering in the end zone for the game's first score.

The extra point was blocked, with Johnathan Abrams scooping up the ball and returning to the 30-yard line before being pushed out of bounds.

"We were in our normal punt scheme, and (Johnny) Townsend had a great punt," Washington said. "The guy muffed it, and I was right there."

But the Gators weren't done.

Florida's offense finally got on track late in the second when Treon Harris - who completed 8-of-19 passes for 155 yards - connected on a 66-yard scoring pass to Antonio Callaway, who beat fellow freshman Juwuan Briscoe to push the margin to 13-0.

Another mistake would soon cost Georgia again, as Vernon Hargreaves intercepted Bauta and followed with a 20-yard return to the 5. Two plays later, Taylor rolled in from the 3 to give Florida a 20-0 halftime lead.

"After awhile the dam is going to break when you have to keep going back out there after a three-and-out or a turnover," Richt said. "After a while it's tough to get going."

NOTES: Backup quarterback Brice Ramsey took over as the punter for Georgia and his first attempt was a 50-yarder. ... Florida held Georgia to 94 total yards in the first half, including just 15 on the ground. ... Saturday's crowd at EverBank Field, home of the Jacksonville Jaguars, was 84,628.