A week after the No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs (4-1) lost to the No. 7 Alabama Crimson Tide (4-1) in a game that saw a massive comeback fall short. The Bulldogs were able to bounce back and defeat the Auburn Tigers ahead of a looming Oct. 19 matchup vs. the No. 1 Texas Longhorns.
The Auburn Tigers entered the Georgia game as unranked team. However, the Tigers have shown some flashes and Kirby Smart insists they are better then their record.
The Bulldogs did what they were looking to do: rebound from the Alabama loss by rummaging Auburn 31-13. Georgia did not force any turnovers against Auburn, but was in control of the rivalry game throughout the entire second half.
Here are some takeaways from the Georgia-Auburn game:
Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins is a monster
This is the second time UGA Wire has written about Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins in takeaways and it’s for a very good reason. A few weeks after a monstrous performance against Kentucky, the junior outdid himself against Auburn.
Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins sacked Payton Thorne twice and pressured him almost all of the game. It’s a great performance, especially with the defensive line losing Christen Miller to a knee injury. The junior defender has 10 tackles and three sacks to start the year.
Georgia’s offense solid, not great
After the loss to Alabama ended their 42-game regular season winning streak, Georgia was looking to carry its offensive momentum from the second half of the Alabama game.
Georgia was strong on the defensive side of the ball, but their offense was still not as good as people expected. While Georgia scored 31 points, they only gained 44 more yards than Auburn. Seven of those points also came off of a short field from a failed fourth-down play.
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Georgia currently ranks 70th in points scored, but 20th in points allowed per game, so they’ve had to rely on their elite defense to achieve victory at times.
The SEC is wide open
Many fans that went to the Georgia football game were also vicariously enjoying the Alabama at Vanderbilt matchup from their cars in the parking lot. With Alabama losing 40-35, many fans cheered because it boosts Georgia’s chances at winning the SEC.
Georgia is now ahead of Alabama in US LBM’s most recent coaches poll and in the AP Poll, which positions Georgia well for the playoff. They also jumped ahead of Tennessee after their 19-14 loss to Arkansas later in the day.
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That means only Texas is ahead of them in the rankings, and if Georgia can win their matchup that takes place in two weeks, then the Bulldogs could see themselves in the top three, if not in the number one spot.