Georgia vs Auburn: UGA uses running game, finishes with 3 points

Georgia is showing dominance on the line of scrimmage so far in their matchup versus Auburn on ESPN. Watch here.

After a bad start up front versus Arkansas in week-one, the Bulldogs’ offensive line is really creating space against Auburn, which is opening things up for Georgia’s running backs.

Here is a big run from Georgia back Zamir White that set up Georgia’s field goal:

Georgia has 59 rushing yards on 10 carries so far.

The Bulldogs currently lead Auburn 10-0 at the end of first quarter on ESPN.

Georgia DTs Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter join offense, pave way for Zamir White touchdown

Georgia has a new goal-line package and it features a couple of talented defensive tackles. Watch it here

No. 4 Georgia is on the board versus No. 7 Auburn after a one yard touchdown run from redshirt sophomore running back Zamir White.

White benefited from a new goal line package, featuring freshman 5-star defensive tackle Jalen Carter and the Bulldogs’ nose tackle, junior Jordan Davis.

Watch it here:

 

 

 

Georgia vs Auburn: Highlights of UGA’s scoring drive

Georgia drew blood first Saturday night against Auburn with a one yard touchdown run from Zamir White. 

Georgia drew blood first Saturday night against Auburn with a one yard touchdown run from Zamir White.

This came after Bennett hit White on a slant pass, and he made a player miss to get it to the one yard line of Auburn.

Here’s a few highlights of the drive:

(Touchdown at the bottom)

 

UGA vs. AU: Auburn starter ejected early for targeting

Auburn safety Smoke Monday has been ejected from the Georgia versus Auburn game for targeting.

Auburn defensive back Smoke Monday was ejected early in the first quarter for an illegal hit on Georgia receiver Kearis Jackson during the Georgia versus Auburn game, currently on ESPN.

The junior from Atlanta is the Tigers starting safety.

Georgia vs Auburn: UGA has a new starting QB after last week

Stetson Bennett will start for UGA football during Georgia vs Auburn.

With USC transfer and former 5-star JT Daniels being cleared this week from an ACL tear, the chatter picked up as to who would start at quarterback for Georgia in week two of SEC action.

After not starting last week but taking over for the struggling D’Wan Mathis, Stetson Bennett came out as the starter for Georgia Saturday night vs Auburn.

Bennett, also known as ‘The Mailman’, put together a nice game last weekend vs Arkansas, going 20/29 for 211 yards and two touchdowns. Mathis, who went 8/17 for 55 yards, one interception and no touchdowns, was pulled five minutes into the second quarter.

Bennett led Georgia back from a 7-2 deficit and the Dawgs took down the Razorbacks 37-10.

Bennett will have a much tougher task this week going up against an elite Auburn defense.

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Georgia vs Auburn: stat predictions for Week 2

Stat predictions ahead of Georgia football’s Week 2 matchup against the No. 7 Auburn Tigers.

The No. 4 Georgia Bulldogs (1-0, 1-0) are in Athens this evening as they kickoff against the No. 7 Auburn Tigers (1-0, 1-0) at 7:30 p.m. EDT on ESPN.

The Dawgs have won 12 of the last 15 matchups, not dropping a home game to the Tigers since 2005.  When the teams are both ranked in the top-10, Auburn has won 4 of those 5 games.

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart has still not named his starting quarterback for Saturday’s matchup but we should know very soon.

Georgia is favored in the matchup by 7.5 points.

Odds courtesy of BetMGM. Access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

Here are a few stat predictions previewing tonights game.

QB Stetson Bennett:

18/26, 255 passing yards, 1 TD

-OR- QB J.T. Daniels:

21/30, 260 passing yards, 2 TD, 1 INT

RB Zamir White:

16 carries, 100 yards, 1 TD

RB James Cook:

12 carries, 75 rushing yards, 4 catches, 35 receiving yards

WR George Pickens:

7 catches, 100 yards, 1 TD

WR Kearis Jackson:

5 catches, 60 yards

DB Eric Stokes:

2 pass deflections, 1 INT

DB Richard LeCounte:

7 tackles, 1 pass deflection, 1 forced fumble

LB Nolan Smith:

11 tackles, 1 sack

LB Monty Rice:

9 tackles, 1 sack, 1 fumble recovery

K Jack Podlesny:

3/3 FG, 3/3 PAT

Georgia football injury report for Week 2 matchup vs Auburn

Full injury report for the Georgia Bulldogs heading into its Week 2 home opener against the Auburn Tigers.

We’re just hours away from teeing it up in between the hedges for the 125th edition of the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry.

No. 7 Auburn (1-0, 1-0) will take on No. 4 Georgia (1-0, 1-0) in Athens at 7:30 EDT on ESPN.

Georgia has dominated the rivalry as of late, winning six of the last seven matchups against the Tigers.  Auburn has not won a game in Athens since 2005 and hopefully the Dawgs keep it that way tonight.

Here is the full report of Georgia’s injuries heading into game number two:

Cleveland has been a bit banged up during preseason which is why he’s on the list.  He started against Arkansas and is expected to start against Auburn.

Jackson has been nursing a minor hip injury for most of the preseason.  He led Georgia in receptions last week at Arkansas with six catches for 62 yards. Jackson also tacked on 34 yards returning punts.  Expect Jackson to make the start against Auburn and be utilized well in the receiving game.

Davis has been nursing knee and shoulder injuries since arriving in Athens last year.  UGA has six inside linebackers with defined roles in Monty Rice, Nakobe Dean, Quay Walker, Channing Tindall, Trezmen Marshall (special teams), and Nate McBride (special teams). Davis made the trip to Arkansas last week and is expected to be used heavily on special teams.

Goede suffered an ACL tear during his senior year of high school and has battled numerous other injuries since healing. Goede didn’t travel to Arkansas last week but thankfully the Dawgs are deep at the tight end position.  Georgia could get Tre’ McKitty back this week and have John FitzPatrick, Darnell Washington and Brett Seither ready to go.

Wide receiver Tommy Bush is dealing with an unknown injury that has forced him to miss a good chunk of the preseason.  Bush is a very talented receiver that can’t seem to catch a break with injuries.  He was sidelined for the majority of last season dealing with a sports hernia.  Bush is listed as questionable against Auburn.

Webb did not travel with the team to Arkansas due to an ankle injury. Justin Shaffer and Ben Cleveland got the start last week at the guard positions. Warren Ericson and Trey Hill rotated with them last week but the Dawgs are hoping to get some more reinforcements after losing three offensive linemen to the NFL this offseason.

Kirby Smart announced on Monday that USC transfer quarterback J.T. Daniels has been cleared for contact following the recovery of an ACL injury he suffered with the Trojans last year.  Many expect Daniels to make the start while others think it will be Stetson Bennett under center.  Smart has not announced his decision yet but we will find out very soon.

Florida State tight end transfer Tre’ McKitty left the field this preseason with a minor knee injury.  McKitty underwent an arthroscopic knee scoping and is expected to be back very soon.  Redshirt sophomore John FitzPatrick and  freshman Darnell Washington have been filling in on the first-team reps since McKitty’s injury.  McKitty is expected to have a huge year with the Bulldogs and could be seen this week against Auburn.

Wide receiver Dominick Blaylock went down with an ACL tear during preseason camp.  Blaylock injured the same knee he hurt in the 2019 SEC Championship game against LSU. The sophomore was just getting back to full health when he devastatingly injured it again.  This is a huge hit to the Bulldogs pass game for 2020.

The No. 1 cornerback in the 2020 recruiting class Kelee Ringo underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum before preseason camp.  The injury will force him to miss all of 2020, a tough loss for the bulldogs.  Georgia luckily has lots of depth at the position and will be alright defending the pass game without him.

Interview: Aaron Murray says what Georgia should do at quarterback ahead of Auburn

We sat down with former Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray to get his thoughts on Georgia’s unique quarterback situation. Details here

No 4. Georgia is still looking for its starting quarterback ahead of Saturday night’s matchup with No. 7 Auburn.

Redshirt freshman D’Wan Mathis started the game last week versus Arkansas, but was abruptly pulled for junior Stetson Bennett after just five offensive drives.

Mathis, who was cleared for football activities in May after surgery to remove a brain cyst kept him out in 2019, didn’t get much help from his teammates in the short time he was under center versus the Razorbacks.

Preseason second-team All-SEC center Trey Hill surprised with multiple bad snaps, plus the Bulldogs totaled 11 penalties for 98 yards in the first half.

Former Georgia quarterback, now CBS Sports college football analyst Aaron Murray believes Mathis was fighting from behind even before the first snap.

“To be able to master a playbook, and then to get the timing down with your receivers and running backs and the communication with your offensive line. It takes a lot of time. I don’t think he has had a lot of time to do that. So, I think expectations were high, but obviously it comes with the position here be a starting quarterback and Georgia. People expect a certain level of play. I just think those expectations were unrealistic.”

Georgia was forced to scramble to find a signal-caller just a few weeks before the season after Wake Forest transfer quarterback Jamie Newman, the projected starter and Heisman Trophy hopeful, decided to opt-out of the 2020 football season because of Covid-19 related concerns.

The Bulldogs’ decision then was between Mathis, Bennett and redshirt sophomore, USC transfer J.T. Daniels, the only current Georgia quarterback with Power 5 experience.

Georgia coach Kirby Smart expected Daniels to be cleared by gametime last week, but after traveling with the team to Fayetteville, Daniels was still not cleared for gameplay, throwing Mathis into the starting role at-least for week-one.

“The cards were stacked against him (Mathis). He hasn’t played football in a while, didn’t have spring, wasn’t a starter and really had limited reps in the offense or in fall camp. So to me, hen is someone that I wish they would have given at least the first half, get through the first quarter, you know, make a couple of mistakes, and then see how he rebounds, especially mentally and how he can handle it and then go from there.”

Smart announced on Monday that Daniels is now cleared for gameplay and Murray believes his experience at USC in 2018 can set him apart from Mathis and Bennett moving forward.

“He (Daniels) was an 18 year old kid playing college football at USC, and I thought he did pretty good for being a young pup playing out there. Start the season off strong through the first half of last season in that first game. And then obviously, the ACL injury happened. He is a big kid, he has a good arm, he’s played football.”

Bennett, a former JUCO star at Jones County Junior College in Ellisville, Mississippi, came in for Mathis and showed promise, throwing for 211 yards on 20/29 passing with two touchdowns and a two point conversion run.

“I do think Stetson came in and played really well. I mean, it’s another guy who probably had absolutely no opportunity with the ones at all during fall camp to get the reps and get the timing with those guys. So, the fact that he was able to go 20/29, get a couple touchdowns take care of the football was was really darn impressive to watch. And I think he’s someone that’s going to take care of the football, he’s going to be accurate, he’s played, he just looked like he was more comfortable out there”

The defense’s three interceptions, one for a pick-six, and safety were a large part of the Bulldogs’ resurgence from a abismal first half, but Bennett’s poise helped Georgia find at least some identity in its season opener.

This weeks matchup with No. 7 Auburn will be much more difficult for the Bulldogs. The Tigers come to Athens off of a 29-13 win versus Kentucky where sophomore quarterback Bo Nix threw for 233 yards on 16/27 passing with three touchdowns and led team in rushing with five carries for 34 yards.

Auburn’s defense is as talented as always. The Tigers defensive front is led by defensive end Big Kat Bryant and at linebacker, senior K.J. Britt, who had 11 tackles versus Kentucky and is always around the ball. And in the secondary, the Tigers are lead by junior cornerback Roger McCreary, one of the best lock-down corners in the SEC.

The question remaining is,  how does Georgia come away with a win versus a top-10 Auburn team without a solidified starter at quarterback?

“Just lean on the defense, that’s all I got to say. People just want points, points, points. We want 4,050 points a game. Screw that man, just win. I just think that’s the issue right now – everyone wants these these explosive offenses. Everyone wants to go be entertained with high scoring games, just just be grateful that you’re winning ballgames. Be grateful that we won a road game against an SEC opponent, and we covered the spread.”

Listen to our full interview, including an Auburn preview, with the SEC’s all-time leading passer here:

 

 

ESPN College GameDay crew picks winner of Georgia vs Auburn

ESPN’s College Gameday is in the Classic City today to preview the biggest college football matchup of the week. Who did the crew pick?

It’s a beautiful day in Athens DawgNation!

ESPN’s College Gameday is in the Classic City today to preview the biggest college football matchup of the week – No. 4 Georgia versus No. 7 Auburn.

The crew is joined by special guest picker, actor Omari Hardwick, a former UGA cornerback in 1995, who spent time in the NFL before moving to film.

Here are the picks:

Desmond Howard – Auburn

David Pollack – Georgia

Omari Hardwick – Georgia

Lee Corso – Georgia

 

Need a quick preview of today’s game? Listen to our podcast here – featuring former Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray and an Auburn preview.

UGA announces team captains for matchup with Auburn

The Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry is here, No. 4 Georgia versus No. 7 Auburn Between the Hedges. Here are the captains for today’s game.

The Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry is here, No. 4 Georgia versus No. 7 Auburn Between the Hedges at 7:30 p.m.

Georgia’s team captains for today’s game are sophomore running back Zamir White, senior linebacker Monte Rice and junior cornerback Tyson Campbell.

The Bulldogs won their season opener last week at Arkansas 37-10. The heralded defense played lights-out, racking up three interceptions, including a pick six and safety, but the offense struggled mightily.

Georgia once again hasn’t named a starting quarterback ahead of kickoff, so we will have to wait to see if junior Stetson Bennett ‘the mailman’ gets another chance after a solid performance last week, or if USC transfer J.T. Daniels gets the nod after being cleared on Monday from a knee injury suffered in 2019. We could even see redshirt freshman D’Wan Mathis get some snaps as well.

Regardless of who starts at signal caller, the Bulldogs will be facing a tough Auburn team lead by sophomore quarterback Bo Nix, who against Kentucky last week, threw for 233 yards on 16/27 passing with 3 touchdowns and led team in rushing with five carries for 34 yards.