Defense again stole the show for Georgia on Saturday as the Dawgs picked up their SEC East-clinching win in a trip to Auburn.
Defense again stole the show for Georgia on Saturday as the Dawgs picked up their SEC East-clinching win in a trip to Auburn. The offense sputtered, but came through when needed. What did we learn?
Georgia’s defense is historically great, but has its flaws.
Oh no, Georgia gave up its first rushing touchdown of the season. It took ten games for any team to accomplish that against the Bulldogs.
What really hurt Georgia over the course of the game? Slant routes. Auburn simply abused Bulldog cornerbacks with quick 10 yard gains early on in drives, and while Georgia’s defense eventually stepped it up and forced several midfield punts and fourth down attempts, the Tigers’ offense out-gained and out-possessed Georgia’s offense on the day largely due to their quick chunk plays.
LSU still needs one more win to clinch the SEC West, but regardless of whether Georgia will meet Heisman hopeful Joe Burrow or an Alabama squad who recently lost its star quarterback, the Dawgs’ secondary will have to tighten things up in Atlanta when facing either one of two Western Division powerhouses that are ranked within the top ten nationally in total offense.
Switching to a soft zone defense late in the game when your defense has dominated all day may not be a good idea.
Georgia had all the momentum going into the fourth quarter. With a 21-0 lead, Georgia’s defense switched from their smothering man defense to a soft zone, presumably so as to not give up any home run plays.
However, Auburn then scored two touchdowns within the span of three minutes and found themselves driving to level the score in the game’s waning minutes.
All’s well that ends well, but switching to zone and nearly snatching defeat from the jaws of victory likely shaved some time off Georgia fans’ lifespans.
In a defensive battle, Jake Camarda can be the difference.
The Bulldogs’ punter has had a good season, not a great one. Yesterday on The Plains, however, Jake Camarda looked NFL-caliber. A certain special teams specialist even called him the game’s most valuable player.
He averaged just north of 50 yards per punt against the Tigers, including a booming 67 yarder that pinned Auburn at its own two yard line. In a matchup which your offense requires you to punt 11 times (including NINE three-and-outs), consistency is key in allowing your defense to control the pace of the game.
Georgia’s offense revolves around the offensive line.
Okay, maybe we knew this much earlier on. That being said, they looked stout against an Auburn front seven who came into the game averaging two and a half sacks per contest. Georgia allowed just one sack, which became only the sixth sack they’ve allowed all season.
Jake Fromm didn’t look as crisp as he’s looked in the past, but his pass protection provided by the Great Wall of Georgia allowed him all day to throw. Perfect blocking and a perfect throw gave Georgia a first quarter lead it would never relinquish.
Fromm would later toss two additional beautiful touch passes to Brian Herrien and Eli Wolf. D’Andre Swift recorded yet another 100 yard rushing performance. The offensive line continues to stand tall, literally and figuratively.
D’Andre Swift is not a human, he’s a tornado.
We’ve seen Swift with some mean tackle-avoiding spin moves before, but his latest is absurd. How quickly he managed to turn that full 360 degrees blows my mind, and with a hand in his face and a tackler closing in, he casually trotted for a first down.
UGA Wire interviews pair of Auburn students on Saturday’s upcoming game with Georgia
Georgia will renew a storied rivalry Saturday against Auburn on the Plains.
Before the Bulldogs and Tigers kick off, we wanted to give you a different perspective on the game. You’ve heard what the Georgia and Auburn media have to say and you probably know how your fellow Dawg fans feel heading into this contest.
Down on ‘the Plains’ we have Miles Espy who is a graduate student at Auburn University and a longtime Tiger athletics season ticket holder, while Frank Parker is an undergraduate student who also attends a number of athletic events at the Barn.
After a successful segment on the hardwood with these two last February, we decided to bring them back. Below, you will find all the information you need from two surprisingly confident Auburn fans heading into Saturday.
Let’s get to it.
We’ve heard a lot about Auburn’s daunting defensive front, including the almost irreplaceable Derrick Brown. Aside from the defense, what can we expect to be Auburn’s biggest strength on Saturday, specifically on offense?
Parker: “I think the biggest strength of Auburn offensively will be the depth at running back. The true freshman DJ Williams has proven himself to be a #1 back with his ability to run between the tackles and catch passes out of the backfield and when you pair that with Whitlow’s return from injury and the always sneaky Shaun Shivers we have a very talented and deep backfield that will give the Dawgs fits.”
Espy: “Auburn’s defense gets a lot of the credit as they should, but Auburn’s offense does have some things going for it. I would say a player to look out for when Auburn is on offense is Anthony Schwartz. A question Georgia fans need to ask themselves is ‘what does Gus Malzahn like to do on offense in big games?’ He loves to run a lot of gadget plays and trick plays. Anthony Schwartz has been on the receiving end of a lot of these classic Gus Malzahn trick plays. He runs on Auburn’s track team, is training for the summer Olympics in 2020, and has run the 100-meter dash in 10.07 seconds. Look for the Tigers to get him the ball in creative ways on Saturday.”
The Tigers have beaten Georgia and Alabama six times this decade, but only one of those wins came on the road (2010 Alabama). Following up on that, what is it that makes Auburn’s home field advantage so special? Not counting the 2010 championship season, almost every major Auburn win this decade has come at home or a neutral-site venue. How does Auburn make a stadium so similar in size to Georgia’s that much tougher to play at?
Parker: “Auburn’s home field advantage is unlike any other in the country. You can tell that the players really feed off the fans and when the student section is rocking and the fans are into it I don’t think any team can come in there and confidently say that they are going to beat this Auburn team.”
Espy: “I’ve attended several Auburn home games throughout the year, and I’ve seen Auburn play at Sanford Stadium four times, including our thrilling 31-30 victory in 2005. The biggest difference is the student sections. Sanford Stadium gets plenty loud, and their students love football just like Auburn students. However, Sanford Stadium has their students scattered throughout the stadium, whereas Jordan-Hare Stadium keeps all the students in one defined area. I believe this, as well as having the largest jumbo-tron in college football, makes Auburn a more intimidating place than Georgia.”
This Auburn team opened the season with a come-from-behind win over a very good Oregon team. After that, the Tigers dropped their two biggest games of the season to date, though they were on the road. The offense has its struggles, but the defense has proven it can keep them in big-time matchups for the majority of the game. With an extra week to prepare for the Bulldogs and a little home-cooking, will we see a difference in the Auburn offense on Saturday? Can Auburn figure out how to put 6’s on the board rather than 3’s?
Parker: “I think we will see Auburn get back to basics this week. Gus is determined to run the ball against this vaunted Dawgs defense and if Bo Nix can minimize mistakes and not have any turnovers Auburn has a great chance to win this game. The bye week certainly helps, considering Gus Malzahn is 8-0 after bye weeks since he has been at Auburn and he is outscoring opponents 282-180 after bye weeks. That extra week really helps round out the game plan.”
Espy: “I think so. I’m not saying Auburn will look like LSU on offense, but I think they look better than they did against Florida and LSU. Something you have to remember is while Bo Nix is an incredibly talented QB and has future Heisman potential, he is only a true freshman. I think the crowd noise at The Swamp and Death Valley gave him problems. He has played much better when the crowd is on his side. He has thrown for more than 300 yards in his last two home games, which were against SEC defenses. This should help Auburn get more touchdowns instead of field goals.”
Every year Kirby Smart has been at Georgia, the Bulldogs have dropped their annual SEC West road game in the middle of the season. With an embarrassing loss to South Carolina in October, playoff hopes are on life alert unless Georgia wins out. Do you think Auburn can catch Georgia off-guard like in 2017 or will the Dawgs be ready this time, after that terrible defeat to a head coach who works for Georgia?
Parker: “Kirby will definitely have his team ready for Saturday. They can’t afford to drop another game if they want their playoff hopes to remain alive. However, this Auburn team is hungry and would love to play spoiler for its rival. It’s gonna come down to which offense can get it going against these very tough defenses.”
Espy: “Georgia wasn’t caught off guard in 2017, and they definitely will not be caught off guard this year. Auburn is a hostile environment to play in and Auburn had a very good team in 2017 and has a very good team this year. As a matter of fact, I guarantee you UGA has had this game circled on their calendars. Players like Jake Fromm and D’Andre Swift remember getting embarrassed at Jordan-Hare two years ago, and they’d love nothing more than to get a win in their return visit.”
Of course we know who you want to win the game, but answering as neutral as possible, what is your score prediction for Saturday? Will the Dawgs clinch the East and head to Atlanta with playoff hopes still alive or will Auburn play the role of spoiler in Jordan-Hare?
Parker: “My score prediction for this weekend predicts an Auburn victory by a score of 17-13. I think it will be a hard fought, physical game where each of the defenses control the game. However, I believe the extra week off will give Auburn the edge so that they can come out on top.”
Espy: “I definitely see a low scoring game. Auburn’s offense has been slow against big time defenses, and Georgia’s offense has been a disappointment this year. Georgia will win the SEC East, but it will not be clinched this weekend! In a battle of two similar teams when it comes to talent, I’ll take the team with home field advantage. Auburn wins 20-10.”
If you could only pick 1 of your 37 mascots to be the official face of Auburn Athletics, which would it be? It’s kind of confusing with all of this Wartigerplainsmen stuff, ya know?
Parker: “I’m not going to entertain this question.”
Espy: “This is such a wonderful question and so beautifully asked. A simple google search would inform you that Auburn’s official mascot is Aubie the tiger. Aubie is a 9-time mascot national champion compared to Hairy Dawg, who has 0.”
(Seems a bit harsh Miles…)
Let’s say Georgia and Alabama beat Auburn, who ends up finishing 0-4 against the SEC elites. Is Gus’ job safe?
Parker: “If Auburn drops both games against UGA and Alabama, I still think Gus’s job is safe. With the highly ranked recruiting class coming in and a young quarterback who has the potential to be a star I don’t see the university letting go of Gus just yet.”
Espy: “I don’t see this happening, but if it does, certainly not. I’ll hate it if Gus is let go. Gus is a very good and underappreciated coach. He’s been more successful against Nick Saban than any other coach in the SEC. However, when your biggest rival has potentially the greatest coach in the history of college football, you’re constantly going to be compared to him.”
How do you expect each of these teams to finish the season? (Guess final record entering bowl season and their bowl or playoff destination.) Ex: Auburn goes 8-4 and makes the Outback Bowl.
Parker: “I think Auburn ends 9-3 and plays in the Outback bowl against Michigan. I think UGA ends 10-2 and winds up in the Orange bowl vs Wake Forest or the Cotton Bowl vs Memphis.”
Espy: “I see both teams ending with the same record in 10-2. Unfortunately, this will not be enough for Auburn to get in the college football playoffs, and I see the Tigers ending up ranked in the 5th spot. I think Georgia is not far behind in the final rankings in around the 7th. This will be good enough for both teams to go to quality New Years Six bowls and beat a team from a lesser conference. Auburn and Georgia finish 11-2.”
That’s all folks! Make sure to check back with UGA Wire throughout the weekend as we bring you extended coverage of Georgia-Auburn.
Previewing Saturday’s Georgia at Auburn college football matchup, with NCAA football betting odds, picks and best bets
The Auburn Tigers (7-2, 4-2 SEC) will try to play spoiler at home on Saturday afternoon against the Georgia Bulldogs (8-1, 5-1), who are trying to secure a spot in the College Football Playoff. Kickoff from Jordan-Hare Stadium is set for 3:30 p.m. ET.
We analyze the Georgia-Auburn odds and betting lines, while providing college football betting tips and advice on this matchup.
Georgia at Auburn: Three things you need to know
1. Auburn has a better record against the spread than does Georgia this season despite being one game back in the standings. The Tigers are 7-2 ATS, while Georgia is just 5-4 in its nine games.
2. Georgia is 5-1 ATS in its last six games against Auburn, winning five games outright. Auburn’s win came in 2017 as 2.5-point underdogs, beating the Bulldogs 40-17.
3. Georgia ranks fourth in the nation in run defense, allowing just 74.6 yards per game on the ground. Auburn is 19th in rushing offense, averaging 219.3 yards per game.
Get some action on this game or others by placing a bet at BetMGM!
Auburn has been great at home, going 3-0 this season. The Tigers may be underdogs, but I think they win this game outright. They’ve been great late in the season in recent years, going 7-1 in their last eight Week 12 games.
Bet AUBURN (+125) to pull off the upset in a close one at home against one of its SEC rivals. If not for a three-point loss to LSU, Auburn could be right in the thick of the playoff hunt.
New to sports betting? A $10 wager on Auburn to win returns a profit of $12.50.
The Tigers enter as 2.5-point home underdogs to Georgia, which means the oddsmakers view these teams as almost even on a neutral field. Auburn is a quality opponent for the Bulldogs, with their only two losses coming to Florida and LSU.
Auburn is 7-2 ATS this season and should be able to cover this margin, if not win straight-up. Take AUBURN (100) and the points.
These two teams have solid defenses and offenses that are built on running the ball, which is why the over/under is just 40.5 points. But they’ll find enough offense to go over that total.
Even though the total has gone under in five of the last six games between these teams, take the OVER (-110) on Saturday.
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UGA football is banged up heading into the Georgia vs Auburn football game.
The No. 4 Georgia Bulldogs are coming off of a 27-0 smackdown of Missouri, as well as a massive win over Florida the week prior. The Dawgs have been rolling with a three game win streak since the hiccup of South Carolina.
Approaching week 12 comes Georgia’s biggest game thus far, a chance to secure its 3rd straight trip to the SEC Championship.
Auburn is currently ranked No. 12 with a record of 7-2, 4-2 in SEC. Its two loss season is not to be overlooked as the Tigers lost close games at No. 10 Florida and No. 1 LSU.
Last weekend vs Missouri, Georgia won, but it came at cost. The Dawgs lost a few players to injuries throughout the game, but for the most part nothing looks too serious.
Here’s a look at the Dawgs injury report prior to the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry.
Full injury report:
Probable: WR Lawrence Cager
Cager aggravated his shoulder last game and did not return. The Dawgs leading receiver has been practicing this week and is expected to play on Saturday. Having Cager against Auburn will be crucial, as he has become Fromm’s favorite target this season.
Probable: WR Tyler Simmons
Simmons’ shoulder has been bothering for a majority of the season but he should be good to go.
Probable: OL Cade Mays
Mays left the Missouri game with a hurt ankle but has indicated that he is fine.
Probable: CB Tyson Campbell
Campbell missed a significant chunk of the season with turf toe but played vs Missouri and said he felt great out there.
