Take a breath, Georgia fans. The Bulldogs escaped Auburn with a 27-20 win to move to 5-0 overall and 2-0 in the SEC.
Once again, Georgia started sluggishly and trailed the Tigers, 10-0, in the first quarter before tying the rivalry game by halftime.
The Bulldogs made second-half adjustments and were much more efficient in the second half. Quarterback Carson Beck, who made his first-career road start, made multiple clutch throws that helped lead the Dawgs to victory.
Star tight end Brock Bowers looked like a Heisman candidate. The Mackey Award winner finished with eight catches for 157 yards and the game winning touchdown.
The Bulldogs defense allowed 219 yards rushing, but held when Georgia needed it most, sealing the game with an interception by star safety Malaki Starks.
Here’s where Georgia stands in the opinion of Bulldog fans after the Auburn game:
Georgia tops Auburn 27-20 in a physical battle on the road…
No. 1 Georgia escaped Auburn with a 27-20 win at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
The Bulldogs’ win wasn’t easy. The Tigers held a 10-0 lead in the first quarter before Georgia tied the game at halftime.
Auburn’s run game was tough to stop. The Tigers rushed for 219 yards, including 125 yards from quarterbacks Payton Thorne and Robby Ashford.
Georgia quarterback Carson Beck started sluggishly, throwing an interception that turned into an Auburn touchdown in the first quarter.
Sophomore tight end Oscar Delp also turned the ball over in the first-half with a costly fumble that led to Auburn points.
The Bulldogs limited mistakes in the second half, though. Beck was efficient, especially on third downs.
Mackey Award-winning tight end Brock Bowers proved the All-American that he is. Bowers finished with eight catches for 157 yards and the game-winning touchdown.
Another bright spot for the Bulldogs was wideout Ladd McConkey, who played his first snaps of the season after battling a back injury. He recorded four catches for 38 yards, including three grabs for Georgia first downs.
The Bulldogs’ run game wasn’t as efficient in weeks past. Georgia ran for 107 yards with a 3.6 yards per carry average. Senior tailback Daijun Edwards gained the most snaps and finished with 19 carries for 76 yards and two touchdowns.
Georgia’s next test is Kentucky, which dominated Florida on Saturday in a 33-14 win at home. The Wildcats (5-0) rushed for 329 yards in the win.
[lawrence-related id=92908]
We expected growing pains for Georgia as it ushered in first-year starter Beck and new offensive coordinator Mike Bobo, but the lack of rush defense is a question headed into the matchup next week versus Kentucky.
Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET and the game will air on ESPN.
Georgia leads Auburn 27-20 thanks to a special play by Bulldogs tight end Brock Bowers, who scored on a 40-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Carson Beck.
No. 1 ranked Georgia has taken its first lead over Auburn at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
Following a 98-yard touchdown drive, Georgia marched down the field and took the lead thanks to a 38-yard field goal by true freshman Peyton Woodring, his second made attempt of the game.
The Bulldogs have scored 10 unanswered points after an Auburn touchdown early in the second half.
The game is far from over, though. The Tigers continue to find success in the run game. Auburn has 214 yards on the ground, by far the most the Bulldogs have allowed this season.
No. 1 kicker in the nation last year. State record holder in Louisiana.
Peyton Woodring kicks 60-yarders like we kicked rocks in Grandma's driveway growing up.
He won the job as a true freshman out of fall camp. Give him time.
Georgia got exactly what it needed to end the third quarter versus Auburn. A 98-yard drive capped off with Daijun Edwards’ second score of the game tied the Tigers 17-17 at the end of the third quarter.
A great punt by Auburn pinned Georgia at its own two yard line, but the Bulldogs showed composure and urgency in a game-changing drive on the road in Jordan-Hare stadium.
Quarterback Carson Beck is getting better each drive. The play of wideout Ladd McConkey has been stellar to this point. He missed the first four games due to injury and has caught three passes for 40 yards, each for Georgia first downs.
No. 1 ranked Georgia is deadlocked with Auburn 10-10 at the half after another slow start by the Bulldogs.
Georgia did find its rhythm in the second quarter, though. The Tigers were up 10-0 in the first quarter before the Bulldogs scored 10 unanswered points.
Surprisingly, Auburn has found success in the run game, something we’ve rarely seen happen against a Kirby Smart-led defense. The Tigers have 145 yards on the ground through two quarters.
The Bulldogs haven’t been efficient on offense. Quarterback Carson Beck, who is making his first road start, threw a costly interception that led to an Auburn score.
The Tigers have out-gained Georgia 173-145 so far.
The Bulldogs elected to play conservatively at the end of the half. Georgia had the ball on its own 32 yard line with 1:18 remaining on the clock and three timeouts and chose to run the ball, instead of pushing the tempo. The drive ended with two unsuccessful pass plays.
There’s plenty of game left for Georgia to get back on track, but the Tigers won’t go away easy. The Bulldogs will receive the second-half kickoff.
No. 1 ranked Georgia was down 10-0 to Auburn early in the first half, and Bulldogs fans weren’t happy.
While Georgia did answer with a Daijun Edwards touchdown and a field goal, the Tigers are playing their best ball of the season right now.
Tigers quarterback Payton Thorne looks like a different player than we’ve seen thus far this season. His 61-yard rush in the first quarter helped set up the Tigers first score of the game, a 27-yard field goal.
Georgia quarterback Carson Beck looks uncomfortable, and understandably so, as Jordan-Hare is one of the toughest road environments in the SEC.
Beck overthrew a possible touchdown to tight end Oscar Delp and followed that with an interception that set up an Auburn touchdown by tailback Jarquez Hunter.
Auburn opened up the second half with a touchdown after Georgia fumbled.
The No. 1 ranked Georgia Bulldogs are down 10-0 to Auburn.
The No. 1 ranked Georgia Bulldogs aren’t living up to expectations versus Auburn, who has taken a 10-0 lead in the first quarter.
The Tigers started off hot thanks to a 61-yard rush from quarterback Payton Thorne, which led to an Auburn field goal.
Georgia attempted to answer, but an overthrow by quarterback Carson Beck, followed by an interception, put the Dawgs in a tough spot. The Tigers took advantage of the good field position and scored quickly with a Jarquez Hunter touchdown.
Jarquez Hunter runs over a Georgia defender and into the end zone #WDE
“One of the costs of scheduling, getting more balanced in terms of you’re going to play everybody. It’s not just going to be Georgia-Auburn.”
‘The Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry’ is one of the most iconic rivalry games in all of college football.
The Georgia-Auburn matchup has been played each season since 1944, but faces challenges with the Southeastern Conference expansion and imminent scheduling changes.
UGA head coach Kirby Smart thinks keeping rivalry games should be an important part of the discussion, but acknowledges the challenges that the SEC faces as Texas and Oklahoma join the conference in 2024.
“It’s going to be tough because there’s so many people that want that historic rivalry, including me. I was part of that rivalry. I grew up as part of that rivalry. I think it’s one of the best there is, but I think it’s one of the costs of progress bringing two more teams in,” Smart said on Tuesday at SEC Media Days. “One of the costs of scheduling, getting more balanced in terms of you’re going to play everybody. It’s not just going to be Georgia-Auburn. It’s going to be somebody else for somebody else.”
Each team would be given three permanent opponents in the proposed nine-game format. This would allow some rivalry games to remain, but if the conference doesn’t approve the extra game, we may lose a few historic games like this.
“Sometimes you call that progress. Sometimes you upset the fans. I think that’s good debate in terms of your traditionalists want those rivalries and others want to see you play the teams they never get to see you play. You can’t have both.”
Win delivered…Here’s how Stetson Bennett led the Bulldogs to a victory on Saturday.
Stetson ‘The Mailman’ Bennett delivered a Georgia win on The Plains Saturday afternoon. The No. 2 Bulldogs move to 6-0 after the 34-10 victory over No. 18 Auburn.
Oct 9, 2021; Auburn, Alabama, USA; Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Stetson Bennett (13) carries as Auburn Tigers safety Bydarrius Knighten (19) closes in during the second quarter at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Reed-USA TODAY Sports
The heralded backup quarterback made his second start as J.T. Daniels recovers from a lat injury. The former walk-on was incredibly efficient in a hostile environment.
Bennett went 14 of 21 for 231 yards and two touchdowns passing, with six attempts for 41 yards on the ground.
Redshirt freshman Ladd McConkey had a breakout game, racking up five catches for 135 yards and this bomb of a touchdown.
Auburn quarterback Bo Nix was able to scramble and make plays downfield on the highly-ranked Georgia defense, but Tiger receivers accounted for seven drops, one of which was in the endzone.
Auburn finished with 272 yards through the air, by far the most UGA has given up this season (110 average), but only 46 on the ground on 29 carries.
The Tigers rush offense was ranked 13th nationally headed into the matchup (238 average).
In contrast, the Bulldogs were able to move the ball especially well on the ground, gaining 201 yards on 49 carries. That’s 4.1 yards per rush for UGA, compared to 1.6 for Auburn.
This pick by the Georgia defense was the first thrown by Nix all year and the only turnover of the game.
It wasn’t all peaches and cream for Georgia, though, Jack Podlesny missed a 43-yard field goal, and more importantly, the injury-riddled Dawgs left with more issues than they had to begin with.
Preseason All-American tackle Jamaree Salyer, safety Christopher Smith, receiver Jermaine Burton and cornerback Ameer Speed all left the game with injuries. Salyer (foot) and Smith (shoulder) looked to be in pain before being helped off the field.
We will have to wait till next week to find out how serious these injuries are, but Georgia does walk out of Jordan-Hare stadium with a decisive win in the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry.
UGA will face No. 16 Kentucky next Saturday in Athens.
