Tag: uga au

Georgia vs Auburn: Previewing The Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry

Georgia football has a big game this weekend: UGA vs Auburn. Here’s a preview of the 2020 edition of The Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry.

The Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry, Georgia versus Auburn, comes early this year with the SEC’s conference-only schedule.

And it’s a matchup of two top-10 programs – Georgia comes in ranked No. 4 after a 37-10 win versus Arkansas in Fayetteville and Auburn sits at No. 7 after a 29-13 win versus Kentucky.

The biggest question once again for the Bulldogs is who will start at quarterback?

USC transfer J.T. Daniels was cleared Monday after missing 2019 with an ACL tear, so we may finally get to see what Daniels can do under center for Georgia on Saturday.

If Daniels doesn’t get the start, we will either see junior Stetson Bennett or redshirt freshman D’Wan Mathis.

Mathis started the game at Arkansas but was quickly relieved of duties just five drives. Bennett, who went 20/29 for 211 yards and two touchdowns, replaced him and led Georgia back from a 5-point deficit.

Hear what former Georgia quarterback, CBS Sports analyst Aaron Murray thinks about the Bulldogs’ quarterbacks here:

Regardless of who winds up at quarterback, Georgia will have its hands full with a loaded Auburn team.

The Tigers are led by sophomore quarterback Bo Nix, who was responsible for most of Auburn’s offense versus Kentucky.

He threw for 233 yards on 16/27 passing with 3 touchdowns and led team in rushing with five carries for 34 yards.

Nix didn’t get much help from the Tigers’ backfield, but he did establish a connection with junior receiver Seth Williams, who went off with six receptions for 112 yards and 2 touchdowns.

They will face a Georgia secondary coming off of a three interception performance versus the Razorbacks, returning one for a touchdown and adding a couple of passes defended.

Preseason All-American safety Richard LeCounte had two of those picks and looks like the unquestioned leader of the 2020 Bulldogs defense, who’s depth and talent across the board is among the best in the nation.

The Bulldogs have big junior tackle Jordan Davis in the middle of its defensive front and senior defensive end Malik Herring setting the edge with star linebackers Nolan Smith and Azeez Ojulari cleaning up. And don’t forget about senior linebacker Monte Rice at the mike linebacker spot.

With the current quarterback mess, Georgia will have to lean on these talented guys on the Bulldog defense to get a win versus a tough Auburn team, but Auburn coach Gus Malzahn always seems to have issues scoring versus Georgia coach Kirby Smart’s defenses, so look for a low scoring punt-fest this Saturday.

What Auburn football media is saying about Georgia ahead of Saturday’s matchup

No. 4 Georgia takes on No. 7 Auburn Saturday at 7:30 p.m., see what Auburn media is saying about the Bulldogs here.

The Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry is here a bit early.

Because of the SEC-only schedule this season amid the Covid-19 pandemic, No. 4 Georgia and No. 7 Auburn matchup in just their second games of the season.

Once again we are in the dark about who will start at quarterback for the Bulldogs.

Georgia coach Kirby Smart and staff elected to start redshirt freshman D’Wan Mathis against Arkansas, and then abruptly pulled him after only five drives for junior Stetson Bennett.

Bennett played well, using his championship run experience at Jones County Junior College in 2018 to lead the Bulldogs back from a 5-point deficit to beat Arkansas 37-10.

There was a chance we would see USC transfer J.T. Daniels if he was cleared from an ACL tear from 2019, but he wasn’t cleared before kickoff like Smart hoped.

Then, on Monday, Smart announced that Daniels had been cleared for gameplay and now the Bulldogs once again must make a decision on who will start at signal caller.

Here is what the Auburn media is saying about Georgia and its quarterback situation:

“A defense that led the nation in points allowed last year (12.6 per game) and rushing defense (75 yards per game), the Georgia Bulldogs bring back plenty of talent from that 2019 group led by a deep and talented front seven along with a secondary that has one of the best college football players in the country in senior safety Richard LeCounte.”

“We recruit the state; I think a third of our team is from the state of Georgia,” Malzahn said. “You can look at it since I’ve been at Auburn, it’s always been very, very important and the winner’s usually gone on to do really well. It’s a big one.”

“Smart has had to worry about his own quarterback situation this week after redshirt freshman D’Wan Mathis started but struggled against the Razorbacks and junior Stetson Bennett entered the game in relief. The availability of Daniels, a former five-star recruit, has muddied the picture going into Saturday’s game, and Smart has been hesitant to tip his hand one way or the other.”

“No. 7 Auburn at No. 4 Georgia (-6.5): The wrong team is favored here. I don’t buy that JT Daniels is 100% following his knee injury last season or that he has the same ceiling as he did prior to it. Whether it’s Daniels or Stetson Bennett IV, Auburn’s defense won’t be threatened by an offense that struggled to find its sea legs. Auburn has its work cut out for it on offense, though. Quarterback Bo Nix looked better after some halftime adjustments last week, and there’s no doubt that coach Gus Malzahn and offensive coordinator Chad Morris held back much of the offense against Kentucky. Take those points, but you won’t need them. Auburn will win this game outright. Pick: Auburn (+6.5)”

 

 

Georgia football at Auburn: Expert picks and predictions

The UGA Wire staff gives their score, stat and game predictions ahead of the Georgia football home opener against the Auburn Tigers.

The No. 7 Auburn Tigers travel to Athens this Saturday to face the No. 4 Georgia Bulldogs between the hedges.

This top-10 matchup will be the host to ESPN’s “College GameDay” crew and is expected to be a shootout.

The Tigers beat Kentucky last week, 29-13, while the Bulldogs beat Arkansas, 37-10. The Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry is scheduled to kick off this Saturday at 7:30 EDT on ESPN.

With that said, the UGA Wire staff has put together a number of score, stat and game predictions ahead of Saturday’s matchup.

Here are the picks:

The moneymakers:

No. 4 Georgia (-6.5) vs. No. 7 Auburn

(Odds courtesy of BetMGM)

UGA WIRE Game Picks:

Joe Vitale: Georgia 

James Morgan: Georgia

Henry Sillen: Georgia

J.C. Shelton: Georgia

Spread Pick (Georgia -6.5/Auburn +6.5):

JV: Georgia -6.5

JM: Auburn +6.5

HS: Georgia -6.5

JC: Auburn + 6.5

Over/Under (44.5):

JV: Under

JM: Under

HS: Over

JC: Over

Score prediction:

JV: Georgia 27, Auburn 13

JM: Georgia 20, Auburn 17

HS: Georgia 30, Auburn 23 (Correct score prediction last week of 37-10)

JC: Georgia 26, Auburn 22

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4

UGA Football Live, with J.C. Shelton: S1, Ep. 2 – Aaron Murray talks UGA QBs

You don’t want to miss my conversation with former Georgia QB Aaron Murray about the Bulldogs’ QB situation. Listen here!

Your friends at “UGA Football Live” and UGA Wire present your one-stop shop for all things Georgia Football!

We will release episodes and interviews each week during the 2020 college football season with a little bit of everything sprinkled in between.

Listen here:

OR:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/uga-football-live-with-j-c-shelton/id1533295384#episodeGuid=Buzzsprout-5686597

In this week’s episode I talk with former Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray (10:32) about the Bulldogs’ quarterback situation and what he saw from redshirt freshman D’Wan Mathis and junior Stetson Bennett versus Arkansas.

PLUS:

  • Arkansas recap

I go through key stat lines and plays from Georgia’s 37-10 win over the Razorbacks

  • Georgia analysis 

Who played well and who didn’t? I go through each position group and look at the numbers.

  • Auburn Preview

What will the Tigers look like Saturday? I break down some key match ups to look for when Georgia takes on Auburn this Saturday in Athens.

  • Braves and sadly, the Falcons

I give the Atlanta Braves update and cry about the Atlanta Falcons. It’s all in a day’s work as a Georgia sports fan.

 

 

 

 

 

Three overlooked Georgia at Auburn plays; what they mean moving forward

Georgia Bulldogs football won 21-14 over the Auburn Tigers in Jordan-Hare Stadium last night. D.J. Daniel made an awesome first half play.

The Georgia Bulldogs got a massive 21-14 road win over the Auburn Tigers in Jordan-Hare Stadium last night. The Bulldogs played excellent, but let Auburn creep back into the game, much like LSU did when they defeated Auburn 23-20 in Baton Rouge.

Auburn’s defense has had similar stifling effects on Oregon, LSU, Florida, and Georgia. Auburn may have the best defensive line in the country.

In order for Georgia to win, it took numerous clutch plays down the stretch. Lots of these plays standout, but I’ve picked three that have significance moving forward.

At first glance, the D.J. Daniel pass break up isn’t too special, but you must factor in several things. Daniel is lines up against Auburn’s fastest player in Anthony Schwartz, who gains separation with his speed. Daniel keeps sound technique and a never-out-of-position mindset. He doesn’t panic and get interference. Instead, he makes an excellent well-timed play on the football:

That’s not all. What’s impressive is Daniel’s pre-snap focus. Daniel is not fooled by the look to the sideline and quick-snap that Tua Tagovailoa and Alabama used to trick LSU’s touted freshman Derek Stingley for a touchdown last week:

It’s a copy-cat sport, so don’t be surprised if this isn’t the last Georgia sees of this play. UGA defensive backs must be prepared for this, so they don’t give up a cheap touchdown moving forward.

Another play I’d like to highlight was perhaps Auburn’s last true chance to remain in the game:

Gus Malzahn called an excellent play, but Auburn quarterback Bo Nix couldn’t connect with his open receiver. This is a play that LSU’s Joe Burrow hits with ease. Georgia’s pass defense must tighten up moving forward. One way UGA can limit an elite passer like Joe Burrow is with pressure. The Dawgs must be more disruptive in a potential SEC Championship against LSU. The now healthier Tyson Campbell will continue to battle with D.J. Daniel for the second corner spot.

Punter Jake Camarda played his best game of the season yesterday. Camarda launched eleven punts(!!!) for 558 yards at Auburn. He consistently pinned Auburn’s offense against their goal-line in the first half with punts like this one:

If Camarda can continue to play at a high-level, then it will put UGA’s defense in much more favorable positions and give Georgia elite specials teams play, if the Dawgs can get down the field and cover kicks. Georgia has to limit special teams penalties moving forward to dominate the field-position battle. Georgia’s defense will need all the help it can get against LSU’s high-flying offense.

[lawrence-auto-related count=1]

Rodrigo Blankenship shows love to Georgia football punter Jake Camarda

Georgia football kicker Rodrigo Blankenship showed some love to UGA punter Jake Camarda after his massive night vs Auburn.

Georgia kicker Rodrigo Blankenship is probably the most well-known special teams player in college football.

But tonight vs Auburn, it was a different Georgia special teamer who stole the show in the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry.

Georgia punter Jake Camarda’s number was called on over 10 times against Auburn. And each time, he answered the call.

Following a performance where Camarda punted the ball 11 times, racked up 558 total yards of punts, averaged 50.7 yards per, downed four inside the 20 and hit a long of 67 down to the two yard line, Blankenship showed his teammate some love on Twitter.

Camarda really was a huge factor in Georgia winning that ball game. He was absolutely bombing them all night long, completely flipping field position and putting Auburn in tough situations.

After the game, Kirby Smart commented on his punter’s performance.

“Jake Camarda was hitting bombs. I hope he never has to punt 11 times in a game again.”

 

Stats from Georgia football’s win over Auburn

Here are some stats from Georgia football’s big win over Auburn.

[jwplayer 9xBaldwd-er0jUifI]

On Saturday night, Georgia booked its ticket to the SEC Championship for the third year in a row after the Bulldogs took down Auburn 21-14 on the road.

It was not always pretty, but the Georgia football team did just enough to hold off the Tigers and hang on for a win.

The first three quarters of this game it was pure domination on Georgia’s end. On offense, Georgia was doing ok. Nothing special, but it did put up 21 points against one of the nation’s best defenses. But when Auburn had the ball the Georgia defense was fantastic, allowing nothing for the first three quarters.

But then came the fourth quarter. Georgia was gassed on defense and it allowed Auburn to move the ball with ease. But it was when Auburn needed yards the most where Georgia finally got it together and stopped the Tigers on 4th down to win the game.

Here are some stats from the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry;

Georgia:

QB Jake Fromm: 13/28, 110 yards, 3 touchdowns, 0 interceptions

RB D’Andre Swift: 17 carries, 106 yards

WR Dominick Blaylock: 2 catches, 50 yards, 1 touchdown

P Jake Camarda: 11 punts for 558 yards (50.7 yards per), 4 inside the 20, long of 67

Auburn:

QB Bo Nix: 30/50, 245 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 fumble

RB D.J. Williams: 8 carries, 26 yards

WR Seth Williams: 13 catches, 121 yards

WR Anthony Schwartz: 7 catches, 48 yards

Team stats:

Third down:

Georgia: 3-15

Auburn: 5-18

Fourth down:

Georgia: 0-0

Auburn: 1-4

Total yards:

Georgia: 251

Auburn: 329

Penalties:

Georgia: 7 for 56 yards

Auburn: 4 for 35 yards

Takeaways:

Georgia: 1

Auburn: 0

Twitter reacts as Georgia beats Auburn, punches ticket to SEC Championship Game

Twitter reacts as Georgia football beat Auburn and punched its ticket to the third straight SEC Championship Game.

For the third year in a row, the Georgia Bulldogs are headed to the SEC Championship.

On Saturday night, No. 4 Georgia defeated No. 12 Auburn 21-14 in a game that came down to the wire, even though Georgia dominated the first three quarters.

But in the end, the Dawgs did enough to hold off the pesky Tigers in a deafening Jordan-Hare Stadium.

A few quick stats before we show you our favorite Twitter reactions:

Georgia:

QB Jake Fromm: 13/28, 110 yards, 3 touchdowns, 0 interceptions

RB D’Andre Swift: 17 carries, 106 yards

WR Dominick Blaylock: 2 catches, 50 yards, 1 touchdown

P Jake Camarda: 11 punts for 558 yards (50.7 yards per), 4 inside the 20, long of 67

Auburn:

QB Bo Nix: 30/50, 245 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 fumble

RB D.J. Williams: 8 carries, 26 yards

WR Seth Williams: 13 catches, 121 yards

WR Anthony Schwartz: 7 catches, 48 yards

Favorite tweets:

 

 

Watch: D’Andre Swift hits dirty spin move, runs for first down

Georgia football RB D’Andre Swift hit an insanely dirty spin move and picked up the first down vs Auburn.

Georgia football running back D’Andre Swift is best known for his killer cuts that have broken the ankles of numerous helpless lineman and linebackers.

But today vs Auburn and the Tigers’ incredible defensive line, Swift broke out a new move.

Check out this spin move that Swift put on the Auburn defensive lineman. He then turned on the jets and picked up a first down.

 

Watch: Jake Fromm puts Georgia on top with 49 yard bomb to Dom Blaylock

Georgia football strikes first with a Jake Fromm to Dom Blaylock touchdown.

Georgia football strikes first!

On its second drive of the day, starting at its own 39, Georgia went 61 yards in three plays. Jake Fromm would end the drive with a beautiful 49 yard touchdown pass to true freshman Dominick Blaylock.

Here’s how it happened.