No. 2 Georgia and Auburn will square off Saturday afternoon in this year’s version of the Deep South’s oldest rivalry. The Bulldogs have been sloppy in each of their last two wins and needed a fourth-quarter comeback to get past Missouri last week at Columbia. The Tigers have lost two of their last three, including last week’s 21-17 loss to No. 25 when they blew a 17-point lead.
The Bulldogs are led by quarterback Stetson Bennett IV, who, despite the Bulldogs’ struggles in recent weeks, is second in the SEC in passing (307.2 yards per game) and has only thrown one interception in five games. . The Tigers have settled on redshirt freshman Robby Ashford under center. The dual-threat weapon had his best day in the air in Week 5 when he rushed for 337 yards and threw for two touchdowns.
What will happen Saturday in one of college football’s greatest rivalries? Let’s break down the game and make direct and counter-spread picks.
Georgia vs. Auburn: I need to know
Where are the wide receivers?: Georgia tight end Brock Bowers has been the star of the receiving corps this year. The sophomore has a team-high 342 yards and is the only Bulldog with multiple touchdowns, though he only has two. Georgia has to find some weapons outside, and that could depend on the status of Adonai Mitchell, who has only played in two games due to an ankle injury. The sophomore made the trip to Missouri last week, but didn’t see the field.
“AD is hopeful again,” coach Kirby Smart said. “He was close to being able to go, we thought last week. We took him with the intention of seeing if he could go. Before the game, we thought he looked pretty good, but we didn’t feel comfortable putting him there. We’re hopeful he’s able to do it this week, and we don’t know until we get out there and get closer to the game. It’s a lot closer this week than it was last week. Getting Arian [Smith] back helped with that. All the repetitions helped the freshman. I have to keep improving those guys.”
This could be a great opportunity for Smart to develop his threats in the field. Auburn is ranked middle of the road in virtually every meaningful pass defense stat, and a couple of weapons outside of Bowers will go a long way in helping the Bulldogs repeat as national champions.
Coffee is for closers: That classic scene from the movie “Glengarry Glen Ross” also applies to Auburn’s offense in the worst possible way. In the last eight games against Power 5 opponents, the Tigers are averaging 2.6 points per game in the second half (excluding overtime). He hasn’t scored a single point in either of the last two games in that same time span. Coach Bryan Harsin addressed the issue during his Monday news conference.
“For me, it’s really about trying to eliminate those negative plays and then being more consistent,” he said. “Those are game calls. That’s execution. It’s all of those things, and not just one in particular. That’s just the blatant reason why they’re things we all have to get better at and get better at. Our adjustments come out in the middle We have to be able to find ways to continue to put points on the board. It’s not just half of football, you can play all four quarters.”
It’s one thing to lay chicken eggs against Missouri and LSU, it’s another thing altogether to do so against the defending national champions. If coach Bryan Harsin doesn’t win a trip to the coffee shop, he might have to vacate his small property at the Auburn soccer complex by the end of the weekend.
Where is the offensive line?: Georgia’s offensive line play had been solid through the first four games, but it was terrible last weekend against Missouri. He allowed nine of his 16 tackles for loss this season, and that was the main reason he averaged just 4.69 yards per carry, his worst mark against a Power Five opponent this year.
“We didn’t play very well up front,” Smart said. “They had a lot of momentum. We had to do a better job of preparing our guys, but we were also able to do a better job in the game of making good decisions and putting ourselves in a position to be successful or more successful at least.” “
Auburn’s defensive line hasn’t exactly been impressive this year. But if the Bulldogs’ offensive line repeats last week’s performance at Columbia, it could open the door to a front seven that has been playing better lately.
How to watch Georgia vs Auburn live
Date: Saturday October 8 | Weather: 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time
Location: Sanford Stadium – Athens, Georgia
TV: C.B.S. | Live broadcast: CBSSports.com, CBS Sports app (free)
Georgia vs Auburn Prediction, Picks
featured game | Georgia Bulldogs vs. auburn tigers
Auburn couldn’t have picked a worse time to trap the Bulldogs at Sanford Stadium. Ashford won’t have the same production in the air because of a strong Georgia defensive front and a secondary that will take advantage of the pressure that the front seven generates. The sloppy play of the past two weeks will force Smart to keep his foot on the gas more than usual, and he’ll get the Bulldogs into easy coverage. Prediction: Georgia (-30)
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