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A spirit that is not afraid

Malzahn: Making Fromm 'uncomfortable' will be key to victory

<p>Jake Fromm (11) throws the ball during Auburn Football vs. Georgia on Saturday, Nov. 10, 2018, in Athens, Ga.</p>

Jake Fromm (11) throws the ball during Auburn Football vs. Georgia on Saturday, Nov. 10, 2018, in Athens, Ga.

Game days in Auburn, Alabama, are often filled with a mixture of emotions for the Tiger faithful — joy, anger, fear, distress and anxiety to name a few.

However, there are only a handful of game days each year that all fans of the orange and blue come together to express one emotion. This Saturday is sure to be one of them, as the No. 12 Auburn Tigers play host to No. 4 Georgia in the 2019 installment of the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry.

All emotions aside, Gus Malzahn’s Tigers will have their hands full with Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs. The Georgia offense averages 33.7 points per game and is capable of getting yards through the ground game, ranking No. 24 in the nation in rushing yards per game.

Junior quarterback and three-year starter Jake Fromm will likely prove to be one of the impact players in this weekend’s contest, as he has been in seemingly every game to this point in the season — and his career.

“I really feel like he’s one of the better players at any position in all of college football,” Malzahn said of Fromm.

The seventh-year head coach made it clear that pressuring the veteran quarterback is one of his top defensive focuses for this year’s game.

“(Fromm) got a very good command of his offense," Malzahn said. "He doesn’t hold the ball long and, when he has to, he can be a running threat, too.” 

When asked about how to limit Fromm’s ability to get the ball out, and how to force the NFL draft hopeful into making mistakes, Malzahn’s message was simple.

“He’s a veteran guy, he’s played in big games, and he doesn’t turn the ball over a lot," Malzahn said. "But we’ve got to make him uncomfortable.” 

Saying that Fromm does not turn the ball over often is statistically correct. The junior has thrown a mere three interceptions through nine games in his 2019 campaign, and has 16 across his three years at Georgia. This weekend will likely be a test of talent for the Tigers, and containing Fromm is just one of the many challenges the Georgia brings to the table. 

Fromm is 2-1 in his career against Auburn. He lost his only game in Jordan-Hare Stadium in his true freshman year two seasons ago.


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