This year’s installment of the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry takes place at Jordan-Hare Stadium, where Auburn won the last matchup there in 2017. Historically, No. 13 Auburn has had a losing record at home against No. 5 Georgia trailing in the series at home 16-12-2.
No. 13 Auburn (7-2, 4-2 in SEC) hosts No. 5 Georgia (8-1, 5-1 in SEC) this Saturday at 2:30 p.m. CST on CBS.
Players to watch:
D.J. Williams/Boobee Whitlow:
Since taking over as Auburn’s lead running back against LSU, D.J. Williams has a combined 37 carries for 223 yards and a touchdown in two games. He had his first 100-yard rushing game against LSU and followed it up the next week against Ole Miss with his first career rushing touchdown.
Auburn’s leading rusher Boobee Whitlow left late in the game against Florida with a knee injury. Whitlow returned earlier than expected after only being sidelined for two weeks and had three rushing attempts against LSU. He did not play against Ole Miss, but he is expected to play this weekend against Georgia.
Marlon Davidson/Jeremiah Dinson:
Marlon Davidson and Jeremiah Dinson both missed the game against Ole Miss with an injury for Davidson and an illness for Dinson. Dinson and Davidson have helped Auburn rank as one of six FBS teams that haven’t allowed more than 24 points this season. The two seniors on defense returned to practice following Auburn’s bye and are expected to play against Georgia.
Dinson leads the team in tackles with 61 and is one of five Auburn defensive players with an interception this season. While Davidson has been named the SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week three times this season. He leads the team in sacks this season with 5.5.
Anthony Schwartz:
Against Ole Miss, Anthony Schwartz had a career high 9 receptions for 89 yards. The speedy receiver has been making the most of his receptions this season with 23 catches for 305 yards or an average of 13.26 yards per catch.
Schwartz hasn’t seen as many carries in the run game as he did last season, but Schwartz does have two rushing touchdowns including a 57-yard rushing touchdown against Texas A&M. In a game that could be decided by one or two big plays, Schwartz’s big play ability and his speed could come in handy for Auburn.
D’Andre Swift:
When Auburn and Georgia met in 2018, D’Andre Swift rushed for a career high 186 yards on 17 carries and a touchdown in the win. He finished 2018 with 1,049 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns. Swift saw action in 14 games in 2018, but only started in five.
This season, Swift has followed 2018 up with a successful junior season with 147 carries for 921 yards and 7 touchdowns. He needs just 79 yards to reach the 1,000 rushing mark and would be the fifth Bulldog in program history to have a pair of 1,000-yard rushing seasons.
In six SEC games, the junior running back has combined for 680 yards and four touchdowns on 114 rushing attempts.
George Pickens:
George Pickens was originally committed to come play at Auburn as early as 2017 until flipping his commitment to Georgia in February of 2019. The 5-star recruit ranked by 247 Sports coming out of high school has fit in well at Georgia becoming the number two receiver on the team.
This season, the freshman has 29 receptions for 389 yards and four touchdowns. Last week against Missouri, he accounted for five catches for 67 yards and two touchdowns. The 389 receiving yards rank Pickens second on the team in yards and his four touchdowns tie him for first among pass catchers.
Georgia’s run defense:
It’s no secret that Auburn is a run heavy team, but the Auburn rushing attack may have some trouble this weekend. The Tigers will be going up against the SEC’s best rushing defense allowing 76.4 yards a game. Auburn’s rushing offense is averaging 219.3 yards a game for reference.
Not only is Georgia’s run defense stingy when it comes to allowing yards, but the Bulldogs are also the only FBS team this season to not allow a rushing touchdown. Georgia is also the first team in at least the last 20 years to not have allowed a rushing touchdown through the first nine games.
Key’s to victory:
Auburn:
- Establish the Run
Auburn’s run heavy offense could be in trouble this weekend against Georgia’s run defense but if the Tigers can establish their run game, it should make things easier for the offense as a whole.
In three games against Top 25 teams, Auburn’s rushing offense has 460 yards and two touchdowns on 110 carries, so they have established the ground game against Top 25 teams this season. The good news for Auburn will be that this is the first home game against a Top 25 team this season.
Georgia:
- Establish offensive consistency
Georgia’s offense has slowed down recently averaging 22.25 points in the last four weeks against South Carolina, Kentucky, Florida and Missouri. Now heading into a hostile environment this weekend, the Bulldogs might need to do a bit more on offense if they want to win this Saturday. It won’t be easy as Auburn’s defense has held teams to 24 points or less this season, but Georgia will need to pick up the pace on offense to quiet the crowd.
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
