The Auburn Tigers return home this week to face the No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs in the 128th game of the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry. The Tigers will face the Bulldogs in their second conference game of the season after losing the conference opener to Texas A&M 27-10.
Georgia has won nine of its last 10 matchups against Auburn and is riding a six-game winning streak against the Tigers. Auburn’s most recent victory over Georgia was a 40-17 home win in 2017.
Auburn faces an uphill battle against a dominant Georgia team led by Kirby Smart. While the Bulldog offense has had some slow starts in games of the season, scoring a combined 17 points in the first quarter of the first four games of its season, Georgia’s defense has looked steady. The Bulldog defense is allowing 11.3 points per game and leads the SEC with seven interceptions.
“(Georgia) is one of the gold standards in college football right now,” said Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze. “They’re well coached. You’ve gotta give them credit. I know it’s a rivalry game, but the truth is the truth.”
Players to Watch:
Georgia Bulldogs:
Carson Beck (QB)
Beck will be making the first road start of his career at Jordan-Hare Stadium and will be tested by the Tigers’ secondary. Last Saturday against UAB, Beck had four total touchdowns while totaling a career-high 338 passing yards in the Bulldogs’ victory over the Blazers.
Daijun Edwards (RB)
Edwards has been the leader of Georgia’s run game this season and will be key to alleviating some of the pressure Beck will face in his first road start against a solid Auburn secondary.
Totaling 118 yards and one touchdown in the Bulldogs’ win over South Carolina and 66 yards and two touchdowns in the team’s win over UAB, Edwards led Georgia in rushing yards in the team’s two previous matchups.
Auburn Tigers:
Brian Battie (RB)
Even with a poor team offensive performance in its loss to Texas A&M, Battie totaled a season-high 59 yards rushing on eight carries. He also added 23 yards receiving to his offensive performance on two catches.
Battie, who is averaging 5.3 yards per carry this season, will need to look for open space on Saturday to allow the Auburn offense to get into a rhythm comfortable enough to pass the ball.
Nehemiah Pritchett (CB)
Plagued by injuries early in the season, Pritchett made his season debut against Texas A&M for the Tigers. The star cornerback will be key to putting pressure on Beck’s passing game. Pritchett, and the Tigers’ secondary, has a chance to keep the game close for Auburn.
Payton Thorne (QB)
Thorne looked shaky in his conference debut against the Aggies, going 6-for-12 and totaling 44 yards. If the Tigers want to boast a solid offense, Thorne will need to find some confidence in the pocket. Look for Thorne to attempt to find an offensive rhythm on Saturday.
Keys to Victory:
Georgia Bulldogs
The key for Georgia on offense so far this season has been slow and steady wins the race. Expect something similar on Saturday. While it may take awhile for the Georgia offense to get some points on the board, it is still averaging 41.5 points per game and will be facing the SEC’s second-worst run defense.
Look for Beck to build confidence on the road, utilizing Edwards and tight end Brock Bowers in the run game. If Georgia can get things going on the ground, its offense should fall into place, and Beck will have the opportunity to use his wide receivers.
Overall, Georgia’s offense will continue to play a steady game and look to excel the Bulldogs to victory.
Auburn Tigers:
To upset the No. 1 ranked Georgia Bulldogs, the Tigers are going to have to play clean, limiting penalties and turnovers. Against the Aggies, the Tigers managed zero turnovers but still totaled 10 penalties. Auburn will have to limit its penalties if it wants to defeat Georgia.
Look for the Auburn defense to keep the Tigers in the game. Early on in its matchups, Georgia has struggled to get its offense rolling, and if Auburn’s defense can prevent the Bulldog offense from finding its groove, the Tigers should be able to keep the game close.
Expect Pritchett and Auburn’s secondary to try to shut down Beck’s passing game and prevent the Bulldog offense from getting the gears wound up.
Auburn will play the No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday, Sept. 30 at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Kickoff is at 2:30 p.m. and will be televised on CBS.
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Grace Heim is a junior from Enterprise, Alabama, majoring in English Literature. She started with The Plainsman in January 2023.
