This Saturday will mark the 129th edition of “The Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry”, as Auburn (2-3, 0-2) will travel to Athens to take on No. 5 Georgia (3-1, 1-1) in Auburn’s first road game this season. Georgia leads the series all-time 64-56-8, with the first matchup between the Tigers and Bulldogs being played in 1892 at Atlanta’s Piedmont Park. This game will serve as the SEC Game of the Week as well as Georgia’s annual homecoming game.
Auburn is still seeking its first SEC win of the season and its first Power-Four victory since November 11, 2023 after last week’s heartbreaking 27-21 loss to Oklahoma.
The Tigers thought they had it figured out in the first three quarters versus the Sooners before a disasterous final 15 minutes led to a devastating defeat in the game’s final moments. Auburn found itself leading 21-10 a few seconds into the fourth, but a complete collapse of the offense and poor clock management by Hugh Freeze resulted in a nightmare ending.
On the other sideline will be a team that is also looking to bounce back. Georgia is coming off of an emotional roller coaster last week in Tuscaloosa – a game that is going to be remembered for years to come – but ultimately fell just short to Alabama.
The Bulldogs had a horrendous start to the first half against the Crimson Tide, as quarterback Carson Beck looked rattled and struggled to find his receivers, contributing to a 30-7 deficit heading into halftime. Although Beck turned the ball over four times in the matchup, he played a key role and displayed great maturity in the latter portion of Georgia’s massive would-be comeback. Their 41-34 defeat to Alabama snapped a school record 42-game regular season winning streak.
Georgia has dominated the rivalry in recent years, especially in Athens. The Bulldogs have won 18 of the last 23 meetings with Auburn, and the Tigers haven’t escaped Sanford Stadium victorious since 2005. A lot of things are going to need to swing in Auburn’s favor in order for the Tigers to pull of the upset – Auburn is currently sitting as a big underdog in Vegas (+23).
Players to watch
Auburn:
Payton Thorne (QB)
Auburn senior quarterback Payton Thorne owned an acceptable performance for the Tigers against Oklahoma. Before throwing a game-changing pick-six with 4:06 remaining in the contest. Thorne played solid and composed, continuing a trend of good performances in big games that fans saw from him last season. He went 21-for-32 passing for 338 yards and three touchdowns while also contributing on the ground, carrying the ball 17 times for 23 yards. Thorne also appeared to have the toughness that is required to compete at this level – something that he has not displayed previously – as he put his body on the line multiple times to make a play (recover fumbles, gain a first down, etc.). Auburn will need no less from him against Georgia this Saturday with a talented Bulldog defense staring him down every play. He needs to limit turnovers, be smart with the football, play within his capabilities and ultimately aim to accurately put the ball in the hands of his receivers while not trying to do too much.
Jarquez Hunter (RB)
Running back Jarquez Hunter will be essential to Auburn’s success on Saturday. Hunter has been a steady weapon for the Tigers and always a reliable source of explosiveness for Hugh Freeze’s offense. He broke several big runs and recorded 97 yards on 17 carries last week versus a stout Oklahoma defense, which was his second-best performance of the season behind a 152-yard, one touchdown performance against New Mexico. Hunter surprisingly only has three touchdowns on the season – two rushing and one receiving – but his role on the team is much more prominent than that. The offense will lean on him for solid gains in first and second down situations, as well as punching it in for six when inside the redzone.
Kayin Lee (CB)
Trying to build off an outstanding freshman year in 2023, sophomore cornerback Kayin Lee has had big shoes to fill this season following the departure of D.J. James and Nehemiah Pritchett to the NFL this past April. Lee has been battling a calf injury recently, causing him to miss some time on the field, but is still an elite playmaker for the Auburn defense. After recording 19 total tackles and zero interceptions in 2023, Lee is on pace to shatter his 2023 statistics. Through just five games, he has 14 total tackles, one pick, four pass breakups and is just starting to get back into his groove. He is going to play a big part in Auburn’s attempt to slow down Georgia’s strong receiving corps.
Georgia:
Arian Smith (WR)
The six-foot senior wideout has proved to be the Bulldogs’ top receiver thus far, accounting for 274 yards and two touchdowns on 17 receptions. Smith recorded a breakout performance last week against Alabama, as he hauled in a career-high six catches and career-high 132 yards. He also found the end zone one time, which came late in the third quarter to trim the deficit to 15 against the Tide. Smith is a freak athlete with exceptional speed and good size, allowing him to break away and gain an extra step on defenders. He is definitely a player to watch against Auburn’s relatively young group of corners.
Carson Beck (QB)
As mentioned previously, Beck showed strong poise and leadership in the second half in Tuscaloosa after an atrocious first half performance by the Bulldogs. He threw for 439 yards on 27-for-50 passing – a Kirby Smart-era record – and three touchdowns, including the 67-yard bomb to Dillon Bell to take the lead over Alabama with 2:31 remaining in the game. Beck has exhibited solid arm strength and accuracy – with 1,119 passing yards and 10 touchdowns on the season – but is also not afraid to use his legs when necessary. The trio of Beck, Bell and Dominic Lovett is a combination that the Tigers need to limit production from on Saturday.
Malaki Starks (DB)
Junior defensive back Malaki Starks is an all-around stud for Glenn Schumann’s defense. Starks has racked up a plethora of accolades during his three years in Athens, including receiving 2024 preseason All-SEC and preseason All-America first team honors. He was named to the 2023 Consensus All-America First Team as well as the 2022 Freshman All-America First Team by The Athletic. Through four games this season, he has totaled 19 tackles, including two tackles for loss and one interception. Starks is certainly someone to keep an eye out for – not just in the secondary, but also in other spaces – as he has to ability to fly around and make plays everywhere on the field.
Keys to victory
Auburn:
It is going to take a lot for Auburn to win in Athens for the first time in nearly 20 years. However, it can be done if the Tigers’ offense can eliminate turnovers, utilize Hunter (and the entire running back room), and cultivate explosive plays. Auburn has very little margin for error against Georgia and will need to take care of the football like it is precious gold. The Bulldogs rank 85th nationally in takeaways per game (one) while the Tigers average 2.3 turnovers per game, good for 120th in FBS.
In addition to taking care of the ball, a successful running attack with Hunter, Damari Alston and Jeremiah Cobb will be extremely important for Auburn. Creating explosive plays will be a lot easier if the offense is balanced from the beginning of the game. Freeze will need to establish the run early on, which will then open up the passing game and allow star receivers like Keandre Lambert-Smith and Cam Coleman to get involved. The worst thing that can happen for Auburn is to be unsuccessful on the ground, become stagnant offensively and then consequently put all of the pressure on Thorne to make plays.
Another key for Auburn is to generate pressure on the quarterback. According to PFF, defensive end Keldrick Faulk leads the Power-Four in quarterback pressures with 21 this season. Faulk, Jalen McLeod and Keyron Crawford will need to not only pressure Beck, but capitalize by taking him down for chunks of lost yardage. Sacks will be – and always are – a huge momentum shifter in big games like this.
Georgia:
The Bulldogs don’t need to do anything special against Auburn to win; instead, Georgia needs to focus on playing its well-known brand of football. Expect Kirby Smart’s squad to enter this game with a chip on its shoulder, as the Bulldogs are looking to rebound from their first regular season loss in a long time and hunting for revenge.
Similar to Auburn, it is going to be important for Georgia to minimize turnovers and protect the football. Beck and the offense need to get into a rhythm early – unlike his lackluster first half last week – to cease any potential hope that the Tigers may gain if the game is within reach for an extended period of time.
This will be Auburn’s first road test of the season, and with many young freshmen playing their first away game of their career, Sanford Stadium’s raucous environment and players like Starks need to make the offense uncomfortable. It will be crucial for the Bulldogs to halt Auburn’s running attack and force the game into Thorne’s hands.
The 129th matchup between Auburn and No. 5 Georgia is scheduled to kickoff at 2:30 p.m. CST on ABC.
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Gunner is a freshman majoring in journalism. He started with The Plainsman in the fall 2024.
You can follow him on X (Twitter) at @norene_gunner10
