As Hugh Freeze and the Auburn Tigers face off against No. 10 Georgia in the Deep South’s oldest rivalry on Saturday night at Jordan-Hare Stadium, they will look to break their eight-game losing streak against what may be one of the more vulnerable Bulldog teams in recent memory.
Despite starting the season with an impressive 4–1 record (with their only loss coming in a nail-biter against a surging Alabama team two weekends ago), Georgia does not appear to be the powerhouse team they’ve been in recent years under head coach Kirby Smart.
The Bulldogs’ pass defense has been surprisingly—and uncharacteristically—poor through their first five games. Georgia currently ranks 86th in the nation in total passing—a drop of nearly 50 spots from last season. The glaring issue with Georgia’s struggles against the pass surprisingly does not stem from problems in the defensive secondary, but rather from a sheer lack of quarterback pressure.
Georgia's pass rush has been abysmal this season, recording just seven sacks through its first five games. (For reference, Auburn has recorded 16 in the same span.) Georgia currently ranks in the bottom 15% of FBS teams in both total sacks and sacks per game.
This could be good news for Jackson Arnold and the Tigers, as Arnold currently leads all FBS quarterbacks in sacks taken, with 20.
Even though Georgia has struggled immensely in the pass rush, their run defense has been exceptional this season. The Bulldogs boast the 13th-best run defense in the nation, allowing only 2.7 yards per carry.
Their dominance in stopping the run can largely be attributed to their impressive linebacker corps—a common strength of Georgia teams in recent years—headlined by juniors CJ Allen and Raylen Wilson, along with sophomore Chris Cole. Together, this linebacker unit has recorded 87 total tackles and six of Georgia’s seven sacks this season.
As far as the offensive side of the ball for the Bulldogs, they have shined through their first five games, largely thanks to a dominant rushing attack. Although Georgia has struggled through the air this season—ranking in the bottom half of the SEC in passing yards and touchdowns—they currently boast the fifth-best rushing offense in the conference.
The Bulldogs' two-running-back system, consisting of freshman Chauncey Bowens and sophomore Nate Frazier, has combined for 563 yards, averaging over five yards per carry and scoring five touchdowns. Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton has also contributed to the ground game, notching five rushing touchdowns.
Overall, Georgia has been a surprisingly run-heavy offense this season—16 of their 23 touchdowns have come on the ground.
This could bode well for the Tigers, who currently have the No. 17 rushing defense in the nation. One important matchup to watch could be on the right side of Georgia’s offensive line. While Georgia’s pass blocking has been stellar this season—allowing only six sacks—they’ve recently dealt with some injury issues.
As a result, the Bulldogs started two true freshmen at right tackle and right guard last Saturday against Kentucky. Auburn’s dynamic edge-rushing duo of Keldric Faulk and Keyron Crawford could certainly present a challenge for the two first-year linemen.
Auburn will face off against Georgia on Saturday, hoping to earn its first win against the program since upsetting the No. 1-ranked Bulldogs at Jordan-Hare Stadium back in 2017.
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Jonathan is a freshman majoring in industrial and systems engineering. He started with The Plainsman in the fall of 2025.
