The fifth ranked Georgia Bulldogs will return home on Dooley field Saturday as they will take on the unranked Auburn Tigers for their SEC home opener. Georgia sits at 3-1 on the season as they are coming off of a 41-34 loss to the Alabama Crimson Tide in what was an all time classic as the Dawgs showcased their resilience. Auburn heads into this one sitting at 2-3 on the year as the Tigers are coming off of a disappointing loss to the Oklahoma Sooners where we saw the Tigers fumble a double digit lead late in the game. Tomorrow’s game kicks off at 3:30 and can be viewed on ABC and ESPN+.
Georgia Defense vs. Auburn run game
There really aren’t multiple match-ups to keep an eye on for this one come Saturday as Georgia is superior in nearly every area compared to the Tigers. Auburn has received perhaps the worst quarterback play in the country so far this season as Payton Thorne and Hank Brown have combined for nine interceptions and an average 52 QBR between the two. With Coach Hugh Freeze unable to find a reliable quarterback, the Tigers have decided to lean heavily on their run game. Through five games, the Tigers have rushed for a total of 856 yards with an average of 171.2 yards per game on the ground. Leading the charge for this Auburn rush game is Senior Jarquez Hunter. Hunter currently has 437 rushing yards on the season as he averages 6.7 yards per carry along with two touchdowns. Junior, Damari Alston is also a solid option out of Auburn’s backfield as the elusive back has totaled 164 rushing yards on the season averaging 6.6 yards on 25 carries along with two touchdowns. Payton Thorne will also be used for his legs at the quarterback position as the Dawgs’ defense will have to make sure they keep him contained.
Georgia’s defense is coming off of one of their more disappointing showings we’ve seen in a while. In last week’s game against the Crimson Tide, the Dawgs gave up 547 total yards, 173 of which were on the ground. Following that performance, the Dawgs now sit at 58th in the country in terms of rush defense as they would love to get back to their Junkyard Dawg ways. Earlier in the week it was announced that linebacker Smael Mondon would be out versus the Tigers due to injury. With Mondon being out, expect Jalon Walker, C.J. Allen, and Raylen Wilson to all have a heavier workload. On a positive note, Mykel Williams was recently upgraded from questionable to probable as the Junior defensive end will be a huge help to contain Auburn’s run game.
Prediction
Overall, the Dawgs should handle the Auburn run game as Kirby should have his defense ticked off and ready to play. With that being said, it’s no guarantee that this will be a blowout as the Tigers usually play their best against the Dawgs. Due to this one being such a historic rivalry, I could see the Tigers keeping it close for a bit with Georgia eventually settling in and pulling away with this one. UGA- 31 Auburn- 14
Go Dawgs!