Keys to Victory Against Auburn
Georgia football tangles with the Auburn Tigers for the 125th time this Saturday at 7:30 PM. The upcoming matchup is one of the most intriguing games in the nation this week as both programs hold top seven rankings.
Despite being ranked closely in the polls, Georgia has a much better team on paper. The Bulldogs have more depth, are better in the trenches and have a plethora of skill players to utilize on offense. But games are not won on paper, especially games in "Deep South's Oldest Rivalry."
Georgia has the potential to run the Tigers out of Athens, but they have to follow these three keys to victory to do so.
Dominate the trenches
Georgia has one clear advantage over Auburn; the Bulldogs are just better in the trenches on both sides of the ball. Georgia has too much talent, skill, experience to lose the battles in the trenches this week.
But, this is Georgia vs. Auburn, upsets are common. Georgia's offensive and defensive lines being upset by the Tigers would spell disaster for the Bulldogs. With Owen Pappoe and KJ Britt at linebacker for Auburn, if the offensive line can't get to the second level, Zamir White and the rest of Georgia's running backs won't be able to find any holes to run through.
Auburn doesn't have a great running game, it only rushed for 106 yards against Kentucky with Bo Nix leading the team with 34 yards. Auburn's offense should be one-dimensional against Georgia's vaunted run defense. But if the Tigers' o-line gets the better of the Bulldogs' d-line, Georgia's most significant advantage Saturday will disappear, and Auburn's playbook will be wide open.
Contain Seth Williams
Auburn is going to struggle on the ground. The last paragraph was a (realistic) hypothetical. The Tigers' offense will be one-dimensional, they're going to rely on Nix, and he's going to depend on Seth Williams.
The junior is coming off a season where he caught 59 passes for 830 yards with eight touchdowns. The 121 yards he recorded against Georgia were the most allowed by the Bulldogs all year. If Georgia doesn't slow down Williams, Auburn will keep the game close.
A lot of the Bulldogs' success hinges on how Eric Stokes performs. As Georgia's best cornerback, he's going to cover Williams a lot. A great game by Stokes would take out Williams and cripple the Auburn offense.
Positive turnover margin
Georgia's win over Arkansas last week wouldn't have been nearly as stressful if the Bulldogs had controlled the ball better. Mathis' interception in the first quarter prevented Georgia from kicking a field goal, and the Bulldogs were rolling in their first possession in the second half before Cook fumbled.
Arkansas only scored three points off those turnovers, but Auburn has the potential to make Georgia pay for being careless with the ball. Georgia's offense will likely start slow again, and it can't afford to give Auburn any momentum.
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