How Georgia Can Avoid a Similar Situation to the 2023 Game vs Auburn

How the Georgia Bulldogs can avoid a similar situation to the 2023 game vs the Auburn Tigers.

Auburn Tigers running back Jarquez Hunter (27) is stopped in the backfield by Georgia Bulldogs defensive back Daylen Everette (6) and inside linebacker C.J. Allen (33) during the third quarter as Auburn Tigers take on Georgia Bulldogs at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023. | Jake Crandall / USA TODAY NETWORK

How the Georgia Bulldogs can avoid a similar situation to the 2023 game vs the Auburn Tigers.

The last time Georgia traveled to Auburn, a ranked Georgia team went up against an unranked Auburn team and barely escaped an upset on the road. The Bulldogs walked out of Jordan-Hare with a 27-20 win, thanks to a stellar second-half performance by tight end Brock Bowers.

This year's game is expected to be a similar matchup. The Bulldogs are just a 3.5-point favorite heading into the weekend, so what can Georgia do to make sure they don't have a similar situation happen like it did in 2023?

1. Protect the Football

Georgia lost the turnover battle in 2023. On the second drive of the game, Carson Beck threw an interception on the second play of the drive, giving Auburn the ball on Georgia's 48-yard line. The Tigers would go on to score a touchdown to make it a 10-0 ball game. Then, on the first play out of halftime, a fumble from Oscar Delp gave Auburn the ball on the Georgia 32-yard line and they scored a touchdown to make it 17-10.

Those two turnovers spotted Auburn 14 points in the game. If Georgia can protect the football this time around, it would go a long way in making sure the Tigers can't hang around for the entire game.

Can Georgia Avoid the Upset at Auburn?

Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze speaks with Georgia head coach Kirby Smart before the start of a NCAA college football game against Auburn in Athens, Ga., on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. | Joshua L. Jones / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

2. Explosives and Penalties

Outside of the two turnovers, every other scoring drive from Auburn was achieved by either a 15-yard penalty by Georgia or by allowing an explosive play on defense. Payton Thorne had a 61-yard rush that led to a field goal in the first half, a pass interference call on 2nd and 9 helped Auburn get their first touchdown of the game and another pass interference call in the second half allowed Auburn to tie the game at 20 in the fourth quarter.

Georgia committed just three penalties the last time they played at Auburn, but those penalties, along with the few explosive plays they allowed, are what gave Auburn the opportunity to keep the game close in the fourth quarter.

3. Doing What Georgia Has Done Best

Running the ball and stopping the run. The two things that Georgia preached about all offseason and what they have been successful at doing this year. In 2023, Georgia rushed for just 107 yards while Auburn rushed for over 200 yards. If the Bulldogs can make Auburn one-dimensional on offense while consistently running the ball on offense, they might be able to avoid another close game in Jordan-Hare.

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