NO. 5 GEORGIA (8-1, 6-1 SEC) VS. NO. 24 AUBURN (6-3, 3-3)
7 p.m. › Sanford Stadium in Athens, Ga. ESPN & 102.3 FM
Auburn is coming off a 28-24 comeback triumph over Texas A&M in which Tigers quarterback Jarrett Stidham flourished late to overcome a running game that produced just 19 yards on 21 carries. Georgia is coming off a 34-17 win at Kentucky in which the Bulldogs held Benny Snell Jr. to 73 yards on 20 rushes. There is no more obvious key to tonight’s game, because Georgia stuffing an Auburn ground game that has averaged just 120.8 yards in Southeastern Conference contests this season could lead to this one getting ugly before halftime. “We’ve got to correct that,” Tigers coach Gus Malzahn said. “We’ve got to do a better job, because there is no doubt they are always a talented team. They are always going to be one of the more talent-based teams in our league.”
THE MATCHUP
ONE TO WATCH
IN THE END
The Auburn ground game has been such a liability this season that there has been talk of the Tigers trying to attack the Bulldogs with Stidham operating a two-minute offense, which bailed Auburn out late against the Aggies after its six straight three-and-out series that opened the second half. “I think each game is a little bit different with your approach in terms of who you’re playing and their strengths,” Malzahn said. “Obviously, you always look at the things you do well and try not to do the things that you don’t do well. When you play the elite teams, you’ve got to manufacture rushing yards, but there is no doubt we were in rhythm the last two series. You’re always trying to find a rhythm offensively, so we’ll see where that carries us these last three games.” In Malzahn’s past four trips to Georgia as either Auburn’s offensive coordinator or head coach, the Tigers have failed to score an offensive touchdown after the first quarter. That trend has the potential of continuing, because the night-game excitement should counter any thought that the Bulldogs would either relax as SEC East champs or start looking ahead to another league program from the Yellowhammer State. “When you become lackadaisical, that is when you slip up as a team,” Bulldogs left tackle Andrew Thomas said. “We are working to get better, because we have to win out the rest of the way to be where we want to be.” Expect Georgia to wear down Auburn on both sides of the line, and look for physical Georgia receiver Jeremiah Holloman to feast on Tigers cornerbacks.