The Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry. Tigers vs. Bulldogs. Hugh Freeze vs. Kirby Smart. Auburn hasn’t won in Athens since 2005, and it looks like they’ll have to wait until 2026 for a chance to change that stat after they fell to Georgia on Saturday 31-13 on Saturday.
Lets look a the bad first…
1. Running game:
Auburn’s struggles at QB have been well documented. Neither Thorne nor Hank Brown have fared well this season versus Power 4 opponents and have certainly struggled with turnovers. Sounds like a recipe for them to lean on one of the best running backs in the SEC to take some of the strain off their quarterbacks?
Wrong. Auburn has seemingly had success when running the football, they just haven’t done it enough. Hunter finished the game with the same amount of carries as Payton Thorne (13). Not sure how that happens. Doesn’t seem like a strong case for leaning on their running game and staying balanced.
Jarquez (their bellcow back) finished with 91 yards on the day and did have the score, so it’s a bit confusing as to why they didn’t lean more on their workhorse running back by giving him an increased workload.
2. Penalties:
The penalty total doesn’t seem dramatic by any means. Auburn actually finished the game with less infractions than the bulldogs, but again it’s when these flags happen that makes the biggest difference.
Penalties that extend drives on third down when you have a chance to get off the field are exceptionally frustrating, especially against a formidable opponent in Georgia.
Offensive penalties really set you back as a unit, as an already non explosive auburn outfit led by Payton Thorne found it difficult to dig themselves out of holes after pre snap penalties.
Auburn finished with a total of 5 penalties for 25 yards. Again, not an astronomical number, but you have to be more disciplined to come out with a victory on the road in the SEC.
3. Short yardage play calling/execution:
Everyone has heard the cliche that football games come down to a few key plays. It sounds like analyst and coach speak but it can ring true.
Short yardage plays are huge swings in the football game, they can extend drives, lead to touchdowns, and quiet a raucous crowd on the road.
Well, Auburn finished 4 for 13 on 3rd down, and 1 for 3 on 4th, opposed to Georgia’s 7 for 13 on 3rd and 2 for 2 on 4th. Not winning numbers.
Note the 2/2 on fourth down for Georgia. Those conversions are huge. They move the chains. A stop on even one of those could potentially really change the game in the Tiger’s favour.
Freeze will get crushed for his fourth down play call on offence early in the game, but at the end of the day, Auburn didn’t execute. They couldn’t pick up the 4th and 1. Huge swing.f
And now the good…
1. Young players making plays:
The solid play of so many of Auburn’s young players should have Tiger fans excited for the future.
The promising play from the youngsters leads to many positives. On the field positives being the most paramount, but also solidifying this staff’s propensity for talent evaluation/development is a great sign.
A knack for evaluation goes a long way in today’s college football landscape, as recruiting not only in high school ranks but also in the transfer portal both play integral roles in building a competitive roster.
Keldric Faulk built on his standout start to the season, as he had a total of 7 tackles in this one. Adding to his sack total with 2 takedowns of Carson Beck, Faulk has put together a dominant young sophomore campaign, terrorizing opposing quarterbacks. Add in his stout play against the run and he’s becoming an all around difference maker for the Tigers, with room to grow.
Jay Crawford and Malik Brockton have also been thrust into critical roles and have played admirably.
Crawford looks to continue the long line of dominant defensive backs that have donned the orange and blue on the Plains, while Blockton (also as a freshman) provided a stout prescence in the middle of Auburn’s defensive line, against a rugged Georgia defensive front nonetheless.
2. No turnovers:
Auburn came into the game turning the ball over on offence at a historic pace. Not a stat you want to lead in. Not a recipe for winning football games. Both Payton Thorne and Hank Brown have had a case of the turnover bug.
Call it unlucky, blame play calling, blame dropped passes. The fact is, Auburn came into this game against Georgia with 15 total turnovers.
Well, in a hostile road environment in Athens, Auburn took care of the football well. No interceptions or fumbles. Against a tough, physical team on the road and after turnovers had been a real thorn (no pun intended) in their sides so far this season, not turning the ball over is impressive.
Obviously the score doesn’t look favourable, but still impressive to see a goose egg beside the turnover stat in the box score. Progress.
3. Towns McGough:
Have to give Towns a shoutout here. We already mentioned the environment Auburn entered. Not an easy place to kick for a Freshman in front of 85,000 fans. Well, he answered the bell.
He wasn’t perfect (he missed one field goal from 50+ yards out) and he didn’t necessarily drill any super long kicks, but I’ll take 2/3 made field goals and a made extra point from a true Freshman on the road in a hostile environment.
Make that 8 straight losses against Georgia. Like Baton Rouge, Athens has become a house of horrors for the Tigers.
Payton Thorne, Jarquez Hunter and the rest of the crew weren’t able to quite match Georgia’s efficiency in this one, as the Tigers fall 31-13.
Some key errors plagued Auburn in this one, but at the end of the day the better team won.
Time to rest up during the bye week, get in the film room, the cold tub, and come out firing on the road against Missouri. See you in Columbia.
As always, War Eagle.
