The No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs host the struggling Auburn Tigers in the Deep South’s oldest rivalry on Saturday. The Tigers have lost seven in a row to UGA.
The matchup comes after Alabama held off the Bulldogs in a 41-34 thriller, snapping their streak of 42 consecutive victories during the regular season.
Auburn is desperate for a victory and would like nothing more than to deliver a devastating blow to Georgia's national championship hopes. Especially since the Bulldogs have won seven straight in the series, their longest streak since a run of nine in a row from 1923-31.
“This rivalry means a lot to a lot of people,” Auburn tight end Luke Deal said. “For us to have not beaten them since I’ve been here, it’s definitely something I want to get accomplished.”
KEY MATCHUP
Auburn QB Payton Thorne vs. Georgia's defense. After briefly losing the starting job to Hank Brown, Thorne is back atop the depth chart for the Tigers, largely because coach Hugh Freeze doesn't have much choice.
Thorne has thrown six interceptions in four games, including a back-breaking pick-six last week as Auburn squandered an 11-point lead in the fourth quarter of a 27-21 loss to No. 19 Oklahoma.
The Bulldogs did not allow a touchdown through their first three games, but they were burned for 547 yards by the Crimson Tide. Georgia now faces a team that has struggled mightily on offense during Freeze's two seasons at the helm.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Auburn: WR Cam Coleman is averaging 23.6 yards per catch, with nine receptions for 212 yards. The Tigers will be looking for ways to get the talented freshman more involved in the offense.
Georgia: QB Carson Beck threw for a career-high 439 yards and three touchdowns against Alabama, nearly pulling off an improbable comeback. But he also was intercepted three times, including a pick in the end zone when the Bulldogs were in position to force overtime. The performance was a big blow to a quarterback who was touted as a Heisman Trophy candidate and potentially one of the top picks in next year's NFL draft.
FACTS & FIGURES
The Deep South's oldest rivalry, with the first game played in 1892. These teams have played each other 128 times, more than any other major-college series except Wisconsin-Minnesota (133 meetings).
Georgia had a streak of 42 consecutive victories in the regular season before its loss to Alabama.
The Bulldogs have lost only three games overall since the beginning of the 2021 season — all of them to the Crimson Tide.
This is Auburn's first road game of the season after opening with a five-game homestand. Georgia, on the other hand, is playing just its second game of the year at Sanford Stadium.
The Bulldogs have a school record 26-game winning streak at home, the best in FBS.
