No. 1 Georgia faces first road game at border rival Auburn
Georgia quarterback Carson Beck (15) throws under pressure from UAB linebacker Desmond Little (8) during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023, in Athens, Ga. Credit: AP/John Bazemore
No. 1 Georgia (4-0, 1-0 SEC) at Auburn (3-1, 0-1), Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET (CBS)
Line: Georgia by 14 1/2 , according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
Series record: Georgia leads 63-56-8.
WHAT’S AT STAKE?
Georgia faces its first road test after starting the season with four straight home games. The Bulldogs will be looking for a faster start offensively after outscoring their opponents only 17-7 in the opening quarter. Auburn is seeking to show progress under first-year coach Hugh Freeze and beat the Bulldogs for the first time in seven years.
KEY MATCHUP
Auburn quarterback vs. Georgia defensive front. The Tigers have struggled mightily on offense, and they went through three quarterbacks -- Payton Thorne, Robby Ashford and Holden Geriner -- in last week’s ugly 27-10 loss at Texas A&M. Auburn threw for a total of 56 yards in the game, completing just 9 of 26 passes while giving up seven sacks. That doesn’t bode well against one of the nation’s best defenses. The Bulldogs are allowing just 11.3 points a game and will surely bring all kinds of pressure in hopes of disrupting whoever is taking the snaps.
Auburn running back Jarquez Hunter (27) runs through the middle of the line during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Texas A&M, Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023, in College Station, Texas. Credit: AP/Sam Craft
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Georgia: QB Carson Beck will be making the first road start of his career. The fourth-year player has been solid so far playing in front of the home folks, completing nearly 73% of his passes for 1,184 yards with six touchdowns and one interception. But he has largely faced lesser opposition, so it will be interesting to see how he fares in a hostile environment.
Auburn: RB Jarquez Hunter remains the most proven player on the Tigers offense, even if he has only a modest 143 yards and one touchdown in the three games he has played in. With backup Damari Alston (shoulder) out, Hunter could shoulder more of a load — along with Brian Battie, Jeremiah Cobb and athletic QB Ashford.
FACTS & FIGURES
Georgia head coach Kirby Smart yells to his players on the field during the second half of an NCAA college football game against South Carolina Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023, Ga. Credit: AP/John Bazemore
Georgia has dominated the Deep South’s oldest rivalry in recent year with six straight victories, outscoring the Tigers 179-57. ... Auburn has failed to score more than 14 points in a game since its last victory over Georgia, a 40-17 triumph late in the 2017 regular season. ... The Bulldogs have been No. 1 in The Associated Press poll since claiming the top spot Oct. 16, 2022. ... Georgia has a school-record 21-game winning streak. ... Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart set a new SEC record for most victories through his first 100 career games, improving to 85-15 with last week’s win over UAB. ... Auburn has forced a league-high eight turnovers through four games with a pair of defensive scores.
