Following the loss in Tuscaloosa, the Bulldogs can finally put all the attention that the Alabama game brought after defeating the Auburn Tigers 31-13 in The Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry. By no means it was a pretty game to watch, however Georgia found ways to get key stops and conversions when it mattered most to roll past their rival.
Georgia was able to get on the board early with a touchdown rush from running back Trevor Etienne on their first offensive drive, something that the Bulldogs have struggled to do. After a score from wide receiver Dominic Lovett just before the half, the score was 14-3 at the break. Coach Freeze and the Tigers made sure that the fight was not over, scoring on a 6-play drive from running back Jarquez Hunter to make it a four-point game. However, after a few key stops and a few more scores, Georgia was able to put away Auburn’s upset hopes.
Kirby Smart was disappointed with the fanbase, following a relatively quiet atmosphere for such a historic rivalry. Coach Smart said, “I’m probably disappointed in our fans… for the first time…” Over his time in Athens, Smart has always been very positive about the fans, often thanking them at the start of his postgame conferences. This week, however, he was not as kind toward the Sanford crowds.
In addition to Georgia’s game this weekend, it only feels fair to mention what a wild weekend it was in the SEC. No. 1 Alabama fell to unranked Vanderbilt on the road, and No. 4 ranked Tennessee lost to unranked Arkansas on the road. There is now only one undefeated team remaining in the conference: Texas. As Coach Smart has always said, every game in the SEC is a challenge. The conference is loaded, and we don’t expect a single team to finish without at least one number in the loss-column. Watching these unsuspected losses could have only made Dawg fans feel better about the 31-13 rival victory.
Looking at Mississippi State, the other Bulldogs sit at 1-4 on the year with an 0-2 conference record. Their losses include a 41-17 beatdown at home against Toledo and a 45-28 loss to the Florida Gators in Starkville. After what will be another lower-tier SEC matchup at home, the true tests of strength will soon be known. It is hard to look over the game that looms just days away. While the team should not overlook Mississippi State, Texas stands alongside Ohio State as a top collegiate team. Georgia can likely give up one more loss and make the playoff, but boy would it feel good to take down one of the SEC’s newest members on the road.
Last week’s hot take included Georgia going on to defeat Auburn 49-0. With how much Georgia ran the ball for short yardage, it never really seemed like 49 points would be a possibility. Plus, Auburn eliminated turnovers this week, which kept them on the field. The offense possessed the ball eight total times, punting on three of them.
Hot Take of the Week:
The crowd noise against Auburn was disappointing not only as students of the university but as lifelong viewers of Georgia Football. Growing up, it seemed like Alabama had the fanbase that would get complacent and expect every game to be a blowout. Yet, here we are. We both remember being in Sanford Stadium in the 2010s when every home game seemed like the biggest game of the season. The head coach of the University of Georgia just stated he was disappointed in the fans for the first time since being here. Student sections were a quarter-full while it was still a two possession game. Unfortunately, our hot take is that nothing will change for this coming Saturday’s late-afternoon kickoff. We believe that much of the fanbase, primarily the student-body, has become too used to winning. The fans simply haven’t been fired up like they were in the past. Now, this being said, we hope the environment is a game changer and that this hot take freezes over.