The Georgia Bulldogs dramatically defeated Alabama on Saturday night, marking their first regular-season victory over the Tide since 2007. The Dawgs remain the only undefeated team in the SEC, claiming the No. 1 ranking in the AP poll for the first time in two years.
With the 20-17 road victory in the rearview mirror, the Dawgs now prepare to host the Auburn Tigers on Oct. 17.
The 3:30 p.m. matchup, better known as the “Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry,” marks the 130th meeting between the two teams. The Tigers enter the upcoming game off an Oct. 7 bye week, after a 24-14 loss at Tennessee the week prior.
UGA head coach Kirby Smart shared his thoughts on the upcoming match in an Oct. 12 press conference. He said he expects an “extremely physical game” as Auburn heads to Athens after a week off.
“Coach [Alex] Golesh is doing a great job coming in and taking over the program, installing his beliefs, his offense, his things.
“They have a lot of talent. They’ve got good football players,” Smart said. “We’re coming off a really tough, physical game, so it’ll be really important that the mindset and the approach to the game are right because they want to make it physical, the way they play.”
Senior quarterback Byrum Brown will take charge of the Tigers’ offense on Saturday and has already thrown seven touchdowns, seven interceptions, and completed 1,055 passing yards so far in the 2026 season. Smart acknowledged Golesh’s offense as “very physical” over the last few games.
“They do have a lot of good passes. They have tempo, and they get a lot of plays, but they’re physical,” Smart said. “When you watch the games I watched yesterday, you immediately see those same pillars of his program, being able to throw the ball vertically down the field and being physical at the point of attack. And they’ve got a guy that can do that at quarterback.”
On the defensive side of the ball, Smart described the Tigers’ secondary as quick and “aggressive,” crediting Auburn defensive coordinator DJ Durkin with a crucial impact on their lineup.
“They play really hard, attack the ball, they blitz,” Smart said. “They come after you, they’re aggressive, and you can see [Durkin’s] personality coming out in the players in the way they play.”
Shortly after the Dawgs’ 20-17 victory in Tuscaloosa, Smart spoke about offensive coordinator Mike Bobo’s impact on UGA’s offense throughout the game and the season in general. During the Monday afternoon press conference, he emphasized Bobo as “very smart in the run game,” unlike many newer coaches.
“We don’t have some magic potion in the way we do things. We’re a week away from humility on both sides of the ball,” Smart said. “But he’s very smart in the run game in a world where a lot of new-age coaches just don’t get infatuated with the run game or the details of a run game in terms of who’s blocking who.”