Georgia and Auburn will renew the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry this Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium, where the Bulldogs (4-0, 1-0 SEC) will have their first road game of the year.
Undefeated No.1 Georgia is coming off a 49-21 victory over UAB-Birmingham, while the Tigers (3-1, 0-1 SEC) suffered their first loss of the season last weekend to Texas A&M.
Georgia head coach Kirby Smart knows playing the Tigers on the road will be a “tough test” for his team, especially after the Bulldogs played their first four games of the season at home in Athens.
“I wouldn’t want to draw it up that way. I believe in playing at a neutral site or getting a road game, but there’s not a lot of control I have over that, either,” Smart said of the schedule.
“It will be one hell of an environment. They do an incredible job with their fan base. It’s one of the places where I think I’ve coached more than any other location outside of here and Tuscaloosa,” he said. “It’s just an incredible environment. Their fan base is second to none. They’re believing and they’ve got a new coach and a new energy and they’re doing a really good job. It will be tough. We have to prepare that way and hope our players know that.”
Auburn is led by head coach Hugh Freeze, who previously had stints at Ole Miss and Liberty. Freeze is hoping to return the program back to the top of college football in his first year at the helm on the plains.
Auburn’s offense struggled last Saturday against Texas A&M, scoring a season-low 10 points. The Tigers’ defense also gave up a season-high 27 points to the Aggies.
Michigan State transfer Payton Thorne has struggled at quarterback for Auburn. He’s completed only 65 percent of his passes for 561 yards, with four touchdowns and three interceptions through four games.
Most of Auburn’s offensive production comes from its running game, spearheaded by junior Jarquez Hunter, sophomore Damari Alston and junior Brian Battle. The trio has combined for over 391 yards and two scores. Thorne and backup quarterback Robby Ashford contribute as well.
The two mobile signal-callers have rushed for over 200 yards, with six combined rushing touchdowns on the year. Ashford has reached the end zone four times on the ground entering this week. They are each at the top of the Tigers’ statistical categories in rushing yards and touchdowns.
Smart emphasized on Monday how Freeze uses both Thorne and Ashford to Auburn’s advantage.
“Well, they’re both really good athletes,” Smart said. “I don’t think people give Payton Thorne enough credit for athleticism and quickness. When you talk about Robby [Ashford], you’re talking about a different kind of athlete. This guy is as fast as anybody we’ve ever played against with size and a strong arm.
“So, number one, their backs run extremely hard, are extremely physical and tough and are hard to tackle. And you combine that with the quarterback run, it creates a lot of eye candy, a lot of misdirection. They always do a good job, Hugh [Freeze] always has done a good job of that.”
Georgia is one of the best teams in the country against the run, ranking No. 17 in rush defense this year. The Bulldogs are limiting opponents to rush for 87.0 yards per game and only 3.8 yards per carry.
Although Auburn is coming off a bad loss, the Tigers will be looking for an upset over the Bulldogs, who have the nation’s and program’s longest active winning streak at 21 games entering this week. Smart believes Freeze will have his team motivated to play and Jordan-Hare will be rocking.
“I certainly have a lot of respect for Hugh. I know the coach he is, I know the motivator, the teacher he is. He gets the players to play really hard for him, they respect him and they buy in,” Smart said. “They have an incredible staff. Those guys do a really good job.”