The Deep South's Oldest Rivalry is set for its 129th edition on Saturday, as No. 5 Georgia hosts Auburn in a game that both teams sorely need. While the Bulldogs (3-1, 1-1 SEC) enter as heavy favorites against the Tigers, Auburn (2-3, 0-2) was also a big underdog last season when it took Georgia down to the wire.
Auburn led 17-10 in the third quarter, and it wasn't until Carson Beck found Brock Bowers for a 40-yard touchdown pass with 2:52 remaining that UGA surged ahead for good in an uncomfortably close 27-20 victory. After consecutive tight battles to open league play, the Bulldogs will be hoping for a less dramatic outcome this time.
UGA found itself on the wrong side of a 41-34 heartbreaker last week at Alabama. The Dawgs erased a 30-7 deficit and clawed all the way back to the lead, only to have Alabama produce a late score and stop to steal a 41-34 victory. That came two weeks after UGA escaped Kentucky with a 13-12 victory.
The Tigers are coming off consecutive losses to Arkansas and Oklahoma and now must play three straight SEC road games as pressure mounts on coach Hugh Freeze during his second season.
Georgia vs. Auburn: Need to know
Auburn's turnover problems: Auburn is tied for last in the FBS in turnover margin at minus-11. The Tigers have coughed up the football 15 times, nine of those coming by interception. It appeared they were making strides on that front in last week's showdown with Oklahoma until late in the fourth quarter. But with just over four minutes remaining and the Tigers leading 24-21, Payton Thorne threw an interception that Oklahoma's Kip Lewis returned for a touchdown. It was the difference in a 27-21 loss for the Tigers, who now face an uphill battle to bowl eligibility. Until then, it had been a breakthrough performance for Auburn's offense, which went the game's first 56 minutes without a turnover as Thorne threw three touchdowns.
Georgia also has issues: Georgia had its own issues with turnovers in its loss at Alabama last week as star quarterback Carson Beck threw three interceptions and coughed up a costly fumble. It was an uncharacteristically shaky performance for Beck, who had previously never thrown more than one pick in a game. While Beck deserves some of the flack, his gaffes were also the byproduct of Georgia's other problems. Facing a significant early deficit because of their defense's inability to slow down Alabama, the Bulldogs largely abandoned the traditional run game and were forced to air it out. A better defensive effort would have allowed Georgia to take a more balanced approach. But even in less-adverse circumstances, the Bulldogs struggled offensively against Kentucky. It may not take an A-plus offensive effort to beat Auburn, but Georgia needs to find an offensive flow soon with games against Texas, No. 12 Ole Miss and No. 4 Tennessee still to come.
Freeze's fiasco: Freeze is just 8-10 as he nears the midway point of his second season at Auburn. He was close against Georgia last season, and the Tigers also played tight games against top-15 foes Ole Miss and Alabama in 2023. But wins over Cal, Arkansas and Mississippi State from last season qualify as his marquee victories to date. While Auburn signed a top-10 recruiting class in the 2024 cycle and has the nation's No. 4 class committed for 2025, per 247Sports, there is little evidence that the Tigers are actually improving on the field. Freeze's predecessor, Bryan Harsin, was fired during his second season with a 9-12 record. With road games against Georgia, Missouri and Kentucky in October, there's a chance Freeze's record will be the same or worse through 21 games.
How to watch Georgia vs. Auburn live
Date: Saturday, October 5 | Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Location: Sanford Stadium -- Athens, Georgia
TV: ABC | Live stream: fubo (Try for free)
Georgia vs. Auburn prediction, picks
Auburn is coming off consecutive home losses against mid-tier SEC teams and now must hit the road with a 2-3 record to play against an angry Georgia squad. The Bulldogs rallied from a 30-7 deficit at Alabama last week, only to lose in heartbreaking fashion. At home for just the second time this season and pitted against a historic rival, look for Georgia to open up with the same intensity it displayed in the second half against the Crimson Tide and cover this sizable spread. Pick: Georgia -24.5
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