For the 113th time, Georgia and Auburn will play football on Saturday. “The Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry” has had many memorable games and moments and has featured many vital contests that decided championships. This year’s version will not be one of the more anticipated in history, although Auburn is ranked No. 25 (according to the coaches poll – the Tigers are not ranked in the BCS) coming into the game.
AUBURN RUNDOWN …
The Tigers roared to a 5-0 start to begin the 2009 season, but have since cooled a bit. A 44-23 loss at Arkansas preceded a shocking home loss to Kentucky and a 31-10 blowout defeat at LSU.
During the Tigers’ 5-0 start, Auburn won at Tennessee and defeated both West Virginia and Mississippi State at home. It was a surprising start for a squad that was picked by many to place fifth in the SEC West.
However, the three-game losing streak brought the Tigers back down to earth and the doubters returned. But Auburn has rebounded by winning its last two against Ole Miss and Furman in impressive fashion to arrive at its current record of 7-3.
Auburn will rely heavily on its prolific offense, which is currently second-best in the SEC. The Tigers run the ball very well, as evidenced by their 230 yards-per-game average. Running back Ben Tate is third in the conference with 114.2 rushing yards per game, while true freshman Onterio McCalebb has run for four touchdowns and averages 58 yards per game.
Quarterback Chris Todd has been efficient if not spectacular in running offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn’s no-huddle spread offense. The senior from Elizabethtown, Kent., has thrown 17 touchdowns against just three interceptions on the year.
Todd’s favorite target is Darvin Adams from Harrison High School in Kennesaw. Adams has caught 38 passes for 627 yards and a remarkable nine touchdowns.
The Auburn defense has not enjoyed the same success as the offense has this season. Despite head coach Gene Chizik’s experience on the defensive side of the ball, his unit has stumbled to a last-place ranking in the conference in scoring defense. Chizik’s defenders have given up an average of 26.6 points per game.
However, defensive end Antonio Coleman leads the conference in tackles for loss and is second in sacks with 6.5. Defensive back Walter McFadden is tied for the SEC lead with four interceptions on the year.
GAME PLAN …
Georgia’s best chance to win this game will be to stay away from the turnover issues that have plagued the offense all year. The Bulldogs will also try to contain Auburn in the red zone.
If the turnover ratio is even for the game, the Bulldogs have a good chance of winning this one. However, UGA has lost the turnover battle in three of its four losses. The only exception was the LSU game when each team had an interception. The Dawgs have a minus-16 turnover ratio for the year, which is dead last in the conference by a long shot. Ole Miss is 11th with a minus-7 rate.
Auburn has scored touchdowns in 24 of its 33 trips to the red zone and have kicked field goals in seven of the 33 opportunities. The Tigers’ 93.9 percent rate of scoring in the red zone is good enough for fourth in the conference. Georgia’s red zone defense needs to slow the Tiger attack and force field goals. Auburn will move the ball. The question is, can the Dawgs’ much-maligned defense contain them or will they continue to give up gobs of points to opposing offenses?
Black can be reached at sblack@scoreatl.com.
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