The Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry will be played for the 130th time this week when Auburn and Georgia meet Saturday night in Alabama.
The Tigers (3-2, 0-2) have had an up-and-down season under head coach Hugh Freeze. They’ve lost two straight to ranked teams in close games but hope to rebound this week against the No. 10 Bulldogs (4-1, 2-1).
Georgia head coach Kirby Smart expects Auburn to play “tough,” especially on the offensive side of the ball.
“They have the skill [players], and they’ve got a lot of them, and they’ve got a lot of speed out there with those guys,” Smart said on Monday. “That includes their backs. Their backs as receivers are fast, athletic guys.”
The key matchup in the game will be Georgia’s defense trying to contain Auburn quarterback Jackson Arnold. The Bulldogs have struggled against opposing quarterbacks this year, and he could cause problems for them.
Arnold hasn’t been perfect this season, but he’s completed 65 percent of his passes for 846 yards, five touchdowns, and zero interceptions. He’s also rushed for 192 yards and five scores through five games this year.
Arnold has the option to remain in the pocket and pick apart defenses with his arm or use his mobility to escape defenders.
“Probably the toughest thing to defend is when he drops back and ends up taking off running,” Smart said of Arnold. “He’s a weapon, and they’ve got weapons around him in terms of the ability to throw the ball downfield.”
Auburn’s best playmakers are wide receivers Eric Singleton Jr. and Cam Coleman. They’ve combined for 44 receptions, 515 yards, and four touchdowns. Horatio Fields and Malcolm Simmons also present deep threats.
Two more weapons at Arnold’s disposal are running backs Jeremiah Cobb and Damari Alston, who can gain yards on the ground and catch passes out of the backfield.
Georgia needs to generate a pass rush to be successful against Auburn. However, the Bulldogs have totaled only seven sacks in five games, currently ranking 13th of 16 teams in the SEC.
If Georgia can’t effectively pressure Arnold up front, it could be a long day for the secondary.
The Bulldogs have struggled, allowing an average 231 passing yards per game and ranking No. 77 nationally in team passing efficiency defense. The Tigers, meanwhile, are averaging just 173 passing yards a game.
Smart wants his defensive backs to continue playing physical and keep the pass catchers they cover in check.
“Getting hands on people helps you cover them. Just don’t hold them, right? I mean, we had two or three holdings the other day, late in the game, that hurt us in tempo in terms of getting off the field,” Smart said.
“But if you want to cover somebody, you’ve got to put your hands on them. You’ve got to affect the timing of a route. If you’re going to be up on somebody, there’s not a lot of purpose in being there if you aren’t using your hands. And the advantage in college football over the NFL is that you can touch them past five yards. So, you have to try to use that advantage and knock people off their route as you cover them.”
Auburn will host Georgia at Jordan-Hare Stadium for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff on Saturday.