Defense shines as Georgia jolts No. 9 Auburn
The Sports Xchange
Nov 12, 2016
ATHENS, Ga. -- It's been an inconsistent and sometimes frustrating year for first-year head coach Kirby Smart and Georgia.
By Bulldog standards, not a lot has gone right. But at least for one night, whatever issues the team has had were forgotten Saturday night as Georgia knocked off ninth-ranked Auburn 13-7.
The Tigers (7-3, 5-2 SEC), who came in as a double-digit favorite, lost for the first time in six games and saw their hopes for an SEC West title come to an end. That distinction now goes to Alabama as Auburn's loss to the Bulldogs assured the Crimson Tide of winning the West for yet another year.
Georgia (6-4, 4-4), which has games remaining against Louisiana and Georgia Tech, held the Tigers to six three-and-outs and no first downs in the second half.
Leading 7-0 at the half, Auburn took the ball to start the third, but instead of sticking to the ground -- the Tigers' bread and butter -- quarterback Sean White went to the air.
That turned out to be a big mistake as defensive back Maurice Smith stepped in front of a third-down throw for the interception and returned it 34 yards for the game-tying score.
Auburn's offense, meanwhile, hit the virtual wall.
The Tigers' four possessions of the third quarter resulted in a mere 19 yards until the Bulldogs were finally able to put together a 50-yard drive that resulted in a 45-yard field goal by Rodrigo Blankenship to put Georgia up 10-7 with 13:44 left to play.
Another field goal by Blankenship -- a 21-yarder with 2:25 to play -- extended the lead to 13-7, putting the game once again in the hands of the Georgia defense to seal the win.
The Bulldogs did just that, allowing just eight yards before White's fourth-down pass fell incomplete. Auburn came in leading the SEC with 299 yards rushing but managed just 164 total yards against Georgia, 127 on the ground.
Georgia, meanwhile, put up 343 yards of offense with running back Nick Chubb leading the way with 23 carries for 101 yards. Bulldogs quarterback Jacob Eason completed 20 of 31 passes for 208 yards.
A 3-yard run by Kerryon Johnson in the first quarter accounted for Auburn's only score.
NOTES: Auburn played the game without SEC leading rusher Kamryn Pettway who injured his leg last week against Vanderbilt. Pettway, who came in with 1,106 yards, traveled to Athens but did not dress. ... Former Pittsburgh Steelers star and Super Bowl MVP Hines Ward was honored on the field during the game with Chicago Cubs pitcher Justin Grimm taking part in the Georgia pregame tradition by "Calling out the Dawgs." ... Blankenship's miss from 49 yards out with 10:21 to play snapped a string of 10 straight for the redshirt freshman.
Nov 12, 2016
ATHENS, Ga. -- It's been an inconsistent and sometimes frustrating year for first-year head coach Kirby Smart and Georgia.
By Bulldog standards, not a lot has gone right. But at least for one night, whatever issues the team has had were forgotten Saturday night as Georgia knocked off ninth-ranked Auburn 13-7.
The Tigers (7-3, 5-2 SEC), who came in as a double-digit favorite, lost for the first time in six games and saw their hopes for an SEC West title come to an end. That distinction now goes to Alabama as Auburn's loss to the Bulldogs assured the Crimson Tide of winning the West for yet another year.
Georgia (6-4, 4-4), which has games remaining against Louisiana and Georgia Tech, held the Tigers to six three-and-outs and no first downs in the second half.
Leading 7-0 at the half, Auburn took the ball to start the third, but instead of sticking to the ground -- the Tigers' bread and butter -- quarterback Sean White went to the air.
That turned out to be a big mistake as defensive back Maurice Smith stepped in front of a third-down throw for the interception and returned it 34 yards for the game-tying score.
Auburn's offense, meanwhile, hit the virtual wall.
The Tigers' four possessions of the third quarter resulted in a mere 19 yards until the Bulldogs were finally able to put together a 50-yard drive that resulted in a 45-yard field goal by Rodrigo Blankenship to put Georgia up 10-7 with 13:44 left to play.
Another field goal by Blankenship -- a 21-yarder with 2:25 to play -- extended the lead to 13-7, putting the game once again in the hands of the Georgia defense to seal the win.
The Bulldogs did just that, allowing just eight yards before White's fourth-down pass fell incomplete. Auburn came in leading the SEC with 299 yards rushing but managed just 164 total yards against Georgia, 127 on the ground.
Georgia, meanwhile, put up 343 yards of offense with running back Nick Chubb leading the way with 23 carries for 101 yards. Bulldogs quarterback Jacob Eason completed 20 of 31 passes for 208 yards.
A 3-yard run by Kerryon Johnson in the first quarter accounted for Auburn's only score.
NOTES: Auburn played the game without SEC leading rusher Kamryn Pettway who injured his leg last week against Vanderbilt. Pettway, who came in with 1,106 yards, traveled to Athens but did not dress. ... Former Pittsburgh Steelers star and Super Bowl MVP Hines Ward was honored on the field during the game with Chicago Cubs pitcher Justin Grimm taking part in the Georgia pregame tradition by "Calling out the Dawgs." ... Blankenship's miss from 49 yards out with 10:21 to play snapped a string of 10 straight for the redshirt freshman.
