ATHENS — The Georgia Bulldogs are in rare territory this week under coach Kirby Smart. They’re having to play a game coming off a loss.
That hasn’t happened in almsot past four years, especially during the regular season. In fact, the last time the Bulldogs had to deal with it was in October during the COVID-19 season of 2020.
Under Smart, the Bulldogs are 13-3 after a loss and haven’t lost back-to-back, regular-season games since the head coach’s first season in 2016. It helps that Georgia had won 42 consecutive regular-season games before Saturday, when it suffered a 41-34 loss to – who else? – Alabama.
This Saturday, the Bulldogs (3-1, 1-1 SEC) will look to rebound against Auburn (2-3, 0-2) in the SEC home opener at Sanford Stadium (3:45 p.m., ABC). Georgia has won seven in a row in the series.
So how will the Bulldogs respond to their first regular-season loss since 2020?
“I tell you, you worry about that,” Smart said Thursday night on his radio show. “It’s always a concern. You’ve got to move on quick. It was a late finish; we didn’t get up until 3:30 in the morning, had to wake up Sunday, wash it away and start fresh Monday.”
The Bulldogs were greeted with unseasonably warm temperatures at Woodruff Practice Fields and conducted one of their more physical practices of the season Tuesday, known within the program as “Bloody Tuesday.”
After four days of hard work, Smart felt like Georgia had put Bama behind them.
“We’re really ready to play again,” Smart said. “(The players) want to get that bad taste out of their mouth and go play again. This sport’s not like baseball or basketball where you get hundreds of games. You only get so many, so you have to cherish and make the most of each opportunity. And our guys want to go out and play better.”
Here’s what you need to know:
- When: Saturday, 3:45 p.m. kickoff.
- What: Georgia’s SEC home opener also is Homecoming day.
- Where: Sanford Stadium, Athens (cap. 93,033)
- Rankings & record: No. 5 Georgia (3-1, 1-1 SEC); Auburn (2-3, 0-2)
- TV/Radio: ABC/Georgia Bulldogs Sports Network
- Weather: Partly cloudy, 82 degrees at kickoff. 5% chance of rain around noon.
- Series: Georgia leads 64-56-8 and has won seven games in a row in series.
- Last meeting: Georgia came from behind for a 27-20 win Sept. 30, 2023, at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
- Tickets: The game is a sellout, but tickets were being sold on the secondary market for an average price of $412 this week, according to vividseats.com. However, weather/travel concerns were expected to create a buyers’ market over the final 24 hours.
Top storylines ahead of Auburn at Georgia
Missing Mondon: The biggest development this week was Georgia senior linebacker Smael Mondon suddenly turning up as “out” on the SEC’s Availability Report on Wednesday night. Smart has not been available to expound on the situation, but there’s reason to believe that the 6-foot-3, 235-pound inside linebacker aggravated a foot injury in practice Tuesday. Mondon missed spring practice while recovering from offseason surgery for a foot fracture. He went into the week in seemingly good shape. He addressed consecutive at UGA’s Media Day on Monday.
Mondon started his fourth consecutive game at the “Money” linebacker position against Alabama, which was the 28th start of his career. He ranks fifth on the team with 17 tackles. This season, Mondon has shared snaps with sophomore Raylen Wilson (15 tackles, 1.5 sacks).
Mondon’s loss is particularly untimely with Auburn coming to town. Under coach Hugh Freeze, the Tigers utilize a lot of motion and run-pass option to confuse defenses. Mondon led the Bulldogs with 11 tackles, a sack and two tackles for loss in their 27-20 win over the Tigers last year on The Plains.
As of Friday afternoon, Georgia had only two other players listed as “out” on the SEC’s Availability Report, neither of whom was a surprised. Running back Roderick Robinson (knee) has been sidelined all season, and the Bulldogs lost offensive guard Tate Ratledge in Game 3 against Kentucky to an ankle injury, which since has been repaired through TightRope surgery. Defensive lineman Jordan Hall (lower legs), who has not played all season, was upgraded to probable.
Auburn will be without defensive backs Tyler Scott and Champ Anthony and tight end Brandon Frazier.
Where’s the run game? With fifth-year senior Carson Beck at the controls, it probably should have been evident that Georgia’s offense would rely mostly on the forward pass to advance the football. But four games in, it’s also clear that the Bulldogs need to do much more on the ground.
Georgia enters Saturday’s game with a paltry rushing average of 129.3 yards a game. That ranks 102nd in the country and is well behind last year’s pace (191.2 ypg), not to mention the Bulldogs’ tradition running the football. And while Auburn is not among some of the run-stuffing defenses Georgia has faced in Alabama last week (80 yards) and Kentucky in Game 3 (102), playing the run is the one thing the Tigers do well. They are allowing 121.0 yards rushing, which ranks 48th nationally.
“Playing offensive line at Georgia, we take pride in running the ball,” offensive lineman Earnest Greene said. “That’s what we like to do. So, we just need to continue to be on the same page and be dedicated to running the football.”
Against Alabama, the Bulldogs largely had to abandon the run game after falling behind 28-0 in the game’s first 17 minutes. Georgia’s best performance to date was the 169 yards rushing generated in the opener against Clemson.
Georgia has not had a 100-yard back this season. Trevor Etienne rushed for 79 yards on 19 carries against Kentucky and leads the Bulldogs with 212 yards this season.
Hunting Hunter: The Bulldogs must figure out a way to slow Auburn running back Jarquez Hunter. Smart believes the 5-foot-10, 209-pound senior to be the SEC’s best back. A second-team All-SEC honoree last season, Hunter comes to Athens with 2,609 career rushing yards, 11th in Auburn annals. He currently ranks sixth in the SEC in rushing average (87.4 ypg).
“I don’t know if it’s the (No.) 27 thing, but the dude reminds me so much of Nick Chubb,” Smart said. “I mean, he’s a straight-line runner, and he’s so physical. People just bounce off of him. It goes back to all those squat records. … He’s just super physical, downhill. Like, he makes you not want to tackle him. He embarrassed us here two years ago here, and then he had a really good game against us there. So, we think he’s one of the best backs in the country.”
Rush defense is another area in which the Bulldogs are down significantly compared with previous years. After allowing fewer than 100 yards per game on average for three seasons, Georgia is 58th nationally this season against the run, giving up 126.3 ypg.
Turnover quandary: Auburn has one of the better passing-yards-per-play averages in the nation. At 16.68 yards, that leads the SEC and ranks No. 2 in FBS. They’re outpacing the Bulldogs’ offense by more than 35 yards per game with an average of 466.7 yards.
The only bad number the Tigers have on offense is turnovers. They’ve committed 15, including 11 interceptions, which is highest in the country. What worries Smart is what might happen if they quit coughing up the football.
“People think that you’re just coach-speaking when you talk about Auburn,” Smart said. “These guys are not getting stopped; they’re turning the ball over. Look at the stats; don’t look at the points. Look at them go up and down the field. They’ve stopped themselves a lot of times.”
Not turning the ball was a team strength for Georgia before last week. The Bulldogs went to Tuscaloosa having not committed a turnover all season. However, that trend ended in Bryant-Denny Stadium. UGA committed four on three Beck interceptions and a fumble.
Meanwhile, the Bulldogs have another issue in they are not creating takeaways. They have recorded only two fumble recoveries and two interceptions in four games.
Asked what they could do to produce more, Smart just laughed. “I wish I knew how to, like, sprinkle some dust and get them,” he cracked. “If I could figure that out, man, I would be able to retire real soon because I could go around and just, like, give it to everybody.”
UGA Homecoming: Saturday is Homecoming Day at UGA, which is a rarity when Auburn is the opponent. The new SEC schedule has moved the old rivals from their traditional late-November dates to an early-October date. The Bulldogs have hosted the Tigers for Homecoming only three times over 132 years. Georgia is 2-1 in those games.
However, Saturday will be only the 36th time these teams have met in Athens. Georgia-Auburn was played in Columbus for 40 seasons. They’ve also met in Atlanta 12 times, including the first 10 years, Macon four times, Savannah two times and Montgomery, Alabama, twice.
Homecoming is, of course, a weeklong affair and the UGA has been hosting events since Monday night. Friday night featured the annual Homecoming parade in downtown Athens, highlighted by the members of the 2024 court. Vying for the queen’s crown are Frances Brantley of Ringgold, Courtney Combs of Atlanta, Maggie Epps of Kennesaw, Shubby Khanna of Johns Creek and Gina Mainer-Smith of Bremen. Vying for king are Stephen Amolegbe of Kennesaw, Dawson Jordan of Toccoa, Sean Manning of Hahira, Tio Olatunji of Buford and Josh Sandler of Cornwall, New York.
Last year’s homecoming game was played Nov. 4 against Missouri. Georgia won 30-21 to improve to 81-18-2 in Homecoming games.
They said it: “We don’t make our routine based on outcomes, so whatever number of wins we’ve had prior to this one, we’re going to do the same thing we always do,” Smart said earlier this week. “I really believe in that process. I believe in telling the truth about the opponent, telling the truth about the strengths and weaknesses of who you’re about to play, and then you coach every week the same.”
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