ATHENS — Seven days after an immensely electrifying game, Georgia played in a contest of markedly lower wattage Saturday afternoon at Sanford Stadium.
The No. 5 Bulldogs took the lead on their first possession and kept it for the remainder of the game against Auburn. Coach Kirby Smart’s team slowly squeezed the life out of Auburn, the game’s drama ebbing like the tide. (Not that Tide.)
On a day when summoning energy and will was decidedly more difficult than it had been a week ago, the Bulldogs had enough in a 31-13 victory over the Tigers.
“It’s hard every week, and I’ve got a feeling that it’s not going to stop,” Smart said. “It’s a consistency in performance. And when you ride the wave of emotion, you get caught on the bottom of the wave sometimes. And we’re just trying to do this (Smart made a hand motion of a slight incline) – just trying to keep getting better and keep getting better.”
Entertaining?
Not terribly.
Convincing?
Yes.
Enough to satisfy Smart?
Do you even have to ask?
The goings on of a certain game that unfolded concurrently in Nashville, Tennessee, provided Smart with all the ammunition he would need to tamp down any expectations for his team beyond accumulating one more point than Auburn.
As Georgia was methodically dismantling the Tigers in the second half, Vanderbilt was in the process of stunning No. 1 Alabama, scoring its first-ever win over a top-ranked team. A week after lighting up the Bulldogs in their historic clash, the Crimson Tide were themselves dropped down several pegs. Smart did not express surprise at Vanderbilt breaking its 23-game losing streak in games against Alabama.
“Humility is a week away in our league at all times,” he said.
The Bulldogs still have kinks to address. While they did score on their first possession for the first time this season against an FBS opponent (a 2-yard touchdown run by running back Trevor Etienne to finish a 75-yard drive), it was their only score in the first 29 minutes. Continuing a season-long pattern, Georgia didn’t elicit a turnover out of a team that has given the ball away like Halloween candy.
But the Bulldogs were back to what they do best – securing wins. After losing its first regular-season game since 2020 the previous Saturday, the spellbinding 41-34 defeat to Alabama, Georgia was not going to let Auburn win this game.
With Georgia’s physical and emotional reserves depleted, that was enough for its coach. After Saturday, the Bulldogs are 4-1 and one step closer to a spot in the College Football Playoff.
The offense could have made its day easier by hitting a few more big plays. Smart mentioned some issues with the pursuit of the ball on defense. But the result was satisfactory. And Auburn probably is better than its record (2-4) would indicate. One algorithm (SP+) had the Tigers 20th before Saturday’s games. (If you’re wondering, SP does not stand for Sankey Power.)
When Georgia faced crucial moments, it rose to meet them.
When Auburn had two possessions in the second quarter to take the lead with the score 7-3 in Georgia’s favor, the Bulldogs forced punts, the latter leading to a touchdown drive in the final 62 seconds of the half for a 14-3 lead.
When the Tigers had their biggest moment of the game – a 38-yard touchdown run by running back Jarquez Hunter that closed Georgia’s lead to 14-10 with 9:45 left in the third quarter – Georgia answered with a 12-play, 75-yard touchdown drive that increased the lead to two possessions, at 21-10.
Smart called it a huge moment in the game, particularly given that the Bulldogs had wanted to take advantage of having the ball first to start the second half but then went three-and-out. When Auburn scored to close to 14-10, it felt like the Bulldogs might be in for a four-quarter fight.
“I thought our offense responded,” Smart said. “That was closer to the offense that we had last year where it was like, when we get punched on defense, they respond. They had more third-down conversions, they had throws and catches and they were more efficient in the run game. And could have been more efficient in the run game. But that was what we needed.”
On that drive, the Bulldogs converted a fourth-and-1 (a Carson Beck quarterback sneak), a third-and-6 (a 27-yard shot from Beck to receiver Colbie Young) and a third-and-goal from the 1 (a run by Etienne for the score).
“That’s huge for us,” Beck said. “They go down, bring it back within one possession, we’ve got to respond. Let’s have a response drive. Run the ball, pass the ball, however we were able to attack them. Just very methodical.”
Beck finished the game 23-for-29 passing for 240 yards and two touchdowns and no interceptions. He completed passes to nine different targets. Etienne had 16 carries for 88 yards and two touchdowns.
On defense, the Bulldogs withstood the absence of linebacker Smael Mondon. In his place, Raylen Wilson had five tackles, including the tackle for loss of Auburn quarterback Payton Thorne on a fourth-and-1 play on the first play of the fourth quarter when Georgia led 21-10.
Auburn continued its season of ineptitude, losing its third in a row under paragon of virtue Hugh Freeze.
“We are not playing good football,” Freeze said.
Smart was amply satisfied with the day, enough that he used his bully pulpit to chastise the many Georgia fans who began checking out of Sanford well before the start of the fourth quarter.
“We’re not going to win all of our games all the time,” Smart said. “That’s not going to happen. I want our fan base to appreciate what we have and give their all and be unbelievable with crowd noise and make energy at home games. We need it to be tough on other teams to play here. But it’s not. It’s not the same as it’s been in the past. It’s got to be energetic.”
Georgia may at some point lose back-to-back regular-season games. The last time was in 2016, Smart’s first season coaching the Bulldogs. But it wasn’t going to happen Saturday.
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