Auburn football has a tough test this Saturday at No. 1 Georgia and will need a flawless performance to escape Athens with a win.
Earlier this week, we examined five factors that could lead Auburn to struggle with the top-ranked Bulldogs. Today, we will look at the game from a more positive perspective.
Auburn will be refreshed for the game after taking last weekend off, and with it comes the hope of a game plan change and correcting mistakes that have cost them two wins in SEC play. A win at Georgia would be special for the Tigers, as it would erase a nine-game losing streak in the Deep South's Oldest Rivalry and would be Auburn's first win in Sanford Stadium since 2005.
It will be challenging for Auburn to pull off the win, but it will not be impossible. Here are five factors that, if done well, will lead Auburn to victory over Georgia on Saturday.
Auburn needs to hinder Georgia's run game
According to the initial SEC Student-Athlete Availability Report released Wednesday, Georgia running back Chauncey Bowens, who leads the team with six rushing touchdowns, will not be available to play. Nate Frazier has missed the last four games with a rib injury, but he is not listed on the latest availability report despite missing last week's game at No. 7 Alabama. It will be interesting to see if Frazier plays on Saturday and, if he does play, how well he performs after missing a few games.
If Georgia's run game is off and Auburn can exploit it, it could help the Tigers pull off the upset.
Auburn's passing game must be top-notch
Georgia has very few weaknesses on defense, but if there is one, it's stopping the pass. Georgia allows 186.3 passing yards per game and has logged just four interceptions.
Auburn quarterback Byrum Brown has a pair of targets at wide receiver he relies on in Chas Nimrod and Keshaun Singleton, but he must make smart throws and avoid interceptions. If Brown has a solid passing day, it could lead to points and a potential win.
Auburn's defensive backs must pick on Gunner Stockton
Auburn's defensive backs have been the team's biggest weakness at times, but they can become one of their greatest strengths on Saturday with heads-up play. Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton climbed into the top 10 of the SEC's passing rankings when he passed for 249 yards against Alabama, increasing his total to 1,298 yards. He is also an efficient passer, completing 76.6% of his passes with just two interceptions.
Auburn's defensive backs will be challenged, but if they play at the top of their game and force Stockton to throw an interception or two, it will help their case.
Will a new hero step in at linebacker for Auburn?
The biggest headline of the weekend for the Auburn Tigers is Xavier Atkins' suspension. There is no doubt the Tigers will miss Atkins' tenacious style, which has led him to log three sacks and 37 tackles in five games. He will miss Saturday's game, and another player will need to take Atkins' workload. Bryce Deas and Demarcus Riddick are two names to watch at the position and could play the hero role with a great game.
Auburn is too tired of losing to Georgia
Today's college football rosters do not have the number of 3- and 4-year veterans as they did 10 years ago. Still, college athletes have the drive to compete, and the goal of any athlete is to end their team's lengthy losing streak to an archrival. Auburn needs to turn up the intensity on Saturday and play at its highest level of the season to end the nine-game losing streak to the Bulldogs and to grab its first win in Athens since 2005.
Taylor Jones is the lead writer for Auburn Wire, part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) and BlueSky. Follow Auburn Wire on X and Facebook.
This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: Five things Auburn needs to do to beat Georgia on Saturday