The 131st playing of the Deep South's Oldest Rivalry is scheduled for Saturday when the Auburn Tigers face the Georgia Bulldogs in Sanford Stadium.
The rivalry which began in 1892 when Auburn defeated Georgia, 10-0, in Atlanta, has been dominated by Georgia in recent years. Since losing to Auburn as the No. 1 team in the nation on Nov. 11, 2017, Georgia has won its last nine games over the Tigers, and looks to extend the streak to 10 games for the first time in series history.
Auburn will have its hands full on Saturday with the No. 1 Bulldogs. Not only will they face a College Football Playoff contender, but it will do so without a key defensive peice, Xavier Atkins. Auburn head coach Alex Golesh shared this week that Atkins has been suspended for Week 7's game at Georgia, and that Atkins' status will be evaluated again next week.
Atkins' absence is just one of several ways Auburn could be in for a long Saturday in Athens. Here are five reasons why Auburn could struggle with Georgia on Saturday.
Georgia has been impossible to slow down this season
The Georgia Bulldogs have passed every test this season, most recently defeating No. 7 Alabama in Tuscaloosa by three points. They embarrassed Western Kentucky in Week 2, scoring 49 points in the first half and 70 points total. The Bulldogs also embarrassed Arkansas by doing defensive lineman drills during a timeout because the Razorbacks "were not being physical enough" in their Week 3 game against Georgia.
Auburn will need to find a weakness in Georgia and continually exploit it in order to have a chance to win on Saturday.
Georgia scores at a higher rate than Auburn
Georgia is the top team in the country, and their positions in major statistical categories reflect it. The Bulldogs lead all SEC teams in points scored per game (46.2) and points allowed (14.0), compared to Auburn's 26.8 points scored per game (No. 13 in the SEC) and 21.4 points allowed per game (No. 9 in the SEC)
Auburn needs find ways to score on Saturday to keep up with the Bulldogs.
Byrum Brown may struggle to pass against Georgia's defense
One of Georgia's defensive weaknesses, if you can call it that, is passing. The Bulldogs allow 186 passing yards per game, ranking No. 6 in the conference in that category. However, Auburn's offensive line could struggle to keep Georgia from getting to Brown. Georgia has recorded 17 sacks this season, while Auburn has allowed an SEC-leading 18.
Georgia has also recorded just four interceptions this season, but Brown, who ranks second in interceptions among SEC quarterbacks, must also keep an eye on Bulldog defensive backs.
Georgia's balanced attack will wear Auburn down
Georgia's offense is balanced by producing 211.8 rushing yards and 263 passing yards per game, which will provide Auburn with several challenges throughout the game. Auburn will need to find ways to slow down Georgia in many ways in order to escape Athens on Saturday.
Georgia has dominated Auburn in recent memory
The Deep South's Oldest Rivalry was much closer in 2017, the last year Auburn defeated the Bulldogs. Auburn topped the No. 1 Bulldogs, 40-17, to close Georgia's series lead to 58-56-8. However, Georgia has won nine-straight games and has widened their lead to a 10-game advantage over Auburn.
Will Auburn erase the current streak on Saturday?
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 reasons why Auburn could struggle with Georgia on Saturday