The Georgia Bulldogs have experienced few embarrassing situations this football season on their way to the Southeastern Conference championship and a berth in Monday’s Rose Bowl national semifinal against Oklahoma.
Andrew Thomas endured such a moment.
Late in the first quarter of Georgia’s game at Auburn on Nov. 11, the freshman right tackle was beaten off the edge by Tigers defensive end Jeff Holland, who had a 10-yard sack of Jake Fromm on third-and-9. The Bulldogs had a 7-3 lead at the time, but Holland’s sack helped ignite Auburn, which went on to whip Georgia 40-17.
“Obviously you don’t want to get beat, but our coaches tell us to move on to the next play,” Thomas said. “Dwelling on that play wasn’t going to help us. I just wanted to make sure that if there was a next time, he wouldn’t make any plays.”
Thomas wasn’t alone in terms of struggling against Holland, an All-SEC selection who has nine sacks and four forced fumbles this season, and he wasn’t alone in struggling that afternoon inside Jordan-Hare Stadium. Georgia rushed 32 times for 46 yards, failing to amass 50 rushing yards in the Deep South’s oldest rivalry for the first time in more than 50 years.