AUBURN, Ala. – Auburn would fare much better against Georgia if their football games were decided by the first team to score.
The homestanding Tigers embarked on an 11-play, 75-yard touchdown drive to open Saturday’s contest inside Jordan-Hare Stadium, but that would be the last time they would cross the goal line. Georgia held Auburn to 90 yards in the second half and defeated the Tigers 20-13 to improve to 7-3 overall while closing out its Southeastern Conference schedule at 5-3.
“They get you on your heels during that first drive, because it’s hard to practice that pace,” Georgia inside linebacker Jake Ganus said after tallying a team-high 11 tackles. “They tempo you and Coach (Gus) Malzahn is over there waving his arm, but we were able to make some adjustments and stopped them after that.”
Auburn scored first last year in Athens to take a 7-0 lead, but it was all Georgia from there as the Bulldogs cruised 34-7.
By winning last year and again Saturday, the Bulldogs have taken a 56-55-8 lead in the Deep South’s oldest rivalry. It’s the first time Georgia has led the series since 1986.