The Deep South's Oldest Rivalry: as all-American as apple pie.
(UGA-Auburn Program, 1944).
Today, February 20th, is the 120th anniversary of the first game in the Deep South's Oldest Rivalry, UGA's second game in program history. The game, played in Piedmont Park in Atlanta, was the capstone to the 1892 Georgia football season, a season which was the first year of organized football being played south of Raleigh, NC.
Auburn fans uniquely identify with the first game in the Rivalry as being the origin of "War Eagle," with an eagle purportedly brought home by a wounded Civil War veteran from the Battle of the Wilderness rallying the crowd and students from Auburn to a 10-0 victory over Georgia, where at the end of the game the eagle crashed and died on the field.
The game has also served as a rallying cry for Georgians. The inaugural game attracted 150 students from the nearby Georgia School of Technology to dress up in red and black and cheer for Georgia, and the second game, a 10-8 Georgia victory in November 1894, caused quite the celebration once the team & fans arrived back in Athens:
"The Varsity special left at 7 o'clock and the people of Athens awaited the arrival of the party at the Athens depot with a brass band and plenty of enthusiasm. Merchants opened their stores and told the boys to help themselves to boxes. Soon a large bonfire lighted up the campus, the college rang out on the night air and the college yell was heard on every hand. The night had far spent itself when the last echo of the bell was heard and the dying embers of the great bonfire was all that was left to remind the passer by that the great day was over. Georgia had triumphed!
Three years had she waited and now the defeat that had once befallen her by the hands of the Alabamians was blotted out." (The Red & Black, December 1, 1894).
Since 1898, the series has only been halted for 3 years, 1917-18 (when we were 'Over There' for WWI) and 1943 (WWII). The Georgia-Auburn rivalry is considered the oldest rivalry in the South, with UGA-Auburn's first game preceding the South's "Oldest" Rivalry (UVA-UNC) by 8 months. While UVA and NC have played 116 times through 2011 (to 115 for UGA-AU), the UVA-UNC series was notably not halted during World War 2.
Ours is a rivalry that is extraordinarily even, with Auburn holding the series lead 54-53-8 thru 115 games, yet Georgia leading by 76 points scored in the overall series, 1854-1778.
Yet all this history may be on the chopping block, along with Alabama's rivalry with Tennessee, for the sake of the greater good of the conference. Once you go down this path for the sake of Missouri, TA&M, and a more 'balanced' 8 game conference schedule, you destroy the fabric of a storied rivalry, trample upon a game that predates the Southeastern Conference itself by 40 years, and kill one of the biggest traditions in both program's storied histories.
That is the only way I can describe Georgia's 45-7 domination of the Auburn Tigers in Sanford Stadium on Saturday. Call it a blowout, call it payback, call it whatever you want. The Georgia Bulldogs stood up on Saturday night and let the entire country know that we are back and a force to be reckoned with. There were no real bad spots in this game except for a Drew Butler shank and two harmless fumbles by Crowell. Here are my observations on the game:
The offensive line absolutely gashed Auburn's defensive front. In the second half, Thomas and Crowell had holes so big they could have driven an F150 through them. Great game on the ground for the Dawgs and we even saw Ken Malcome get a few carries.
Mean, nasty, relentless. This is Todd Grantham's defense. Sign him to an extension, now.
Jarvis Jones has only gotten that much better since the return of Alec Ogletree. Jones may win the SEC defensive player of the year and both will be All-SEC and potential All-Americans next year.
John Jenkins has really started to play well. He has taken that starting spot away from Geathers and I don't expect him to let go. Motel 6 was every where on Saturday.
Aaron Murray is playing lights out right now. Whatever he has found between the Florida game and now, it has transformed him. The most impressive thing that Murray and Bobo did all night was take advantage of the back shoulder throw. Murray could not make that throw last season, but he sure can now.
The Georgia receiving corp is sick and the top 6 guys will all be back next season. As scary as the defense has become, the offense is quickly catching up.
When Bacarri Rambo took that pick 6 back, that was the loudest I have heard Sanford Stadium in years. The crowd was on fire and I loved it. And it also prompted this:
I was very proud to see Crowell come out and have a good second half. After the fumble in the first half, he came up limping after a ten yard carry. Thomas got a lot of carries after that, but then Crowell came back in. And looked every bit the 5 star player he is. I think his eyes are opened and he is ready become the star we need.
My last point is one that I am very proud to say I forsaw even if few people did. Back during the recruiting season, many people lamented the offering of a scholarship to Quitavious Harrow. I wrote this. The hit Harrow put on the Auburn kickoff return was impressive and it fired up a kick off team that had struggled over the last month. I could watch this play over and over again, all day long.
When Vegas set the line at 13 points, I thought they were out of their minds. But they must have known something the rest of us didn't. Georgia beat Auburn as soundly as we have beaten a rival since the 2002 Georgia Tech game. And now, the Dawgs are poised to earna spot in the SEC Championship for the first time since 2005. Kentucky comes to Athens on Saturday, and the Dawgs need to keep their focus on that game. Kentucky is not a good football team and hopefully the Dawgs close out the SEC schedule with a resounding victory. The Vegas line has been set at 29.5, but I think it will be safe to take the Dawgs this week.
Two months ago, we sat in Sanford Stadium as the clock reached :00 and watched the Dawgs fall to 0-2 on the season. After the deflating loss in the Dome to Boise State, the Dawgs had looked determine to turn things around, but too many mistakes led to another home loss. The media and fans were all over Coach Richt, and even I began to think this may be Coach Richt's final season in Athens. But then a funny thing happened - we woke up.
Call it easy schedule, call it luck, call it whatever you want. But the fact of the matter is that Georgia's magic number (to borrow a term from baseball) to clinch the SEC East is 2. The combination of Georgia victories tomorrow and next week or a victory in one of those games coupled with a South Carolina loss to Florida means the Dawgs head back to Atlanta for the SEC Championship for the first time since 2005. You may say you knew this would happen, but I wouldn't believe you.
The game on Saturday presents a interesting matchup for a Georgia team that has really found its groove the last few weeks. Since allowing 35 and 45 points in the first two games, Georgia has allowed more than 20 points only once. The defenses is in the top 10 in the country and has been especially strong against the run. Auburn will rely heavily on HB Michael Dyer and if Georgia shuts Dyer down, I can see a double digit win for the Dawgs. This game really comes down to a good Auburn offense against a strong Georgia defense. The winner of that battle wins the game.
While some people still think Aaron Murray is struggling, the sophomore quarterback is putting together what could be a record setting season. He leads the SEC in passing efficiency and has found a way to make some big plays despite not having his best stuff(see the Florida game). Having Crowell suspended last week may be a blessing in disguise. Hopefully the two bye weeks he had this month allowed that wrist to heal and hopeful he is ready to carry the ball more than 20 times.
Do I think this game will be one sided, as the 13.5 point spread suggests? Hell no. Have you watched the Georgia - Auburn games over the last 10 years? But, do I think this is a game where one team has a talent and experience advantage over the other? Yes. Auburn won a national championship last fall, but almost everyone of the critical pieces from that team moved on. This is a different Auburn team, one that almost lost to Utah State to open the season. Much like Georgia, their losses are all to highly ranked teams. But unlike Georgia, they now start a freshman quarterback who is starting for only the third time in his career.
Georgia should lead most of the game, but the Tigers will keep it close. The fourth quarter may see Georgia build a lead to around ten and then proceed to run clock like they did against Mississippi State.
Fairley and Scam may be gone and Auburn is just a middle of the road school, but never forget the cheap shots and lack of class they showed last fall. Auburn deserves no respect from me, at least this year. I watched the Iron Bowl documentary from ESPN last night, and I wanted to punch Fairley and Scam in the face. Auburn will keep their National Championship, but they didn't do it the right way. I am no Alabama fan, but watching them win the 2009 Championship was much more fun to watch than Auburn last year.
After this season, it may go back to a friendly rivalry with the boys from the Plains. But for this year, it's pay back time.
We all know the big implications of the looming game versus Auburn: Take care of business, and it'll be the first time since 1981 that we will have beaten UT, UF and AU all in one season (plus one more step toward an SEC Championship berth, our first since the Shockley-led Championship team of 2005). And that's not even mentioning the opportunity to get back to a 1-game difference in the Deep South's Oldest Rivalry.
In an attempt to ignore some of the revenge-buzz that will likely percolate after last year's blatant lack of sportsmanship, here's a quick flashback to an earlier Bulldawg generation's controversy, the 1986 "Between the Hoses" game at Jordan-Hare.
As the R&B article notes, Auburn itself, in an official statement, acknowledged turning the "spray into the stands on the north end of the field," with 400 UGA fans on the field and more trying to partake in the celebration.
The article notes 2 Redcoat Band members were injured by a thrown beer bottle and interviews a flag corps member who received stitches and a drill team member also cut by flying glass; it does not have further details on the extent of any other injuries suffered during the melee. 38 people were ultimately arrested.
The scary footnote to the article, though, happens to be that UGA at that time also had a similar policy for crowd control (quoting then-AA administrative assistant Greg McGarity). I can't imagine a modern Athletic Association ever executing such a policy again, even if it was still on the books, with the swift and immediate repercussions the school would deal with. Can you imagine ESPN's coverage in the 21st century over something like that?
The game itself carried such a strong reaction with the unranked 6-3 Bulldogs facing the No.8-ranked Tigers, 8-1 on the season, on the Plains. With starting QB James Jackson out with an ankle injury while also dealing with his grandmother’s death, backup Wayne Johnson got his first start of the season and led the Dogs to a major upset, 20-16.
Wayne Johnson came into the game 1 for 4 on the season with an INT, yet was able to manage the Dawgs down the field in the 2nd quarter to tie it up, with a TD pass to Troy Sadowski on a quick play action rollout. Johnson ultimately had little to show for it in the box score, going 6-7 with only 59 yards passing; the UGA running game saved the day, running all over the top-ranked defense in the SEC for 236 yards. The Dawg defense had a decent day, with LBs Steve Boswell and John Brantley sharing the AP's Southeastern Defensive Player of the Week award.
A late 4th quarter INT by Boswell ultimately iced the game for the Dawgs, 20-16, and then the chaos ensued.
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The 1986 game, with a mediocre UGA team winning over the then-#8 War Eagles, is pretty symptomatic of the Rivalry's swings; the team in a relative down year can and has knocked the stronger team off its pedestal (for a more modern example, look to the 2006 game and Tra Battle's 3 INTs on the rain-soaked Plains against the No. 5 Tigers).
Sporadic highlights from the 1986 game (sadly no 'hoses' footage).
Wow. I can honestly say I am shocked at the responses coming from Auburn fans since the game on Saturday night. During my time as a Georgia fan, I have NEVER had any type of hatred toward Auburn. As a matter of fact, I would almost venture to say that Auburn was my second favorite team in the SEC. The key word being WAS.
Not any more. I have lost respect for the Auburn football program but even more so its fans. Here are the reasons.
1. Georgia fans are mad at Nick Fairley for his reckless play on the field. Yes, we understand that there other personal fouls called in the game. Yes, there are dirty plays that take place on the line. But if anyone has a history of dirty chop blocks, its Auburn (any one remember Glenn Doresy?) This was an emotional game and I know there were plenty of cheap shots. But the hits by Fairley were blatant. Fairley has been known for these types of plays, this was not an isolated incident of a player being made for being chop blocked. The hit to Murray's back may have been the dirtiest play I have ever seen on a football field.
***UPDATE - At Least one Auburn fan agrees about the Fairley hit on Murray. This from "Track'em Tigers":
"Having said that, we also saw one of the dirtiest quarterback hits of the year out of our own Nick Fairley. It was not the play that injured Murray, though. It was the helmet hit in the back that negated a stop by the defense in the 3rd quarter. It was a brutal, dangerous, needless play. Either player could have been paralyzed on the play. I would not be surprised to see the NCAA adopt a "Nick Fairley" rule next year, and start handing out suspensions for big hits on "defenseless" players. I'd also look for the refs to be quick with the laundry in the Iron Bowl."
Also, the Auburn arguement that Fairley was blocked into Murray on the last hit is ridiculous. Here is the sequence of the hit:
A. As Murray releases the ball, Cordy Glenn pushes fairley to the right (in the picture) away from Aaron Murray:
B. Next, Glenn is behind Fairley still pushing his back away from Murray.
C. Fairley is now past Glenn and starts to dive toward Murray.
D. Fairley hits Murray, you can see his head on the other side of Ben Jones.
2. Trooper Taylor's reaction to the scuffle. Trooper Taylor runs after Fairley, but instead of grabbing him and pulling him to the side, lets him go on doing his little celebration. The refs were too busy dealing with other players, or this would have surely been an ejection. Remember, AJ Green got flagged for simly walking towards the crowd after a TD catch. Standing all alone 30 yards away from anyone else and doing the "belt sign" is pathetic.
3. Auburn fans booing Reuben Faloughi when he was injured. This was disgusting. I understand Auburn was running a hurry up offense and wanted to snap the ball fast, but booingFaloughi and saying he was faking the injury was ridiculous. Go back and watch the replay. Faloughi got hit on a block (a legal form of a chop block, mind you) at the ankles and fell to the ground. He tried to get up but after taking a few steps, he fell back to the ground. The trainers had to come out and help him off the field. This kid is a WALK-ON who has earned playing time and has a reputation as a hard worker. Faking injury does not fit the bill and clearly he was hurt. No one should ever boo a kid who is down on the field with an injury, regardless of the desire to run a hurry-up offense.
4. The hate and defensiveness coming from the Auburn fans since the game. Auburn fans, YOU WON THE GAME. You clinched the SEC West and your undefeated season is still in tact. Cam Newton played amazing and is clearly the best player in college football this season. There is tons to celebrate, yet almost everything I see is trying to spit hate at Georgia. Once again, most Georgia fans are not mad about the game. We lost on the field, there is not denying that. We are just upset of the actions of a team and fan base that is usually very classy. Your great season should be a celebration of your team, not a chance to try and ridicule the opponents that you beat along the way.
I hope Auburn is enjoying this situation. Just remember, you reap what you sow. If Cam Newton is indeed ineligible and this great season is wiped away from the record books, you will hear no sympathy from me. Good luck in Tuscaloosa in two weeks because I am sure Bama will be ready to fight dirty right back at you.
Folks, I'm back after a bye week, so let's recap where we stand after week 10 heading into the Deep South's Oldest Rivalry:
Bubba with 277 points and 18-8
Silver Britches with a respectable 260 and a 16-10 record
Fresh Catch Shuffle just 1 point behind and 17-9
AUMav's Picks with 255 points going 18-8
Dawgsman81 with 255 and 18-8 points but just missing on the tie breaker
Overall:
Silver Britches with 2185 points and a 162-67 record taking the lead
AUMav's Picks with 2181 points and a 163-66 record
WarriorDawg making the most of his points going 160-69 but managing 2168 points
allyugadawg keeoing it real for the ladies racking up 2151 points with a 165-64
BLACKOUT going 164-65 with 2132 points
Since most everyone did fairly well this week, BnE's Pick 'Em will recognize the scourge of the sports media world this week as our Bottom Feeder of the Week. As many of you now have heard, there have been several allegations leveled at Cam Newton. Everything from alleged cheating at Florida, to his pay-for-play scandal involving Kenny Rogers at Mississippi State, the sports news media have jumped on this bandwagon faster than a Florida fan lining up for a sale on jean shorts down at the Family Dollar. ESPN, Fox News, Sports Illustrated, etc. all have reported on the sources, speaking anonymously since they do not have permission to speak, and their allegations against Cam. Yet despite all the allegations, Cam remains eligible to play. Let's remember one thing: in this country, a person is innocent until proven guilty.
Now, it can all come back and all the allegations can be true. But the timing, ferocity and intensity at which these allegations keep coming out have lead the fans and sports haters alike to view it all as a bit of a comical spectacle. Not since Bill Clinton have sports fan taken to lampooning the allegations. Seriously, its as if the old Chuck Norris facts have morphed into the never-ending Allegations of Cam Newton. Here are a few of my favorites courtesy of FOP and some of my Auburn friends' posts:
Cam Newton dines and dashes at charity dinner events
Cam Newton was on the infamous grassy knoll in Dallas
Cam Newton gave Jessie Spano those caffeine pills
Cam Newton fired the rocket out of the Pacific. It was headed to your mom's house.
Cam Newton is funneling money to Somali Pirates
Cam Newton did in fact let the dogs out
Cam Newton didn't wash his hands in the bathroom causing the Cholera outbreak in Haiti
My favorite however comes from www.chadgibbs.com . He photo shopped an entire espn.com homepage to show the following:
Anyway, I find all this a tragic comedy. As much as I can laugh at all this, its still sad how the media has jumped on this just weeks after praising the turn around and the athletic ability of this young man. Let's not forget, Cam has done tremendous things at Auburn as a young man in just one year on the Plains. I look forward to seeing him in action again this Saturday in Auburn as he takes on the Dawgs. With Cam at the helm, I have a good feeling I'll be seeing my Tigers in Atlanta.
As for the rest of the weekend's games, let's see what else we have to look forward to...
Miami at Georgia Tech: Miami has proven to be the SUC of the ACC. Actually, the whole ACC has proven to be more neurotic in their play than SUC. Its a crap shoot but take Buzz
Utah at Notre Dame: Utes. Next!
Texas Tech at OU: If you think there might be another upset, think again. OU is at home and plays well in Normam. Take the Sooners over Tubs
OK State at Texas: Goose is dead...You gotta let him go. Seriously, the season is over for Texas and I cant see how the Horns pull it off against the Cowboys. Something is wrong in the state of Texas.
Oregon at Cal: LaMichael James could be in jail in Thailand and Oregon would still have enough speed to run. Don't pass on the Duck!
SUC at the Swamp: This is going to be an interesting match up but I have a feeling fate is still smiling on the Visor of the Old Ball Coach. Look for the defense of SUC to put enough pressure on Demps and Rainey to give Lattimore time to run the ball when the O is on the field. SUC wins a close one to secure a ticket to Atlanta.
A&M at Baylor: Toss a coin, its a game between two Texas teams.
Mississippi State at Bama: Dan Mullen has put together a very good team in Starkville. If you're a betting man, go out on a limb and pick the other Bulldogs
That's it for now. BulldawgJosh, our old friend BFR, and myself will be loading up and heading to Auburn on Saturday. If anyone else is headed down, leave me a message and you're always welcome at the tailgate.
The 2006 matchup between the Georgia Bulldogs and the Auburn Tigers had a similar ring to the game that will take place this Saturday. Georgia was struggling with a freshman quarterback under center, having lost games earlier in the season to Vanderbilt and Kentucky. The record stood at 6-4 and the Dawgs were underdogs to an Auburn team that was in the national title race. The #5 ranked Tigers were 9-1 and were looking to reach the SEC Championship game for the second time in four years. What followed was an absolute destruction of the Auburn Tigers. The final score was 37-15 and the game became known as the Massacre on the Plains.
There were many heroes in game, from defensive lineman Ray Gant to quarterback Matthew Stafford. But if there was an MVP award for this effort, there is little doubt that award would not have gone to senior safety Tra Battle. From Mary Parsons High School in Forsyth, Georgia, Battle earned his spot at Georgia the hard way: as a walk-on. During his junior season, he became a starter and was put on full scholarship. The game against Auburn was Battle’s signature moment at Georgia, intercepting three passes from Auburn quarterback Brandon Cox including one for a touchdown. Here’s a look back at his performance:
Following the 2006 season, in which he totaled 58 tackles, Battle was named to the All-SEC first team. Soon after, he was also named a third-team All-American. Despite these awards, he went undrafted in the 2007 NFL Draft. But just like walking on at Georgia, Tra was determined to continue his playing career at the next level. He eventually signed with the San Diego Chargers and made his NFL debut in 2008. After being cut from the Chargers, he signed with the Dallas Cowboys where he spent the remainder of the 2008 season. In 2009, he practiced with the Detroit Lions and later the Cleveland Browns. For his NFL career, he has totaled 15 tackles.
Once again, Tra refused to give up on his dream of playing football. He signed with the Hartford Colonials of the UFL where he recorded 18 tackles in six games during the 2009 season. While his playing career continues, Battle also focuses much of his attention on charity work. Tra’s Battle for Success Foundation, a division of the Athletes for Education Foundation, focuses on children’s education programs in the San Diego area. For the last two years, Tra has hosted “Camp Battle” in Tijuana, Mexico, which focuses on events for children ages 4-16 with mild to severe autism.
You know what seems to ruin a good rivalry? Scandal.
The Dawgs travel to the Plains on Saturday and the story should be about how one of the worst Georgia teams in recent memory is trying to knock off a team headed towards a national title. Throw in the fact that Georgia has won 4 games in a row against the Tigers and a victory would even the series at 53 wins a piece and there should be plenty of stories to talk about. But instead of the game, almost all of the talk this week has been about the potential illegal recruitment of Heisman front runner Cam Newton. Yes, I agree that this is a huge story that needs to be covered, I am just sad to see it happen this week.
By the time 3:30 rolls around on Saturday, Auburn will most likely have taken the field with Cam Newton as the starting quarterback. The game will play out and by Saturday night, Auburn will either still be undefeated or Georgia will be bowl eligible. Cam Newton's eligibility will not have an effect on the game and even if he (and Auburn) is found guilty of wrong doing, it won't change what took place on the field.
Great rivalries don't just happen over night. Georgia's traditional rivalries with Florida and Georgia Tech have both become lopsided affairs in recent years. But the rivalry with Auburn (despite the 4 straight victories) has always been close. For a game that means this much to two programs' seasons, it is a shame to see this cloud hanging over head. The NCAA has known about this situation for months and its failure to make a decision is now taking away from what should be the focus of sports: the play on the field.
As a Georgia fan, I will take a victory any way we can get it. But if Cam Newton doesn't play and Georgia wins, have we really upset a top 5 team?
In recent years, the Georgia Bulldogs have rarely been in the position they are this week. They have a chance to play #2 Auburn with a spot in the SEC Championship game on the line, but not for them. We all remember 2002, when Georgia had a chance to clinch its first trip to the SEC Championship game. The #24 Tigers lead the #7 Dawgs until late in the fourth quarter when David Greene found Michael Johnson in the corner of the end zone for the game winning score. Just like Mark Richt in 2002, Gene Chizik is in his second year as head coach in the SEC and seeking his first trip to Atlanta.
When the Tigers traveled to Athens to take on the Dawgs last year, the story was a similar one that we find this weekend. Georgia was 5-4 and had yet to become bowl eligible while Auburn was 7-3 and looking to create momentum before their showdown with Alabama. Georgia was able to earn a shootout victory thanks in large part to a touchdown saving play by Bacarri Rambo on what would have been the game tying touchdown. The Dawgs would drop their next contest to Kentucky before upsetting Georgia Tech while Auburn would fall to Alabama. Both teams finished the season with a record of 7-5. A Georgia victory would provide a lot of momentum for the Bulldogs heading into the annual match up with Georgia Tech. A victory in both games would mean a 7-5 record for the second straight year.
On The Plains this weekend, the Georgia Bulldogs will have the chance to throw a wrench in Auburn’s national championship dreams. A Georgia victory on Saturday coupled with a loss to Alabama in two weeks could potentially propel LSU into the SEC Championship (provided they win their remaining conference games). The Dawgs helped keep Auburn out of the SEC Championship game back in 2006 when a 5-4 Georgia squad took down the #5 Tigers 37-15. While I would definitely love for the Dawgs to be the ones playing for a shot in Atlanta, an upset victory would be even sweeter this season
Going into this season, I had my doubts on what I would see at this point in the year. From all the projections, prognosticators and predictions, Alabama would still be #1 and undefeated in the SEC West and LSU would be challenging Bama for the title. Auburn would be managing a respectable season with a new quarterback and questionable defense and the SEC East would be a three-way race with Florida, UGA and SUC, while the rest of the division made due on scraps. At the beginning of August, it looked like it would be another typical season in the SEC with the same players fighting their way to the top.
WRONG
Through the end of week 10, Auburn sits atop the the conference and SEC West, with Bama having lost to LSU, while the rest of the West now all bowl eligible. In the East however, things are a wreck. SUC is top dog with a 4-3/6-3 record tied with Florida, UGA is 3-4/5-5, and Vandy 1-5/2-7. Only SUC & Florida are bowl eligible with their showdown next week to determine the SEC East winner. Despite the East's dismal record, they've proven they're able to make an upset when the opportunity presents itself: SUC upset Bama, UK upset SUC, and Tennessee technically should have upset LSU. With all the talk of the Iron Bowl and a possible National Title run, the game that worries me most at the moment is coming in two weeks. With UGA's 3 game win streak ended in Jacksonville, and this weekend's win putting the team at .500, the likelihood of missing a bowl game becoming more real in Athens, the Dawgs are a cornered and wounded animal, and there is nothing more dangerous in the wild.
Let's take a look at what's at stake next weekend now the Tigers and Dawgs have beat their respective FCS opponents. For Georgia, the biggest piece of the pie is the 'W' making the team bowl eligible for a possible berth in the Birmingham Bowl or the Music City Bowl. With the season the way it has been, Streit is right, its a 'Lose, lose' situation overall. Winning at Auburn and becoming bowl eligible will help ease the sting of a mediocre season for the Dawgs knowing they have a New Year's game on the horizon heading into the game with Tech. The added bonus will be beating a top-ranked Auburn team for a 5th consecutive year, and giving the team a signature win. A loss on the Plains will all but seal the fate of the Dawgs for the season, and send Georgia home to Athens to face Buzz in a last-ditch effort to become bowl eligible and finish what would be arguably be the worst season under Richt. UGA has everything to gain and nothing to lose.
Auburn will come into this meeting ranked #2 in the country, 10-0 and 1st in the SEC overall. The Tigers lead this series all time 53-52-8. However, we have lost the past 4 meetings to the Dawgs, and a 5th will even the win column for UGA. But the bigger issue is what the loss will do to the Tiger's hopes of a shot at the SEC Championship and a potential National Title game appearance. Should the Tigers lose, we will have one week to recover, not just in preparation for the Iron Bowl with a two-loss Bama, but also in the polls. The voters are already overlooking this game, and losing to UGA would be viewed as a loss to a much weaker opponent, which would most likely send Auburn out of the top 5 or even top 10. Even if Auburn were to beat a ranked Bama at that point, we'd still lose out on reaching the title game to a Oregon, Boise or TCU who would leap frog us during our bye week.
I'm not looking past UGA. Despite the play of the Dawgs so far this season, they've shown absolute flashes of brilliance. AJ Green's first game back showed their is potential for the offense as long as the play makers are given the chance to work their magic, something forgotten in the Florida game. AJ is 3rd on the team for receiving yards, but 1st for receiving touchdowns. Simply put, if he is in the end zone, toss the ball up and let AJ climb the ladder to score. Aaron Murray has shown his freshman inexperience several times, however, he has demonstrated an athletic ability to escape a bad situation by using his legs, even scoring touchdowns in the process. He has over 2000 yards of passing with 15 TDs to show, not to mention 4 rushing TDs. Aaron has 3 receivers with over 1200 receiving yards combined to use against a very weak secondary. Georgia has to be creative in this game offensively get the ball to the play makers in order to have a shot at putting up points to counter the #2 ranked offense.
Auburn has to look for ways to protect Cam Newton, Ontario McCalebb, and Mike Dyer from UGA's improving defense. Averaging 200 passing and 300 yards rushing per game, Auburn's Gus Malzahn has consistently found ways to counter defenses and rushes to keep Auburn in the fight with a balanced attack. The offensive line is fast and physical, allowing only 12 sacks. They key to this game for Auburn, as it has been all season, is play count. In Gus Malzahn's offensive scheme, the team must execute at least 86 plays for a win. I'm not going to put it past Georgia to pull an upset, especially with the history behind the meetings of these two teams. So long as Cam can keep the ball moving down field, and continue to make plays while using his weapons in Michael Dyer, Darvin Adams and Terrell Zachary, Auburn may walk away from this dangerous fight.
This annual grudge match is slated to kick-off at 3:30 eastern and air on CBS. UGA should prepare for this game as thought it will be their bowl game, because the atmosphere at Jordan-Hare will the most intense they've faced all season. It might also be the closest thing they get to a bowl game atmosphere should they lose. Auburn fans will be amped up to see if their Heisman contending QB, Cam Newton, will be able to keep the dream alive and send Auburn into the Iron Bowl as the undefeated leader of the SEC in addition to being the SEC West champion. This game holds everything for both teams; a bowl eligible win for UGA and saving grace for Richt, and for the Tigers a chance at continued perfection keeping the dream season alive in hopes of an SEC championship and National Title. This is my favorite game of the season every year. Whichever way the game goes, I plan to be there to see it all.
I will be back later this week to recap the BnE Pick 'Em after my bye week from reporting.
A few years ago, Auburn was in the middle of a 6 year run of dominance over their in state rival Alabama. In 2006, the Tigers were going for their fifth straight over the Crimson Tide and came up with a slogan to ridicule Bama fans with. "Fear the Thumb" was born and was found on everything from banners to t-shirts.
With the Georgia victory over Auburn last night, the 2010 match up of the Deep South's Oldest Rivalry will see Georgia attempting to win it's fifth in a row in the series. So now I only have one question for Auburn fans:
Down 14-0 and having just lost their best player, Georgia looked like they were in serious trouble on Saturday night. A blowout loss to Auburn would have made me question whether the Dawgs would even get bowl eligible. But what the players and the fans needed, the Dawgs delivered on Saturday night. It was an amazing team effort and with two games to go, a shot a New Year's bowl is suddenly a reality once again. Here are my thoughts on 2009 version of the Deep South's Oldest Rivalry.
- The first quarter was one of the worst quarters of football I have witnessed at Sanford and I've seen some bad ones over the last ten years (Tennessee in 06 and Bama in 08 just to name a few). The defense was lost and once again penalties looked like they were going to be a problem. But then a strange thing happened...we made adjustments.
- I have to give Willie some credit on this one. Auburn was making us look ridiculous, but suddenly things changed and we were getting pressure on Todd. Couple that with the best tackling effort I have see Georgia put together this season (Tennessee tech doesn't count) and we shut Auburn's offense down. When you allow 14 points in the first quarter and only 3 the rest of the way, the defense is definitely doing something right.
- For the first time all season, I can honestly say the special teams was not the best unit for the Dawgs. Obviously the kick off return hurt, but our return game only turned in a mediocre effort at best. And I can't for the life of me figure out why we picked this game to stop letting Walsh at least attempt to kick it deep. Butler was solid and Walsh made the 51 yarder look like a chip shot.
- When Auburn's field goal attempt hit the upright but still went through, I felt like we were getting paid back for the tipped pass to Orson.
- Losing AJ again sucks. It sound like his shoulder is pretty banged up. At this point, let him heal and get ready for the bowl game. The man has done enough for one player to do for his team this, we can't ask him to go out there hurt. With AJ out, it will be a chance for the other receivers to step up, just like Israel Troupe did last night.
- The combination of King and Ealey was awesome. The line finally played up to its potential and the running backs did their part. it was a lot of fun to have a real running game again. These two are going to be monsters next season.
- My final thought is concerning the player who was the MVP of the game and is on every one's mind right now. Baccari Rambo is the playmaker we have been missing in the secondary. Like Rennie Curran, he just seems to be everywhere around the ball. After Evans dropped the easy interception, Rambo came into the game and it was a whole new Georgia defense. He saved the game for the Dawgs and knocked himself out doing it. That is called heart and this kid definitely has it. Heal up Rambo, can't wait to have you back!
Overall, an amazing night in Athens. I was yelling at people for booing early in the game but the support the crowd showed at the end heals all those wounds. It seems like Auburn always brings out the best in Georgia fans.
Unfortunately, work is crazy today and I won't have time to write a full preview. Georgia and Auburn are both middle of the road SEC teams with bad defenses. Auburn has a better offense, but I would say Georgia has a more dangerous weapon in AJ Green. With both teams poor defenses, I can see this game turning out like South Carolina. I hoping Georgia can pull it out, so I'm picking the Dawgs.
*** This is part 3 of a series looking at the Georgia Auburn Series since 2001
2006:
Georgia travelled to the Plains to take on Auburn with a record of 6-4. The Dawgs were coming off a loss to Kentucky that resulted in the the bruised Matt Stafford you see above. With embarassing losses to Kentucy and Vanderbilt and narrow victories over weak Colorado and Mississippi state teams, Georgia was definitely reeling. Auburn, on the other hand, was enjoying a fantastic season and was in the middle of the National Championship hunt. Because of Georgia's poor record, the game was bounced to the 12:30 Ray Com Sports game. A sluggish Auburn team and crowd showed up for the 11:30 local kick-off and Georgia would take full advantage.
Matthew Stafford hooked up on a long pass to set up the first score of the game, an 8 yard touchdown run by KreggLumpkin. Georgia had a 7-0 lead after the first quarter, but would really pile it on in the second. With Stafford's passing and running, Georgia was able to build a 17-0 lead. Former walk on Tra Battle, who would pick off 3 passes from Auburn quarterback Brandon Cox in the game, picked up a touchdown on a 30 yard INT return that gave Georgia a 24-0 lead. Here are the highlights of Battle's heroics:
Georgia picked up one more score to take a 30-7 lead at the half. The second half saw the Dawgs control the clock. Auburn had cut the lead to 30-15 in the third quarter, but Matt Stafford took the Dawgs on another drive. Stafford, who finished the day with 219 yards passing and 83 yards rushing, capped the drive with a 9 yard touchdown run. Georgia had knocked the Tigers out of the SEC and National Championship hunts in a game that has become known as the Massacre on the Plains.
Georgia 37, Auburn 15
2007:
Rumors began swarming around Athens that the Georgia players wanted the fans to come dressed in all black for the 2007 meeting of the Deep South's Oldest Rivalry. Coach Mark Richt made the announcement official, calling on the Bulldog Nation to have a Blackout at Sanford Stadium. Georgia was coming off a win over Florida a few weeks before and had found a breakout star in halfback Knowshon Moreno. Auburn came in ranked 22 with a record of 7-3 and looking to avenge the beatdown the Bulldogs handed them in Jordan-Hare the year before. This would not be the night for Auburn to get their revenge.
The crowd was ready.
The crowd did their part, showing up decked out in black but the Georgia team came out for warm-ups in their normal home red jerseys. The team went to the locker room, but when they arrived, the lights were off. When the lights came on, black jerseys hung in their lockers. When the team came running out of the tunnel, the crowd lost its $#$%...mind:
With Georgia in black, there was something in the air and it seemed destiny that Georgia would handle the Tigers easily. On the first snap from scrimmage, Kelin Johnson picked off a Brandon Cox pass (Cox threw 4 interceptions against Georgia for second consecutive year) and the Dawgs were in business. They were only able to get a field goal which Auburn soon matched and the score was tied at 3. Georgia had the ball back and began a drive that ended when Matt Stafford found a wide open MohammedMassaquoi for a 52 yard touchdown that put Georgia ahead. Another Stafford touchdown to Sean Bailey put the Dawgs up 14, but Auburn closed the gap with a late touchdown by Ben Tate that sent the teams to the locker room with Georgia leading 17-14.
At the start of the second half, it looked like the magic of the blackout may end up being a curse. Auburn scored 10 points to take a 20-17 lead. But this night would belong to the Dawgs, and the final 20 minutes of the game will a memory that Bulldog fans would never forget. It started with a 24 yard touchdown from Knowshon Moreno:
Georgia would soon get the ball back and on a third down from around the Auburn 25, Knowshon Moreno broke a series of tackles to take the Dawgs inside the 10. A facemask on the play allowed Georgia one untimed down to end the third, which Moreno capitalized with his second score of the day. After the band played, Soulja Boy cranked over the speakers at Sanford and the party spread throughout the stadium, even into the CBS broadcasting booth. The scene was amazing:
Georgia continued to score in the fourth, adding two more touchdowns. What was a close game turned into a blowout victory for Georgia. Georgia ride that momentum through the rest of the year and #2 national ranking.
Georgia 45, Auburn 20
2008:
Preseason #1 Georgia had been brought back down to earth during the 2008 season with crushing losses to Alabama and eventual national champion Florida. Following a last minute victory over the Wildcats in Kentucky a week before, Georgia returned to the Plains to meet an Auburn team that was on its way to a losing season. Rumors of Tommy Tuberville's potential firing swarmed around Auburn and many were sure the Dawgs would handle the Tigers again.
The Georgia offense failed to get going in the first half and Auburn capitalized on a special teams mistake to take an early lead. At the end of the first quarter, Auburn went back to punt from their own endzone. Georgia hit the Auburn punter and would have had a first down, but it did not matter. Georgia returner Prince Miller fumbled the punt and Auburn took over at their own 48. Kodi Burns connected on a 52 yard touchdown pass on the next play to Mario Fannin, but a botched extra point (which would prove very costly) gave Auburn only a 6-0 lead. Georgia got on the scoreboard just before half, as Knowshon Moreno took a screen pass from Matthew Stafford in for a score from 30 yards out. Moreno would have a solid day on the ground, rushing for 131 yards on 22 carries. Georgia lead at the break, 7-6.
The teams continued to struggle to score in the third, with the only points coming on a Blair Walsh field goal. Heading to the fourth, Georgia led 10-6. Auburn then went on an 11 play, 90 yard drive that was capped off by a Mario Fannin 35 yard touchdown run to give the Tigers the lead with 11 minutes to go. Georgia answered with a 3 minute scoring drive of its own, capped off by a touchdown pass to AJ Green. Auburn would get one final chance to win the game, taking over at their own 20 with 1:44 showing on the clock. Because of the early missed extra point, Auburn could not tie the game with a field goal. Kodi Burns lead Auburn down the field, but a fourth down pass fell incomplete just outside the end zone and Georgia won its third straight in the series. Here are the highlights:
*** This part two of a series looking at the Georgia Auburn series since 2001.
2004
In 2004, Georgia and Auburn were two teams made up of senior leaders. Georgia was led by quarterback David Greene, wide recevier Fred Gibson, and defensive end David Pollack. Auburn countered with quarterback Jason Campbell and running backs Ronnie Brown and Cadillac Williams. Georgia had opened the year in the top 5 and after big wins over LSU and Florida, came into the game with only one loss. Auburn had became the team that many through they would be in 2003. The offensive combination of Campbell, Brown, and Williams combined with a defensive led by Junior Rosegreen had led the Tigers to an undefeated record and a #2 ranking. Larry Munson helped hype the game on College Game day that morning:
What looked like a good game going in became a lopsided affair. Auburn grabbed the lead on 1 yard TD run by Cadillac Williams in the first and that was all the scoring they would end up needing. Auburn's defense shut down the Georgia attack, even when it appeared Georgia may get in the end zone. David Pollack blocked a second quarter Auburn punt and Georgia drove toward the Auburn end zone. But Carlos Rodgers picked off a David Greene pass in the end zone, spoiling Georgia's best chance to get points in the half. Auburn added a trick play touchdown pass and a field goal and took a 17-0 lead into the locker room.
Georgia tried to get back in the game in the third quarter, when David Greene hit Reggie Brown with a pass to Auburn 20. But Auburn corner Junior Rosegreen put a helmet to helmet hit on Brown,causing him to lose the ball and consciousness (the hit led to a rule change protecting receivers from helmet to helmet hits). The refs ruled the play a fumble and Auburn took over. Georgia managed to finally scored on a touchdown pass to Leonard Pope with just over two minutes to play, but Auburn easily won the game.
Auburn 24, Georgia 6
2005:
Coming off their first loss of the season against Florida the week before, the Bulldogs were looking to get revenge on Auburn for the 2004 beat down. The Dawg nation was excited because quarterback DJ Shockley was returning to action after missing the Florida game with a knee injury. #9 Georgia welcomed #15 Auburn back to Athens with a chance to clinch the SEC East title:
What happenned was one of the most exciting games in this storied rivalry's history.
Auburn's Kenny Irons, who had a huge game for the Tigers rushing for 179 yards, opened the scoring with a 30 yard touchdown run. After a Brandon Coutu field goal, a touchdown pass to Leonard Pope gave Georgia their first lead and was the second of 8 lead changes in the game. A second Irons touchdown and another Coutu field goal made the game a 14-13 Auburn lead at the half.
DJ Shockley, who finished the game 20 of 36 for 302 yards and two scores, hooked up with freshman Mohammd Massaquoi for a touchdown to give the lead back to Georgia. The teams traded touchdowns and the score 27-21 in favor of Georgia early in the fourth. Auburn drove to the Georgia 11, but a Kenny Irons fumble gave it back to the Dawgs. Georgia would soon return the favor, as Brannen Southerland fumbled a pass at the 15 and Karibi Dede scooped it up for the 15 yard touchdown. With nine minutes to go, the game was about to get really interesting.
With Auburn leading by 1 (at 28-27), Georgia was able to get a 41 yard field goal from Brandon Coutu to take a 2 point lead with 3 and half minutes left. Georgia forced Auburn into a fourth down, but Brandon Cox (in his only good game of his career against Georgia) found Devin Aromashodu went 62 yards before fumbling just before the goal line. Auburn luckily recovered and kicked a field goal to take a 1 point lead with 6 seconds left. Georgia would go on to win the SEC Championship that year, but the memory of this game still hurts.
Auburn 31, Georgia 30
Tomorrow: Part 3 - Stafford Dominates, the Blackout, and AJ Green (2006-2008)
*** This is the first post in a series that looks back at the Georgia-Auburn Rivalry since Mark Richt came to Georgia in 2001.
2001:
Mark Richt’s first Bulldog came into the Deep’s South Oldest Rivalry ranked #22 in the country, including their upset victory over Tennessee in Knoxville. The Dawgs were led by a freshman quarterback David Greene and linebackers Boss Bailey and Tony Gilbert. In their third season under Tommy Tuberville, Auburn had struggled to find a solid starter a quarterback. Freshman Jason Campbell saw his share of snaps that season, but the starter on that day was Daniel Cobb, a former Georgia player who had left when Quincy Carter came to Athens. By the end of the game, a young star would cement his place in the rivalry’s record books and a young coach would learn a lesson in time management.
Georgia jumped on top the Tigers early to open the contest. Borrowing a play from his years at Florida State, David Greene executed a near perfect “hidden ball” play action pass that resulted in a 67 yard touchdown to fellow freshman Fred Gibson. Carnell “Cadillac” Williams would make his first big play of the game in the first on a 1 yard touchdown run that tied the game after 1. Georgia would take the lead on another long TD pass, this time a 56 yard strike to Terrence Edwards that gave the Dawgs a 14-7 halftime lead. Auburn made some adjustments in the locker room, and took the lead back from the Dawgs before a Billy Bennett field goal tied the game at 17.
In the fourth quarter, the game was taken over by Cadillac Williams. On an Auburn single game record of 41 carries, Williams rushed for 167 yards. The most important yard was his final one, which came on his second 1 yard touchdown of the day that gave Auburn the lead with very little time to go. Georgia was able to quickly drive the ball down near the Auburn goal line. But with just seconds remaining and no timeouts, Richt elected to go with a running play. Jasper Sanks was stopped at the one and the Dawgs were unable to run another play.
Two goal line failures will be what Jasper's career at Georgia will be remembered for
Auburn 24, Georgia 17
2002:
Georgia came to the Plains with a shot to clinch it’s first ever trip to the SEC Championship game but came out looking flat against the underdog Tigers (or Eagles or whatever). Without receivers Terrence Edwards and Damien Gary and Fred Gibson playing with a cast, Georgia needed to find another target in the passing game. Few expected the hero that would emerge that day. Georgia struggled to get much offense going in the first half and had only 3 points on a Billy Bennett field goal to show for. For Auburn, just as Cadillac Williams broke out against the Dawgs in ’01, Ronnie Brown made his presence known to the rivalry in 2002. Brown scored on a 53 yard scamper to give the #22 Tigers a 14-3 lead on #6 rated Georgia going into half.
After an inspiring speech by senior tackle Jon Stinchomb at half, Georgia came out determined to not let their championship dreams die. Led by the play of safety Sean Jones (both on defense and on special teams) the Dawgs clawed their way back within 4 with a 1:15 showing on the clock. Georgia was able to drive into the red zone but after a penalty and a few incompletions found themselves at 4th and 15. David Green then ran the play 70X takeoff and lofted a jump ball to receiver Michael Johnson. Here’s the call from Larry Munson…
It was Johnson’s 13th catch on the day and it sent Georgia to its first ever SEC Championship game. I was in the third row on the opposite side of the stadium and did not know who had caught the pass until the following Monday (I thought it was Gibson).
Georgia 24, Auburn 21
2003:
Georgia came into the 2003 match up with Auburn with a record of 7-2, holding onto hopes of a rematch against LSU in the SEC Championship game. Auburn, who has started the year in the top 10 had struggled and came to Athens with a 6-4 record. After the last minute victory on the Plains in 02, Georgia was looking to defeat Auburn at home for the first time since 1991. The game would be all Georgia in the first half. Billy Bennett connected on two field goals and David Greene found Michael Johnson for a 19 yard touchdown as the Dawgs took a 13-0 lead into halftime.
Auburn put together a nice drive to open the second half, driving inside the Georgia ten. Kicker Philip Yost, who had attempted a 60 yarder at the end of the first half (he missed), shanked a 25 yarder. Georgia would take over a cap off another scoring drive with a 16 yard touchdown run by KreggLumpkin. Auburn once again drove down the field, but on a 3rd and goal they decided to go against using Williams or Brown and put the ball in Jason Campbell’s hands. Tony Taylor tipped a pass and the rest was history:
Auburn scored a late touchdown to avoid the shutout, but Georgia had defeated Auburn for the second year in a row.
November 15, 2008 - Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Alabama:
Auburn came up just short of upsetting the #10 ranked Bulldogs at home. AJ Green caught the go ahead touchdown with 8 minutes left in the fourth quarter to give Georgia 17-13 lead. Auburn then drove the field, but the Georgia defense was able to force an incompletion on a fourth down pass from Cody Burns. The 17-13 victory was Georgia's third straight over Auburn and 5th in the last 7 meetings.
Overtimes it took Georgia to defeat Auburn in 1996. This was the first overtime game in SEC history and Georgia won by a final score of 56 - 49. Georgia needed this miraculous play just to get to overtime.
Georgia travelled to the Plains to take on Auburn with a record of 6-4. The 
