The No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs host the Auburn Tigers on October 17 at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Georgia, in the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Eastern, with Georgia’s official game notes listing ESPN as the television network. Georgia enters 6–0 overall and 4–0 in the Southeastern Conference, while Auburn stands 3–2 and 1–2.
Georgia returns home after its 20–17 victory over Alabama in Tuscaloosa. Peyton Woodring supplied the winning fourth-quarter field goal, and the Bulldogs finished the game with a defensive stop and a possession that exhausted the clock. That result helped Georgia move to the top of both the AP and Coaches polls.
Auburn had an open date on October 10 and will be playing its first game since a 24–14 loss at Tennessee on October 3. The Tigers have beaten Baylor, Southern Miss and Vanderbilt while losing to Florida and Tennessee. Their additional preparation time makes Georgia’s ability to settle into the game quickly an important part of the matchup.
The Bulldogs hold a 66–56–8 lead in the all-time series and have won the past nine meetings. Georgia won last season’s matchup 20–10 at Auburn. That history gives the Bulldogs a strong recent record in the rivalry, but the current game still requires them to handle a separate opponent and a different week’s challenges.
Gunner Stockton’s efficiency gives Georgia a foundation for that challenge. He completed 18 of 22 passes for 249 yards against Alabama and contributed touchdowns through the air and on the ground. Georgia’s October 12 notes list his season completion percentage at 76.6 and his passing efficiency rating at 198.6.
The running game deserves attention after Dwight Phillips Jr. gained 120 yards on 17 carries in Tuscaloosa. Nate Frazier and Chauncey Bowens did not play in that game, according to Georgia’s postgame notes. Their availability for Auburn should be assessed through this week’s updates rather than assumed from the previous game’s absences.
Georgia’s defense has allowed 84 points through six games, an average of 14.0 per contest. The unit held Alabama scoreless in the fourth quarter and repeatedly gave the offense another opportunity to take control. For Auburn, sustaining drives and avoiding turnovers would reduce the number of short fields and extra possessions available to Georgia.
GSB Take
Georgia has the stronger record and the home setting, but this week will test how well it responds after an emotional road victory. The Bulldogs need to keep their passing efficiency, establish the run and prevent Auburn from turning the game into a series of extended possessions. A focused start would let Georgia build on the Alabama win while keeping the rivalry’s result in its own hands.