The 2018 Georgia Game

Auburn has not won at Georgia since 2005.  It is not likely to happen today in Athens.  The once-beaten Bulldogs are a 14 point favorite against the 6 and 3 Tigers.  Auburn had a brilliant final 7:14 last week at home to beat TAMU.  It will take much more than that to win today.  It will be surprising if our offense can sustain enough success to keep our defense from wearing down.  The game kicks off at 6 on ESPN.

FIRST QUARTER

44 degrees at kickoff.
Just before the game kicks off we see the conclusion of Washington State beating Colorado handily.

Auburn to receive as UGA defers.  Get off to a good start?  Stan White says we have to come out throwing.
First two plays we cross midfield but then we go backwards.
Auburn is punting from midfield after two first downs.
A good start ends quickly.
UGA starts around their 11 or 12.

Georgia comes out running.  They have great backs in Holyfield and Swift.
Georgia to the AU 42.
Georgia to our 17 after a good run by Holyfield.
Interference in the end zone which was totally unnecessary.
Ball placed at the 2 yard line.
First two plays our defense pushes them back leading to a third an goal at the 8 or 9.
Pass incomplete.  Defense holds and forces a FG attempt after Georgia had first and goal at the two.
FG good.

Auburn 0  Georgia 3

A small victory on that first Georgia possession but will probably be short-lived.
The problem is simply that Georgia can run the football and Auburn can't.

Auburn moves smartly to midfield.
First down to the UGA 37.
A complete pass and a roughness penalty moves the ball to the UGA 16.
TOUCHDOWN AUBURN!
Whitlow in the wildcat completes an end zone pass of 9 yards to a wide-open Shenker.
THAT was a nifty drive.  Mixing a few rules with short passes.

Auburn 7  Georgia 3

After our defense puts them into a third and eight we have a blown coverage and UGA crosses midfield.  That hurts.
We move to a third and six.
First down Georgia at the Auburn 23.  Too easy.
From there third and one as the quarter ends.
We have stopped their rushing on this possession but let them compete two big third down passes.

SECOND QUARTER

First down run to the ten.
On third and goal from the 9 we sack their QB but Bryant is called from targeting.
The targeting is upheld and Big Cat is disqualified.
What a massive game changer on that one play.
First down UGA from just inside the five.  Boy oh boy that was a tough deal.
The targeting was by definition targeting.  Just unintentional and unfortunate.
We move to third and goal from the three.
Fourth and goal from the three.  Once again our defense disallows the touchdown.  Their QB is stopped at the three with no one open .
The FG is good.

Auburn 7  Georgia 6

First down to the AU 47.
First down to the Georgia 31.
Five more yards to the Georgia 26 after the Dogs are whistled for ineligible participation.
First down to the 16.
First down to the 5.
Second down at the 4.
Third down at the 4.  Shenker was open but Stidham overthrew him.
Incomplete pass.  Williams could have caught it.
After a false start Anders makes the field goal with 7:46 to go in the first half.

Auburn 10  Georgia 6

The kickoff is short of the end zone and Georgia starts at their 41.
First down Georgia to the Auburn 35.
First down to the Auburn 20 as Georgia is committed to running the ball.
Second down at the 13.
There is a one yard loss as we stuff Swift.
Touchdown to the end zone.  Good throw and catch.

Auburn 10  Georgia 13

Auburn has 2:47 to work with.
A runback and fumble but Auburn recovers at the 17.
That could have been disastrous.
We fail to convert on third and two and Auburn has to punt.
Georgia fair catches at their 30 with 2:00 left.
Time for a turnover.

First play Swift runs to the Auburn 45.
We move to third and seven from there with 1:15 left.
We move to fourth and three as the clock winds down.
Timeout Georgia with 29 seconds left.
The FG attempt would be 50 plus.
Complete pass over the middle and that's a killer as the runner runs to the end zone.
That was brutal.  That's a backbreaker.  Bad technique by our defender.  Almost a gimme.

Auburn 10  Georgia 20

Bad conclusion to the end of the first half.  We had them fourth and three and we give up a cheap TD with bad play by our pass defense.
With only 21 seconds left Auburn can't do anything.
Down by 10 at the half.  Bad, bad end of the half.

THIRD QUARTER

At the half on the radio Coach Malzahn says Georgia's first possession is the ballgame.  That's laying it on the line!  This is it.  Down 27 to 10 on the road and this game is probably over.

Georgia is three and out.  Okay, good start.  Nick Coe is on the ground after third down.
After the punt AU has good field position at their 48.

After an 8 yard run we move to fourth and two.  Costly miscommunication on third down.  Two passes on second and two.  Why not run the football to pick up two yards.
Nice punt but we get an appropriate interference penalty as Georgia starts on their 26 after the 15 yard step off.  A boneheaded play by Marquis McClain.  After stopping UGA on their first possession we give the ball right back to them.

Third and 16 and we have a blown coverage.  First down almost to midfield.  That was a killer play with a lack of discipline on our defense.  Giving up a first down on third and 16 is brutal.
We move to a third and seven and another first down for Georgia.  Our defense is dropping back to far allowing the short completions. We are allowing the underneath throws.  Basically giving them the firs down.
First down to the Auburn 25.  Jamel Dean intercepts at the 19!  Big play!!!

First play trick play an attempted pass becomes a fumble.  A negative play on first down.
Then Shivers bursts to the AU 45.
We move to third and nine.
We move to fourth and nine as Stidham couldn't let go of the ball.
Punt into the end zone.

Georgia continue to have success running the football.
The Bulldogs move to fourth and five at the Auburn 40.
Georgia downs the punt at the one.  Tough break.

One yard gain for Whitlow on first down.
Timeout before second down as we couldn't get the snap off in time.
First down pass to the 12.
Whitlow for five to the 17.
We move to third and one.
Whitlow to the 29 for the first down.
We move to third and seven.  Ryan Davis was open but Stidham didn't see him.
Fourth and eight as the clock expires in the third quarter.
We have some underneath open receives Stan White says but Stidham doesn't see them evidently.
i do believe that Stidham is the major problem with the offense.  I will be glad when he is gone.

FOURTH QUARTER

Auburn is punting to start the fourth quarter.
Georgia gets a 77 yard touchdown run by Swift on a second and thirteen.  Game, set, match.
Our offense couldn't keep up and sooner or later our defense would give up another score.  Very predictable.

Auburn 10  Georgia 27

Our offense has been the same all year.  It will not change this year.  We see only very occasional glimpses of a real offense.
After one first down the offense is punting again.
Sad to watch.  Very sad.
Stan White says we seldom throw to the middle of the field and there should be possibilities.
The offense has died in the second half.
All Georgia has to do is to keep running the football.  This will get ugly before it's over.

Georgia works the clock to under four minutes before FAKING a short field goal attempt with a 27 to 10 lead.   Bush league!  I just lost all respect for Kirby Smart.  A certain lack of class.  One day we will OWE him one.

One final helpless possession for Auburn and it's over.

FINAL SCORE

Auburn 10  Georgia 27