AUBURN, Ala. – Stetson Bennett and No. 2 Georgia’s defence were much than capable to instrumentality attraction of Auburn yet again.
Bennett passed for 231 yards and 2 touchdowns and led the Bulldogs past No. 18 Auburn for the 2nd consecutive twelvemonth successful a 34-10 triumph Saturday adjacent if the defence did let an hostile to scope the extremity portion for a change.
The nation's apical defence gave up lone its 2nd touchdown of the twelvemonth for the Bulldogs (6-0, 4-0 Southeastern Conference), who were inactive without injured starting backmost JT Daniels. None of that kept Georgia from different comfy SEC triumph and a 5th consecutive successful the Deep South's Oldest Rivalry.
Bennett, who made his archetypal assemblage start successful a Top 10 matchup with Auburn (3-2, 1-1) past season, completed 14 of 21 passes and deed Ladd McConkey successful stride for a 60-yard 3rd 4th score. He besides had a 30-yard run.
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Daniels is retired with a lat wounded for the 2nd consecutive week, on with immoderate sidelined receivers.
“It’s adjacent antheral up mentality,” Georgia manager Kirby Smart said. “That’s what we talked astir each week. We’ve got a batch of guys wounded and bushed up, including the quarterback. We consciousness similar he’s getting better, but Stetson played a heck of a game.”
But the Jordan-Hare Stadium assemblage didn't look to fuss the Bulldogs, who dominated successful the trenches connected some sides.
“We won the enactment of scrimmage battle,” Bennett said. “It was truthful overmuch fun. I had a blast.”
Zamir White ran for 79 yards connected 18 carries with 2 touchdowns, doing astir of his harm successful the 2nd half.
Bo Nix and the Tigers came successful averaging 40 points per crippled but couldn't lick the Georgia antiaircraft puzzle contempt moving the shot astatine times. Nix completed 21 of 38 passes for 217 yards with an interception disconnected a dropped shot a week aft delivering a comeback triumph astatine LSU.
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Georgia besides sacked Nix 4 times and harried him each afternoon, and the Tigers had immoderate different drops to boot. The Bulldogs allowed conscionable 46 yards connected 29 rushes.
“We’ve got to decorativeness drives,” Auburn manager Bryan Harsin said. “That’s the astir frustrating happening close now. We tin thrust the tract and that truly doesn’t substance if you don’t enactment points connected the board.”
Auburn had failed fourth-down passes extremity its last thrust of the archetypal fractional and its opening 1 successful the second. Nix griped astir what helium thought was a missed telephone connected the archetypal 1 intended for Ze'Vian Capers.
“The feline wholly grabs him. I thought it should person decidedly been a walk interference,” helium said. “Obviously if it had been them they astir apt would person called it, but that's conscionable portion of the game, portion of the rivalry.”
THE TAKEAWAY
Georgia: The nation's champion defence mostly dominated, chasing Nix astir the backfield and stuffing the run. Still looks similar a squad connected its mode to the SEC title game.
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Auburn: Showed it inactive has a agelong mode to spell to drawback the SEC powers. The code was acceptable with an opening thrust that stalled conscionable shy of the extremity portion — and different 1 that did the aforesaid conscionable earlier the half. The agleam spot: Both losses person been to Top 10 opponents.
RED ZONE
Georgia did way for the archetypal clip this season, if lone 3-0 aft the game’s archetypal drive. The Bulldogs, who person thrived successful reddish portion defense, allowed scores successful 2 of 3 trips by Auburn, but 1 was a tract goal.
“We person a mind-set connected defense: Nobody successful the extremity zone,” Georgia antiaircraft lineman Jordan Davis said. “We preach that each week.”
SMOKED
Auburn information Smoke Monday was called for targeting against Georgia for the 2nd consecutive year. This 1 was for a head-on deed connected a scrambling Bennett connected the opening play of the 2nd 4th adjacent the extremity line. He missed the 2nd fractional of some games.
POLL IMPLICATION
Auburn could autumn retired of the rankings with its 2nd loss.
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UP NEXT Georgia hosts No. 16 Kentucky, which entered the play arsenic the lone different unbeaten SEC East team.
Auburn visits No. 13 Arkansas, an 52-51 loser astatine No. 17 Mississippi, successful an SEC West showdown.
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