The Georgia Bulldogs beat the Auburn Tigers 27-20 on Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023. Although the Dawgs’ offense didn’t produce much, Coach Kirby Smart relied on a stout second-half defense to lock in the win.
If you watch the Georgia Bulldogs, you’ll see a college football team trying to live up to its #1 ranking.
Georgia Gets Another Scare
Georgia continues to play just well enough to win the close games. After falling behind 14-3 to South Carolina last week, the Dawgs again played from behind early.
“We’re not going to get where we want to go if we don’t get better,” Smart said in postgame comments. “That’s the biggest thing.”
Georgia’s Run Defense Falters
Georgia’s normally stout front seven had trouble with Auburn’s offensive line, which opened up some huge lanes.
The Bulldogs gave up 219 yards on the ground, the most ever in Smart’s UGA tenure. Smart said he understood critics’ take on his defense, but he said that what they produced is par for the league today.
“I don’t think people respect playing on the road in the SEC as much as I do,” Smart was quoted as saying. “Being an SEC player, a veteran of this league, it is really, really hard to win on the road.”
Bowers Comes Up Big
Although Georgia could get little else going on the offensive end, they had all they needed in tight end Brock Bowers. He finished with four catches for 121 yards, including some major third downs.
Auburn Coach Hugh Freeze had nothing but praise for the Tigers, who jumped out to a 10-0 lead, but were slowed down in a big way after the first three quarters.
“I’m really proud of our kids, but it hurts in there right now,” Freeze said after the game. “And that’s good to see. It hurts. It hurts those kids and our coaches, and our fans I’m sure, too. You have a chance to beat the No. 1 team in the country — back-to-back national champions — at home. The feeling that you get if you can pull that off is just ecstatic.”
Final Play
With the win, the Bulldogs add a significant notch in its belt since many have said that Georgia’s schedule is not as strong as other contenders.
The Bulldogs (5-0, 2-0 Southeastern Conference) remained unbeaten in the SEC and still stake their claim to No. 1.
