auburn vs. georgia published by The
Auburn Plainsman
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The Auburn Plainsman: Auburn vs. Georgia
November 14, 2019
SEC
standings SEC EAST 1st - Georgia (8-1, 5-1) 2nd - Florida (8-2, 5-2) 3rd - Tennessee (5-5, 3-3)
4th - South Carolina (4-6, 3-4) 5th - Missouri (5-4, 2-3) 6th - Kentucky (4-5, 2-5) 7th - Vanderbilt (2-7, 1-5)
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5th - Ole Miss (4-6, 2-4)
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November 14, 2019
The Auburn Plainsman: Auburn vs. Georgia
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Tight End: John S. Shenker - 47 Wide Receiver: Seth Williams - 18 Anthony Schwartz - 5 Sal Cannella - 80 Will Hastings - 33 Eli Stove - 12
OFFENSE
Center: Kaleb Kim - 54 OR Nick Brahms - 52 Right Guard: Mike Horton - 64 Jalil Irvin - 50 Right Tackle: Jack Driscoll - 71 Brodarious Hamm - 59
Linebacker: Owen Pappoe - 10 Zakoby McClain - 35 Cornerback: Noah Igbinoghene - 4 Roger McCreary - 23
Defensive Tackle: Derrick Brown - 5 Gary Walker - 97
Free Safety: Jeremiah Dinson - 20 Smoke Monday - 21
Buck: Big Kat Bryant - 1 OR T.D. Moultry - 55
Strong Safety: Daniel Thomas - 24 Jamien Sherwood - 9
Linebacker: K.J. Britt - 33 OR Chandler Wooten - 31
Cornerback: Javaris Davis - 13 Nehemiah Pritchett - 18
Kicker: Anders Carlson - 26 Sage Ledbetter - 25
Kicker: Rodrigo Blankenship - 98
Nickel: Christian Tutt - 6 Javaris Davis - 13
Punter: Arryn Siposs - 90 Long Snapper: Bill Taylor - 60 Holder: Sage Ledbetter - 25 Punt Returner: Christian Tutt - 6 Javaris Davis - 13 Kick Returner: Noah Igbinoghene - 4 D. J. Williams - 3 Shaun Shivers - 8 JaTarvious Whitlow - 28
GEORGIA DEPTH CHART
Quarterback: Jake Fromm - 11 Stetson Bennett - 13
Left Tackle: Andrew Thomas - 71 D’Marcus Hayes - 78
Running Back: D’Andre Swift - 7 Brian Herrien - 35
Left Guard: Solomon Kindley - 66 Justin Shaffer - 54
Tight End: Charlie Woerner - 89 Eli Wolf - 17
Defensive Tackle: Tyrone Truesdell - 94 Nick Coe - 91 Coynis Miller - 8
Linebacker: Nick Coe - 91 Chandler Wooten - 31
SPECIAL TEAMS
H-Back: Spencer Nigh - 99 Jay Jay Wilson - 42
Left Guard: Marquel Harrell - 77 Tashawn Manning - 56
Defensive End: Marlon Davidson - 3 Nick Coe - 91 OR Derrick Hall - 29
SPECIAL TEAMS
Running Back: JaTarvious Whitlow - 28 D.J. Williams - 3 Kam Martin - 9 Shaun Shivers - 8
Left Tackle: Prince T. Wanogho - 76 Bailey Sharp - 66 Alec Jackson - 65
DEFENSE
Quarterback: Bo Nix - 10 Cord Sandberg - 24 Wil Appleton - 15
Center: Trey Hill - 55 Warren Ericson - 50 Right Guard: Cade Mays - 77 Ben Cleveland - 74
Wide Receiver: Tyler Simmons - 87 Lawrence Cager - 15 Right Tackle: George Pickens - 1 Isaiah Wilson - 79 Demetris Robertson - 16 Jamaree Salyer - 69 Matt Landers - 5 Kearis Jackson - 10
DEFENSE
OFFENSE
AUBURN DEPTH CHART
Defensive End: David Marshall - 51 Malik Herring - 10
Linebacker: Quay Walker - 25 Nakobe Dean - 17
Defensive Tackle: Tyler Clark - 52 Michael Barnett - 94 Jordan Davis - 99 Devonte Wyatt - 95
Cornerback: Eric Stokes - 27 Tyrique Stevenson - 7
Linebacker: Monty Rice - 32 Tae Crowder - 30 Walter Grant - 84 Azeez Ojulari - 13 Linebacker: Nolan Smith - 4 Jermaine Johnson - 11
Strong Safety: Richard LeCounte - 2 Lewis Cine - 8 Free Safety: J.R. Reed - 20 Tyrique McGhee - 26 Cornerback: DJ Daniel - 14 Tyson Campbell - 3
Punter: Jake Camarda - 90 Bill Rubright - 93 Long Snapper: Payne Walker - 47 Holder: Jake Camarda - 90 Punt Returner: Tyler Simmons - 87 Kearis Jackson - 10 Kick Returner: James Cook - 4 Brian Herrien - 35
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The Auburn Plainsman: Auburn vs. Georgia
November 14, 2019
Georgia game Saturday provides flashbacks to 2017 By OLIVIA HUSKY Sports Writer
Heading into No. 12 Auburn’s game against No. 4 Georgia this Saturday, one can’t help but think back to 2017: the year No. 2 Georgia came into Jordan-Hare and fell to No. 10 Auburn. The Tigers won that game 40-17. Georgia got its payback though, defeating Auburn in the SEC Championship, 28-7, three weeks later. Now in 2019, Auburn faces a Georgia team that is on the playoff bubble while Auburn is hoping to secure its third win against a ranked opponent. While Auburn is not looking back at 2017 for guidance, the Tigers can see the similarities between then and now. “We really haven’t talked about 2017,” said Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn. “Now here’s the good thing for us, there’s a lot of our players that will be on that field Saturday that were there. Now the thing about it, they played a bunch of
young guys back then too, so they have a lot of guys that have experience too as far as that goes. ... They happen to be one of the best teams in the country just like they were a couple of years ago, and we’re in probably a similar situation as we were a couple of year ago too. We’ll see what happens.” Defensive tackle Derrick Brown is one of those players that was on the field in 2017 and will be back on the field this Saturday. His focus isn’t on the past, but rather on the importance of these last games of the season. “I try not to look back at the past, to be honest,” Brown said. “I mean, I just think that, you know, for us to be able to do what we want to do and be able to have a chance at the things we said that we want, then we know that this back stretch is the most important to us. Every single year, playing Georgia and Alabama have always been the high focus points and winning those games on the back end. So I mean, that’s whether you’re an Auburn
Jordyn Peters (15) makes a tackle during Auburn vs. Georgia on Nov. 11, 2017, in Auburn, Ala.
football player, Auburn fan — I think that’s the most crucial time of the year. I just think that’s one of those things where it will never change.” The 2017 defense was able to hold Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm to one touchdown and less than 200 passing yards. Georgia had just 46 total rushing yards in that game as well. Overall, the Auburn defense held the Bulldogs to just 230 total offensive yards. In comparison, the Bulldogs averaged 435.3 total offensive yards per game that year. This season, Georgia is averaging 448.4 total offensive yards per game and is holding opponents to 260.3 total offensive yards a game. Auburn on the other hand is averaging 425.1 total offensive yards per game while holding opponents to an average of 334.1 yards per game. The Tigers will face off against the Bulldogs on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. CST in Jordan-Hare Stadium. The game will be broadcast on CBS.
FILE PHOTO
November 14, 2019
The Auburn Plainsman: Auburn vs. Georgia
Boobee Whitlow (28) runs the ball during Auburn Football vs. Georgia on Saturday, Nov. 10, 2018, in Athens, Ga.
5 JOSHUA FISHER/PHOTGRAPHER
Auburn awaits challenge with Georgia defense By JAKE WEESE Sports Reporter
The trenches will be crucial come Saturday inside Jordan-Hare Stadium. Both Auburn and Georgia’s defenses have been allowing less than 20 points a game heading into this year’s installment of the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry. Georgia’s defense is stout overall this season, but especially in regard to stopping the run game. The Bulldogs lead the SEC in rushing defense, allowing 76.4 yards a game. Auburn’s rushing offense is averaging 219.3 yards a game, ranking it second in the SEC. Auburn has scored a total of 37 touchdowns this season with 23 — or 62.16% — coming on the ground. The Bulldogs are the only team in the past 20 seasons to not allow a rushing touchdown through the first nine games and are the only
FBS team this season to not allow a rushing touchdown yet. Head coach Gus Malzahn believes that running against Georgia is not impossible and will be a factor in Auburn’s success this weekend. “I think that’s the challenge for everyone that plays them — you’ve got to be able to run the football effectively and you can’t be one dimensional,” Malzahn said. “For us to be successful we’re going to have to run the football effectively and that’s really how we’re built anyway. That’ll be a really good matchup to watch and see what happens.” Auburn’s rushing yards per game dip when going up against conference opponents, with an average of 188.17 yards against six SEC opponents. The Tigers have rushed for at least one touchdown against their six opponents with the exception of Florida. Auburn offensive lineman Marquel Harrell knows that Auburn’s offensive line faces tough competition in Georgia’s defensive line but has
seen the offensive line improve throughout the season. “It’s a big test for us up front, but you know throughout the year, we’ve been consistent, we’ve gradually gotten better each and every week,” Harrell said. “Like, just the guys up front, we knew coming into this game their front seven is tremendous. You look at those guys up front, they’ve got some big-bodied guys that are hard to move.” Not only has Auburn had a rushing touchdown in every game this season with the exception of Florida, it has also rushed for multiple touchdowns in six of its nine games this season. “Any time we run the ball I get happy. I’m an offensive lineman. But you know our goal is to just go out there and however we get the job done,” Harrell said. “At the end of the day, a win is a win. If we throw the ball 100 times and win, if we run the ball 100 times and win, no matter what — we want the win. But to break the rushing record that they have would be nice.”
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The Auburn Plainsman: Auburn vs. Georgia
November 14, 2019
November 14, 2019
The Auburn Plainsman: Auburn vs. Georgia
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The Auburn Plainsman: Auburn vs. Georgia
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November 14, 2019
FEB. 1 5 APPLI , 2020 CATIO N DEAD LINE
November 14, 2019
The Auburn Plainsman: Auburn vs. Georgia
9 MARIE LIPSKI / PHOTO EDITOR
Bo Nix (10) warms up before Auburn football at LSU on Oct. 26, 2019, in Baton Rouge, La.
Nix’s progression reaches critical crossroads against UGA By CHRISTIAN CLEMENTE Sports Writer
As the season moves along for Bo Nix and the No. 12 Auburn Tigers, progression and learning from mistakes has been a key for the team. The true freshman has struggled at times but then has quickly been able to respond and put up numbers Nix started his season off with a comeback victory against Oregon, becoming a hero on campus. Nix led the way in a victory against Texas A&M but was quickly met with adversity just two weeks later when he completed only 11 passes and threw three interceptions against Florida. Nix responded to the criticism in Auburn’s next matchup when he completed 12-of-17 passes and totaled four touchdowns on the day against Arkansas. But again, Nix and the Tigers took on LSU in Baton Rouge where Nix was only able to
complete 15-of-35 passes for 157 yards. He followed that up with what head coach Gus Malzahn is calling his best performance when Nix completed 30-of-44 passes for 340 yards at home against Ole Miss. Nix also felt like it was one of his better games. “I felt like I played pretty good,” Nix said. “I hit some throws, I hit some deep throws and really got in a rhythm and was effective from that standpoint.” In the biggest home game of his collegiate career, Auburn will look for Nix to continue to play similar to his Ole Miss game as it takes on No. 4 Georgia and its defense which is statistically the best in the SEC. Getting in a rhythm early against Georgia will be a key for Nix, who said that the team needs to start fast. Auburn will not only need to start fast, but it will also need to continue that pace as the team has consistently struggled in the second quarter.
For the true freshman, playing against Georgia is still a surreal feeling. “At the beginning of the week when I started watching video I realized that I’m actually playing Georgia on Saturday,” Nix said. “Growing up that’s what I always wanted to do; I grew up watching these games and how important they were. Seeing the really big games, seeing the incredible games between the two teams, so I’m just looking forward to playing in it.” With the highs come the lows as Nix has received a fair amount of criticism for his performances against LSU and Florida. While impossible to fully avoid it, Nix said he tries to use the criticism he receives as motivation. “Obviously sometimes you’re gonna see it, someone’s gonna tell you about it, that’s gonna happen,” Nix said. “You can’t really hide from it completely, but I’ve just tried to use it as a drive to play better. I’ve just tried to zone out of it and worry about the
team, worry about what coaches are saying and just focus on winning the next game.” Nix has been able to rely on his father, Patrick Nix, a former Auburn quarterback, to help him deal with the criticism and block it out. “He’s been through it and he didn’t really have social media, so he’s taught me how to handle the criticism and just block it out and just not worry about it,” Nix said about his father’s advice. “He reminds me I’m here for a reason, so just play accordingly.” Nix and the Tigers end the season with three straight home games against No. 4 Georgia, Samford and No. 5 Alabama. While some are asking whether Nix and the Tigers are trying to ruin another teams’ College Football Playoff chances, Nix is just focused on his team. “We still have a lot left in front of us, a lot to play for; anything could happen,” Nix said. “We could find ourselves in a good situation by the end of the year.”
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The Auburn Plainsman: Auburn vs. Georgia
November 14, 2019
I T TA K E S A V I L L A G E T O M A K E A H O M E
What makes a home in National Village so special is the sum of the parts of National Village. The Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Grand National, the pool and spa, the lake, the hiking trails, the dining, the friendship, and of course Auburn Football. Perhaps the saying is true, the whole is equal to the sum of its parts.
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10/28/19 11:27 AM
November 14, 2019
The Auburn Plainsman: Auburn vs. Georgia
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JOSHUA FISHER / PHOTOGRAPHER
Fromm’s role in Saturday’s UGA game By HARRISON TARR Sports Writer
Game days in Auburn, Alabama, are often filled with a mixture of emotions for the Tiger faithful — joy, anger, fear, distress, and anxiety to name a few. However, there are only a handful of game days each year that all fans of the orange and blue come together to express one emotion in unison: hate. This Saturday is sure to be one of them, as the No. 12 Auburn Tigers play host to No. 4 Georgia in the 2019 installment of the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry. All emotions aside, Gus Malzahn’s Tigers will have their hands full with Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs. The Georgia offense averages 33.7 points per game and is capable of get-
ting yards through the ground game, ranking No. 24 in the nation in rushing yards per game. Junior quarterback and three-year starter Jake Fromm will likely prove to be one of the impact players in this weekend’s contest, as he has been in seemingly every game to this point in the season — and his career. “I really feel like he’s one of the better players at any position in all of college football,” Malzahn said of Fromm. The seventh-year head coach made it clear that pressuring the veteran quarterback is one of his top defensive focuses for this year’s game. “(Fromm) got a very good command of his offense,” Malzahn said. “He doesn’t hold the ball long ... and, when he has to, he can be a running threat, too.” When asked about how to limit Fromm’s ability to get
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the ball out, and how to force the NFL draft hopeful into making mistakes, Malzahn’s message was simple. “He’s a veteran guy, he’s played in big games, and he doesn’t turn the ball over a lot,” Malzahn said. “But we’ve got to make him uncomfortable.” Saying that Fromm does not turn the ball over often is statistically correct. The junior has thrown a mere three interceptions through nine games in his 2019 campaign, and has 16 across his three years at UGA. This weekend will likely be a test of talent for the Tigers, and containing Fromm is just one of the many challenges the Georgia brings to the table. Fromm is 2-1 in his career against Auburn. He lost his only game in Jordan-Hare Stadium his true freshman year two seasons ago.
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