Report Card: Grading Auburn’s close loss against Georgia
Auburn’s offense and defense both flashed at times against Georiga but neither side was able to maintain the level of play needed to beat the No. 1 ranked Bulldogs as they ultimately lost 27-20 in Jordan-Hare Stadium
It started with Auburn’s second drive of the game when Payton Thorne took a designed run 61 yards to put Auburn in the red zone. They were unable to finish the drive and had to settle for a field goal.
The defense was able to force two takeaways but was unable to get off the field on third down.
Here is our report card from Auburn’s second loss of the season.
Quarterback: C+
Auburn’s quarterback had a massive game on the ground, combining for 125 yards and one touchdown rushing. Payton Thorne ripping off the 61-yard rush in the first quarter set up Auburn’s field goal and was the indicator that Auburn was ready for this game. However, they once again struggled to throw the ball and that will have to be improved if Auburn wants to pull off the upset, instead of just scaring someone.
Running Back: B-
The running backs were not as effective as the quarterbacks on the ground but they had some good carries. Jarquez Hunter led the way with 19 carries for 59 yards and a touchdown. Auburn finished with 219 yards rushing, the most any teams has had against Georgia since LSU in 2018.
Tight End: B
Auburn’s tight ends had a good, complete performance. Rivaldo Fairweather was Auburn’s top receiver, snagging four passes for 44 yards and the rest of the tight end had some solid blocking to help out in the run game.
Wide Receiver: D
Jay Fair and Camden Brown were the only Auburn receivers to catch passes in the game and several receivers had drops in key situations.
Offensive Line: B
The offensive line did a great job keeping Auburn’s quarterback upright, allowing three sacks against a talented Georgia defensive line. They also did a good job paving the way in the ground game.
Defensive Line: A
Marcus Harris was one of the top players in the game and was a major reason why Georgia struggled to run the ball. Auburn’s senior-leader finished the game with seven tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss, broke up a pass and forced a fumble.
Auburn’s jacks also had a big game with both Jalen McLeod and Elijah McAllister pressuring Carson Beck.
Linebacker: B
Larry Nixon III and Eugene Asante were all over the field for Auburn, combining for 15 tackles and 1.0 tackle for loss. The group played well but Cam Riley missed a diving interception late that would have been a huge turnover.
Defensive Back: C
Jaylin Simpson caught his fourth interception of the season but the group had no answer for Brock Bowers or on third down. Carson Beck threw for 115 yards on third down alone as Auburn was unable to get off the field.
Special teams: A
It was nearly a perfect game for the special teams unit, with the only negative being one long kick return by Georgia but the play by the rest of the unit overshadows that blemish.
Brian Battie had another explosive return to give Auburn’s offense great field position. Oscar Chapman punted five times for an average of 51.2 yards including a booming 71-yarder at the end of the first half. Four of his punts were pinned inside the 20, including two inside the 10-yard line.
Alex McPherson was once again perfect kicking, making both field goals and extra points.
