Why Georgia Football Fans Should Be Confident Ahead of Matchup vs Auburn Tigers

Why Georgia fans should be confident ahead of the Bulldogs' matchup against the Auburn Tigers.

Georgia fans will be quick to tell you that there isn't a place they hate playing on the road more than Jordan-Hare against the Auburn Tigers. It has less to do with the team and more to do with what has happened in that stadium. The Bulldogs have had some close calls and some heartbreakers in that stadium, and they will be looking to avoid that this weekend.

Things get a little more unsettling when the betting line for this game only has Georgia as a 3.5-point favorite. With that said, though, there are also reasons why Georgia fans should be confident in their team ahead of the matchup.

1. Offseason Talk Was True

Georgia talked all offseason about wanting to be better at running the ball and stopping the run. Through five games, Georgia ranks 26th for rushing offense, averaging over 200 yards per game and the defense 13th in stopping the run, allowing just over 80 yards per game.

Through three SEC games now, Georgia has consistently been able to do those two things and those are the types of things that help you win in this conference, especially on the road.

2. Third Down Efficiency

If you were to look at Auburn's third-down conversion rate at home, you would see that they are converting 55% of the time on third down in Jordan-Hare this season. However, against conference opponents, Auburn ranks 132nd in the country for third-down efficiency, 10.71%. Georgia, on the other hand, ranks 22nd in the country for third-down efficiency against conference opponents, as they are converting 50% of the time.

The Tigers are rushing for just under 59 yards per game against SEC teams this season, which is causing them to find themselves in tough situations on third down. If the Bulldogs can get the Tigers into third-and-long situations, the defense will be in great shape.

3. Gunner Stockton is Tested

A road trip to Auburn is even more daunting when it's your first road trip of the season and your quarterback's first road trip of his career. That's what it was when Carson Beck was the quarterback in 2023 and the Bulldogs narrowly escaped with a win. For Stockton, though, he has already been to Neyland Stadium this year and he walked out of there with a win.

On top of that, Stockton has played in the SEC Championship game, a college football playoff game, a road game against Tennessee and now will add a trip to Jordan-Hare to his resume. Despite only having a handful of career starts, Stockton has had to grow up a bit quicker than a program would like, and so far, he has done a pretty good job at handling it.