Bulldogs and Tigers mix it up in SEC action

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11/12/2008 - Auburn, AL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - SEC foes will collide this weekend when the 13th-ranked Georgia Bulldogs hit the road to take on the Auburn Tigers.

Georgia bounced back from an ugly loss to Florida with a 42-38 decision over Kentucky last weekend. The Bulldogs are now 8-2 overall, and while they have failed to earn a spot in the SEC title game, a solid bowl bid is a certainty. Aside from the loss to the Gators, the only other setback for Georgia came against top-ranked Alabama.

As for Auburn, it needed a strong second half to knock off Tennessee-Martin last weekend. That 37-20 triumph halted a four-game skid for the Tigers, who have been one of the nation's most disappointing teams this season. At 5-5, they need just one more victory to become bowl eligible. Auburn holds a narrow 53-50-8 lead in the all-time series with Georgia, but the Bulldogs have won the last two meetings.

Georgia has plenty of talent on the offensive side of the football, and the team is scoring 32.6 ppg to go along with 436.8 total ypg. Knowshon Moreno is one of the best tailbacks in the nation, and he has rushed for 1,113 yards and 15 touchdowns while averaging 5.9 ypc. As for quarterback Matthew Stafford, he has completed 60.9 percent of his throws for 2,587 yards and 15 touchdowns against eight interceptions. A strong-armed signal caller, Stafford can make every throw on the field. The top target on the outside for Georgia is A.J. Green, a tremendously talented freshman who has racked up 806 receiving yards and six touchdowns on 46 catches. Mohamed Massaquoi has posted 41 grabs for 669 yards and five touchdowns.

Against Kentucky last weekend, Massaquoi exploded for 191 yards and a touchdown on eight catches. "Massaquoi is a great route runner," said Stafford after the game. "He did a great job getting open and running with the ball well after the catch." Green scored the game-winning touchdown, and Stafford completed 17-of-27 passes for 376 yards and three scores. Moreno rushed for 123 yards and three touchdowns.

The fact that opponents are posting 24.9 ppg against Georgia is disappointing to both the coaches and players. Through 10 games, the Bulldogs have surrendered 33 touchdowns to opposing offenses, including 17 scores on the ground. Still, the 'Dawgs have been much better against the run than the pass, allowing 3.3 yards per rushing attempt while yielding a rather high 12.1 yards per pass completion. The top player for the Georgia defense is Rennie Curran, who has registered 89 total tackles, including 7.5 TFLs. Curran has posted three sacks and forced a pair of fumbles. Rashad Jones, who is second on the team in tackles, has registered three interceptions.

Considering the fact that Georgia yielded 38 points to Kentucky last weekend, it is hard to give too much credit to the Bulldogs' defense. The Wildcats scored five rushing touchdowns in the clash, and they racked up 226 yards. Still, it should be pointed out that it took Kentucky 56 carries to reach that mark. "What I'm going to say about the defense is that they were good enough to win the game," said Georgia head coach Richt. "They got three key stops at the end of the game and I'm proud of them."

The Tigers have had trouble moving the ball and scoring points this season. They are averaging just 19.5 ppg and 315.4 total ypg, and the offense lacks the type of star-caliber player that seems to be on the Auburn roster more often than not. As usual, the Tigers rely heavily on their ground attack, and there are many capable ball carriers in the fold. Ben Tate leads the squad with 615 yards and three touchdowns, while quarterback Kodi Burns is second with 377 yards and a team-high five scores. As a passer, Burns has connected on 54.8 percent of his passes for 758 yards with only one touchdown and seven interceptions, as he hasn't been as good through the air as his teammate, Chris Todd. The passing game is not going to scare any opponents, and foes have been able to stack the line of scrimmage.

Tristan Davis, who runs the ball for Auburn, opened the game against Tennessee-Martin with a 95-yard kickoff return for a score. Burns had his best game of the season by far, as he passed for 130 yards while also rushing for 158 yards and two touchdowns. "We were trying to do a little bit more with him," said coach Tommy Tuberville of Burns. "He's not real fast, but he is quick and strong and he's gotten better running the ball." The Tigers finished the tilt with 26 first downs and 452 total yards, but the quality of competition was not very high.

Opponents are only scoring 16.3 ppg against Auburn, which has played solid defense for much of the season. The Tigers have yielded 19 touchdowns, including just four on the ground. A strength of the defense has been its play on third down, as Auburn is limiting foes to 28 percent success on their conversion attempts. Zac Etheridge has made a team-high 55 tackles, and Mike McNeil is hot on his heels with 54.

Against Tennessee-Martin last week, Auburn yielded only 38 rushing yards. The Tigers did give up 285 passing yards and two scores through the air, disappointing to the players and coaches. Fortunately, they came up with a pair of interceptions. "We will be better on defense and our kicking game will be better," said Tuberville when asked about moving from the shaky effort against UT-Martin to the game against Georgia. "Again, we know it is a tall order. The game is here at our place, and we will play much better."