GEORGIA GAME DAY BREAKDOWN: BOW UP AND HUNKER DOWN: Defense promises to play with passion

Having made the wrong kind of history the past three weeks, Georgia’s defense vows to make amends today.

“We want to send out a statement this week,” senior defensive tackle Corvey Irvin said. “We want to change things around on defense. We want to get back to the old ways.”

The defense’s recent ways have contributed to opponents scoring 38 or more points in three consecutive games —- the second time in the Georgia program’s 116-year history that has happened.

And the first time since 1900.

The defensive players have talked a lot this week about playing with more passion, having more fun, staying more focused on individual assignments, being more vocal and getting their swagger back.

Beyond such generalities, the defensive unit set three quantifiable goals for today’s game at a players-only meeting, called by Irvin on Monday. The players won’t say what those goals are.

“I’m not going to tell you what they are because I don’t want to sell my boys out,” Irvin said. “But when you’re at the game and our goals have been achieved, I’ll let you know what they were.”

Safe to say, the goals require a dramatic improvement from the past three weeks, in which Georgia allowed an average of almost 42 points and 200 yards rushing per game.

“We have to get back to playing Georgia defense the way it has been played in the past,” safety Reshad Jones said. “We have to play hard-nosed football. Get after guys.”

COMPARE AND CONTRAST

IN THE SEC

How Georgia and Auburn compare statistically (SEC rank in parentheses):

Statistic; Georgia; Auburn

Scoring offense; 32.6 points per game (2nd); 19.5 points per game (10th)

Scoring defense; 24.9 points per game (11th); 16.3 points per game (4th)

Total offense; 436.8 yards per game (1st); 316.2 yards per game (8th)

Total defense; 308.9 yards per game (8th); 305.0 yards per game (7th)

Passing offense; 273.8 yards per game (1st); 169.3 yards per game (9th)

Passing defense; 206.3 yards per game (10th); 175.3 yards per game (4th)

Rushing offense; 163.0 yards per game (5th); 146.9 yards per game (6th)

Rushing defense; 102.6 yards per game (3rd); 129.7 yards per game (9th)

Turnover margin; -0.10 per game (6th); -0.50 per game (9th)

Penalties; 72.6 yards per game (12th); 47.8 yards per game (5th)

AGAINST COMMON OPPONENTS

How Georgia and Auburn fared against their three mutual opponents this season:

Opponent; Georgia result; Auburn result

Tennessee; Won 26-14 (Oct. 11 in Athens); Won 14-12 (Sept. 27 in Auburn)

Vanderbilt; Won 24-14 (Oct. 18 in Athens); Lost 14-13 (Oct. 4 in Nashville)

LSU; Won 52-38 (Oct. 25 in Baton Rouge); Lost 26-21 (Sept. 20 in Auburn)

AUBURN OFFENSE

Tigers running game gains ground

Auburn’s offense might appear to be a salve for an ailing Georgia defense, given that the Tigers are averaging 13.8 points per game against SEC opponents and rank 102nd in the nation in scoring offense and 100th in total offense.

Kentucky’s offense looked pretty bad, too, before it gashed Georgia for 38 points and 226 yards rushing.

Auburn’s offense has been in flux. First, the Tigers were transitioning to new offensive coordinator Tony Franklin’s spread. Coach Tommy Tuberville fired Franklin after six unproductive games. Since then, Auburn has settled on 6-foot-1, 206-pound sophomore Kodi Burns as its starting quarterback and focused more on the run.

The Tigers now are sixth in the SEC in rushing offense at 146.9 yards per game, led by running back Ben Tate’s 61.5 yards per game.

“They have turned their personality back to what they’re used to in terms of physical blocking,” Georgia coach Mark Richt said. “They were transitioning from power football to spread football and then back to the power game, and you can see week by week that they have gotten much better.”

Perhaps, but the Tigers’ offense has scored only four touchdowns in its past three SEC games.

Burns ran for 158 yards in a 37-20 victory over Division I-AA Tennessee-Martin last week, the most rushing yards by an Auburn quarterback in 34 years. In the preceding game, a 17-7 loss to Ole Miss, Burns completed 27 of 43 passes for 319 yards but threw three interceptions.

WHAT IF?

A Georgia win would …

> Give the Bulldogs three consecutive victories over Auburn for the first time since Herschel Walker was in the Georgia backfield (1980-82).

> Give the Bulldogs 30 wins in 34 games in an opponent’s stadium under Mark Richt.

> Send the Bulldogs into their Nov. 29 game against Georgia Tech with a 9-2 record and a shot at matching last year’s 10-2 regular-season record.

An Auburn win would …

> Be the Tigers’ first victory over a Division I-A opponent since Sept. 27.

> Make the Tigers bowl eligible.

> Avenge a 45-20 loss to Georgia in a blacked-out Sanford Stadium last year.

ROAD SWEET ROAD

Bulldogs fare better at Auburn

An oddity of the Georgia-Auburn series is that the road team fares better than the home team. A breakdown of Georgia’s record vs. Auburn:

> In Athens: 10-18

> In Auburn: 13-9-2

> At neutral sites: 27-26-6

> Overall: 50-53-8

> Note: Georgia has won four of its past six games at Auburn, and Auburn has won 10 of its past 13 in Athens.

‘PICK YOUR POISON’

Dogs’ offense a world of trouble

While Georgia fans have fretted about the Bulldogs’ defense this week, Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville has fretted about the Dogs’ offense.

With playmakers at quarterback (Matthew Stafford), tailback (Knowshon Moreno) and receiver (A.J. Green and Mohamed Massaquoi), Georgia leads the SEC with 436.8 yards of total offense per game.

“They give you all kinds of problems,” Tuberville said. “Our defense, as every defense that they’ve faced this year, has their hands full. You pick your poison, so to speak, on what you try to stop and how you want to play them. … Their quarterback is as good as I’ve seen in college football in a long time.”

Stafford has been particularly good against Auburn, completing 25 of 39 passes for 456 yards and three touchdowns (one interception) in two wins over the Tigers.

Caveat: While Georgia has scored 32.6 points per game this season, Auburn has allowed 16.3 —- 13th best in the nation.

MIXED FEELINGS

Richt last called plays at Auburn

The last time Georgia played at Auburn, Nov. 11, 2006, the Bulldogs rolled up 446 yards of offense and upset No. 5 Auburn 37-15.

That was coach Mark Richt’s last game calling plays for Georgia.

He delegated the duty to offensive coordinator Mike Bobo before the next game.

“There’s times I do miss it, and there’s times when I’m glad I’m not messing with it,” Richt said this week.

SALVAGE OPERATION

Win would help Tigers’ feelings

Ranked No. 10 in preseason polls and picked by the media to win the SEC West, Auburn has fallen hard, reaching its final two games with a 5-5 record (2-4 SEC).

Would winning one of the last two —- over Georgia or Alabama —- salvage the season for the Tigers?

“I don’t know if you would call it ‘salvage,’ ” coach Tommy Tuberville said. “When you lose five games for us, we’re not used to it. You’re still going to have that knot in your stomach.

“But it would sure ease the feelings a little bit.”

Said Georgia split end Mohamed Massaquoi: “I know we’re going to get nothing short of their best shot.”

BOWL RAMIFICATIONS

Game in Florida likely for Dogs

A win today would keep Georgia on track for a possible invitation to the Capital One Bowl. A look at the Bulldogs’ top postseason possibilities, which remain in flux:

> Capital One Bowl (Jan. 1 in Orlando): The Capital One has the first choice of SEC teams after the BCS makes its picks. If Alabama and Florida wind up in BCS bowls, and if Georgia and LSU win their remaining regular-season games, the Capital One likely would pick between Georgia and LSU. The opponent comes from the Big Ten.

> Outback Bowl (Jan. 1 in Tampa): The Outback has the next choice of SEC East teams after the BCS and the Capital One make their picks. The opponent comes from the Big Ten.

> Cotton Bowl (Jan. 2 in Dallas): The Cotton has the next choice of SEC West teams after the BCS and the Capital One make their picks. But the Cotton can opt for an East team instead after the Outback has made its choice, just as the Outback can opt for a West team after the Cotton has made its pick. Georgia could wind up in the Cotton if the Capital One and the Outback pass on the Bulldogs. The opponent comes from the Big 12.

THE NUMBERS GAME

Tigers tough against the run

0: Offensive touchdowns allowed in the first quarter by Auburn this season

1-4: Auburn’s record in its past five games

4: Rushing touchdowns allowed by Auburn this season, second fewest in the nation

25: Players on Auburn’s roster who are from the state of Georgia, compared with just two players on Georgia’s roster from Alabama (freshman starting center Ben Jones from Centreville and freshman offensive lineman Jonathan Owens, who is being redshirted, from Blountsville)

41: Average number of points Georgia scored in its past two games against Auburn

REMEMBER THE HEDGES?

The long road will soon end

Today, the long road ends.

The trip to Auburn is Georgia’s fourth consecutive game away from Athens —- just the second such stretch for the Bulldogs in 43 years.

They are 2-1 on this odyssey so far, with wins at LSU and Kentucky and a loss to Florida in Jacksonville.

When the Bulldogs return to Sanford Stadium to play Georgia Tech on Nov. 29, they will have gone 42 days between home games —- the longest gap for any Division I-A team in the nation this season.