In their rematch for the SEC championship, No. 6 Georgia defeated No. 2 Auburn 28-7 on Saturday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
The victory gave the Bulldogs (12-1) their first SEC championship since 2005 and 13th in program history – and almost certainly a berth in the College Football Playoff. Those four teams will be announced early Sunday afternoon.
Auburn (10-3) scored a touchdown on its first possession and didn’t score again. That was a role reversal from when the teams played Nov. 11 at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, when the Tigers dominated both lines of scrimmage in a 40-17 victory.
On Saturday, each team’s run game struggled in the first half, but picked up the pace in the second. In the end, Georgia rushed for 238 yards on 41 carries (including D’Andre Swift’s 64-yard touchdown run), and Auburn rushed for 114 yards on 31 carries. In the first half, UGA gained 49 and Auburn 63.
Here are three things to know about the game:
Fromm over Stidham. Georgia freshman quarterback Jake Fromm was 16-of-21 passing for 183 yards, and he passed for two touchdowns, with no interceptions. Auburn sophomore Jarrett Stidham was 16-for-30 for 145 yards and a touchdown. They were 19-of-22 combined for 192 yards in the first half. Stidham completed 2 of 15 passes in the second half.
Georgia penalties. The Bulldogs almost undermined their success with their penalties. They were called for seven that totaled 91 yards. Given that Georgia held Auburn to 259 yards of offense and held an advantage of 162 yards of offense, the penalties helped Auburn close the gap, and kept the Tigers in the game, until the fourth quarter.
Georgia stops Auburn's top rusher. Kerryon Johnson rushed for 167 yards on 32 carries when the teams met Nov. 11. On Saturday, Johnson gained 44 yards on 13 carries. Whether he was full healthy is a big question. He still tried to carry the load for Auburn, carrying on 13 of Auburn's 31 run plays.
