THREE STORYLINES
Auburn hangover. If there has been a more demoralizing defeat than the one Georgia suffered at Auburn on Saturday nobody seems to be able to recall it. The Bulldogs rallied from a 20-point, fourth-quarter deficit to take a 38-37 lead only to see the Tigers complete a 73-yard touchdown pass with 25 seconds remaining. Georgia's players claim to have recovered emotionally, but nobody will know for sure until they play again.
Bowl implications. With their SEC East possibilities finally exhausted, Georgia has only postseason bowls to play for. At the moment, the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville on Jan. 1 would seem the most attractive of the opportunities. But to earn an invitation the Bulldogs will need to defeat Kentucky and Georgia Tech to finish 8-4.
Senior Night. Twenty-eight Georgia seniors will be honored in pregame ceremonies a half-hour before Saturday night's kickoff. Quarterback Aaron Murray is the most decorated of the Class of 2013, having set virtually every Georgia and SEC career passing record. But the majority of the graduating seniors — 18 of them — started their careers as walk-ons. Many, such as Rhett McGowan, Connor Norman and Blake Sailors, earned scholarships.
MATCHUP TO WATCH
Georgia's OTs vs. Kentucky DEs: The Wildcats don't do a lot well, but they're pretty decent at rushing the passer. They rank fifth in the SEC with 21 sacks, and starting defensive ends Alvin Dupree (7) and Za'Darius Smith (6) have accounted for 13 of those. Georgia offensive tackle John Theus struggled to contain Auburn's Dee Ford last week. He, Kenarious Gates and Kolton Houston will try to protect Murray better this week.
TWEET OF THE WEEK
“This is awesome. There is nothing better than a true Dawg fan. #GoDawgs” — @tfrix69 (former Bulldog Ty Frix, with picture of billboard in East Athens that reads: “Thanks, Aaron, for finishing the drill. We appreciate our seniors.”)
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