Georgia football big favorite to roll Auburn on The Plains

ATHENS — Georgia football will carry its momentum onto The Plains of Auburn as more than a two-touchdown favorite next Saturday.

The No. 2-ranked Bulldogs (5-0) opened as a 15-point favorite over the No. 18 Tigers (4-1) in the 3:30 p.m. game at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Auburn is coming off an emotional 24-19 win at LSU on Saturday night. The Tigers were led by quarterback Bo Nix, who pass for 255 yards and a TD and ran for another 74 yards and a TD on 12 carries.

“It was part of the game plan tonight,” Auburn coach Bryant Harsin said. “Bo is a weapon with his legs. He’s able to make guys miss. He can run and I think that’s good for him. That’s part of his game that makes him the type of player that he is.”

Georgia quarterback JT Daniels remains questionable to play while dealing with a strained lat muscle. Coach Kirby Smart said he expected Daniels to be a game-time decision.

If Daniels can’t go, Stetson Bennett figures to be in a position to make his third start of the season. Bennett was the quarterback for Georgia last season when the Bulldogs scored a 27-6 victory over the Tigers.

“I’m not losing sleep on it because it’s beyond our control,” Smart said of his quarterback situation. “Stetson Bennett is a really good quarterback. I keep saying that, and people don’t believe us, but he’s a good quarterback.”

This version of the Georgia defense is proving to be even better than last year’s Top 10 unit, which kept Auburn out of the end zone.

“Every time we get on the field, we are pushing for a three and out,” UGA linebacker Nakobe Dean said. “That is just the standard. If they do not score, they cannot win.”

The Bulldogs have recorded back-to-back shutouts against SEC teams for the first time since 1980.

The Georgia defense leads the nation in scoring defense (4.6), total defense (178.6), pass efficiency defense (78.21), and it is fourth in rushing defense (68.6).

“All we told our defense all week is, ‘you ain’t played nobody … and they went out there and they shut those guys out,” Smart said.

“You know what we’ll tell them next week? You ain’t played anybody. So we’ll keep preaching to get better, and grow, and we’re not where we need to be.”