Georgia vs. Auburn
Saturday, November 15, 2008 - Auburn, Alabama
Final: 17-13
This is the second week in a row that Georgia escaped with a road victory over an SEC opponent. "The keys to this game were perseverance, guts and sticking together," Georgia Coach Mark Richt said. "Neither team played good enough to win. We both made enough mistakes to lose." One other "key" to winning this game was a bobbled snap on a PAT by Auburn - if not for that failed conversion, Auburn could have opted for field goal attempts instead of trying to convert on fourth down (twice) late in the game.
Well, Georgia did come out on top - here's a look at how the game went:
14 Auburn was (14) yards from an upset win in The Deep South's Oldest Rivalry. After driving the ball 66 yards on 11 plays with less than two minutes on the game clock, it all came down to a fourth-and-one from the Georgia 14 for Auburn quarterback Kodi Burns. He tried to hit Ben Tate in the end zone, but his pass was long and Georgia got the ball back with one tick left on the clock.
30 Auburn drove the ball (39) yards on nine plays and took 4:17 off the game clock after Georgia scored the go-ahead touchdown with 8:24 left in the fourth quarter. The Tigers stalled, however, at the Georgia 21, where they failed to convert on fourth-and three.
35 Mario Fannin scored on a (35) yard touchdown run that gave Auburn a 13-10 lead with 11:05 left in the game. The run capped off a drive that took 11 plays and covered 90 yards - and included a fourth-and-one conversion on a sneak by quarterback Kodi Burns.
81 The number of yards (81) receiving for A.J. Green. He caught five passes, but none were more important than his final catch of the day - it came just minutes after Auburn took the lead, and it went for 17 yards and a touchdown that proved to be the winning score.
131 The number of yards (131) rushing for Knowshon Moreno. He ran the ball 22 times and he also caught four passes for 58 yards, including a screen that Moreno took for 35 yards and a touchdown for Georgia's first points of the game.
215 The number of yards (215) passing for Matt Stafford. The Georgia QB was 15 for 24 and was good for a pair of touchdowns. The Auburn defense was unable to pick off any Stafford passes, but Stafford did fumble the ball on his own 36 with only 2:26 left in the game. It could have been costly, had he not recovered the ball as well. Stafford said afterwards, "They are a very good football team and they play us tough every year. It's a rivalry game, so you never know what can happen."
Game Notes: Actually, with Georgia's play this year "you never know what can happen" seems to be the mantra of every game. The all-time series between Georgia and Auburn is now 53-51-8 in favor of Auburn, but the difference in points is a mere 49 in favor of the Bulldogs.
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Comments (9) Add A Comment
Great info. I wasn't so sure the Dawgs were going to pull this one out... You're right about their mantra of "you never know what can happen."
Zac Robinson
Total Comments (49)
I'm no coach, but Richt really needs to do something about those penalties. Usually the dawgs improve as the year goes on, but the penalty situation is remaining the same.
How 'bout 'em
Marietta, GA
Total Comments (2070)
Totally agree, that 15 yarder on Auburn's final drive nearly cost Georgia the game.
Sports by the…
Total Comments (13)
I was at this game. It was embarrassing. like Richt said, neither team played good enough to win. In the end, I was glad Georgia came out on top.
ryanspowerbook
Newnan , GA
Total Comments (20)
You almost get the feeling that after the FL loss the players packed it in for the season. I'm sure that's not true, but watching them struggle and make mistakes that should have been taken care of back in the spring makes you wonder.
dch822
Total Comments (95)
I think that this season has to fall on the shoulders of Coach Richt. We have the talent on both sides of the ball to beat anybody in the country. I feel that Bobo has done a horriable job calling plays in the red zone. The Dawgs look their best when they are running the first plays of the game, which they know before the take the field. After that, its like we hit a wall. Defense is horriable. No sacks, safties can't tackle when they stnad in the gaps...I do think we have one of the best linebacking groups in the country, but I don't think they have been playing up to their potential either. Penalties have hurt us the most, but there are alot of other factors also.
Codizzle
Aiken, SC
Total Comments (6)
I think the players are feelings the same as most fans. After the Florida loss, the chance for even an SEC title is gone. The only hope they have left is for another mediocre bowl game. I would find it hard to round up extra motivation after that too.
JTCDawg
Oklahoma City , OK
Total Comments (32)
damn that Georgia Tech rushing attack looked downright scary
Sean Connery
Pemberton, NJ
Total Comments (940)
Fire Freaking Martinez, hes a terrible defensive coordinator.
**** GEORGIA TECH !
UGAFalconsBraves1225…
Euless, TX
Total Comments (28)
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