Kirby Smart calls for better conditioning and line depth after Georgia’s Auburn loss
After Auburn beat Georgia 27-24, Smart pointed to conditioning, player availability, turnovers, penalties and offensive-line depth as areas the Bulldogs must address.
Georgia coach Kirby Smart said the Bulldogs must improve their conditioning, get players healthy and develop more dependable offensive linemen after Auburn beat No. 1 Georgia 27-24 in Athens on October 17. UGA Wire reported that the loss, sealed by a field goal as time expired, was Georgia’s first of the season. Smart also pointed to turnovers and undisciplined penalties as problems to address.
What Smart wants Georgia to fix
“Number one, we’ve got to get in better shape,” Smart said, according to UGA Wire. “Number two, we’ve got to get some guys healthy and back.” He said about eight or nine players had scarcely practiced during the week as Georgia prepared for the game. UGA Wire did not identify those players or report their conditions.
Smart said Georgia had strengths on both offense and defense but needed more players who could contribute reliably. He singled out the offensive line: “I need to be able to play more than five linemen.” He said Anthony London had played on third down and had been dependable, although Smart still needed to review the game video. More usable depth matters over the grind of a nine-game SEC schedule, he said.
How Auburn overcame Georgia’s yardage advantage
Georgia gained 440 yards to Auburn’s 366, according to UGA Wire, but quarterback Gunner Stockton accounted for all three Georgia turnovers and Auburn blocked a field goal. The Tigers also outrushed the Bulldogs 192 yards to 113. Those figures put Smart’s concern about turnovers alongside a game in which Georgia’s advantage in total yards did not translate into a win.
Auburn recovered from a 14-0 deficit. ESPN reported that, before this game, unranked teams had lost 195 consecutive games after falling at least 14 points behind the AP’s No. 1 team. Georgia had been 65-0 under Smart against unranked opponents after building a lead of at least 14 points. The result also ended a run of 93 straight home wins by AP No. 1 teams against unranked opponents.
Auburn quarterback Byrum Brown ran for 115 yards and passed for 150, ESPN reported. He became the first quarterback since Vince Young in the 2005 BCS national championship game to rush for at least 100 yards in a victory over an AP No. 1 team. Our earlier report covered Auburn’s comeback and the streaks it ended; Smart’s subsequent comments set out what Georgia intends to work on after the defeat.
Georgia has a bye week before its scheduled game against Florida, UGA Wire reported. That gives Smart’s team time to assess its lineup and prepare after a loss that exposed the turnover and depth concerns he described.
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Sources and context
- What Georgia football needs to improve after the Auburn lossUGA Wire (republished by Yahoo Sports)
- All the numbers behind Auburn's stunning upset of No. 1 GeorgiaESPN
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.