Georgia Football: Put the shackles on Auburn in 2016

ATHENS, GA - NOVEMBER 12: Linebacker Davin Bellamy
ATHENS, GA - NOVEMBER 12: Linebacker Davin Bellamy /
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There are 32 days till college football season, and today we talk about the 2016 matchup of one of the oldest rivalries in the SEC.

The Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry is the annual matchup between Georgia Bulldogs and the Auburn Tigers. The first year of the Kirby Smart era in Athens wasn’t exactly what fans were expecting. While their 8-5 record was decent, they weren’t anywhere close to the SEC East title. But the game against Auburn provided the positive mojo that Smart and the Georgia football program needed.

Both defenses played great in this game, but Georgia was on another level in the second half, and that leads us to no. 32 on the Southbound and Down College Football Countdown.

Georgia held Auburn to 32 yards of total offense in the second half of their 2016 matchup

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Auburn took a 7-0 lead into halftime in last year’s game in Athens. The Tigers tallied 132 yards of total offense compared to 156 for the Bulldogs.

Georgia Bulldogs Football
Georgia Bulldogs Football /

Georgia Bulldogs Football

But in the second half, Georgia put the shackles on their SEC West rivals. On the opening drive of the second half, Auburn quarterback Sean White threw two straight incompletions and was looking at 3rd and 10.

On third down he tried to find Will Hastings, but instead he found the Dawgs’ Maurice Smith, who picked it off and returned it 34 yards for a touchdown, tying the game at 7.

It was the only touchdown of the game for the Bulldogs, who upset no. 9 Auburn 13-7. On seven second half drives, Georgia forced Auburn into six three-and-outs and a turnover on downs. They ran 22 plays for a total of 32 yards (1.45 yards per play).

Auburn abandoned the run in the second half. After running 23 running plays and 9 pass plays in the first half, the Tigers ran 15 pass plays to just 7 run plays in the second half.

Next: Jim McElwain stepping up on recruiting trail

It was third straight win for Georgia over Auburn in the series, and the trademark win the Georgia football program needed in 2016. We’ll see what Smart and the Bulldogs are capable of in 2017.