8 reasons why Auburn will upset top-ranked Georgia

JULIE BENNETT

8 reasons why Auburn will upset top-ranked Georgia

Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn and Georgia head coach Kirby Smart talks at midfield Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016, game at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Ga. (Julie Bennett/jbennett@al.com)

No. 10 Auburn (7-2, 5-1 SEC) hosts No. 1 Georgia at 2:30 p.m. Saturday in Jordan-Hare Stadium for the 121st rendition of the Deep South's Oldest Rivalry. It's just the fourth time in series history that both teams have been ranked in the top 10, and the first such meeting since 2004. Auburn has won the three previous meetings between the two programs as top-10 teams, and AL.com takes a look at eight reasons why the Tigers will improve that mark to 4-0 this weekend and snap a three-game losing streak to the Bulldogs.

By Tom Green | tgreen@al.com

Julie Bennett

1. Auburn's pass rush is the best Georgia has faced this season

Auburn linebacker Jeff Holland (4) celebrates his sack of Mississippi State quarterback Nick Fitzgerald (7) by sharing a bow with teammate Andrew Williams (79) during the second half Saturday, Sept. 30, 2017, at Jordan Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala. (Julie Bennett/jbennett@al.com)

Auburn coaches have mentioned it time and time again this season, but the Tigers' defensive dominance starts up front with the play of the defensive line, and Georgia has yet to face a line like Auburn's this season. Auburn is tied for 17th in the nation in sacks with 26 on the year, with eight of them coming from "Sensei Mud" Jeff Holland. While Georgia has allowed just nine sacks on the season, the Tigers' defensive line should be able to keep Bulldogs freshman quarterback Jake Fromm under pressure.

Julie Bennett

2. Jarrett Stidham's downfield passing

Auburn quarterback Jarrett Stidham (8) passes the ball against Arkansas Saturday, Oct. 21, 2017, during the first half at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark. (Julie Bennett/jbennett@al.com)

Auburn has one of the most productive downfield passing attacks in the nation this season thanks to the addition of quarterback Jarrett Stidham. The Tigers have completed nine passes of at least 50 yards, which is the sixth-most in the nation. Auburn also has 14 passes of 40 yards or longer and 18 passes of at least 30 yards. The fact the Tigers have multiple receivers with big-play ability should provide a sufficient challenge for a Georgia secondary that hasn't given up many deep balls this season.

Julie Bennett

3. Kerryon Johnson can outduel Georgia's running back duo

Auburn running back Kerryon Johnson (21) celebrates a touchdown against Missouri Saturday, Sept. 23, 2017, during the first half at Faurot Field in Columbia, Mo. (Julie Bennett/jbennett@al.com)

Perhaps Georgia coach Kirby Smart put it best when he said Monday that Auburn running back Kerryon Johnson is "running wild on people" this season. Johnson has been on a tear this season, rushing for 868 yards and 15 touchdowns despite missing 2 1/2 games due to a hamstring injury early in the season. Johnson leads the SEC with 124 rushing yards per game and is tied for third nationally with 15 rushing touchdowns and 16 total scores. He's also the only SEC running back to average more than 100 yards per game, with five 100-yard performances this season and four in the last five games. With Johnson running like he is, he has the ability to outrun Georgia's talented duo of Nick Chubb and Sony Michel, who spur the Bulldogs' SEC-leading rushing attack.

Julie Bennett

4. Auburn's offensive line depth

Auburn offensive lineman Darius James (78), offensive lineman Casey Dunn (50), quarterback Jarrett Stidham (8) and offensive lineman Austin Golson (73) line up against Mississippi State during the first half Saturday, Sept. 30, 2017, at Jordan Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala. (Julie Bennett/jbennett@al.com)

Auburn might be starting its sixth different offensive line in 10 games this season, but that hasn't slowed the Tigers' offense. The trenches have been like a game of musical chairs for Auburn, yet the offensive line has continued to improve this season after a disastrous start to the year (including 11 sacks in a loss to Clemson). Auburn's depth along the line has been a proven strength for this offense, and it should come in handy against a stout Georgia defensive front, regardless of which five-man unit the Tigers go with.

Julie Bennett

5. Carlton Davis' impact at cornerback

Auburn defensive back Carlton Davis (6) breaks up a pass intended for Clemson wide receiver Deon Cain (8) Saturday, Sept. 9, 2017, during the second half at Clemson Memorial Stadium in Clemson, S.C. (Julie Bennett/jbennett@al.com)

Carlton Davis has been a shutdown cornerback for Auburn this season, bouncing back from an injury-riddled sophomore campaign in 2016. Outside of an uneven performance against Clemson in Week 2, Davis has all but taken away opposing teams' best receivers week in and week out. As safety Tray Matthews put it this week, Davis' presence "takes out that whole one dimension" of an opponent's offense. He leads Auburn and is tied for the SEC lead with 10 pass breakups, and has 20 tackles of the season. Half of those came against Clemson, while he has not had more than two in any other game this year -- an indication of how successful he has been in blanketing opposing receivers and how little teams have targeted him. His ability as a shutdown corner will be crucial against Georgia's Terry Godwin, especially as the Tigers try to force quarterback Jake Fromm into mistakes and make the freshman beat them with his arm.

Julie Bennett

6. Stephen Roberts' run support

Auburn defensive back Stephen Roberts (14) and Auburn defensive back Jeremiah Dinson (20) stop Ole Miss wide receiver A.J. Brown (1) during the first half Saturday, Oct. 7, 2017, at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala. (Julie Bennett/jbennett@al.com)

Priority No. 1 for Auburn's defense against Georgia is bottling up the Bulldogs' SEC-leading rushing attack, which is led by Nick Chubb and Sony Michel. The Tigers hope to make that talented backfield duo a "non-factor" on Saturday, and one of Auburn's key personnel in making that happen is -- believe it or not -- a safety. Stephen Roberts was Auburn's highest-graded player last week against Texas A&M, according to Pro Football Focus, and the senior safety has been playing stellar all season. He has often played closer to the line and been a major factor in run support. He's third on the team with six tackles for a loss, which is four times as many as he had in his entire career before this season. If Auburn is able to limit Georgia's rushing attack, rest assured that Roberts will have something to do with it.

Julie Bennett

7. Chip Lindsey will have some tricks up his sleeve

Auburn offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey during a timeout Saturday, Sept. 2, 2017, during the first half at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala. (Julie Bennett/jbennett@al.com)

Chip Lindsey hasn't been shy about adding new twists to Auburn's offense, whether it's the occasional trick play, adding new routes or deploying different iterations of the Wildcat formation. Auburn wide receiver Ryan Davis said last week that the team used part of its bye week "adding new wrinkles" to the offense. Expect Lindsey, Auburn's first-year offensive coordinator, to pull something new out of his sleeve at the most opportune time against Georgia.

Julie Bennett

8. Auburn (finally) has a healthy quarterback in this game

Auburn quarterback Jarrett Stidham (8) and head coach Gus Malzahn lead the Tigers onto the field before the LSU game Saturday, Oct. 14, 2017, at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La. (Julie Bennett/jbennett@al.com)

In each of Auburn's last two losses to Georgia, the Tigers have played a quarterback dealing with injuries -- and it has cost the offense big-time. In 2015, Gus Malzahn used both Jeremy Johnson and Sean White against the Bulldogs despite White being slowed with a knee injury he sustained two weeks prior. White completed just 1-of-5 passes for 1 yard, while Johnson completed 14-of-22 passes for 61 yards and an interception. Then last season, White was again injured, this time dealing with an injury to his throwing shoulder. He didn't inform coaches his shoulder was hurting, and he completed just 6-of-20 passes for 27 yards and a pick-six. This time around, however, Auburn has a healthy and highly skilled quarterback to guide the offense against Georgia.