… and isn’t as pessimistic about the Dawgs’ chances as I am.
“If I was Gus Malzahn, I’d want to play ten other teams in the SEC rather than Georgia this week,” Danielson said. “I don’t like the fact that Kirby Smart has faced me in big-time pressure games before, I think he is very attuned how to attack the Auburn offense. If you look at Georgia’s defense, they’re really coming on with a lot of young athletes on the defensive line. I think they tackle well at linebacker and it should be a really tough game.”
It’s not just the defense he likes, either.
Danielson likes the development of Georgia quarterback Jacob Eason and running backs Nick Chubb and Sony Michel.
“I like the fact that maybe we can’t run the ball on them all day … but he can strike any part of the field at any time and should keep that secondary from Auburn from sniffing around,” Danielson said. “I think this would be a tremendous victory for Auburn if they can do it, and I know that Kirby Smart will have his team ready for this game.”
One positive, I suppose, is that, while Sean White leads the conference in passer rating, he’s not exactly going to scare you in the running game, which is an area where the last two Auburn quarterbacks who beat Georgia were more than capable. (He’s also a little banged up coming into this week’s game.) Not sure that makes me feel as confident about Georgia’s defense as Danielson sounds, though.
Get The Picture 
I think the defense will mostly keep Auburn in check. I have no confidence that the offensive line will be able to block Auburn’s defensive line, and that’s the problem. If they can’t at least hold their own, there’s not going to be many opportunities to score barring a rash of Auburn turnovers.
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I agree with Danielson. We have nothing to lose, and Kirby knows how to attack that offense. And, law of averages, we’re bound to just play really well at home at some point.
Furthermore, if we play a game without a huge special teams gaffe, we’ve got a chance to be really, really competitive with a lot of teams.
But the biggest thing Danielson sees (and I join him) is Eason. For the rest of The Kid’s career we’re going to step onto the field with the best QB. Auburn knows it, their coach and their fans know it. Kirby knows it. Our team knows it. Will Saturday be the day that Jacob comes to fully believe it?
He is capable of lighting them up.
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I’m on board with what Danielson has said and also with your follow-up points about Sean White. My concern, however, is that we’re going to be seeing a LOT of John Franklin III running what will amount to the wildcat. Kentucky ate Georgia alive with the wildcat offense last weekend and Auburn has a better line to run it behind and a faster, more talented player at quarterback to run it with. Franklin III struggles passing the ball, but he’s deadly on the run. And, bad passer or not, I think he’d be able to hit one of the wide open, streaking receivers that we tend to see in our secondary at least twice a game.
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Eh, maybe, although I don’t think it was a real vote of confidence in Franklin for Gus to start an injured White in the second half against Vanderbilt.
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I definitely don’t think that he’d be their Plan A. But as a change of pace for several series in the game, like Kentucky’s use of the wildcat? I think he’ll be incredibly effective.
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I disagree, UK used a bigger between the tackle RB and ran between the tackles with that drive that they ran the same play over and over. I also hope with get the 2 injured DL back this week too so we will be playing with more depth. Franklin is small speedy guy that wants to get to the edge not a between the tackles guy like the UK RB.
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If we see a lot of JFIII, I will feel VERY good about our chances. If he is in the game a lot and beats us, I will be as shocked & pissed as Hillary’s supporters last night. White makes that offense go.
I’ll be honest, I don’t feel good about this game at all.:
The West is clearly superior to the East this year and this is one of the better teams in the West. There’s a reason they’re 10-pt favorites on the road. Their only losses have been to Clemson and A&M by a combined 19 pts.
Very few teams have run the ball well on them and we’ve seen what happens when we encounter a team who is solid against the run. Seems to be feast (UNC, USC, UK) or famine (Mizzou, Vandy, UF). This feels like one of those games where we’re going to have a lot of trouble running the ball.
If we do struggle to run it, can we pass it? Auburn has good pass-rushers and Eason seems to be up & down with his passing accuracy. With our O-line, we really need to establish the short passing game with a lot of shotgun formations. Will Cheney do it?
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I think it is also worth considering that AU has played 4 more home games than we have at this point…with their toughest road game coming against a struggling Ole Miss.
Still, they have evolved as the year has gone on. If only we could have played Missouri, Tennessee, and Ole Miss later in the year, while catching Awbern early would have helped.
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GATA
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Wow, Auburn has only had 2 away games this year and only 4 total for the year, all SEC games, they went to Oxford and beat Ole Miss and Starkville and beat an underwhelming Mississippi State team. Will being the home team help UGA(no jokes about losing all SEC home games so far)?
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It seems as though Auburn always plays a ton of games at home each year.
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Tons of patsies, their fans never complain.
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They started the season with Clemson at home. I would hardly call that a patsy.
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And Auburn also plays Alabama every year. How would UGA like a dose of that? Auburn had La Mo on the schedule earlier. I wonder what other team plays that patsy?
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See comment below…
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We play ULL, not La-Mo. At least look it up first…
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Check their home schedules the past years….many years they play zero power 5 teams OOC.
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Auburn’s schedule since 2008 – 1 P5 school per year. It used to be they played nobody out of conference, but that’s not the case any more.
2016 – Clemson
2015 – Louisville (Ga Dome)
2014 – @Kansas St.
2013 – Washington St.
2012 – Clemson (Ga Dome)
2011 – @Clemson
2010 – Clemson
2009 – West Virginia
2008 – @West Virginia
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Feel like a wave of good shit is coming our way starting Saturday. Hunker down.
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Quick question, kinda off topic. I just had back surgery a couple of weeks ago, but I AIN’T missing this game! Due to my condition though, I can’t do all my normal tailgating stuff. Years ago I would sometimes just hang out at Tate Theater and watch the pre game shows and early games and eat lunch at the Cafe. Does anyone know if they still open the Theater and show games anymore?
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Can’t say. When we don’t tailgate we usually hang out downtown. Like to grab some pizza at TransMet.
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There are TV’s where the games will be on. Tate is definitely open on game days.
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Heard Danielson on 680 before the UF game, what a colossal dickhead.
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86, 96, and 06, UGA entered on down years with Auburn as favorites, will the trend continue in 16?
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Hope springs eternal within the Bulldogs breast, but I think Danielson is mostly chumming interest in this game as being a toss-up/upset special. It’s TV strategery, imo. But I’m willing to be optimistic; one of these days we’re going to pull a rabbit out of our hat. Might as well be Saturday. It would take a lot of the bland taste out of our mouths.
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I like the fact that we are the underdog going in. That has probably helped Georgia’s focus at practice this week and should be the case on Saturday. Maybe it will help that CKS has coached against this offense several times before. We need the big guy up in the box to put together a good game plan to keep us in this thing. If we can keep it close at the end, I feel good having #10 wearing red & black.
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Can Kirby fix our Red Zone D? And it’s not Eason, its our receivers who need to step up and catch balls thrown to them. We kill to many drives with dropped passes. I’m not sure how much “coaching” helps these two items as its more time for players to execute and grow up to SEC ball.
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This it’s exactly what I’ve seen with the D and especially at DL. I expect the D will do their part Saturday. What I want to know is will it be enough for the O to not turn it over or will we need to score on D or ST. Obviously this still be answered.
Maybe I let one game get my hopes up and we’re really only as good as Kentucky and USC.
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Find a way this Sat., take care of the two small schools left on our Sch., then I’m pumped for signing day, and next year! Don’t care if the stats look like our game with Vandy, only in reverse of course, just find a way.
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How’s this? Go fast, real fast, 2 minute drill, HUNH fast. All game, or at least until it’s in hand. I don’t think Steele would see that coming. So what if its a track meet. We might win with the last possession.
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The biggest thing going for Georgia in this game is there is nothing to lose. No trip to ATL on the line and a 10 point dog so play loose and free and there’s a chance.
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This is shaping up like 2006. AU ranked top ten, Dawgs with hot shot freshman QB in midst of disappointing season, having not played a good game yet. We got this. We will play our best game of the year thus far and whip em.
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I agree with Red Cup. The Bulldogs are due.
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I’m not sold that Kirby exactly has Gus’s number. With a serviceable QB and running game, Gus gave him all he wanted. Add a decent defense and he’s in it on the last play.
Gus v Kirby…
(Year,yds,points (HC, QB))
2009 – 331 – 21 (Chizik, Chris Todd)
2010 – 446 – 28 (Chizik, Cam Newton)
2011 – 114 – 14 (Chizik, Clint Moseley)
2013 – 393 – 34 (Malzahn, Nick Marshall)
2014 – 630 – 44 (Malzahn, Nick Marshall)
2015 – 260 – 13 (Malzahn, Jeremy Johnson)
But I’m not sold that Gus has Kirby’s either. Especially in the UGA game.
I’m interest to see how this one turns out. UGA surely feels like they have momentum after last week and AU is surely nervous about repeating their lackluster game against Vandy.
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Unfortunately I cant put much stock in the “Kirby has coached against AU’s offense” thing. After all, he also coached against Ole Miss and that didn’t seem to help much….
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