As with every Kirby Smart team, the 2025 Georgia Bulldogs love to run the ball, averaging 206.80 yards per game on the ground, including putting up 227 yards in the loss to Alabama two weeks ago.
The Bulldogs are led by two running backs, Chauncey Bowens and Nate Frazier, who have combined for 563 yards and five touchdowns in five games. But Georgia has another weapon on the ground in quarterback Gunner Stockton, who leads the Dawgs with five rushing touchdowns.
Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze knows how important it is to stop Georgia's running game if the Tigers want to have any success stopping the Bulldogs' attack.
“Yeah, big, strong running backs,” Freeze said. “And then you add in the fact that Stockton is, I don’t know that people give him enough credit for how he uses his legs. I think he’s smart. He uses them well to extend plays and can hurt you not only extending a play with his legs, but his eyes are always down the field. He’s playing at a really high level along with their running backs, who I think are big and physical."
And, if the Tigers can stop Georgia on the ground, their secondary will have its work cut out for it against a strong wide receiver group.
“They’re very balanced," Freeze said. "I think the receiving core is probably deeper than it’s been the past couple years. I mean, they got (Dillon) Bell and (Lawson Luckie) and (Zachariah) Branch and those dudes and Young. They all are extremely good playmakers that you have to defend them as part of the run game also the way they use them in the screen game. It’s just a difficult offense to defend, but it does start like most Georgia teams with the run game.”
Auburn and No. 10 Georgia kick off at 6:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, with the game airing on ABC.