Unconscionable, inconceivable, unforgiveable, stunning. A complete disaster of a football game occurred yesterday at Sanford Stadium, as Auburn shocked Georgia, our fans, and the college football world by playing backyard football and beating the best team in the country on their own field. Ironically, the Dawgs looked absolutely amazing early; not like a team that had been beaten to hell in Tuscaloosa last week, but a team ready to blaze their way through the rest of the schedule. Up two touchdowns though, Kirby put in the second string defense and everyone in stadium not wearing white uniforms decided that was all that was needed for the day, thank you very much. Players stopped tackling, focus was lost (not to be regained until the 4th quarter, and only to be lost again), poor decisions were made by our star QB, and a beat down team lost in a stereotypical letdown spot. Without question. one of the worst losses in Kirby Smart’s career. On to the f-ing bullets.

• I’m still wondering this today, but did that early hit on Stockton rattle him for two quarters? I know he’s concussion-proof, but he sprinkled some uncharacteristically stupid decisions in between his normal great plays in the second and third quarters.
• Puglisi played the best football of his career in his handful of snaps in relief of Gunner. One of the few highlights of the day.
• The first two TD drives looked like a breeze, and everyone was wondering whether the Dawgs would score 50. The OL was blocking well, Peanut was flying around, Auburn looked lost on both sides of the ball, and the Georgia defense looked sharp. So much for that Alabama game hangover, eh?
• I still can’t get over how deep the WR room is, with Roldan as the 5th guy and killing it, other than his drop.
• Dandridge is going to be unstoppable when he gets more lifting time. The only thing he’s missing is grown man strength.
• The Georgia front seven was first to let its foot off the gas, over-rushing Brown almost every passing play the rest of the game. The guy can’t throw the ball accurately. All that was needed was to rush even with him and compress the pocket. If over-rushing was the intent, it was bad scheme. If not, the players screwed up big time, and it cost them badly.
• Out of the 10 times they didn’t over-rush, they got 5 sacks and gave up only minimal gains.
• Ja’Marley Riddle had no business being on the field. So many missed tackles and miscommunications leading to coverage busts and big plays. His best tackle was actually on Ellis Robinson, allowing the ridiculous TD that reminded me of The Prayer at Jordan-Hare play.
• KJ, you were sorely missed.
• I heard from a friend at the game that the crowd was not very loud other than parts of the 4th quarter. Is that accurate, for those of you in attendance?
• Special teams continues its inconsistent performance. Gunner being late on the hold, Drew Miller had a horrible day punting, Sacovie with another muffed punt. This has got to get fixed ASAP.
• Didn’t like the wasted timeout by Kirby instead of taking the delay penalty, but that wasn’t even the worst part of the middle eight, which Georgia lost handily.
• Nimrod, which is what we call all Auburn people, made 2 circus catches yesterday that were both clutch.
• I think Bobo did good job yesterday. I thought the schemes were good, the intent to distribute the ball was smart, and if not for some poor decisions by Gunner, the offense could have scored 3 more TDs.
• I take back my comment earlier this week about the Auburn front seven. Their DL played really well and their 2 LBs played with their hair on fire. So much for the suspension of their best player being an advantage for Georgia.
• Josh Horton is really coming on, but that roughing penalty was awful.
• Referees need to figure out how to call the tackles on sliding QBs. If a player leaves his feet when the QB starts his slide, there isn’t anything he can do about what happens next and it shouldn’t be a penalty.
• On the missed FG, it looked like Woodring’s plant foot slipped again. Maybe get him a longer left cleat?
• Also, Kirby should’ve take a TO there since the play was clearly going to be rushed. Six point swing in the end, as Auburn was able to get their FG.
• Gunner’s bad decisions: throwing deep on a handful of well-covered go routes, and not to the back shoulder; the two terrible picks; the brutal fumble off Bobo’s ass; forgetting to hold the snap on the FG. His worst game of the year, and he still had a 140 passer rating!
• Adding up the Gunner miscues and the 2 roughing penalties resulted in a 31 point differential. Crazy.
• I know he had a sack, but there’s no way Raylen Wilson wasn’t playing hurt. He was going 3/4 speed most of the day. It was Chris Cole or nobody most of the game.
• Helton and Glover had rough days. Maybe playing the entire Bama game took its toll on the young offensive linemen. They missed several key blocks and couldn’t get to the LBs much.
• The rejuvenation drive was gorgeous though. 13 plays, 94 yards, incredible throws and a gutsy 20-yard run by Gunner. Did anyone else want to go for two there? Auburn was badly on their heels.
• And then, with momentum fully swung back to the good guys, the defense gives the ball back to the offense and Gunner gives it right back. The emotional and physical toll had fallen on the defense, who couldn’t stop Brown yet again, and the idiotic roughing penalty sealed the upset.

This felt a lot like the 2019 South Carolina game, coincidentally the last time UGA lost to an unranked team at home. It was different in how the game was lost, but similar in the feeling that the Dawgs just couldn’t right the ship and take over a game that should have been easily won. Stupid errors at critical moments will get you beat against any team in the SEC. Georgia obviously isn’t immune to that reality.

Many long and meaningful streaks were broken in that game, and they’re too depressing to list here. That said, there are several examples of teams that lost early or to mediocre teams and went on to win the national championship. All is not lost, partially thanks to the rest of the top 10 losing yesterday as well, and there is a huge game coming in two weeks in Atlanta. Get healthy, get refocused, and GATA. Go Dawgs.