Georgia running back Todd Gurley is back on the field from an ankle injury, and he's hoping for a familiar result when he returns Saturday to Auburn for the second straight year.
“It’s basically the same defense, same people,” Gurley told reporters Tuesday in Athens. “They just, you know, got the energy right now. They’re winning, they’re beating ranked teams, so they just have all the energy right now. Our plan is to go in there and take it out of them.”
No. 7 Auburn (9-1, 5-1 SEC) hosts No. 25 Georgia (6-3, 4-2) in an important game for both teams -- outside of the usual rivalry storyline. The Tigers and Bulldogs are still battling for a spot in the SEC Championship game in their respective divisions.
Georgia knocked off Auburn 38-0 last season inside Jordan-Hare Stadium, one of many disappointing losses as the Tigers struggled to a 3-9 season. Georgia went on to the SEC Championship, where it fell one pass short of its first BCS championship game appearance.
Many of the same players return from the shutout in Auburn, of course, though Auburn has been revitalized under first-year coach Gus Malzahn and defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson.
Malzahn was asked about Gurley's comments during his Tiger Talk radio show Thursday night.
"He's a confident player, there's no doubt," Malzahn said. "Our guys, just to be completely honest with you, they're self motivated. They don't need any kind of things like that. Our guys, they've got a huge challenge and they're excited about playing and we'll see what happens."
Gurley rushed for 116 yards and a touchdown on only 11 carries against the Tigers last season.
Auburn's defense has improved in several categories from last season, including run defense and scoring defense: from 28.3 points to 20.4 each game.
The teams face off Saturday at 2:30 p.m. on CBS.
GOOD NEWS:
The Bulldogs will face Auburn without tight end Jay Rome, who injured his right foot in last week's win against Appalachian State, but should have starting tight end Arthur Lynch (ribs) and receiver Chris Conley (ankle) back Saturday.
“We're getting guys back, which is good, but they've also missed a lot of practice time, which on the flip side is a negative,” Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said. “So we're having to work a little harder than we may have in the past in November. But I think it's good. I think it's a confidence boost to the offense.”
Conley leads the team with 30 catches for 418 yards and four touchdowns, while Lynch's 15 catches for 243 yards rank fifth. But while their receiving production is obviously important, their simple presences in the lineup -- alongside players with whom they've shared so many practice and game reps -- are just as valuable.
“It definitely helps the chemistry because we went through camp all together and you kind of get that chemistry with those guys together,” said Bennett, who posted a team-high five catches in each of the two games since he returned to the lineup. “You can lose it when you've got new guys coming in. But those other guys have done a heck of a job coming in and filling in for us. But when you have those veterans come back like Artie and Conley, it definitely brings a new confidence.”
Lynch's return is well-timed, as Rome was the only other scholarship tight end who has played this season. Freshman Jordan Davis is on track to redshirt and walk-on Hugh Williams has played as a blocker, but has yet to catch a pass.
Meanwhile, Conley brings some punch back to a receiving corps that struggled during Georgia's midseason lull, when at one point they were without tailbacks Todd Gurley and Marshall and wideouts Mitchell, Scott-Wesley and Bennett. It's no coincidence that the Bulldogs lost to both Missouri and Vanderbilt during that period, or that they posted a paltry 221 yards of total offense -- including just 114 passing -- in the Vandy loss.
Conley seemed questionable at best for the Auburn game early in the week, but he was able to practice in non-contact drills on Wednesday which encouraged Bulldogs coach Mark Richt.
“I was telling the quarterback, 'He's going half-speed' or whatever, and Conley kind of ran a little faster than half-speed and snatched the ball,” Richt said. “And Bobo was looking around like, 'We ought to let him practice a little bit.' … He didn't practice the whole time, but he got some work in and he looked good. I don't think he had any setbacks.”
Richt insisted that Conley's role might still be limited should he play on Saturday, but he comes back to a group of receivers that had to look elsewhere for production during his two-game absence -- and might have found another spark in Jonathon Rumph.
The junior college transfer was sidelined by a hamstring injury throughout the first half of the season and played sparingly for the first time two weeks ago against Florida. He caught his first passes -- four of them, in fact, for 98 yards -- in the fourth quarter against Appalachian State, causing Bobo to remark that he's “actually getting excited about him” earlier this week.
How Bout them Dawgs!!!!!!!
Ride it like you stole it
