(17) GEORGIA 28, AUBURN 17
AUBURN, Ala. (AP) - No. 17 Georgia had more weapons than Auburn
had answers.
Champ Bailey, Quincy Carter and Olandis Gary combined for 605
yards of offense Saturday and Gray's 11-yard touchdown run with
14:55 to play broke open a close game and gave Georgia a 28-17
victory over the Tigers.
"I knew coming into the game that they were a talented football
team and nothing they did out there will change our minds,"
Auburn interim coach Bill Oliver said.
Auburn (3-7, 1-6 Southeastern Conference), which had the nation's
ninth-ranked defense and was allowing only 279 yards a game, was
exploited by Georgia (7-2, 5-2) all night. Carter was 23-of-37
for 351 yards and two touchdowns and Gary rushed for 130 yards
and two touchdowns on 24 carries. Bailey, who was in the game for
a career-high 119 plays, caught five passes for 68 yards and ran
three times for 29. On the other side of the line of scrimmage,
he forced a fumble, recovered a fumble, intercepted a pass and
returned a kickoff 27 yards.
"I feel like I still had a lot left in me," Bailey said.
Nothing Auburn's defense did could stop the Bulldogs, who might
have won easily but for a horrendous kicking game.
"I was disappointed in our defense and I think we played our
worst game of the year," said Auburn tackle Charles Dorsey, who
had the only sack of Carter all night.
The Tigers did manage to intercept three passes off Carter and
block a punt, but it wasn't enough.
"I thought we had a good defensive game plan, but we didn't
execute and we stood around and waited for someone else to do
it," Oliver said.
Trailing 21-17 late in the third quarter, Auburn blocked Wynn
Kopps' punt and took over at the Bulldogs 31. The Tigers couldn't
convert, however, as Robert Bironas' 50-yard field goal attempt
was wide left.
"A touchdown after the blocked punt would have been big, if we
had only cashed in," Oliver said.
Georgia then drove 62 yards in six plays to set up Gray's
touchdown.
"Their defense is stronger than dirt and we moved the ball on
them about as good as any," said Georgia coach Jim Donnan, who
adamantly denied he was a candidate to coach at Oklahoma next
season. "Any time you get over 500 yards on Auburn, you are doing
good things."
Georgia, which finished with 527 yards -- 356 in the first half
-- prevented the home team from winning for the seventh straight
time in the South's oldest series. It was the 102nd meeting
between the schools.
Auburn's Karsten Bailey had nine catches for 114 yards to become
the Tigers' career receiving leader with 142 receptions, one more
than Terry Beasley's mark set from 1969 to 1971.
"It means a lot to me to break the record in my last home game,
but a win would have meant more," Bailey said.
(17) Georgia 28, AUBURN 17
1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH FINAL
--- --- --- --- -----
Georgia 7 14 0 7 28
Auburn 3 7 7 0 17
First Quarter
UGA-Brown 10 pass from Carter (Hines kick), 9:06
AUB-FG Bironas 45, 5:46
Second Quarter
UGA-Gary 6 run (Hines kick), 7:53
AUB-Carter 2 run (Bironas kick), 2:45
UGA-Greer 80 pass from Carter (Hines kick), 2:25
Third Quarter
AUB-Bailey 16 pass from Gross (Bironas kick), 12:48
Fourth Quarter
UGA-Gary 11 run (Hines kick), 14:55
UGA AUB
--- ---
First downs 28 17
Rushes-yards 43-176 27-50
Passing 351 245
Comp-Att-Int 23-27-3 20-45-3
Return Yards 65 32
Punts-Avg. 6-26.3 6-41.7
Fumbles-Lost 3-0 1-0
Penalties-Yards 9-56 4-30
Time of Possession 32:31 27:29
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING-Georgia, Gary 24-130, Bailey 3-29, Carter 14-10, Arnaud
1-5, Bradley 1-2. Auburn, Burks 14-50, Carter 6-6, Evans 2-2,
Robinson 1-(minus 3), Gross 4-(minus 5).
PASSING-Georgia, Carter 23-37-3-351. Auburn, Gross 20-45-3-245.
RECEIVING-Georgia, Brown 6-74, bailey 5-68, Wiggins 5-59, Small
3-39, Parker 2-28, Greer 1-80, Gary 1-3. Auburn, Bailey 9-114,
Robinson 4-66, Williams 3-13, Cooper 2-45, Tankersley 1-11, Burks
1-(minus 4).
A-85,214.