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Sports Illustrated What will happen on Saturday in one of the biggest rivalries in college football? . . . "I'm expecting our fans to turn out and give us an electric atmosphere to play in against a good Auburn football team . . . Auburn also hasn't won in Athens, Ga., since 2005, returning home with a loss in each of the last seven trips to Sanford Stadium. Auburn has averaged just 12.6 points per game in those seven losses and has scored 10 points or fewer in each of its last five trips between the hedges . . . Watch: Leota's absence leaves a big void for the Auburn defense because of a lack of depth at the position. Derick Hall played the majority of snaps in last week's game and will be called on to handle that role again with Marcus Braggs, Dylan Brooks and Joko Willis the only guys behind him. That could force some changes up front for the Auburn defense against a powerful and explosive Georgia offense . . . Five things to know about the matchup for the No. 2 Bulldogs . . . How big was the loss of Leota? . . . Listen: Thoughts and predictions on Auburn's trip to Athens . . . Mekhai White said, "Getting an offer from a program like Auburn, it's amazing. It's just an amazing feeling . . . Harsin said, "That's No. 1. We can make improvements in a lot of areas there but you've got to start with your interior guys, right, not giving up penetration . . . Ashford's playing style is predicated on his elusiveness . . . "They want to run the ball," he said. "It's going to be between the hedges, CBS, primetime game. They are looking to show dominance after last week, and they are going to get back to their bread and butter, which is running the ball–good old-fashioned counters, duos, all that . . . Laffitte hasn't scheduled any visits to the Plains at this time. His next planned visit is to Bryan Harsin's old school, Boise State . . . "That's just been the tale of the tape lately, is just finishing games in the second half . . . "If we keep them out of their third-down packages, we can demolish them . . . Auburn's defense isn't taking the ball away, but it has to somehow not screw up. The passing game has to be fearless from the start, the defense has to continue to be solid against the run after allowing just 3.7 yards per carry so far . . . Chapman is tied for the No. 7 return rate in the country, having allowed only two returns for -1 yards on 19 punts. "It goes back to me trying to get good hangtime, good distance and putting the ball where coach wants me to . . . Next up is Georgia's defense, which has allowed more than 200 passing yards only once this season . . . Wesley Steiner started in place of Riley against LSU and finished with a team-high 11 tackles, including 10 solo stops. Harsin did not mention why Riley did not see the field with Auburn's defense in the loss . . . The Tigers will be four-touchdown underdogs against the Bulldogs in the 127th installment of The Deep South's Oldest Rivalry. No one is exactly giving Auburn much of a chance . . . "Our young wide receivers have been thrust into playing, Omari Kelly has a big catch, and Camden Brown has a big catch. Var had a couple of big catches in there as well," Harsin said . . . Watch: Owen Pappoe talks about his favorite moments at Auburn, how he ended up choosing the Tigers, previewing the "Deep South's Oldest Rivalry . . . Could Harsin be the next one out? . . . On October 29 when Arkansas comes to Jordan-Hare Stadium to face Auburn "The Amazin's," will be honored . . . As of Tuesday, Georgia is a 29 1/2-point favorite. The over/under is 49.5 . . . The Auburn Tigers will wear all-white uniforms against the Georgia Bulldogs, including an all-white facemask . . . Second-year wide receiver Landen King will sit out for the remainder of the season . . . The next stop moving forward is between the hedges at Sanford Stadium, home of the defending national champion Georgia Bulldogs. Kickoff is set for shortly after 2:30 p.m. CDT on Saturday from Athens and the game will be televised on CBS . . . Bennett can hurt a defense in many ways. "I don't see a whole lot of weaknesses in his game, I think he's got a really good command of what they're doing. He's plenty good enough to hurt you . . . Landen King has asked for and been given a redshirt for this season....will not play again this season . . . Until Auburn gets on the same page, from coaches to players to administration to big-money donors, there won't be many successful seasons on the Plains . . . Ashford has not been the most accurate of passers for Auburn this season — he's completed just over 54% of his attempts for 709 yards with 3 touchdowns and 3 interceptions — but his ability to scramble and create isn't lost on Smart and his players . . . Anders Carlson, now entering his sixth season on the Plains, has only missed two field goals this season — and both have been from 40-plus yards . . . "Well, I'm gonna be honest, I didn't commit to the coach, I committed to the school . . . In each of Auburn's five games this season, opponents have scored a touchdown inside the final two minutes of the first half . . . Improving each time out with his best performance to date last week in a loss to LSU, Ashford will have an opportunity to showcase his skills against one of the most talented defenses in the country . . .
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