Auburn Football: Five Keys to the Game Against No. 15 Georgia

The 6-3 (4-2) No. 20 Auburn Tigers are making their way out of a bye week this week preparing to take on the 7-2 (5-1) No. 15 Georgia Bulldogs. This week’s game will mark the 115^th game played between these two schools.

The game has become known as the “Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry” and is the longest played rivalry in the SEC. The Tigers head into Athens losing two in a row between the hedges. The last win came in a 31-30 victory in 2005.

This seasons contest will be full of excitement as the Tigers are trying to guide themselves to a New Year’s Day bowl while Georgia is looking towards a legitimate shot for the Eastern Division title.

Georgia has been on quite the winning streak as they haven’t lost a game since the first two. The Tigers have played in some tough contests and navigated well through a very difficult October schedule. The only losses for the Tigers have come against teams located at the top of the BCS rankings.

Both teams will be looking for big wins but Georgia is sure to be the favorite. They are playing at home, and the strength of their offense should be their big play ability on the perimeter, where Auburn has shown to be vulnerable.

How Auburn is able to respond to the big play ability of the Bulldogs will be a big factor in this contest. Look for the Tigers to open up the playbook this week. Here are five keys to the coming game against the No. 15 Georgia Bulldogs.

Auburn Must Stay Effective in the Passing Game

Clint Moseley had an amazing second start against Ole Miss tossing four touchdown passes with only three incompletions in the game. Moseley looked extremely comfortable and effective against the Rebels, finding receivers and avoiding rushers as he made plays open downfield.

Georgia will bring complex blitz packages and will look to be in the face of Moseley. How Moseley responds will be huge for the Tigers. He will not be able to lean completely on the running game as the Bulldogs will key on the Tigers rushing attack.

With Bacarri Rambo lurking in the defensive secondary, Moseley will have to be very careful with his downfield throws. Auburn will need to open up the downfield passing game, however, if they expect to open up the box and allow for rushing lanes.

This will be a huge game for Moseley. Much bigger than any game that he has started in his career. This game is winnable and will be a huge win for the 2011 Tigers team.

Offensive Line Must Produce Rushing Lanes

The Auburn Tigers have mixed and matched the offensive line numerous times throughout the season. The past three games they have played with the same group and it appears to be finally paying off with continuity and success.

Michael Dyer was able to pump out 177 yards on the ground against the Rebels with numerous lanes being wide open for the young back. The offensive line looked every bit in control in the second half of the game.

What Auburn has to do is start the game more physically than they typically do. It seems that at the start, the Tigers are judging the tenacity of the defense they are facing and then try to adjust their ferociousness in the game.

Auburn needs to come hard and fast every single play from the offensive front. Those guys are in control of how the Tigers are able to attack a defense. Look for the Tigers to be much more aggressive in the game against the Bulldogs.

Secondary Must Shut Down Aaron Murray

Aaron Murray has been one of the steadiest quarterbacks in the SEC this season. He was expected to be one of the conference elite, and has maintained his bearings inside the Top 5 of the league. Murray will be looking for a big game this coming week against Auburn.

Auburn has played lights out at times in the secondary. The Tigers have played shutdown defense and not allowed a fly to make it through the space between the coverage. The Tigers have also blown some coverage at times and allowed the big plays.

Murray will pick Auburn apart if they let him, so this will be a crucial focal point for the Tigers. Keeping confusion in the coverage will be a must; playing dedicated to their assignments is a must for the Tigers.

A big play in the passing could be what makes the difference in the game. Auburn has the ability to make the plays; the Tigers have to ensure the big plays don’t come at their expense.

Defensive Line Needs to Play Consistently

Auburn has taken its lumps this season on the defensive line. The Tigers knew coming into the 2011 season that the front four would be a point of concern throughout the year. The Tigers are looking to a wealth of underclassmen to anchor the front, and as of late they have come on strong.

Auburn will be facing a formidable offensive line in Georgia and will have to be on their ‘A’ game if they want to control the front. Look for the Georgia running backs to be returning from suspension against the Tigers so there won’t be a break in the talent busting through the holes.

Getting a pass rush to Aaron Murray will also be a huge focus for the Tigers this week, and with Corey Lemonier coming on as strong as he has this season, it’s easy to suspect that he will be making plays in the backfield.

For Auburn to be successful in this game, the key is likely to be up front. Auburn’s defensive front will play a big part in Auburn’s success or failure.

Multiplicity in Offensive Play-calling

When Kiehl Frazier marches onto the field for Auburn, it is blatantly obvious what is happening. The Tigers will fake the hand off on the jet sweep and Frazier will take it up the gut as the Wildcat quarterback.

The Tigers have even looked to be multiple on offense and passed numerous times on third down. To this point, I would expect a pass on third down. They have looked to be different but have become more predictable.

Auburn almost tends to have a hard-headed stubbornness to its playcalling and it has bit them this season. Clint Moseley needs to have the ability to make checks at the line and pick a play that will work for the coverage. He also will need to be let loose through the air if the Tigers want to win either big game in November.

How Malzahn calls this game will be huge for Auburn's ability to be in the right position at the right time to make plays. Malzahn has been very vanilla and base throughout the season. The hope is that he was holding back for the month of November.