Georgia's greatest all-time wins over Auburn

The Deep South’s Oldest Rivalries is one of the 10 most-played games in College Football Georgia and Auburn clashed 127 times, good for ninth all time, and for the longest time, the total points scored was almost dead even. The all-time record itself is quite close with UGA holding a seven-game edge (63-56-8).

The stakes have often been high, at least much higher than they are in 2023. Georgia enters as the nation’s No. 1 team and a two-score favorite while Auburn is 3-1 and trying to rebuild under Hugh Freeze. It’s the first time the game has ever been played in September, so come Sunday there will still be a lot of football left to be played. That hasn’t traditionally been the case as, in the past, it has been a November game.

Georgia is expected to win but make no mistake, this is a rivalry and anything can happen. The Bulldogs have been on the good end of the stick a lot, expected and unexpected, and below DawgsHQ outlines UGA’s biggest wins in the history of the rivalry.

1996

Who could forget the SEC’s first overtime game. Current Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo was behind center for the Bulldogs that day and hit Corey Allen for a 30-yard touchdown on the last play of regulation to tie the game. Georgia won 56-49 in the fourth overtime thanks to a massive defensive stop. This game is also just as well known for what happened with Uga V, who lunged at Auburn wideout Robert Baker after a Tiger touchdown earlier in the game.

1986

Auburn had its eyes set on the SEC Championship and was favored by three touchdowns over Georgia. Bulldog standouts Wayne Johnson and John Brantley had different ideas. Johnson piled up 239 yards through the air and Brantley piled up 20 tackles as the Bulldogs beat the No. 8 Tigers 20-16. What happened after the game will always be remembered as the UGA faithful, in search of revenge from the year before when AU fans tore up the Sanford Stadium turf, rushed the field. The Tiger security team turned fire hoses on the Georgia fans to keep them from doing the same.

2014

The Tigers had two losses on the season but they still had a pulse in the National Championship picture when they entered Sanford Stadium. Todd Gurley made his return for Georgia after a four-game suspension for accepting money for autographs. Auburn scored a touchdown first and Gurley returned the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown, getting the crowd into the game, but it was called back. Both Gurley and Nick Chubb, who was borderline unstoppable, went for over 100 yards on the day. Gurley did suffer a torn ACL later in the game but Georgia thumped the No. 9-ranked Tigers by a score of 34-7.

2006

Tray Battle, a standout safety at Georgia who started his career as a walk-on, had a day he will never forget. After busting a coverage the year before that allowed Auburn to get in position to kick a game-winning field goal in Sanford Stadium, Battle picked off three Brandon Cox passes and helped the Bulldogs upset the No. 5 Tigers by a score of 37-15. One of this interceptions went for a 30-yard touchdown and Matthew Stafford, a true freshman at the time, turned in a big day. That win over Auburn opened the door for Florida to get to the National Championship game, however. The Tigers had topped the Gators earlier in the year and UGA’s victory cleared the way.

2007

This was one of the greatest environments in Sanford Stadium history. The Bulldogs entered the game red hot after beating Florida earlier in the season. Mark Richt called for the Blackout and the team donned the black jerseys for the first time, sending Georgia fans into a frenzy. Georgia got out to a fast start, lost the lead briefly, but surged back to beat Auburn soundly by a score of 45-21 as Knowshon Moreno put on a show.