Georgia Football: 3 Bold Predictions for rivalry matchup against Auburn

1. Jarrett Stidham throws multiple interceptions

A lot of the optimism surrounding the Auburn football program heading into this season revolved around junior QB Jarrett Stidham, who came into the season as a projected first round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft and carried significant Heisman hype.

Stidham was terrific as a sophomore, particularly down the stretch as Auburn got hot in November by upsetting both Georgia and Alabama to win the SEC West. With offensive line struggles, and a running game stuck in mud, Stidham has struggled to carry the full weight of the Auburn offense on his shoulders; he’s had no Kerryon Johnson to lean on this season as the Tigers continue to search for a consistent lead back.

Stidham’s numbers are down across the board. His completion percentage is down from 66% to 60%; his yards-per-attempt is down from 8.54 to 7.40; his QB rating is down from 151 to 132.2; and he’s on pace for less touchdowns and about 500 less yards than a year ago.

Stidham ranks 9th in the SEC in passer efficiency and touchdown passes. He played well down the stretch against Texas A&M to lead the Tigers to victory, but it’ll take more superhuman efforts from Stidham the rest of the way to lead Auburn to victories that matter.

With Georgia likely taking away the Auburn rushing attack, Stidham will be forced to throw the ball for the Tigers to have any semblance of offense. That will play right into Georgia’s hands, as the ‘Dawgs rank 5th in the nation in passing downs defense, according to S&P+.

I think an increased load will lead to Stidham making some mistakes as he has to force some throws to try and keep the game from getting out of hand. In doing so, I expect Stidham to throw a pair of interceptions that will contribute to a comfortable Georgia win.