Auburn football falls to Georgia, losing streak extended to 3 in a row: Key takeaways
ATHENS, Ga. — Auburn football fell 31-13 at No. 5 Georgia on Saturday afternoon, remaining winless in the SEC through a third week.
Senior quarterback Payton Thorne attempted to lead the charge but succumbed to the intensity of Georgia's defense quickly. The Tigers (2-4, 0-3 SEC) didn't score a single touchdown until the third quarter, when Jarquez Hunter broke free for a 38-yard run. Their other six points came from two Towns McGough field goals.
The Tigers are set for an open date next week. They'll resume play Oct. 19 at top 25-ranked Missouri (4-1, 1-1). Kickoff time in Columbia, Mo., has not yet been set.
Here are three takeaways from Auburn vs. Georgia (4-1, 2-1).
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Strict no-turnover diet limits Payton Thorne in time of need
Payton Thorne was outthrown by Carson Beck quite a bit in the first half, completing 7 of 10 passes for 80 yards and not a single touchdown. Beck had 14 completions on 16 attempts for 124 yards and a touchdown pass to Trevor Etienne for 11 yards.
Auburn has been having a tough time with turnovers, recording 15 in five games, which put quite a leash on the senior quarterback and made him a tad more reluctant to take chances. The Tigers ranked 132nd of 134 team in FBS coming into the game with a minus-11 turnover ratio but didn't have an interception or lose a fumble vs. Georgia.
Run game gets stuffed by Georgia in first half
Auburn came in averaging 171.2 rushing yards per game and 5.5 per rush. Georgia managed to keep the Tigers on lockdown for the first half, limiting Auburn to fewer than 100 rushing yards and zero touchdowns.
The Tigers came out in the third quarter determined to get the ground game going. In the first drive off the break, Hunter scored on a 38-yard rush. Thorne got the rushing game going, scrambling up the middle for 8 yards and then the left for another 11.
Payton Thorne needs to find ways to move his feet
Thorne frequently found himself a deer in headlights, suffering three sacks for a loss of 19 yards — two from Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, one from Chaz Chambliss. In the first half, he rushed six times for 19 yards, recording a net of six yards after losing 13, and then added only three more yards in the second half.
(This story was updated because an earlier version included an inaccuracy.)
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Auburn football vs Georgia: Score, key takeaways
