The Georgia football team that took the field Saturday was unlike any other going back to the 2020 season playing at Sanford Stadium.

The Bulldogs weren’t unbeaten and not ranked No. 1 or No. 2 like they had been for each home game the past three seasons and the first game between the hedges this season.

Ranked fifth this week, Georgia went ahead early and kept Auburn at bay in a 31-13 win in its SEC home opener and first game in Athens in four weeks.

The Bulldogs (4-1, 2-1 SEC) rebounded from their 41-34 loss at Alabama a week earlier that ended a 42-game regular season winning streak.

Trevor Etienne rushed for 81 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries, including a 1-yard third-quarter score, and Carson Beck hit Dillon Bell on a 3-yard slant for a touchdown with 12:34 to go.

It was Georgia’s eighth straight win against Auburn (2-4, 0-3 SEC) overall and ninth straight against the Tigers in Athens.

Here are three things we learned

Georgia offense shows more first-half life

Georgia’s slow starts had been a constant this season in FBS games, so its opening drive on offense was a needed boost. Scoring a second touchdown before halftime was even better and gave the Bulldogs touchdowns on two of their four possessions.

A 14-3 halftime lead isn’t wowing anybody, but Georgia averaged just 5.3 points per game in the first half against Clemson, Kentucky and Alabama.

The Bulldogs marched methodically down the field on a 75-yard, 11 play scoring drive to get a 2-yard touchdown run from Trevor Etienne around left tackle.

The Bulldogs converted a pair of third downs, and Carson Beck was 6 of 7 for 60 yards on the drive. He finished 23 of 29 for 240 yards with two touchdowns.

The big play on the first possession was a 33-yard Beck-to-Lawson-Luckie connection over the middle of the field.

It came with redshirt sophomore Drew Bobo starting for the first time in college for Jared Wilson, who is dealing with a foot injury

Georgia outgained Auburn 193-147 in the first half with 124 yards passing and 69 rushing yards on 17 carries.

Etienne had 54 yards on 9 carries with a long of 23 and 5 catches for 28 yards, but Smart was looking for more.

“We’re one tackle away from being explosive,” Smart said in the halftime interview.

Nate Frazier got his first carry of the game to open the second half and became part of the rotation again.

Georgia plays complementary football to create halftime distance

Georgia had led at the half in just one game against FBS opponent this season, a 6-0 advantage against Clemson.

It looked headed for a 7-3 lead after two quarters in this one, but it got what it needed from all three of its units to push the margin to 14-3.

First, Brett Thorson’s punt pinned Auburn at its own 3-yard line with 1:52 to go.

Then the defensive line shift caused an Auburn false start. Daniel Harris covered Cam Coleman well on an incompletion, and after a 4-yard Jarquez Hunter run, Auburn punted.

Georgia went 49 yards in 5 plays and scored on a Beck touchdown pass to Dominic Lovett. The Missouri transfer broke a tackle attempt by Keionte Scott at the 6 for the score with 17 seconds to go.

Auburn got in field goal range, but Dan Jackson blocked the 54-yard try.

Better tackling, but one big missed one for Georgia defense

Georgia’s defense kept Auburn out of the end zone in the first half, but Hunter averaged 5.6 yards a carry and Damari Alston 5.5.

The glaring missed tackles of the past two games—15 against both Alabama and Kentucky—were minimized until Hunter went 38 yards for a touchdown to cut the Georgia lead to 14-10. with 9:45 to go in the third quarter.

Hunter took a handoff and ran right, and nickel back Jonel Aguero went high and didn’t bring him down. Hunter outraced defensive backs Julian Humphrey and Malaki Starks to the end zone.

Auburn, which had thrown the second-most interceptions in the FBS, didn’t have a turnover on the day.

Auburn quarterback Payton Thorne (16 of 27 for 200 yards) hit Penn State transfer KeAndre Lambert-Smith for completions of 23 and 17 as the Tigers strung together a 62-yard scoring drive and got on the board with a 27-yard Towns McGough field goal. Hunter also went 19 yards on the left side on the drive.

The Tigers continued a trend of not scoring more than one touchdown in any game in Athens since 2009, but it did score its most points since that 31-24 Georgia win in 2009.

Georgia got a pair of sacks from Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins and another from Chaz Chambliss.

Raylen Wilson dropped Thorne for a 4-yard loss on a fourth and 1 early in the fourth quarter.

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Georgia football keeps Auburn Tigers at bay in SEC home opener