We're back for another week!
LIST OF AFFILIATES AND LINKS
PREDICTION: Tough loss. We felt like we had a shot, played great early. We just have to find a way to execute during the second half and stay true to what the coaches have drawn up. Georgia will be a tall order. They have a good team over there. It's a long season. You have to learn from every game, every practice, every day, every rep, every breath, every oxygen/CO2 exchange within our capillaries.
FIRST UP IS VOLLEYBALL CZAR BRENT CROUCH.
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BRYAN HARSIN IS WITH US VIA ZOOM NOW ... I BELIEVE.
Andy asks about them opening with five consecutive home games. Harsin says he's never done that before.
Not Andy wants to know if practice changes for road games. "Fridays are a little bit earlier because you're going to leave. Everything leading up to Friday is the same."
Harsin notes that they always expect weird things to happen during travel. "That way nobody freaks out."
Andy wants to know about Robby Ashford's second college start. "I thought he operated the offense well. That was the positive in the game. We were able to put the ball in the air and score a couple of touchdowns. The things to improve on is taking care of the football."
Not Andy says Brandon Council was good. (His PFF grade was good.) "He did a nice job snapping the ball, which is huge. And then making the right calls and being physical."
Andy thinks Eku Leota might be done for the season. "His presence is exactly what we want on this football team. Not having him out there ... our depth at that position already was a challenge going into the season. He's a positive influence in so many ways." He gives Marcus Bragg some respect for his game last week.
Not Andy wants to talk about the defensive line being deeper with offseason acquisitions. "It's certainly helped. You have to have that. Things along the way happen. Unfortunately, there's injuries and there's other factors. The teams that stay healthy can make that run. It's just a matter of guys who are not in that starting role stay ready."
Andy says Wesley Steiner stepped up against LSU. (It was a legitimately bad performance.) "He produced. It was good for him to be able to go out there and do that."
Not Andy asks if Harsin has seen the defense settling in. "In the two SEC games, our defense has played well. Overall ... I feel like that side of the ball is doing a good job. We need to complement that with the other two phases ... offensive and special teams. We're going to need to win the turnover battle."
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Not Andy says rivalry games are fun, which ones did he like as a kid? He says it was Boise State and Idaho. He says it was Seahawks and the Broncos. "The Iron Bowl, you always knew when Auburn and Alabama were playing."
"It's really the first big game Georgia has played." (He later amended to say "SEC game.")
Andy notes that Georgia was good on defense last year, wants to know what Harsin sees from this 2022 UGA defense. "They reloaded, that's what I see. The standard continues to be the same for that team. (Notes that they're good on offense, defense and special teams.) When you look at good football team, they have those components every year."
Not Andy says Georgia's offense is good. Harsin says they're creative. "They're really balanced. They really make you cover the whole field, that's what they do."
Andy notes that Stetson Bennett is 19-3 as a starting quarterback at UGA. "He's a winner. Any football team wants to have winners on it. He does a great job of managing what they're doing. The reason they won a national championship is because he was playing for them."
Not Andy notes that Georgia's offensive line is good. "We match up well with their offensive line. We match up with our front seven. That matchup, right now, I feel good about that. We expect them to be better than what we saw in the last game."
Andy wants to know if Colby Wooden will play more DE than DT in this game. Harsin says they'll do what's needed to have an effect on the edge. "We have versatility with those guys. It'll give us a chance to use some different variations."
**COMMERCIAL BREAK**
Andy wants to know how they approach road games from a noise perspective. He says they pump noise at practice and work on signals. "You practice that way."
Harsin says his kids should be so locked in that noise shouldn't affect them.
Not Andy wants to know if players care about this UGA rivalry. "There's certainly an emotional factor, that pride, but ... you come to Auburn to play games like this. For us, it's about the 1 on 1s. I'm concerned about being too geeked out."
Andy wants to know how Harsin makes sure his players aren't too geeked out. "I think you talk to them in a way ... you just re-emphasize what you've told them the entire week. The rah-rah part of it is already there."
Not Andy wants to know about Harsin walking the field before the game ... is it different now as compared to when you were a player? (WHAT?) "As a competitor, when I walk into stadiums as a coach, let's just go in there and play our best. That's football. That's life, too. It gives you energy. It gives you an edge. We're sure as hell gonna handle it — hopefully at a very high level."
Andy wants to know how they'll establish the run. "You can't get discouraged with two-yard gains ... you've got to avoid the minus-2 and the minus-4. You've got to keep believing in those runs."
Not Andy wants to talk about defensive keys. "When you have a 1 on 1, you have to win your 1 on 1 matchup. It's just that back and forth chess match. On the defensive side, it's about playing fast and violent. It's all gotta be at a very high level. If not, they're going to make plays off that."
Not Andy wants to talk about Oscar Chapman. "He's Mr. Consistent. He's a punter that sees what the punt return team is trying to do to him. Winning the field-position battle a lot of times leads to you winning the game."
Harsin offers a measured, matter-of-fact "War Eagle" to close.
BE GOOD. BE YOU.
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