Georgia-Auburn Preview Capsule

No. 5 Georgia (8-1, 6-1 SEC) at Auburn (2-7, 0-6), 7 p.m. (ESPN2)

Line: Georgia by 15-1/2.

Series Record: Auburn leads 54-53-8.

WHAT'S AT STAKE

The Bulldogs can clinch an SEC East championship and keep their national title hopes alive with a victory. The Tigers only have two more longshot chances to avoid a winless SEC season and would love to knock off one of their chief rivals, Georgia or No. 1 Alabama. A win might not save Auburn coach Gene Chizik's job in the final reckoning, but it would give him a stronger case to stick around.

KEY MATCHUP

Georgia QB Aaron Murray against Auburn's defense. Sure, the Tigers rank last in the SEC against the run and Todd Gurley could have a big day. But a secondary starting freshman Joshua Holsey and sophomore Jonathan Mincy at cornerback has yet to produce an interception and could be vulnerable to big plays.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Georgia: Jarvis Jones. The playmaking linebacker has wreaked havoc against better blockers, with seven sacks in six SEC games and a league-best 2.14 tackles for loss per game, while forcing five fumbles. Auburn, meanwhile, has yielded 29 sacks, which could give Jones & Co. ample opportunity to harass freshman QB Jonathan Wallace early and often.

Auburn: Wallace. The freshman was solid in his first career start last week, but that was against New Mexico State. Now, he has to make plays running and passing against a bigger, faster SEC defense and try to avoid three-and-outs against the high-scoring Bulldogs. The Bulldogs have forced 50 three-and-outs, third nationally.

FACTS & FIGURES

This series is tied with Oregon-Oregon State as the seventh-most played game in the Football Bowl Subdivision, dating back to 1892. ... Georgia has won five of the last six meetings but it's still separated by a modest 76 points (1,854-1778) even after last year's 45-7 rout. That was the Bulldogs' biggest win in the series since a 41-0 triumph in 1946. At the time, it was Auburn's most lopsided loss since falling 51-10 at Florida in 1996. ... The team that won the turnover margin in the last 21 meetings has gone 14-2-1. ... Georgia WR Marlon Brown, tied for the team lead with 27 catches, is out for the season with a torn ACL. ... Auburn TE C.J. Uzomah is not expected to play with a right hand injury.