ATHENS — Georgia football stock is back on the rise, ever so steadily, as Kirby Smart would prefer.

The No. 5-ranked Bulldogs slugged it out with Auburn amid a warm, but relatively flat, Sanford Stadium environment on Saturday.

Georgia prevailed 31-13 in a contested game where execution and clutch play appeared a bigger separator than talent and/or scheme.

Carson Beck was slightly more efficient than Auburn QB Payton Thorne — Beck 23-of-29 passing for 240 yards and 2 TDs, to Thorne’s 16-of-27, 200-yard effort.

The Bulldogs executed a key fourth down, Auburn did not. Georgia had 3 sacks and 5 tackles-for-loss to the Tigers’ 2 sacks and 3 tackles-for-loss. UGA generated 381 total yards to Auburn’s 337.

Kirby Smart’s team was just a little bit better in every area than the desperate Tigers, and that was enough

Here’s one opinion on how stock shifted in the 31-13 win over Auburn on Saturday:

Stock soaring

Kirby Smart wrapped his arms around his team after a shell-shocking 41-34 loss at Alabama created a potentially fragile environment and plenty of second-guessing on the coaching staff. Smart knows his team better than other coaches know theirs, and he understands how to manage through the difficulties and challenges of a long season. Make no mistake about it, the talented UGA players are necessary to win games, but Smart is the secret sauce that makes Georgia the most consistent winner in college football in this current era.

Stock up

Quarterback Carson Beck settled down and settled in, an efficient 23-of-29 passing with 2 touchdowns and no interceptions, looking very much the part of team leader.

Tailback Trevor Etienne was featured in the Georgia game plan, albeit, perhaps one week too late, and the Florida transfer led the Bulldogs in rushing (16 carries, 88 yards, 2 TDs) and receiving (6 catches on 6 targets, 36 yards).

Defensive tackle Nazir Stackhouse is provided the sort of strong steady play needed, leading a D-Line room that is struggling to stay healthy and effective.

Receiver London Humphreys brings an explosive element to the WR ranks and is a player UGA fans should expect to see targeted more often.

Defensive back KJ Bolden was the highest-graded Georgia DB against Auburn, proving him the fast learner that Smart indicated he was back in spring drills.

Cornerback Daniel Harris has the look of a corner that teams do not want to throw on, and he plays physical against the run.

Offensive coordinator Mike Bobo isn’t getting nearly enough credit for the work he did to have Beck ready and the balanced offensive game plan he designed The Dawgs were 7-of-14 on third downs and have converted on fourth down six times in a row.

Stock even

Running back Cash Jones made the most of his five snaps, providing quality spot work that Georgia will need throughout the season at clutch times.

Receiver Dominic Lovett remains the most consistent and reliable target on the team, along with bringing great leadership and special teams play to the table.

Tight end Lawson Luckie is the pass catching threat among his peers, a young player who will continue to improve with each snap and opportunity.

Defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann is always solid — outside the Alabama game — but he’s still figuring out his best defensive personnel packages, as there are still too many missed tackles and assignments.

Tailback Nate Frazier brought a spark, which is what UGA should expect from an elite freshman prospect who is budding into a star.

Stock down

Defensive back Joenel Aguero is not cashing in on the golden opportunity he has been presented with, missing tackles and grading out lowest among the DBs per PFF.

Defensive tackle Warren Brinson is not back where he was before injury, and that was reflected in him being the lowest graded defensive lineman on the team.

Tight end Benjamin Yurosek probably isn’t accustomed to grading below the curve — Stanford students are elite — but he’s yet to meet the Georgia standard since his transfer into the program.

Safety Dan Jackson continues to make tackles, but he’s still a step behind in coverage, something that may not change against SEC competition.

Georgia fans and game managment personnel, aren’t going to want to see themselves on this list, but when the head coach calls the group in attendance out collectively it’s real. One onlooker didn’t think the band played enough, and Auburn had no issues handling the crowd noise.

As people in the Southeast pick up the pieces and figure out how to move forward after Hurricane Helene, volunteers from the American Red Cross are working around the clock in six states to help those who need it.

“It left thousands of lives changed forever. There was death and destruction – miles of which we haven’t even completely covered yet,” said John McMahon, with the Red Cross.

McMahon is from Solano County and is a member of the American Red Cross North Bay Chapter.

He’s working as a damage assessment manager in Georgia, sending teams out daily to survey and identify storm damage across 60 counties in the state.

“There are still some areas that are inaccessible. We’ve still got people who are missing,” he said.

He’s been in many disaster zones throughout his time with the American Red Cross.

“Every disaster is different. But, this one is huge,” he said. “The only one I can compare it to would be Superstorm Sandy.”

Millions of people throughout the region were without power. In Georgia, he says the situation is starting to improve.

“The power outages in the state of Georgia has dropped from over a million down to 143,000 now,” he said.

When the call came in to help, McMahon was ready to go.

“I’m going to be here at least two weeks, that’s my initial commitment,” he said. “I’ll probably be here longer than that.”

Why he’s compelled to help?

“I do it because it’s the humanitarian thing to do. I mean, we help each other,” he said.

And, it feels good to do good.

“See, I’m going to tear up just telling you about this. But, it’s people appreciate what we do,” he said. “They show their appreciation. It’s what makes it worth doing, it’s why we do what we do.”

There is a long and difficult road ahead for the folks who live in the region. McMahon takes pride in the fact that he plays a role in helping them find their way.

If you’d like to donate to the American Red Cross, you can text “Helene” to 90999. If you’d like to learn more about volunteering, head to their website.

Georgia Tech picked up a 24-14 win against rival Duke on Saturday and moved to 4-2 on the season. It was a great all-around effort on all sides of the ball. Let’s dive into some key takeaways from the game. 

1. Defense had one of its best games of the year- The Yellow Jackets gave up their third-lowest point total this season, and held Duke to a season-low 14 points. I think what I was most impressed with was when the offense hit a lull and the Yellow Jackets were clinging to a slim lead, the defense kept making plays and forcing punts. Yes, there were some big plays given up in the game to Sahmir Hagans and Eli Pancol but Georgia Tech bottled up the Duke offense for most of the night. They held Duke running back Star Thomas to just 48 rushing yards after he carved up North Carolina for 166 rushing yards the week prior. As a team, Duke only had 74 rushing yards. It says a lot about this defense slowing down a potent rushing attack and the identity of the Blue Devils’ offense. Georgia Tech also got an interception late that helped seal the game. The defense played complementary football on Saturday and constantly made plays until the offense got it going. 

2. Jordan van den Berg, Ahmari Harvey, and Taye Seymore had standout performances – Jordan van den Berg was all over the field on Saturday night and had an impact performance. He was massive in the first half clogging up lanes and making plays in the backfield. He finished with 3 tackles, two tackles for loss, and a sack. It was his best game as a Yellow Jacket as he consistently made plays for his team and helped slow down Star Thomas. 

Ahmari Harvey led the team in tackles and was all over the field on Saturday making plays and providing juice for the defense. He also caught the lone interception for the Yellow Jackets this season and wrapped up the win for Georgia Tech. It’s been a breakout year for Harvey as he continues to make plays in each game. 

Taye Seymore brought his chinstrap on Saturday and made big hits all night long. He was the second-leading tackler with five tackles and a half tackle for loss. He also had a crucial pass breakup over the middle of the field when Duke was driving and was threatening to score. Seymore is another player who is beginning to come into his own and make a big impact for the Yellow Jackets as the season goes on. 

3. Jamal Haynes looked like his usual self – Haynes dealt with a nagging injury that slowed down his production this season. Like a great player would, he fought through it and didn’t make any complaints or excuses. After a much-needed bye week, we saw the Jamal Haynes of old. Explosive making defenders miss in the hole and long runs. His best run of the game came in the second quarter when he hit the left sideline for a 39-yard gain and got the ball into opponent territory. He finished with 19 carries for 128 yards and averaged 6.7 yards per carry. He also had a receiving touchdown that gave the Yellow Jackets the lead after they trailed for the first time in the game in the fourth quarter. He had another impressive run that caught my eye on a scoring drive in the fourth quarter. He made a defender miss on the second level and completely juked him out to set up a first down in the red zone. He was fast and quick tonight reading the rush lanes well and making explosive plays. Georgia Tech is dangerous if Jamal Haynes runs the ball like that. Always nice to have a big game on your birthday. Now Haynes can enjoy his Juicy Crab on Sunday.

4. Offensive Line came to play- It was a much-needed bounce-back game for the offensive line who struggled in earlier ACC games this season to create rush lanes and holes for the running backs. Saturday was a dominant effort by this unit. The Yellow Jackets rushed for 245 rushing yards. We talked about Haynes earlier, but the holes and running room were there all night. When Chad Alexander came into the game, the offensive line didn’t miss a beat and he carved up the Duke defense. Alexander rushed for 59 yards on just ten carries. The offensive line created a push the entire night and was moving the defensive line for Duke. There were also no sacks allowed in this game for the Yellow Jackets as they kept Haynes King clean throughout. They also helped put the game on ice after Duke had a missed late field goal in the fourth quarter converting two first downs and running out the clock on the Blue Devils. 

5. The offense is still missing those explosive passing plays we are accustomed to. Yes, the Yellow Jackets did gain 412 yards of offense, 245 on the ground and 167 yards passing. Their longest play came on a Jamal Haynes 39-yard scamper. The longest play through the air was a reception by Malik Rutherford that went for 24 yards. Now in the game, Georgia Tech ran a lot of smoke screens and got the ball out to the playmakers in space which is what you want. Haynes King also didn’t have any turnovers which is another great sight as he continues to take care of the football this season. I bring this up because the Yellow Jackets still have a tough schedule down the road with matchups against Notre Dame, Miami, and Georgia on the deck. They will need explosive plays to beat these teams. Georgia Tech is certainly more than capable and has a great offensive coordinator in Buster Faulkner, but they need to hit more plays to their explosive receivers Rutherford and Eric Singleton. If Georgia Tech can hit explosive plays in the passing game and run the ball like they did on Saturday, the Yellow Jackets can be a problem. It feels like the Yellow Jackets haven’t hit their stride just yet on offense and that is a terrifying sight for opposing defenses. 

All in all, it was a solid game for the Yellow Jackets mixed with good things and areas they can work on. A win is never easy to come by and to hand Duke its first loss and put themselves back into the ACC race does a lot for confidence.