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.

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. 

It was not always pretty on Saturday night, but Georgia Tech got the 24-14 win over Duke and moved to 4-2 this season. After the win, Yellow Jackets head coach Brent Key spoke with the media and here is everything that he had to say.

Opening Statement…

“I thought it was a really good football game. I mean, that was a good football game all around both sides. Duke has a good football team. I do think that we came out, we played fast, and that’s what I was looking for after the bye week, coming off the bye week to look fresh look like we’re fast again and that’s kind of what we saw in practice during the week that we had our team speed was better again and we saw that tonight of the defense was flying around doing a good job I think they’re improving really every week doing a good job against the run credit to what Tooch is doing and what Jess and Kyle Pope those guys with front seven, uh, you know, got some big stops when they had some they had explosive kickoff return in the second half. Uh, we got to add some good stops in there. You know, they had some, uh, you know, we were playing behind the sticks field position wise. I think we had three or four, uh, drives that started minus 10 minus, you know, three were in the minus nine, I think, and you know, one or two on the minus 10, uh, you know, we got to do a better job in controlling the vertical field position in the football game.

So we don’t get in those holes so much and have the long fields to go. But we were moving the football with nine true possessions and then kneel down at the end of the game in the 22nd possession for halftime. Getting four scores out of three touchdowns and a field goal. We got a little more productive on those things, but we get in the long field. So we had to do a little better job with that. The kids played hard. Thought they played smarter tonight. I really do, other than before halftime on defense, they had those a couple of chunk plays after the penalty on the punt. We’ll take a look at that penalty and see exactly what we need to talk about on Sunday with that one. But other than that, I mean, both teams played really hard. That was a good football game, and really glad to be able to come out on top of that one. I told the guys in the locker room afterwards that it was a– enjoy the win, enjoy every win. But then I challenged every person in the room man to man that when we come back in tomorrow, the first thing we’re going to do in the team meeting starts is we’re going to make sure every person on this football team knows how to sing a Ramblin’ Wreck from Georgia Tech. There’s a couple of young guys in there that aren’t quite on They aren’t quite on it. So we have a lesson in that first. But a challenge to them all to be just as critical after this game as they were two weeks ago. And to make sure that we improve in the same regard in the next week, because we have a tough stretch coming up. And we have a 12 o ‘clock kickoff on Saturday. I believe it’s 12 o ‘clock or 8 o ‘clock. 12 o ‘clock kickoff, so we’ll be back to business. but really happy, happy for the kids, happy for the coaching staff.”

1. On the team’s performance in the 4th quarter…

“We challenged the guys that it was going to be a second half game where it was a big field position game. I know that Duke really had taken a lot of pride in taking teams in the fourth quarter and winning games in the fourth quarter. But that’s what we have top. Regardless of the outcome of a couple of games, I think our guys have continued to play throughout. And that’s what they did. They kept playing. It was a good execution. I do think at the line of scrimmage think our guys tended and I’ll look at the tape and see it for sure but I thought we started to wear him down a little bit some of those runs early on you know there were three yards four yards two yards you know six yards and they started cracking you know Jamal had a good game run on the football but I thought Chad Alexander he has really hard physical runs there on some big some big downs in there.”

2. On some of the new wrinkles from the offense tonight…

“Yeah we got it a little too constricted the last few weeks and playing in a phone booth a little bit. So we wanted to make sure that we spread it out, worked the field, not just north and south, but east and west as well. We’ve got guys that are explosive with the ball in their hand. And really the biggest challenge of that was Haynes negotiating throw past those defensive ends. I mean, they’re in raised charges up the field, almost the whole game. So that was the challenge. We felt like to be able to do that and spit the ball out there. And I thought those guys, I mean, we didn’t have a lot of long, big passes, but we had some really crucial catches and some crucial situations I thought.”

3. On Chad Alexander…

“Chad had some really good, hard runs. I mean, there was some third down runs in there he had. Ramp got behind his pads. And for a smaller back, he’s got– he’s an explosive guy. And then I thought he showed it to him.”

4. On Jamal Haynes…

“Yeah, I even mentally and emotionally to have to deal with that weekend on a job? Yeah, I mean, anytime you’re not performing the way you’re capable of, it’s tough. But look, it’s not just Jamal. I mean, I thought we played better as a unit up front tonight, and especially in some of the short yard situations, we added a couple of wrinkles in there that helped us. But some of those things were added because we were able to have guys at full speed and fully healthy. But after the game, yeah, I gave them all a big hug and I said, “It was really good to see a 100 % number 11 out there.” Watching practice really from Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, the guys that are banged up at practice, they wear a black jersey. And at the end into practice I went out and I had equipment guys go grab grab his jersey out of his locker and I Took that black jersey off of him for the last period in practice I went through in the garbage can and gave him his white one back. It must be like Superman taking his I don’t think that would have been very wise He’s a He’s a tough kid, we have some tough kids on our team.”

5. On Jordan van den Berg…

“Yeah, he’s been playing better and better each week. Earned the start tonight, through what he had done in the last several games of production he’s It’s not even close that he’s the strongest guy on the football team. I mean, he might be one of the strongest guys in the country. I mean, he’s a powerful, strong guy, but he also has enough agility and quick body quickness to be able to be disruptive. All right, so he’s improving each week. He’s another one that overcame some nagging injuries along the way. And was at full speed tonight, and I think it really helped us out in there.”

6. On how they were able to contain Duke’s rushing attack…

“We filled our gaps, we played the blocks well. I can’t say enough about Jess Simpson and the job he does, coaching technique on the defensive line. He understands the big picture on defense, and he understands the big picture on offense. And he’s a great teacher. For all those years as a head high school coach and a teacher, that shows. And those guys, they’ve become very football smart. So they’re understanding how to play different blocks, different schemes, a couple of the ones that squirted through there for bigger gains were ones that were really on us. We’ll take a look at it and see exactly what we messed up to. So we don’t have that, but I’ve been very proud of get better and better because we have a big challenge coming up next week.”

7. On executing the long drives on offense…

“I mean, I’d like to score one play every time But, no, it’s complimentary football. All right, and, You know, could we line up and throw the ball every play or play the tempo every play, but you know, it is a staff. We meet a lot together. Myself, the coordinators meet on Thursdays and we talk about how to play the game. We talk about how we have to compliment each other. And that’s what it’s about. It’s a football team. It’s not just the offense, not just the defense, not just the kicking game, special teams. We got to play complementary football. And looking at the time of possession– time of possession is not a stat that is truly indicative, always, of winning and losing games. But if it fits into the style of play that you’re playing, it does. It takes away the amount of time they have to ball. But when you’re doing that, you’ve got to score. And at one point, when it was about 10 I mean, we’ve had, you know, several possession, long possessions. I think half time we were saying it was a kind of two to one time of possession, but it was a three point game. So you’ve got to be efficient in those drives as well. And I think that’s, like I said, when I opened up, we’ve got to be a little more efficient in some of those things, along some of those drives and finishing with the points on the board.”

8. On Taye Seymore and Billy Shaw…

“Yeah, Taye earned what he’s, the spot that he’s in. I mean, there was a string in there. I mean, he had pass breaks up, tackle, tackle for loss. I mean, he was all over the field. The big thing we talked about this week was playing fast. We talked about playing Playing fast, not being, you know, hey, Eric is fast. We all know that, right? No, when he kicked off him, he was, but there’s, being fast, there’s playing fast, right? You play fast when you start to, when the game starts to slow down, right? When you start to really know what to do, know what the offense is doing, anticipate things are gonna happen, right? You know, now you’re a step ahead, two steps ahead. So, I think that’s what he’s doing. The more he’s playing, you know, the more experience he’s getting the better he’s becoming. And then, you know,

One of the greatest players to play here, Billy Shaw, and that’s what it was. It was a, just for him, passed away yesterday. And, you know, NFL Hall of Famer, unbelievable career here, unbelievable career in the National Football League. And I believe to this day, he’s still the only person that’s ever, that’s in the NFL Hall of Fame that never played actually in the NFL. And he was in the AFL Buffalo Bills the whole time. Just someone that is 83, 84, and obviously passed away 85, became a good friend. Just someone that Even as he got you know, you know later on and on and he just he would send me Send text messages or we couldn’t talk on the phone and just you know, it just just a good good man and He’s a Tech man, and he did a lot here do a lot for this place and any time somebody stands up at Canton and says that they went to the greatest University in the world You know, they love this place.”

9. On the turnaround at the end of the game…

“No, it was, we really started playing the field position battle. We had, like I said, we had two that were in the minus nine in the first half, one in minus ten, and also, boom, minus nine again. Again, we’re able to punch it out of there, get the ball, flip the field. We’ve got two big stops, a big stop on defense after they went the length. And then we got one. They missed the field goal. So we were able to gain some advantage in the field position. But then, like I said, I think we started to wear them down a little bit, which is a credit. When you see that happen, you see you start to run the ball a little better. and as the game goes on and protect better and stop the run and close coverage more and more. Really, that’s a credit to what these guys do from January. Those are things that are built in the weight room from January, February, and March. Not just in the last week of practice or whatnot.”

10. On the secondary being aggressive…

“Well, they’ve got to continue to be more aggressive, and that’s what they did. They challenged the receivers. That’s something Really, for the last two weeks, we’ve really emphasized. And from this past Sunday’s practice through the week, we got our hands on more balls, had more interceptions, more strips, because it wasn’t just emphasized. It was overly emphasized, every single play. So it’s good to be able to have that happen.”