On Feb. 20, 1892, the University of Georgia and Auburn University played each other for the first time in football. It happened in Atlanta, where Auburn defeated Georgia 10-0. Since then, the series has blossomed into what is known as the “Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry”.
The two have played each other more than they’ve played any other team, with 124 total games between them. Georgia leads the all-time series 60-56-8 and have won three straight against the Tigers.
Auburn is looking to leave Athens with a win for the first time since 2005, when the No. 15 Tigers defeated the No. 9 Bulldogs 31-30. However, the Tigers are 17-15 all-time in Athens. Saturday marks the first time since 1983 that both teams are ranked in the top-10 and Georgia is the home team.
Over the 128 years, the series has bounced between the cities of Atlanta, Georgia; Macon, Georgia; Montgomery, Alabama; Savannah, Georgia; and Columbus, Georgia. In 1960, the game took place in Auburn for the first time where the Tigers won 9-6. From that point on, the series altered between the two campuses each year until 2013 when it was played in Auburn for a second consecutive season.
The 2017 season marked the first time where the teams played each other more than once. Auburn defeated the then ranked No. 1 Georgia team 40-17 in Jordan-Hare Stadium on Nov. 11. Georgia avenged its loss in the 2017 SEC Championship game, with a 28-7 victory over the Tigers. It was the first time the teams had met in the championship game.
Following the 28-7 loss, Auburn has not been victorious in its previous two meetings with the Bulldogs . The Tigers lost in Athens 27-10 in 2018, and lost in Auburn 21-14 last season.
The 125th edition of the “Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry” kicks off Saturday at 6:30 p.m. CST and will be broadcast on ESPN.
