Georgia football vs Auburn: The rivalry returns to its roots this Saturday
Georgia vs. Auburn returns to Atlanta in 1913
In 1913, Georgia and Auburn decided to bring the rivalry back to Atlanta. But now they played the game in Ponce De Leon Park, Atlanta’s first sports stadium. The “Poncey” hosted many other sporting events in the early 20th century including the Atlanta Crackers and Black Crackers baseball teams, Georgia Tech before they built Grant Field, and various high school football games.
In 1913, Auburn, led by Hall of Fame head coach Mike Donahue, was one of the best teams in America and they won the SIAA Championship outright with an 8-0 record. They finished the season with a 21-7 win in front of a crowd of 12,000 people including the governor of Georgia John M. Slaton.
Georgia scored the game’s first touchdown early to put Auburn on upset alert. But Auburn scored all 21 points in the final three quarters to defeat Georgia. Auburn won a National Title in one poll but the school does not recognize it. Instead the 1913 team only gets a small mention in Auburn’s football media guides.
Georgia wasn’t too shabby themselves in 1913. After a rough decade before, head coach William A. Cunningham had turned Georgia into a consistent program in the early 1910’s. Georgia ended the 1913 season with a 6-2 record and the loss to Auburn in the season finale was their only loss in SIAA play, making the 1913 Georgia vs. Auburn game the de facto SIAA Championship Game.
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Georgia’s team suffered its first losing season with Cunningham in 1914, but that didn’t stop them from ruining Auburn’s perfect season. Back in Piedmont Park, Auburn entered town with a 7-0-0 record while Georgia had lost five straight games following a 3-0 start.
Yet, Georgia battled Auburn to a scoreless tie. Auburn ended the season with a victory, but the tie with Georgia is a blemish on an undefeated season.
Rivalry leaves Atlanta, finds a home in Columbus
In 1915, Georgia and Auburn left Atlanta for good. UGA hosted the 1915 in Athens. In 1916, the rivalry found a permanent home in Columbus, a much closer location to Auburn, but across the state line in Georgia. They played the games in what’s now known as the A.J. McCung Memorial Stadium. That stadium is still home to high school games in Columbus.
Auburn continued to dominate the rivalry until 1920. Prior to that season, Auburn led the series 13-7-4. But Georgia, under new head coach Herman Stegman, turned the tables in 1920 on route to their second SIAA Championship and an 8-0-1 season. One source retroactively awarded them with the national championship, but they do not recognize it or even mention it in media guides.
Both teams entered the game 5-0, with five blowout wins each. Georgia had only allowed three points all season, and Auburn had only allowed eight. Both defenses were stellar, But Georgia’s was just better that day. They won 7-0 after a 20-yard pass from Buck Cheves to Dick Hartley.
From 1920-to-1931, Georgia only lost one game to Auburn. Georgia held an 18-14-4 lead in the series when the streak ended. Besides a 10-1-1 stretch for Georgia from 1940-to-1952, the series went back-and-fourth until leaving Columbus following the 1958 season.
Since 1959, Georgia and Auburn have played each game on each others campus. Georgia won that first game in Athens on route to an SEC Championship. Auburn won the first game against Georgia at home in 1960.
Until Georgia’s 9-2 run over Auburn from 2006-to-2016, the rivalry was very even. Between 1959 and 2006, each team had one four-game win streak and two three-game win streaks. Besides those rare streaks, wins were shared.
The record during those years was 26 wins for Auburn, 19 wins for Georgia, and two ties. Prior to 2006, Auburn led the series 53-48-8. Georgia now leads 57-56-8.