ATHENS, Ga. – – No. 5 Georgia bounced back from its first regular-season loss in nearly four years – and got an extra bonus after the game was over.

Trevor Etienne ran for two touchdowns, Carson Beck threw a pair of scoring passes and the Bulldogs wore down struggling Auburn for a 31-13 win on a sweltering Saturday between the hedges.

About a half hour after Georgia (4-1, 2-1 Southeastern Conference) rattled off eight straight victories over the Deep South’s oldest rivalry, No. 1 Alabama — the team that handed the Bulldogs a heartbreaking 41-34 defeat. last week – was stunningly upset by Vanderbilt 40-35.

Cheers rang out in Sanford Stadium and surrounding parking lots as Georgia fans in Nashville celebrated an unlikely result that boosted their team’s prospects in the league race.

Georgia coach Kirby Smart later attended his post-game press conference as usual, eventually appearing moments after Vanderbilt sealed its historic victory.

“A lot of other people don’t respect Vandy,” Smart said. “But I respect Vandy, I respect coach (Clark) Lea, I respect his team, I respect his quarterback. Nothing shocks me in our league.”

The Bulldogs started the season ranked No. 1 and favored to win their third national championship in four years. That goal is still well within reach, although they did not score many style points against the offensively challenged Tigers (2-4, 0-3).

“Welcome to the SEC,” Smart said. ‘It’s difficult every week. I have a feeling it won’t stop.”

Auburn has dropped six straight games against Power Four opponents, keeping the pressure on second-year coach Hugh Freeze.

“It’s clearly a disappointing season,” Freeze said. “Another step that was not in the direction we had hoped.”

As temperatures climbed into the mid-80s, Etienne scored on a two-yard run to cap Georgia’s opening possession.

He added a 1-yard scoring drop late in the third quarter, leading to conflicting calls. One referee disallowed him, another said he crossed the goal line – even if only by a few centimeters. The TD call was confirmed after a lengthy video review.

Etienne finished with 88 yards on 16 carries.

“The touchdowns are great, but it’s all about the hard yards,” Smart said. “He gets the tough yards.”

The Bulldogs put the game away with Beck’s three-yard touchdown strike to Dillon Bell early in the fourth quarter.

Georgia’s fifth-year quarterback completed 23 of 29 passes for 240 yards, and also connected with Dominic Lovett on an 11-yard touchdown.

It was a satisfying recovery for Beck, who had three interceptions, lost a fumble and surrendered a safety with an intentional grounding penalty in the loss to Alabama.

After trailing 30-7 at halftime, Georgia’s final shot in Tuscaloosa ended when Beck threw a pick into the end zone.

“He’s a tough competitor, he’s a winner,” Smart said. “I’ll go to war with that guy anytime.”

Jarquez Hunter scored Auburn’s lone touchdown, breaking a tackle at the line and sprinting 38 yards to the end zone to cut Georgia’s lead to 14–10. But the Tigers didn’t have nearly enough firepower to seriously challenge the Bulldogs.

“We don’t play winning football at critical times and moments,” Freeze moaned.

The takeaway

Auburn: The Tigers kept things competitive for much of the game, but the lack of offense eventually caught up with them. The defense ran out of steam after embattled quarterback Payton Thorne was thrown for a 1-yard loss on a fourth-and-1 at the Auburn 44, which was essentially the visiting team’s last gasp. Thorne passed for 200 yards and didn’t have an interception, which was a step in the right direction. His numbers would have been even better if Malcolm Simmons hadn’t dropped a certain touchdown pass.

Georgia: After having their 42-game regular-season winning streak snapped by Alabama, the Bulldogs were eager for an impressive showing. Their performance was solid but hardly dominant, once again raising the question of whether this team is as strong as Kirby Smart’s selections of the past three seasons. There is still plenty of room for improvement, with challenging road games against Texas and Ole Miss. The defense took a hit when lineman Christen Miller left the game with a left knee injury.

Next

Auburn: The Tigers are off next week and return to action on Oct. 19 with another road game at No. 9 Missouri, a team that will drop in the rankings after a 41-10 loss at No. 25 Texas A&M. “I’m glad it’s open week,” Freeze said. “As coaches, we have to figure out a way to coach them harder.”

Georgia: Hosts Mississippi State in an SEC game next Saturday.

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