Practice Report

UGA Sports Communications

The sixth-ranked Dawgs conducted a two-hour workout Wednesday as they get set for their upcoming Southeastern Conference Championship Game against second-ranked Auburn.

After practice, selected players met with the media to discuss their preparations for the rematch with the Tigers. Auburn gave the Dawgs their only loss of the season as they met November 11th in Auburn in the Deep South’s oldest rivalry. Saturday will be the 122nd meeting between the programs as it ranks as the fourth most played active series in the NCAA FBS.

“We’re excited to be playing for a championship, and we know it’s going to be a great atmosphere,” said Georgia sophomore tight end Issac Nauta. “We have to be poised and play physical. It’s going to be half and half for the crowd this time. Home field advantage is a real thing. You can feed off the energy and communication can be easier or it can be harder.

“We wanted to play them again; we left a lot out there the first time, and it’s never a good feeling walking off the field after a loss,” Nauta added. “For the tight ends, we need to block really well, and we need to make plays. We’re excited about the challenge. We want to bring a championship back to Athens.”

“I was thinking back to my freshman year, and we were close to playing in it (SEC Championship Game), and I thought that we’ll go next year or the next and now as a senior, we’ve got that chance and we’re ready to take advantage of it,” said senior tight end Jeb Blazevich. “Our only loss was to Auburn, and it’s a blessing to have a second opportunity to play them.”

The Dawgs are aiming for their 13th SEC title with the most recent one coming in 2005. Georgia is making its sixth appearance in the SEC Championship Game and first since 2012. The SEC Championship Game was first played in 1992 in Birmingham’s Legion Field and remained there for one more season. It moved to Atlanta and the Georgia Dome in 1994 where it was held annually until this season.

The Dawgs (11-1, 7-1 SEC) face the Tigers (10-2, 7-1 SEC) Saturday in Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium at 4:10 p.m. ET, and the game will be televised nationally by CBS Sports.