For the 128th time, Auburn and Georgia meet up on the gridiron to battle it out in one of the nastiest rivalries in college football. It has been especially ugly for the Tigers lately, losing six straight games to the Bulldogs.

Hugh Freeze's team is coming off a poor performance against A&M in which the Tigers put up just three points offensively and looked inept for a lot of the game on that side of the ball. But, as they say, that was a different day and a different game, and the Tigers will lean on its defense and the hostile Jordan-Hare Stadium crowd to keep the game close against the top-ranked team in college football.

So, how can Auburn pull off the upset? Here are four questions that will be critical for the Tigers against the Dawgs.

1st Down: Can Auburn get competent quarterback play?

Needless to say, 54 yards passing is not going to get the job done, especially against a Georgia defense that will focus on stopping the run and then pin their ears back when Auburn is in passing situations. The Tigers are sticking with Payton Thorne, who had probably the worst game of his collegiate career against A&M. At times, he looked rattled. Maybe being back at home will help his confidence because Auburn needs all hands on deck to play the best game to pull the upset. Speaking of quarterbacks...

2nd Down: Can Auburn pressure Carson Beck in his first road game?

Beck has been solid through four games, completing 72 percent of his passes for 1,184 yards and six touchdowns to one interception. However, all four of those games have been in Sanford Stadium and in front of a friendly crowd. Crazy things can happen when someone makes their first start in a hostile environment. If the Tigers can stay in the game and put Beck in situations where he needs to be the man, it could be a good day for Ron Roberts' defense.

3rd Down: Who stops Brock Bowers?

There's no secret who Beck and the Bulldogs want to get the ball to in the passing game. Bowers already has a team-leading 22 catches for 256 yards and two scores, plus a rushing touchdown. The Tigers must make other receivers step up for Georgia and contain Bowers. In an already dinged-up secondary, that could be troublesome.

4th Down: Can Brian Battie or Jeremiah Cobb fill in effectively for Damari Alston?

Battie showed signs of being capable after Alston went down this past Saturday in the first quarter, giving the rushing game some life with 59 yards on eight rushes. And, with Alston out for the foreseeable future, he and the true freshman Cobb will need to step up even more to take a load off Jarquez Hunter. You have to think that Battie's experience will pay off.