Thursday March 28th, 2024 7:34AM

Could Dogs' special teams be the difference again in Auburn rematch?

By Jeff Hart Sports Reporter

With all the talk of Auburn’s high-powered offense and both team’s usually hard-hitting defenses, if you listened carefully thiis week, Georgia’s chances of winning Saturday’s SEC Championship game could fall squarely on the shoulders of the Bulldogs special teams.

Sophomore returner Mecole Hardman and place-kicker Rodrigo Blankenship in particular were the center of attention during several questions by reporters.

“He’s a tremendous playmaker,” Bulldogs’ wide receiver Terry Godwin said of Hardman. “He’s giving us great field position and he can go the distance every time he touches the ball.”

"They have a great guy (in Hardman) who really hurt us in the return game and we will have to do a lot better job this time. He's electric and a weapon," Auburn coach Gus Malzahn said Tuesday.

Hardman had five kickoff returns for 142 yards and three more punt returns for 43 yards in the first meeting. However, he also had a game-changing fumble on a punt return on the Dogs’ first touch of the third quarter that resulted in an Auburn touchdown on the next possession and snuffed out any comeback thoughts the Dogs had in what turned into a 40-17 Tigers rout. Earlier in the game Georgia was called for a 15-yard penalty for leaping on an Auburn punt that gave the Tigers the ball back, which resulted in anoher Auburn touchdown.

Blankenship did boot a 47-yard field goal in the third quarter that snapped a 21-point Auburn outburst. But he also missed a 42-yarder as time expired on the first half that would have given Georgia some needed momentum after a second quarter blitz by the Tigers that saw them take a 16-7 lead at the interval.

Blankenship said playing in the weather-controlled Mercedes-Benz Stadium could make the special teams units even more important.

“I haven’t been in there yet but I don’t think it will be a problem,” he said. “Since it’s inside there won’t be any weather issues. I feel confident and I’m sure that will make Mecole look even faster.”

Blankenship, when asked about how he would defend against someone like Hardman, sighed and chuckled.

“Mecole’s a great returner. I don’t really know what I would do because he finds a way to catch the ball no matter where guys kick it,” he said. “All I know is that I’m glad he’s somebody else’s problem and not mine.”

Blankenship's worries have been few and far between this season. After a solid freshman campaign in 2016, the redshirt-sophomore out of Sprayberry has cemented role as starter -- after coaches brought in competition in the offseason -- with booming kickoffs (55 of his 77 kickoffs have resulted in touchbacks) and has has connected on 13 of 15 field goals with a long of 49 yards vs. Mississippi State.

“I tweaked my technique in the offseason and hit the weights. Those things have made a huge difference this year,” said Blankenship, who was awarded an athletic grant-in-aid just before the Notre Dame game, which he announced to the team after the victory. “It was a great feeling. But I also feel I need to prove myself worthy of that every day. I’m just trying to work hard every day and get better.”

© Copyright 2024 AccessWDUN.com
All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission.