The Georgia Bulldogs have the unenviable task of hosting a red-hot Auburn team at Sanford Stadium this weekend.

In a matchup with huge SEC East and West implications, Georgia coach Kirby Smart spoke about the importance of the game in the Week 11 SEC Media Presser on Wednesday morning.

“When you look at Auburn’s rushing attack, why is it hard to stop?” Smart asked. “First thing is pace of play. Secondly, that back [Kamryn Pettway] is tough to tackle. People hit less and less as the year goes on and he exposes people. They have always done that and that tempo just wears on you.”

Smart said the Bulldogs’ big advantage this year is having the game in Athens, though he acknowledged it is similar to Auburn’s Jordan-Hare Stadium.

“The home-field [advantage] seems like a weird deal in this series — both stadiums are very similar,” he said. “There is a lot of energy and passion because the schools are so close to one another, the fan bases are so close to one another. The crowd noise is the biggest thing being at home this year.”

The Bulldogs and Tigers will kick off at 3:30 p.m. Eastern time on Saturday afternoon. The game can be seen on CBS.