ATHENS – Kirby Smart seemed mostly happy with his Georgia football team at halftime, but the Bulldogs’ head coach longed for more success on the ground.

Georgia took a 14-3 lead into halftime against rival Auburn in this tough affair on Saturday at Sanford Stadium.

The Bulldogs took a 7-0 lead when Trevor Etienne rushed in from 2 yards out on Georgia’s first possession, capping an 11-play, 75-yard drive that was aided by an Auburn substitution penalty.

Etienne led all rushers with 54 yards on nine carries, including a 23-yard dash that set up Georgia’s second touchdown of the game.

“Good and bad, hot and cold, I feel like I could run better than us,” Smart said during his halftime interview with ABC, assessing Georgia’s offense.

“We had two runs where there could have been explosions – it’s hot and both teams are faltering a bit.”

The Bulldogs’ second TD drive began at the Auburn 49 with 1:02 left in the half after a Brett Thorson punt was wiped out at the Tigers’ 3 and the defense forced a three-pointer.

Carson Beck, 14 of 16 passes for 124 yards, hit Dominic Lovett with an 11-yard touchdown pass to cap a five-play, 49-yard drive that featured Etienne on an explosive run to the 17th yard.

Auburn’s only points came on its second possession, and the Tigers answered UGA’s first touchdown with a 27-yard field goal on the ensuing drive.

Auburn threatened to score more at the end of the half, but Towns McGough’s 54-yard field goal was blocked by Dan Jackson.

“Well, it’s about time,” Smart said. “We didn’t have a blocked field goal in a whole year, and we’re very proud of that. So I’m really happy with the work we put in to make this happen.”

Georgia outgained Auburn 193 yards to 147 and had 11 first downs to the Tigers’ 7.