Richt, Tuberville clutch on road

<p>Maybe it's their calm, cool demeanor on the sidelines. Or perhaps, it's because both coaches rely on a strong running game and defense.</p><p> Whatever the reasons, Auburn's Tommy Tuberville and Georgia's Mark Richt have become the SEC's road warriors. Georgia owns an incredible 23-3 record in opponent's stadiums under Richt while Tuberville has won seven straight SEC road games and 12 of his last 13.</p><p> Lately, Tuberville and Richt have had the ability to silence opposing SEC stadiums like no other. Tuberville says his team's style is conducive to road environments.</p><p> "Our philosophy to win is to play good defense and run the football," Tuberville said. "Playing on the road doesn't affect that. We could play in a parking lot and do that."</p><p> The Tigers have lost just once in an opponent's stadium since the start of the 2004 season. But barely. The Tigers lost a 20-17 overtime decision at No. 7 LSU in 2005. Otherwise, Auburn has been stellar on the road the last two-plus seasons, winning twice at Tuscaloosa, posting a 24-point win in Knoxville and a 31-30 decision in Athens.</p><p> The Tigers added to their road kill Saturday when they stunned No. 4 Florida, 20-17, in spite of being 19-point underdogs at Florida Field.</p><p> "We were talking the other day about how it seems like the home field advantage is not what it used to be in the SEC," said South Carolina's Steve Spurrier, who is 5-2 in his last seven SEC road games. "They (Auburn) win on the road. Georgia wins a lot on the road, too. I don't know the answer."</p><p> Few can challenge Georgia's road prowess under Richt. It hasn't come against patsies, either. The Bulldogs' road record under Richt includes a 9-2 mark against ranked teams. The latest was a 26-23 overtime win at No. 16 Alabama earlier this season.</p><p> Excluding games at neutral sites, Georgia’s only road losses under Richt came at No. 11 LSU in 2003, No. 3 Auburn in 2004 and Kentucky last season.</p><p> Georgia will put its road record to the test again Saturday with a trip to Tennessee. The Bulldogs are 3-0 in Knoxville under Richt.</p><p> Coincidently, it was the Bulldogs' stunning 26-24 upset of Tennessee in 2001 that began Richt's road success. That win was Richt's first road game as Georgia's coach and marked the Bulldogs' first victory in Knoxville since 1980.</p><p> "That gave everyone faith that it can be done," Richt said. "That's the key to winning in these hostile environments."</p>