Georgia came in carrying the weight of a No. 1 ranking and left Auburn with a stunner on its hands. The Tigers outlasted the Bulldogs 27-24 on Saturday afternoon, finishing the job with Alex McPherson’s walk-off field goal after Georgia piled up self-inflicted damage all game long.
The loss snapped Georgia’s 54-game winning streak against unranked opponents, and it unfolded through a costly mix of a blocked field goal, three turnovers and a pair of penalties that turned directly into Auburn points. Georgia also drew three personal fouls against Auburn quarterback Byrum Brown, including one in the final seconds that set up the winning kick.
Auburn led 24-14 going to the fourth quarter after scoring the game’s next 24 points following Georgia’s early 14-0 start. The Tigers’ comeback gave them their first win over a ranked opponent since 2021, and their first against a top-ranked team since the 2017 season, when they did it twice.
Georgia still had chances to escape. On a crucial 3rd-and-11 from its own 29-yard line with 1:16 left, Auburn botched the snap and had to punt immediately, handing the Bulldogs one more shot at a game-winning drive. But with 58 seconds remaining, Stockton coughed up the ball near midfield, and Auburn took over with all three timeouts intact.
It was a familiar kind of frustration for Georgia, which had won nine straight in the rivalry dating back to 2017. For Kirby Smart, it was only his second loss to Auburn in 12 meetings. Georgia had also been 41-4 when ranked No. 1 under Smart, including a perfect 18-0 mark at home.
The story for Auburn, though, belonged to a team that kept believing. First-year coach Alex Golesh fought through tears after his biggest win yet, and he tried to capture what the moment meant.
"(Golesh's son) Bear said Thursday, 'Dad, can I get on the field after we win' … you're on the field bro,," Golesh said. "I'm just grateful for our guys.
You can have so many narratives and stories … I'm just grateful for our guys, our coaches, our fan base … it's been through a lot. We're going to build Auburn back to where everybody wants it.
One game at a time. Just hang with us."
Golesh said before the game that he had heard from Auburn legends Takeo Spikes and Jason Campbell, along with others, who told him he was the right man for the job.
Auburn also managed the upset without Xavier Atkins, its top defensive player, who was suspended for the game. Even so, the Tigers put together one of their sharpest defensive efforts of the season. Stockton hit a couple of chunk completions late in the fourth quarter on Georgia’s second-to-last possession, but outside of that stretch Auburn controlled the pace after the opening quarter.
The Bulldogs were held to 113 rushing yards on 28 carries, and Nate Frazier, back in the lineup, was limited to a 2.1-yard average. Meanwhile, Auburn leaned on its own run game and made it count. Brown ran for 115 yards, and Jeremiah Cobb added 61 on 13 carries.
Before kickoff, Smart said he was worried about Auburn’s physicality and Georgia’s own wear and tear coming off last week’s win at Alabama. That concern played out in the trenches, where Auburn matched Georgia’s edge and then some.
As Smart put it before the game, "Coach (DJ) Durkin, their defensive coordinator, has been one of the best in the conference over all the years he's been in the conference," Smart said before the game. "He's a great defensive football coach.
We've got a lot of links, a lot of respect for him. Our guys have to get ready to go play."
In Other News...
Auburns Georgia Stunner Carried An Emotional Twist Tigers Fans Will Love
Auburns 27-24 win over No. 1 Georgia in Athens had all the markings of the kind of road upset that can reshape a season, and it came with a reminder that the Tigers biggest moments often carry an emotional edge. It was Auburns first win in Athens since 2005 and its first over Georgia since 2017, the sort of result that lands with extra force for a fan base that has waited a long time to celebrate on that field.
Alex McPherson was at the center of it in the final minute, drilling the 34-yard field goal that sealed the victory after battling significant health challenges, including inflammatory bowel disease and surgery. Auburn coach Alex Golesh gave McPherson the game ball and singled out his leadership and perseverance, the kind of recognition that fits a night when the scoreboard mattered, but the backstory made it even bigger. [Read more 🡒]
Auburn Still Has One Big Xavier Atkins Problem Heading Forward
Xavier Atkins was nowhere to be found for Auburns upset of No. 1 Georgia on Saturday, and the Tigers still do not have clarity on what comes next for one of their top defensive pieces. The All-SEC linebackers absence was notable before kickoff and even more so after Auburn pulled off one of the biggest wins of the season without him on the field.
Monday afternoon brought no update on Atkins status, leaving Auburn with an open question as the Tigers turn the page from celebration to whatever comes next. For a defense that just helped knock off the top-ranked team in the country, getting Atkins back in the mix would matter plenty, but for now the wait continues. [Read more 🡒]
Lane Kiffin Just Reignited Auburn's Jordan-Hare Mystique
Lane Kiffin has a way of turning even a coaching what-if into part of the Auburn conversation, and his latest comments did just that. Recounting how close he came to landing with the Tigers during the 2022 coaching cycle, Kiffin also relayed a Bruce Pearl line that has long fit the mood around Jordan-Hare Stadium, where Auburn football has built a reputation for making road teams feel uncomfortable before the ball is even kicked.
With LSU headed to Auburn next, Kiffins remarks only sharpened the familiar SEC warning label on a night in Jordan-Hare. Auburn has cycled through coaching changes and has been trying to steady itself under Alex Golesh, but the broader point remains the same: some venues carry their own edge, and Kiffins latest take is a reminder that plenty of opponents still treat Auburn as one of the leagues trickiest trips. [Read more 🡒]