Auburn pulled off a massive upset Saturday afternoon, taking down No. 1 Georgia 27-24 on a game-winning field goal as time expired. This wasn’t just any win, either: it snapped Georgia’s insane 54-game winning streak against unranked competition and marked Auburn’s first victory over a top-ranked team since they did it twice way back in 2017. Talk about a statement game in Alex Golesh’s first year as head coach!
How Auburn Absolutely Stunned the Bulldogs
Georgia, man, they picked the worst possible time to play their worst game. Seriously, the Bulldogs were sleepwalking. They allowed a blocked field goal, turned the ball over three times, and got hit with a couple of critical penalties that basically gift-wrapped this stunning 27-24 loss to Auburn. Kirby Smart, their coach, even said he was worried about Auburn’s physicality and his team being dinged up after their win at Alabama last week. And you know what? It showed. Auburn took a page right out of Georgia’s own playbook, winning big at the line of scrimmage.
It looked like business as usual for Georgia early, jumping out to a 14-0 lead. But then the Tigers just exploded, scoring the next 24 points to take a shocking 24-14 lead into the fourth quarter. This whole game was a rollercoaster! Georgia committed three personal fouls against Auburn quarterback Byrum Brown, and one of those was in the final seconds, putting the Tigers right where they needed to be for Alex McPherson’s game-winning field goal. Could you believe it?
Even when Auburn had a bad snap on a critical 3rd-and-11 with 1:16 to play, giving Georgia a potential game-winning possession, the Bulldogs just couldn’t seal it. Georgia’s Stockton lost a fumble near midfield with only 58 seconds left, giving Auburn the ball back with all three timeouts. You can’t make this stuff up! This Auburn victory wasn’t just big; it ended Georgia’s nine-game winning streak against them dating back to 2017, and it’s only Smart’s second rivalry loss against the Tigers in 12 tries. This is monumental.
Golesh’s Emotional Win: Auburn Is Coming Back
This win is huge for Coach Alex Golesh, giving him his first signature win in Year 1 at Auburn. The guy was teary-eyed after the game, and you get why. He even shared that his son, Bear, asked him Thursday, “Dad, can I get on the field after we win?” And Golesh’s response? “You’re on the field bro.” That’s the kind of stuff you remember forever. He was so grateful for his players, coaches, and the fan base that’s “been through a lot.” He’s promising to build Auburn back to where “everybody wants it. One game at a time. Just hang with us.” You just know that fired-up crowd at the stadium was hanging on every word.
The Tigers even pulled this off with their top defensive player, Xavier Atkins, suspended for the game. Talk about stepping up! They put together “one of its most complete performances of the season on that side of the football.” While Stockton did have a couple of “chunk completion” plays midway through the fourth, that was basically the only time since the first quarter that Auburn wasn’t totally dictating the game. This team believes in Golesh, and now the rest of college football has to believe in Auburn, too. Georgia was previously 41-4 when ranked No. 1 under Smart, including a perfect 18-0 at home. That perfect home record? Gone. This is a game that changes everything for both programs’ seasons.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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