tigers shock the dawgs: auburn at georgia game recap

After falling behind 14-0 in the first quarter, Alex Golesh and the Auburn Tigers responded with their biggest win of the season and a stunning upset of the nation’s top-ranked team. Auburn took down No. 1 Georgia 27-24 in Athens, winning on a 34-yard field goal from Alex McPherson as time expired. The Tigers snapped a nine-game losing streak versus the Bulldogs and won in Athens for the first time since 2005, ending more than two decades of frustration on Georgia’s home field.

Quarterback Byrum Brown did most of his damage on the ground, rushing for 115 yards and a touchdown on 26 carries. He also threw for 150 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions. Auburn finished with 192 rushing yards compared to Georgia’s 113, giving the Tigers a way to move the ball without needing a huge passing performance.

Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton had a costly day, throwing for 272 yards and two touchdowns along with two interceptions and a lost fumble. The Bulldogs outgained Auburn 440-366, but their three turnovers gave away opportunities to take control.

Georgia moved the ball well enough to win, but could not consistently finish drives without making mistakes.

Auburn scored 24 unanswered points after Georgia’s fast start, taking a 17-14 lead into halftime before Brown’s rushing touchdown extended the lead in the third quarter. Georgia eventually responded with a field goal and a 94-yard touchdown drive, tying the game on Stockton’s pass to London Humphreys with 2:58 remaining.

The Bulldogs then got the ball back with a chance to win, but Stockton’s fumble with 58 seconds left gave Auburn its opportunity to finish the upset. McPherson’s kick sealed a win over a rival Auburn had not beaten in nine straight meetings.

This game shows how costly turnovers can be, even for the top team in the country. Georgia had more total yards and came back from a two-score deficit, but Auburn protected the ball and made the plays that decided the game.

Postgame, Kirby Smart stated that his team "beat themselves" in this matchup, however, this game was very much won by the Tigers.

I was most impressed by how the Tigers responded early. Falling behind 14-0 on the road could have turned into a blowout like many Georgia games of the past, but Auburn settled in and forced the Bulldogs into a close game. To then beat No. 1 on its own field made this much bigger than a typical rivalry win.

Auburn improves to 4-2 and returns home to face LSU, with a chance to build on a breakthrough win for Golesh’s program. Number 5 Georgia falls to 6-1 and has a bye week before facing Florida. The Bulldogs still have their season ahead of them, but they need to clean up the turnovers before another challenging rivalry game.