ATHENS — Auburn coach Alex Golesh exclaimed “War Damn Eagle!” at the end of an emotional postgame on-field interview with ESPN moments after his Tigers stunned No. 1-ranked Georgia, 27-24.
“We’re going to build Auburn back to where everyone wants it, one game at a time,” said Golesh, a first-year coach hired away from South Florida to replace fired coach Hugh Freeze after last season.
“This locker room, these dudes that chose to stay, that’s what it’s all about. It’s pretty neat. I’m really proud of them, really proud of them.”
Auburn’s 27-24 victory seemed unlikely at the start of the day, as it entered the game as a 20.5-point underdog against a Georgia program that hadn’t lost to an unranked AP team since 2019 and had won nine in a row in the rivalry series dating back to 2017.
The odds against the Tigers (4-2, 2-2 SEC) seemed even higher after the Bulldogs (6-1, 4-1) scored on their first two possessions for a 14-0 lead.
But Auburn, behind the play of transfer quarterback Byrum Brown (15-of-26 passing 150 yards, TD; 26 carries, 115 yards TD), scored the next 24 points to take a 10-point lead into the fourth quarter
“We got to stop the run, they’re controlling the line of scrimmage with their quarterback run game, physicality,” UGA coach Kirby Smart had said during his halftime ESPN interview. “They’re beating us up front and we’ve had a couple of explosive plays we gave up.”
Auburn, coming off a bye week, out-rushed Georgia 122-60 in the first half and finished the game with a 192-113 advantage on the ground.
Georgia rallied to tie the game in the fourth quarter when Peyton Woodring hit a 42-yard field goal with 14:15 left to play and tied it at 24-24 with 2:58 left when Gunner Stockton hit London Humphreys with a 4-yard touchdown pass.
The Bulldogs’ defense forced an Auburn punt on the Tigers’ ensuing possession, giving Stockton and the offense the ball at the UGA 39 with 1:12 left.
The Bulldogs drove to the Auburn 46 thanks in part to a pass interference penalty and had a first-and-10 at the Tigers 46 with 1:04 remaining when Stockton looked to scramble for yardage.
Stockton ran into center Drew Bobo and the ball came loose, and Tigers’ defensive back Sylvester Smith-Reed recovered at the Auburn 44.
It was the third turnover of the day for Stockton (22 of 34, 272 yards, 2 TDs, 2 interceptions), who threw more than one interception in a game for the first time in his career.
The Tigers drove to the Georgia 19 to set up Alex McPherson’s game-winning 34-yard field goal.
The loss snapped the Bulldogs’ 52-game win streak against unranked AP teams that dated back to a 20-17 overtime loss to South Carolina in 2019.
“We like to say the Dawgs don’t beat the Dawgs,” UGA coach Kirby Smart said, “that’s no disrespect to Auburn, they did a really good job at the line of scrimmage.”
The Bulldogs, who have an off-weekend before playing Florida in Atlanta on Dec. 31, had more total yards, 440-336, but were ultimately undone by turnovers.
