Georgia picked a bad time to play its worst game of the season Saturday afternoon against Auburn.
The Bulldogs allowed a blocked field goal, turned it over three times and committed a few critical penalties directly contributing to the Tigers’ stunning 27-24 victory. Auburn’s victory ends Georgia’s 54-game winning streak against unranked competition.
Georgia committed three personal fouls against Auburn quarterback Byrum Brown, including one in the final seconds that put the Tigers in position for Alex McPherson’s game-winning field goal as time expired.
Smart said before the game that he was worried about Auburn’s fitness and his team’s decline after last week’s win at Alabama, and it showed when the Tigers borrowed from the Bulldogs’ playbook by winning at the line of scrimmage.
Georgia led 14-0 before Auburn scored the game’s next 24 points to take a 24-14 lead into the fourth quarter. The Tigers’ victory was their first against a ranked opponent since 2021 and marked their first victory against a top opponent since doing so twice during the 2017 campaign.
On a critical 3rd-and-11 with 1:16 left at its own 29-yard line, Auburn had a bad snap, resulting in an immediate punt and giving Georgia a potential game-winning possession. However, Stockton lost a fumble near midfield with 58 seconds left to put the Tigers in business with all three timeouts.
Georgia had won nine straight against Auburn since 2017 and this was just Smart’s second loss to the Tigers in 12 tries.
Auburn is a team of believers
Georgia previously went 41-4 when ranked No. 1 under Smart, including an 18-0 mark at home.
Auburn coach Alex Golesh, with tears in his eyes, tried to put his emotions into words after his first victory for the Tigers in his first season as leader of the program.
“(Golesh’s son) Bear said Thursday, ‘Dad, can I get on the field after I win’…you’re on the field, brother,” Golesh said. “I’m just thankful for our guys. You can have so many narratives and stories…I’m just thankful for our guys, our coaches, our fan base…it’s been through a lot. We’re going to rebuild Auburn to where everyone wants it to be. One game at a time. Stay with us.”
Golesh said he received text messages before the game from Auburn legends Takeo Spikes and Jason Campbell, among others, reminding him he was the right man for the job.
No Xavier Atkins, no problem for the Tigers
Auburn suspended its best defensive player, Xavier Atkins, for Saturday’s game, but managed to put together one of its most complete performances of the season on this side of the football.
Stockton had a few plays midway through the fourth quarter on Georgia’s second-to-last possession, but it was the only time since the first quarter that the Tigers failed to dictate the pace of the game.
After trailing by two early touchdowns, Auburn’s defense made stop after stop to help build a 10-point lead in the second half. The Tigers held Georgia to 113 rushing yards on 28 total carries, including a 2.1 average from Nate Frazier, who was returning to the lineup.
“Coach (DJ) Durkin, their defensive coordinator, has been one of the best in the conference in all the years he’s been in the conference,” Smart said before the game. “He’s a great defensive football coach. We have a lot of connection, a lot of respect for him. Our guys have to get ready to go play.”
Brown finished with 115 rushing yards for Auburn, along with a 61-yard effort on 13 carries from Jeremiah Cobb. It was the ground and pound approach that worked for Golesh’s team against an opponent usually dominant in the trenches.
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