Auburn Tigers Topple No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs, 27-24

John Frierson, UGAAA

ATHENS, Ga. — Auburn’s Alex McPherson kicked a 34-yard field goal as time expired to lift the Tigers to a 27-24 win over top-ranked Georgia on Saturday afternoon at Sanford Stadium, handing the Bulldogs their first loss of the season.

When the Bulldogs (6-1, 4-1 SEC) jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter, it looked like the Bulldogs were headed for another rout between the hedges. Instead, a thriller happened.

Auburn scored 17 unanswered points in the second quarter to take a 17-14 lead into halftime, added another touchdown in the third, and led 24-14 with 11:58 to play in the third quarter. Georgia then scored 10 straight points to tie the game with 2:58 remaining.

The Bulldogs had the ball with less than two minutes remaining but committed their third turnover of the game, giving the Tigers (4-2, 2-2) the ball back at their 44-yard line with 58 seconds left. Auburn’s victory snapped a nine-game win streak in the series for the Bulldogs.

Georgia outgained Auburn 440-366, but the turnovers proved the difference. Quarterback Gunner Stockton finished 22 of 34 passing for 272 yards, with two touchdown throws and two interceptions. Auburn held the Bulldogs to 113 yards rushing on 28 carries, while Tiger quarterback Byrum Brown was 15 of 26 passing for 150 yards and a touchdown and ran 26 times for 115 yards and a score. Linebackers Raylen Wilson and Chris Cole paced the Georgia defense with 10 tackles each. 

Stockton started the game at quarterback, per usual, and ran for 5 yards on the first play from scrimmage. He had to come out of the game due to a medical issue right afterward, so backup Ryan Puglisi came in and completed a screen pass to running back Nate Frazier for 4 yards on the next play. On third-and-1 at the UGA 34, Puglisi threw a deep ball down the left hash to wideout Craig Dandridge Jr. for 41 yards.

On first down at the Auburn 25, Puglisi hit Frazier for 10 yards. Stockton was back in for the next play, handing the ball off to Dwight Phillips, Jr. for a 15-yard touchdown run and a 7-0 lead with 12:03 left in the opening quarter.

Georgia’s offense was back on the field quickly after the defense forced a Tiger punt, and the Bulldogs drove 89 yards in seven plays for a 14-0 lead. After faking a handoff, Stockton hit a wide-open Lawson Luckie for a 24-yard touchdown on the left sideline with 6:49 left in the quarter. 

Auburn got on the scoreboard on its next drive, using a trick play to do it. On second-and-7 on the Georgia 25, wide receiver Christian Neptune threw a pass to Keshaun Singleton for a touchdown, cutting the Bulldog lead to 14-7 with 3:07 remaining in the first.

The Tigers tied the game with 6:32 left in the half on a 9-yard pass from Brown to Chas Nimrod, making it 14-all. Auburn made it 17 unanswered points with a 49-yard field goal by Alex McPherson with 1:20 left in the half, taking a 17-14 lead.

Auburn wasn’t done making plays, intercepting a Stockton deep ball with 1:04 to play in the half. Georgia gained 164 on its first two drives of the game and then was held to 101 over its next four. The Bulldog defense got a sack of Brown for a loss of 4 yards by defensive lineman Anthony Lonon Jr. to force a Tiger punt with 27 seconds to go. At the half, the Tigers led 17-14, while Georgia had a 256-231 advantage in total offense.

The Tigers got the ball to start the second half, and they drove 76 yards in nine plays to take a 24-14 lead. A pass interference call on Georgia when Auburn faced a third-and-10 at the Bulldog 10-yard line gave the Tigers a first down at the 5. Brown ran the ball in on the next play to give Auburn a 10-point lead with 11:28 left in the third. That made it 24 unanswered points for the Tigers since Georgia went ahead 14-0 in the opening quarter.

Georgia drove down to the Tiger 24 on the ensuing possession, but the drive ended with a Stockton interception. Auburn took over at its 26 with 8:13 left in the third quarter. The Bulldog defense answered the call, forcing a three-and-out.

The Bulldogs cut the Auburn lead to 24-17 with 14:15 to play in the game on Peyton Woodring’s 42-yard field goal at the end of a season-high 14-play drive. Later in the fourth, after both defenses got some stops, Georgia started at its 6 with 8:14 remaining, and it drove 94 yards in 13 plays, tying the game on Stockton’s 4-yard touchdown pass to wideout London Humphreys with 2:58 remaining. It was Georgia’s longest drive of the season in terms of yardage, and it tied the game 24-24.

Stockton completed several big passes on the drive, including an 18-yarder to wideout Talyn Taylor on third-and-10 from the UGA 6, and the quarterback also ran for 20 yards to the 4, setting up the tying touchdown.

Georgia got the ball back at its 39 with 1:12, but the drive ended on a Stockton fumble near midfield that the Tigers recovered at their 44 with 58 seconds left. Auburn then drove into field-goal range, and McPherson split the uprights as time ran out.

The Bulldogs are off next Saturday before heading to Atlanta to face Florida at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Oct. 31.