ATHENS, Ga. — Georgia had the ball, the lead gone, and 1:12 to salvage its perfect season on Saturday. Gunner Stockton fumbled near midfield instead. Auburn pounced on it. McPherson did the rest, from 34 yards out, as time expired — 27-24 Tigers, in Sanford Stadium, over the nation’s No. 1 team.
Nothing about the first quarter pointed that way. Dwight Phillips Jr. ran in from 15 yards on Georgia’s opening drive. Five minutes later Stockton found Lawson Luckie wide open for 24 yards and a 14-0 lead.
Auburn’s answer started with a trick play, Christian Neptune throwing to Keshaun Singleton for a touchdown late in the first quarter. In the second, Byrum Brown hit Chas Nimrod from 9 yards to tie it, and McPherson’s 49-yarder put Auburn ahead 17-14 at halftime. Brown scored himself from the 5 in the third. That made it 24 unanswered points for Auburn, and a 24-14 lead.
Brown did a bit of everything — 15 of 26 passing for 150 yards and a touchdown, 26 carries for another 115 yards and a score — the University of Georgia Athletics recap noted.
Georgia came back. Peyton Woodring got Georgia closer first, a 42-yarder early in the fourth that made it 24-17. The tying score came with 2:58 left: Stockton to London Humphreys, 4 yards. That drive covered 94 yards. Georgia had not put together a longer one all season.
After the fumble, Auburn took over at its 44 with 58 seconds left and moved into range. Stockton threw two interceptions to go with his two touchdowns, finishing 22 of 34 for 272 yards. Georgia had the yardage edge, 440 to 366. The three turnovers were the difference.
“I’m just grateful to our guys for just continuing to plug”
“We’re going to build Auburn back to where everybody wants it. One game at a time. Just hang with us,” Golesh said, according to NBC Sports.
Georgia coach Kirby Smart was blunt. “Tough one,” Smart said, according to NBC Sports. “We like to say the Dawgs don’t beat the Dawgs, but they found a way to beat themselves today.”
For Auburn, it was a first win over Georgia since 2017. The Tigers had lost nine straight in the series, according to Georgia Athletics. Auburn is now 4-2, and 2-2 in the SEC. Georgia drops to 6-1 and 4-1, with its first loss of the season.
NBC Sports reported it was the second straight week an unranked team beat the No. 1 team, after Oklahoma beat Texas 27-24 last week, and the first time that has happened in consecutive weeks in 36 years.
Georgia is off next Saturday before facing Florida in Atlanta on Oct. 31.
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