Auburn Stuns No. 1 Georgia 27-24 on McPherson’s Walk-Off Field Goal
Alex McPherson kicked a 34-yard field goal as time expired to give Auburn a 27-24 win over No. 1 Georgia at Sanford Stadium on Saturday, the second straight week the AP's top-ranked team fell to an unranked opponent.
ATHENS, Ga. — Auburn walked into Sanford Stadium on Saturday and walked out with one of the biggest wins in program history, beating No. 1 Georgia 27-24 on Alex McPherson’s 34-yard field goal as time expired.
It was the second straight week that the team ranked No. 1 in the AP Top 25 lost to an unranked opponent, after then-No. 1 Texas fell to Oklahoma the previous Saturday. According to ESPN, it was the first time since October 1990 that the No. 1 team lost in consecutive weeks.
Georgia looked ready to escape after quarterback Gunner Stockton led a 94-yard, 13-play tying touchdown drive, capped by his 4-yard pass to London Humphreys. But with 58 seconds left and the Bulldogs driving for a potential go-ahead field goal, Cody Sigler forced a Stockton fumble near midfield, and safety Sylvester Smith-Reed recovered at the Auburn 44.
A roughing-the-passer penalty on Georgia’s Gabe Harris Jr. helped move Auburn into range, and McPherson split the uprights for the walk-off win. It was Auburn’s first walk-off field goal in regulation since Wes Byrum clinched the 2010 national championship against Oregon, according to the school’s official athletics site.
Brown powers the ground game
Quarterback Byrum Brown ran for 115 yards and a touchdown on 26 carries and added a scoring pass, powering an Auburn ground attack that outgained Georgia 192-113. Auburn trailed 14-0 in the first quarter before scoring 24 straight points to take a 24-14 lead into the fourth.
Georgia rallied to tie it on Peyton Woodring’s 42-yard field goal and Stockton’s tying touchdown with 2:58 to play. Stockton threw two interceptions, doubling his previous season total through six games, and Georgia committed three personal fouls, according to Fox Sports. Tailback Nate Frazier returned from a rib injury to start for Georgia but gained only 19 yards on nine carries.
Streaks end in Athens
The win ended Georgia’s streaks of nine straight wins over Auburn and 53 straight wins over unranked opponents, and ended the Bulldogs’ one-week stay atop the AP Top 25. It was Auburn’s second road win over a top-ranked team in program history and the first since 1994.
After the game, coach Alex Golesh shared a moment on the field with his son Barrett, who had asked two days earlier whether he could come down to the field after a win, according to USA Today. Golesh, 42, is in his first season at Auburn after three seasons at South Florida.
Auburn improved to 4-2 overall and 2-2 in the Southeastern Conference, while Georgia fell to 6-1 and 4-1. Auburn hosts No. 22 LSU next Saturday; Georgia has an off week before facing Florida, which upset No. 7 Texas 27-24 on Saturday, on Oct. 31 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
Reporting based on coverage by Fox Sports, Auburn Tigers’ official athletics site and USA Today.
