Auburn rallied from an early 14-point deficit to beat No. 1 Georgia, 27-24, on Oct. 17, 2026, in Athens. Alex McPherson kicked a 34-yard field goal in the closing seconds to finish the upset.
The loss ended Georgia’s streak of 53 consecutive victories against unranked opponents. It was also the Bulldogs’ first home loss to an unranked team during coach Kirby Smart’s tenure since 2019, according to the source report. Georgia entered the game ranked first after beating Alabama the previous week.
Georgia opened with a 14-0 lead in the first quarter, but then went without a score on five straight possessions. The Bulldogs punted three times, missed a field goal and threw an interception during that stretch. Auburn capitalized, scoring 24 consecutive points and taking control of the game.
Georgia began the fourth quarter trailing by 10. An early field goal narrowed the gap, and the Bulldogs then forced Auburn to punt twice. After the second punt, Georgia drove 94 yards on 13 plays and scored a touchdown to tie the game.
Auburn’s next possession ended with another punt, its third in a row. Georgia took over at its own 39-yard line with more than a minute left. A defensive pass-interference penalty on the first play gave the Bulldogs additional yardage, but the advantage did not last: quarterback Gunnar Stockton fumbled on the next play. Auburn recovered at its own 44 with 58 seconds remaining and all three timeouts available.
The Tigers advanced 22 yards on three consecutive carries. A roughing-the-passer penalty then moved Auburn into field-goal range. McPherson converted from 34 yards to secure the win.
Georgia was 5-1 after the defeat, and the No. 1 ranking was open to change, the report said. It identified Notre Dame, Miami and Ohio State as teams ranked second, third and fourth, respectively, at the time. The report also noted that Texas had fallen to seventh after losing to Oklahoma the prior week, but did not establish how far Georgia would drop.
Georgia was scheduled to be off the following week before facing Florida on Halloween. Auburn was set to host No. 22 LSU the next week. Those were the teams’ upcoming schedules as reported after the game.
