'We're on the Field, Bro': Auburn Stuns No. 1 Georgia 27-24 on a Walk-Off Kick

Unranked Auburn beat No. 1 Georgia 27-24 on Saturday, October 17, 2026, at Sanford Stadium in Athens, winning on Alex McPherson's 34-yard field goal as time expired after trailing 14-0. The Auburn Tigers upset is the second straight week the No. 1 team in the AP Top 25 has lost to an unranked opponent — and the moment everyone is sharing afterward is not the kick. It is first-year Auburn coach Alex Golesh turning to his 12-year-old son on the field and saying, "We're on the field, bro."

What happened in Auburn vs. Georgia?

Georgia looked in control early. The Bulldogs led 14-0 in the first quarter, and Auburn, a roughly 20-point underdog, looked like it was headed for a tenth straight loss in the Deep South's Oldest Rivalry. Instead, Auburn scored the next 24 points.

Quarterback Byrum Brown did it with both his arm and his legs. He threw for 150 yards and a touchdown and ran 26 times for 115 yards and another score, powering an Auburn ground game that outrushed Georgia 192-113. By early in the third quarter, after Brown's 5-yard rushing touchdown, Auburn led 24-14 in the home stadium of the No. 1 team in the country.

Georgia rallied the way top teams usually do. A 42-yard field goal from Peyton Woodring cut the lead to 24-17. Then quarterback Gunner Stockton led a 13-play, 94-yard drive and tied the game 24-24 on a 4-yard touchdown pass to London Humphreys with about three minutes left. When Georgia got the ball back driving for a possible go-ahead kick, the comeback felt inevitable.

It lasted 58 seconds from disaster. Stockton fumbled on a run near midfield, Auburn safety Sylvester Smith-Reed recovered at the Auburn 44, and a roughing-the-passer penalty on Georgia's Gabe Harris Jr. helped move the Tigers into range. McPherson, whose older brother Evan kicks for the Cincinnati Bengals, drilled the 34-yarder as time expired. Auburn players swarmed the field.

Why is the Auburn upset going viral?

Three clips are driving the reaction. First, the kick itself and the Auburn radio call from Andy Burcham and Jason Campbell on the Auburn Sports Network, who screamed the result over and over as McPherson's kick split the uprights. Second, ESPN's television call from Dave Pasch, who called it one of the great upsets of 2026. And third — the one outrunning both — Golesh's postgame interview on ESPN.

Speaking with reporter Taylor McGregor, Golesh explained that his son Barrett, known as Bear, had asked him on Thursday: "Dad, can I get on the field after we win?" Not if we win. After we win. With Bear standing beside him in an Auburn jersey and hat, an emotional Golesh turned to him and said: "We're on the field, bro." ESPN posted the clip with the caption that Golesh's son "never had a doubt," and fans flooded the replies praising the boy's faith — one noting that the little word "we" said everything about how kids believe in their dads.

Golesh later said it takes a 12-year-old to believe sometimes, and that sharing that moment with his son was pretty cool. His daughter had homecoming the same night, so most of the family was not in Athens — which made Bear's presence, and his prediction, stand out even more.

Key facts about Auburn's win over Georgia

Final score: Auburn 27, No. 1 Georgia 24, at Sanford Stadium in Athens on October 17, 2026.
Winning play: Alex McPherson's 34-yard field goal as time expired, set up by Gunner Stockton's fumble with 58 seconds left.
Star performance: Byrum Brown — 150 passing yards and a touchdown, plus 115 rushing yards and a touchdown on 26 carries.
Streaks ended: Georgia's nine straight wins over Auburn and 53 straight wins over unranked teams. It was Auburn's first win over Georgia since 2017 and its first win in Athens since 2005.
Historic pattern: The No. 1 AP team has now lost to an unranked team in back-to-back weeks — Texas fell to Oklahoma last Saturday — for the first time since October 1990, according to ESPN.
Records after the game: Auburn improved to 4-2 (2-2 SEC); Georgia fell to 6-1 (4-1 SEC) and will lose its one-week stay at No. 1.

Golesh, in his first season at Auburn after three years at South Florida, kept his own message simple afterward: Auburn will be built back one game at a time, and fans should hang with the team while it happens.

What happens next for Auburn and Georgia?

Auburn does not get to rest on the upset. The Tigers host No. 22 LSU next Saturday, October 24 — a team that just shut out Mississippi State — and a win there would turn a viral night into a genuine SEC run. Georgia gets a bye week to regroup before facing Florida on October 31 in Atlanta, and Florida just upset No. 7 Texas 27-24 on the same wild Saturday, so that matchup suddenly looks far tougher than it did a week ago.

For one night, though, none of that matters in Auburn. A three-touchdown underdog walked into the No. 1 team's stadium, fell behind by two touchdowns, and won on the last play. And somewhere in the celebration is a 12-year-old who never treated it as an upset at all — because on Thursday, he had already asked for a spot on the field after the win.

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FAQ

Who kicked the winning field goal for Auburn against Georgia?

Alex McPherson kicked a 34-yard field goal as time expired to give Auburn a 27-24 win. The kick was set up by a Georgia fumble with 58 seconds left.

What did Alex Golesh say to his son after the game?

Golesh told his 12-year-old son Barrett "Bear" Golesh, "We're on the field, bro," fulfilling Bear's Thursday request to come down on the field after Auburn won.

When was Auburn's last win over Georgia before this?

Auburn had lost nine straight games to Georgia. Its previous win in the rivalry was in 2017, and its previous win in Athens was in 2005.

How big an underdog was Auburn against Georgia?

Auburn entered as a roughly 20 to 20.5-point underdog on the road against the No. 1 team, and trailed 14-0 in the first quarter before scoring 24 unanswered points.

'We're on the Field, Bro': Auburn Stuns No. 1 Georgia 27-24 on a Walk-Off Kick — and a 12-Year-Old Called It First