Auburn drops early lead, falls at home as No. 10 Georgia slips ahead 20-10

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) - After a struggled start against ranked SEC opponents this year, the Auburn Tigers hosted the No. 10 Georgia Bulldogs to try to get their first ranked win of the season Saturday.

A dominant start that had the whole of Jordan Hare Stadium electrified ended in a complete reversal after a disastrous end to the first half.

Georgia took over the game with a second-half shutout, beating the Tigers for the ninth straight year.

Questionable ruling strikes Auburn in closing minutes of first half

With the Tigers leading 10-0 and 1:32 left in the second quarter, quarterback Jackson Arnold tried to score a touchdown on a quarterback sneak.

Amidst the pileup of players, Georgia linebacker Raylen Wilson knocked the ball out of Arnold’s hands as he dove for the endzone.

Georgia’s Kyron Jones recovered it at the 2-yard line before running it back unchallenged into Auburn’s endzone.

The play was ruled a fumble by the on-field officials.

Replay review however, showed that the football may have broken the plain of the goal line before Arnold fumbled. Former SEC analyst Matt Austin said he believed the play should have been overruled, giving Auburn the touchdown.

“If you look at the view from the back, his No. 11 from the back is definitely across the goal line. I think by merging the two [replay views] together, that’s a touchdown,” Austin said.

The call was upheld however, setting Georgia up for one more drive in the first half.

A similar set of controversial rulings plagued Auburn in their September loss to Oklahoma, after which the SEC acknowledged that a first-half touchdown by the Sooners should have been overturned.

Game Recap

First Quarter

Auburn converted 7 first downs on their opening drive, including a 2-yard scramble by Quarterback Jackson Arnold to get them into the endzone for an opening 7-0 lead.

The Tigers’ defense then went to work, stopping Georgia on the 23-yard line in 6 plays, which included a sack by Robert Woodyard Jr. for a loss of 7 yards.

In a dominant first quarter, Auburn maintained possession for 11 minutes and made 23 plays to Georgia’s 6.

Second Quarter

Auburn extended their lead on their first drive of the second quarter with a field goal to go up 10-0.

Having allowed only one possession in the first quarter, Auburn’s defense dug in, forcing Georgia to a quick 3-and-out drive to open the second quarter.

A fumble recovery on Georgia’s 1-yard line stopped Auburn from gaining a 17-0 lead, setting Georgia up to push from inside their own redzone with 1 minute left.

Georgia inched their way toward the endzone in a 12-play drive across 88 yards but could not break through, opting for a field goal to put themselves within striking distance going into the second half.

Nearly 40 minutes passed between Auburn’s two-minute timeout and the end of the first half despite there being only 1 minute left on the clock.

A series of penalties cost Auburn 30 yards, putting Georgia into a more advantageous position to open the second half.

HALFTIME:

Auburn - 10

Georgia - 3

Third Quarter

The game turned late in the first half, and Georgia capitalized on Auburn’s stalled momentum.

A 63-yard drive put Georgia on the 2-yard line where Chauncey Bowens ran it in to tie the game 10-10 after a successful field goal.

After swinging the momentum into their favor, Georgia snatched a 13-10 lead, with a field goal.

Georgia then ended the quarter by stopping Auburn on a 3-and-out drive.

Fourth Quarter

Georgia threatened to extend their lead on their first drive of the fourth but failed to convert on a crucial third down pass due to a personal foul, setting them back 15 yards.

A missed field goal then prevented Georgia from taking a 6-point lead.

Another 3-and-out drive forced by the Bulldogs’ defense put the ball back in their hands almost as soon as they had turned it over.

Georgia’s ability to run down the clock in the fourth quarter sealed the game.

An eight-minute drive lead Georgia onto the 10-yard line, where Gunner Stockton dove into the endzone, putting Georgia ahead for a final 20-10 lead.

Jackson Arnold avoids the blitz

After being sacked a staggering 14 times across the last two games, Jackson Arnold avoided the blitz Saturday, completing 19 of his 31 pass attempts for a total of 137 yards.

He threw to all of his receivers at least once, and accounted for the Tigers’ opening touchdown.

Up Next

Auburn, now 3-3 (0-3 in ranked) will have another shot at home against No. 14 Missouri next Saturday.

Georgia, now 5-1 (3-1 in ranked) will host No. 4 Ole Miss at Sanford Stadium.

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