On Saturday, the Auburn Tigers took down the No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs, 27-24, in an upset that it seemed like no one expected. The Tigers entered the game as three-touchdown underdogs to the Dawgs, but shocked the world, handing Kirby Smart his sixth-ever loss in Sanford Stadium.

The Tigers appeared to be a completely different team coming out of the bye week, which has created a strong amount of confidence in the team as they continue the slog of their grueling SEC schedule. 

What can we learn from the Tigers’ first statement win under Alex Golesh? Let’s break it down.

Never Give Up

With just 1:12 left in the game, the Tigers were forced to punt to the Bulldogs, and with the strong field position the Dawgs had, many were already considering the game to be over. After all, the Dawgs seemed to be imposing their will throughout the fourth quarter, and it seemed like the Tigers needed a miracle.

Then, Cody Sigler happened. The Arkansas State transfer forced a fumble from Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton, placing the Tigers on their own 44-yard line, and the offense–along with Alex McPherson–took over from there. 

The Tigers have struggled immensely throughout the season, and crucial late-game mistakes have haunted them in several of their games over the past few years. Perhaps this is the beginning of a new chapter for Auburn football, as they’ll certainly never believe they’re out of a close game ever again.

Strong First-Half Response

The Tigers opened the game in a way that many expected them to: virtually no offense, coupled with two quick Georgia touchdowns that almost looked effortless for the Dawgs. However, something seemed to flip after the second Georgia touchdown, and the Tigers came to life in a way we had yet to see this season.

After being down 14 early, the Tigers scored 14 points, including a 75-yard drive capped off by Golesh reaching into his bag and producing a wide receiver pass, and Christian Neptune found Keshaun Singleton in the end zone for a 24-yard touchdown, cutting the Dawgs’ lead to seven. The two teams traded punts before Auburn, courtesy of one of the greatest touchdown catches you’ll ever see, tied the game at 14 after an 11-play, 64-yard drive.

The Tigers’ defense showed up in a big way, too; they held the Dawgs scoreless on all five of their drives after their hot start, including an interception by AnQuon Fegans and a blocked field goal by Rayshawn Pleasant, ending the half with a Gunnar Stockton sack by Darrion Smith and Jared Smith.

The Tigers had not strung together a strong first quarter-or half-this season, but something seems to be different heading out of the bye week. 

Game Of Runs

Football, as they say, is a game of momentum, and we saw that theory proven in spades throughout the game. The Bulldogs opened the game with two quick scores, but the Tigers found a way to respond, and after a defensive stop, the momentum seemed to shift. 

The Tigers went on to score 24 unanswered points before Georgia took the momentum back in the fourth quarter, scoring 10 unanswered points of their own. It took a Stockton fumble to put the momentum back on the Tigers’ side, but it was all they needed to walk out of Athens with a win.

The Tigers will need to figure out ways to preserve–or shift–momentum in their games moving forward, as the rest of their schedule is not set to be kind to them. Coming off a win like this, though, there is certainly confidence in the rest of the season.