DALLAS (FWAA) – The Auburn Tigers rallied from a 14-point deficit before Alex McPherson kicked a 34-yard field goal as time expired to defeat No. 1 Georgia, 27-24, Saturday at Sanford Stadium in Athens. For defeating the nation’s top-ranked team on the road, the Tigers earned the Pop-Tarts Bowl Crazy Good Team of the Week honor for games of the weekend of Oct. 17, as selected by the All-America Committee of the Football Writers Association of America.
Auburn’s fourth selection is its first since a 40-17 victory over top-ranked Georgia in 2017. This is the 332nd selection in the award’s 25 seasons.
Auburn (4-2, 2-2 SEC) scored 24 unanswered points after falling behind 14-0 in the first quarter. Georgia rallied to tie the game with 2:58 remaining, but Cody Sigler forced a Gunner Stockton fumble in the final minute that Sylvester Smith-Reed recovered at Auburn’s 44-yard line. The Tigers advanced into field-goal range to set up McPherson’s winning kick.
“The thing I’m most proud of is that nobody flinched,” Auburn head coach Alex Golesh said. “That’s the sign of a team that believes in each other.”
Byrum Brown passed for 150 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 115 yards and another score. Elijah Melendez led Auburn with nine tackles, including a sack, and an interception.
The victory was Auburn’s first in Athens since 2005 and its second road win over a No. 1 opponent, joining a 36-33 victory at Florida in 1994. The Tigers host LSU on Saturday.
The FWAA has recognized a National Team of the Week since the 2002 season. Weekly candidates are evaluated by the FWAA All-America Committee. Today's announcement will also be featured on the Cover 3 Podcast, hosted by Chip Patterson, Tom Fornelli, Danny Kanell and Bud Elliott of CBS Sports.
Each honored team will receive a delivery of assorted Pop-Tarts and a custom-crafted game ball from Big Game USA, the Dallas-based manufacturer of handcrafted American-made footballs.
Florida Citrus Sports is a not-for-profit event-management organization dedicated to positively impacting the Orlando region while enhancing the quality of life in Central Florida through world-class events. Its annual events include the Citrus Bowl, the Pop-Tarts Bowl, the Florida Blue Florida Classic, the Camping World Kickoff and the FC Series. For more information, visit FloridaCitrusSports.com.
Founded in 1941, the Football Writers Association of America consists of approximately 1,200 men and women who cover college football. Its membership includes journalists, broadcasters, publicists and key executives involved in the game. The FWAA works to govern areas that include game-day operations, major awards and its annual All-America team. For more information about the FWAA and its award programs, contact Steve Richardson at tiger@fwaa.com.