Alex Golesh recounts son's prediction after Auburn's upset of Georgia
Auburn's coach said his 12-year-old son asked to join him on the field after a win before the Tigers beat No. 1 Georgia 27-24.
Auburn coach Alex Golesh said his 12-year-old son had asked to join him on the field after a win before the Tigers beat No. 1 Georgia 27-24 on October 17 at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Georgia. The question took on new meaning when a last-second field goal gave Auburn the upset and father and son met on the field afterward.
What Golesh said his son asked before the Georgia game
Golesh told reporters that his son Barrett, known as Bear, had been an hour late to bed on Thursday. His parents considered keeping him from attending the game. When Golesh put him to bed, he said, Barrett asked: “Can I come down on the field after we win?”
“Sometimes it takes a 12-year-old to believe, you know?” Golesh said after the game, according to the Montgomery Advertiser. He called sharing the moment with his son “pretty cool” and described him as “a special cat.” Golesh said he was happy for everyone involved and that the win was not about him.
CBS Sports separately reported Golesh's account of Bear asking to come onto the field after a victory. It quoted Golesh saying, “I'm just grateful for our guys, our coaches, our fan base,” and urging supporters to stay with the team as it builds “one game at a time.”
How Auburn overturned Georgia's lead
Georgia led 14-0 before Auburn scored 24 unanswered points to take a 24-14 lead into the fourth quarter. Georgia fought back to tie the game, but quarterback Gunner Stockton lost a fumble near midfield with 58 seconds left. A Georgia personal foul in the final seconds then helped put Auburn in position for Alex McPherson's winning field goal as time expired, CBS Sports reported.
Auburn entered the rivalry having lost nine straight meetings with Georgia and had not won in Athens since 2005, according to the Montgomery Advertiser. CBS Sports reported that the result ended Georgia's 54-game winning streak against unranked opponents. It was Auburn's first win over a ranked opponent since 2021 and its first against a No. 1 team since 2017.
The Tigers won despite suspending defensive player Xavier Atkins for the game. Auburn held Georgia to 113 rushing yards on 28 carries, while Auburn quarterback Byrum Brown ran for 115 yards, CBS Sports reported. Those efforts kept the Tigers in contention after their early two-touchdown deficit and set up the finish Golesh and his son had imagined differently on Thursday night.
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Sources and context
- Alex Golesh shares backstory of moment with son after Auburn football's Georgia winThe Montgomery Advertiser (republished by Yahoo Sports)
- Auburn takes down Georgia: Tigers score massive upset over No. 1 Bulldogs on walk-off FGCBS Sports
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.