aubiefifty

al.com Auburn opens as road underdog against LSU By Tom Green | tgreen@al.com 2-3 minutes Auburn quarterback TJ Finley (1) runs off the field after the win over Georgia State in an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 25, 2021, in Auburn, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)AP Auburn will be a road underdog in its first SEC game of the Bryan Harsin era. LSU opened as a four-point favorite against Auburn for next weekend’s game in Death Valley, according to VegasInsider.com. The two teams will meet at 8 p.m. Saturday in LSU’s Tiger Stadium, with the game airing on ESPN. Auburn (3-1) is coming off a thrilling, if not alarming, 34-24 comeback win against Georgia State to close out its nonconference slate. LSU also sits at 3-1 and is coming off its third straight win since a season-opening loss at UCLA. Ed Orgeron’s team opened SEC play with a 28-25 road win against Mississippi State. Auburn will also head into the game with a question at quarterback after former LSU transfer T.J. Finley relieved third-year starter Bo Nix in the third quarter against Georgia State and led the team’s late rally. Now Auburn will get its opportunity for its first SEC win, as well as its first road win, under Harsin. Auburn has not won a game in Baton Rouge, La., since 1999 -- the infamous Cigar Game -- and has lost 10 straight road games in the rivalry since then. Saturday’s matchup will be the 56th all-time meeting between the two SEC West foes. LSU leads the all-time series, 31-23-1, with Auburn winning the most recent game, 48-11, last season while setting the series mark for largest margin of victory. Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.

this is why refs do not get a lot of respect. they make a bad call and it hurts someone and theydo not clean it up. there was a ref that was a huge turd fan and he made a bunch of bad calls and fans rejoiced when he retired. i bet some on here know his name still.

angry? not me. just tired of your bull. but hey keep on lying about stuff and discredit yourself more. i am feeling fine and i have no reason to lie about squat. but keep trying winky. most people do not or will not go toe to toe with you. the reasons you think that is laughable.

now you are just lying about bo and about being hurt. see? neither of those is true you just pulled that out of your azz. so now we know you are a liar as well as a douche. nice look winky.

i am not hurt winky. i just see through you and a smart guy like you should understand that. now you just deflect. and i do not take up for you because you bring most of it on yourself. and saying you do not know what i am talking about is a lie. ok i am going to binge yellowstone. and by the way you never finished your tj stuff with me.

i stand by what i said. you can act dumb all you want but i know better. your problem is you think folks on here are stupid. they are not. they just do not want to argue with you. i on the other hand will do this all day. be honest with yourself. remember the person braggin on you and he gave you a wink and you cleaned his clock?what do you call that winky boy? the man stood with you and you dissed him. that is the kind of crap you do on the regular. in fact when i see you pop up i think there is ol winky boy. it does not feel good getting called out like you do with folks does it?

i am tired of you making people look like jerks who come on here to have fun. it runs people off. and if you keep the look how smart i am crap you turn people off. other people bragging about you is gold. you bragging about yourself is old. if you are good you do not have to tell people you are. and you cannot wait until someone says something you can jump on. get me? wink wink

and again you would be wrong. you start most of the crap and i see it every single day or very close. but keep on living in that dream world.

you hunt down people you think you can belittle and it is a bad look. your look at me i am so much smarter is a drag. especially when you treat others bad in your snarky little comments. and trust me i do not have to tell the mods sh*t. they pay close attention to you. you have had to back up twice that i know of on here because you keep wanting to pick fights. you are not there yet but you have gotten a little better. and for the record i saw through your tj post to me which by the way you never finished because i did not give you the answer you wanted. you think you are the football whisperer but i think you are a jackass.

so tell me why we are sad?

it is a little early to pull the plug. he deserves the chance to bring in his type players. i think harsin is pretty bright and i believe he understands it means more. he had it made and he wanted the chance to play for a natty. and gus left some great talent in some areas and average in others. it is a work in progress. the thing is if you do not give a coach a fair chance how many big time coaches want to come coach here? we already have the rep of folks trying to meddle with the team from the money guys anyway.

well it would make good bulletin board material. nothing like disrespect to fire up the team.

bo is a five star athlete and a three star qb and until he improves nothing will change my mind. teams have him figured out and it was beginning to hurt our running game.

not sure but the cat was not worried i can tell you that...grins

welcome to the board where often what you say will be over analyzed.

ESPN FPI and record predictions? Right now FPI has us going into the Alabama game 5-6 with losses to everyone but USC and Miss St. What are your record predictions? I could see us grabbing an upset win vs Ole Miss, TAMU, or Arky but could just as easily see us dropping a game that we’re favored in. I was pretty optimistic after the Penn st game but with as bad as Wisconsin has looked and as good as the rest of the West looks, I’m not feeling very confident and I think FPI might be accurate.

a cat was pulled over for running multiple stop signs and they searched his car and found half a mil worth of xanax. can you you imagine how much money he would have made if he had gotten it in the stadium with all the auburn fans rear ends puckered up? grins......... i hope some of you still have a sense of humor........

yes i thought it might be clickbait. it worked with me lol............

Tigers of the Game from Auburn's win over Georgia State Share this article JD McCarthy September 26, 2021 8:17 am CT It was closer than it should have been but Auburn was able to pull out a win thanks to a 98-yard drive led by T.J. Finley. Finley entered in relief of a struggling Bo Nix and led the game-winning drive. The chance was far from seamless but Auburn’s quarterback position may now be an open competition. Auburn was projected to win by multiple scores against the Panthers but was in a two-score deficit at the half. The quarterback change sparked some energy throughout the team and the fans at Jordan-Hare Stadium Here are the Tigers of the game in the win over Georgia State. Offense: T.J. Finley Jake Crandall via Imagn Content Services, LLC Finley came in to relieve Bo Nix and led the most important drive of the Auburn season. Finley went 9 of 16 for 97 yards and one touchdown. Finley was far from perfect but led the touchdown drive and Auburn’s quarterback position is now a battle. Defense: Zakoby McClain Jake Crandall via Imagn Content Services, LLC McClain was unable to play in the first half of the game and Auburn’s defense suffered for it. McClain returned in the second half and Georgia State’s offense was completely shut down. The Panthers were held scoreless and managed just 85 yards of offense in the second half. McClain finished with four tackles and one tackle for loss but it was clear how much he means to the defense. Special Teams: Caylin Newton Jake Crandall-The Montgomery Advertiser Newton changed the game when he blocked a Georgia State punt in the third quarter that was recovered by Barton Lester to make it a 24-19 game. Honorable mention: Anders Carlson John Reed-USA TODAY Sports Carlson made his four field goals in the first half before he missed in the fourth quarter. Carlson is now third in career scoring at Auburn (320 points) and second in field goals made (62).

Looking at the Auburn running back workload Zac Blackerby September 25, 2021 4:41 pm CT Shaun Shivers has returned. After missing two games, freshman running back Jarquez Hunter has emerged as a guy that Auburn fans want to see get the football. Through the first half as seeing all three of them be available against Georgia State, the rotation and touches may look different than some expected. The offense struggled in the first half against the Panthers but the running backs were the bright spot. Tank Bigsby is the clear top man in the stable of backs but both Shivers and Hunter got touches in creative ways. Shivers received the ball through a jet sweep and Hunter registered some yards through the air in the first half. Bigbsy ran the ball 11 times for 40 yards. He had one catch for five yards. Hunter got three handoffs for 33 yards. He also caught two passes for six yards. Shivers ran the ball twice in the first half for 29 yards. He also caught a pass in his return to the field for three yards. So the total breakdown for touches is: Bigsby – 12 touches Hunter – Five touches Shivers – Three touches

collegeandmagnolia.com GAME RECAP: #23 Auburn 34, Georgia State 24 JackCondon 8-10 minutes Well, well, well, I hope y’all survived elimination Saturday. You know, the Saturday that separates the true Auburn fans from the ones who just haven’t had a heart attack this year and have forgotten what it feels like. The Tigers beat Georgia State today 34-24 at Jordan-Hare Stadium, but the final score is hardly the storyline here. Auburn got down 24-12 at halftime after allowing 219 rushing yards in the first half (9.1 yards per carry) and getting gashed by a former walk-on named Tucker Gregg (his first and last names are backward!). Meanwhile, Bo Nix seemed shellshocked against a far inferior team and kept throwing off of his back foot and sailing passes to open receivers. Auburn’s offense bogged down every time it maid headway, and settled for 4 Anders Carlson field goals. Zakoby McClain’s return from the targeting call last week sparked the defense, and they didn’t allow a point after halftime, only giving up 85 total yards in the second half. Bo Nix got benched near the end of the third quarter, and TJ Finley led a 98-yard scoring drive for the win in the final three minutes. Finley hit Shedrick Jackson on a fourth down touchdown pass with :45 left to play, and then converted the two-point conversion. Smoke Monday made the final score academic with a pick six as the Panthers drove for a potential game-tying field goal or game-winning touchdown. It was hardly the most relaxing Homecoming game you could imagine, and it even turned the page in the 2021 Tigers’ biography to the page marked “Quarterback Controversy”. While Shedrick Jackson, who caught the game-winning touchdown, and others are being diplomatic, the rest of us decidedly are not. Shedrick Jackson on T.J. Finley and Bo Nix: "We're confident in both those guys. I'm behind either one of them." — Christian Clemente (@CClemente__) September 26, 2021 Caylin Newton on TJ Finley: "I was excited when he came here. I think he took on the role here when he first got here. He supported Bo, and I think he did everything right ... He came in, took his time and led us to victory" — Jordan D. Hill (@JordanDavisHill) September 26, 2021 It remains to be seen if there’s any sort of permanent decision, and we may not know exactly who Bryan Harsin and Mike Bobo choose to lead the offense in Baton Rouge until whoever it is trots out next Saturday. However, the team seemed energized when Finley came in, and leading the Tigers into Death Valley against his former team would be poetic as hell. If you wanted an indication of how this game would go based on the first defensive series, you wouldn’t get it. Auburn forced a quick three-and-out, but the offense didn’t hold up its end of the bargain and snagged just one first down before punting. Georgia State took the ball and began to hit Auburn’s interior defense with inside zone running plays, and put together a 6-play, 58-yard drive for the game’s first points. Noel Ruiz hit a 32-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead with 8:34 to go in the opening quarter. Nehemiah Pritchett returned the ensuing kickoff 72 yards to put Auburn in the Panthers’ end right away, but Auburn moved just 5 yards on the drive and had to settle for the first of Anders Carlson’s four field goals to tie the game at 3-3. Auburn would add another field goal and take the lead on the next possession, a 10-play, 65-yard effort to go up 6-3. Georgia State clearly saw something that was working, as the next drive had the Panthers mow right down the field, going 75 yards in 15 plays and going ahead with a Darren Grainger touchdown to a wide open Jamari Thrash. Auburn responded with another field goal drive, the third straight make from Anders Carlson, to cut the lead to 10-9 in favor of GSU, but the defense wasn’t holding up its end of the bargain. Georgia State went right back down the field, adding to their lead on another Grainger touchdown pass to Roger Carter from 7 yards out, and then after another Carlson field goal, former walk-on Tucker Gregg burst through the Tiger defense to score from 50 yards out. Suddenly it was 24-12 with nothing going right for Auburn. As the third quarter began, the Auburn offense needed to find some momentum to turn the tide of the game back in the Tigers’ favor. It didn’t happen as the Nix-led offense went just 5 yards for a three-and-out. Thankfully, Zakoby McClain’s return on defense energized the unit, and they forced a punt on GSU’s opening drive. After another trade of punts, Georgia State was backed up in their own end, and the Tigers got their first highlight of the day. Caylin Newton was the one who stormed in and blocked the punt, with Barton Lester recovering in the end zone as Auburn cut the lead to 24-19 with a few minutes remaining in the third quarter. After another three-and-out for Georgia State (the Auburn defense forced four straight in the second half), it was time for a change on offense. Bo Nix sat down on the bench and TJ Finley came in for his first serious action of the season. His first drive didn’t amount to anything, netting 37 yards and resulting in a punt, but he provided an excitement to the team and the crowd that hadn’t been present before. Auburn got the ball with 9:41 to go in the game, and they started to move again, but the drive stalled on a Tank Bigsby fumble that gave Georgia State possession at their own 25 after the Tigers had moved into scoring position. The defense stood tall again, though, and forced another punt. This time, Georgia State was able to get a fortunate bounce and pin Auburn at the 2-yard line with 3:23 to play. The Tigers faced 98 yards to find the end zone and the victory, and they’d have to do it with Finley under center instead of Nix. Jarquez Hunter got the drive started with an 18-yard burst around right end, and then Finley hit Kobe Hudson for 15 yards later on to move the drive out to the Auburn 34. After a 16-yard scramble and a 12 yard strike to Elijah Canion, Auburn sat at the Georgia State 30. Finley rifled a pass on 1st down to John Samuel Shenker, who appeared to let the ball hit the ground. Somehow, replay wasn’t able to overturn the call on the field and Auburn gained another 19 yards and had first down at the 11 with 1:02 left. On third down, Finley just led Hudson a little too far in the corner of the end zone, and the Tigers faced one final play to avoid the upset. Finley took the snap, shrugged off two defenders, and threw while stepping upfield, hitting Shedrick Jackson in the end zone for the go-ahead touchdown with 45 seconds remaining. Leading just 25-24, they went for the two-point conversion, and Finley hit Hudson for the score on a rollout play. On Georgia State’s second play on the ensuing drive, Grainger was picked off by Smoke Monday, who returned it for a touchdown to pad the final margin and make it a little more palatable. FINAL STATS PLAYERS OF THE GAME Zakoby McClain (LB) - It’s not difficult to see his impact. Auburn allowed 24 first half points, including 219 rushing yards, and didn’t have any answer for what Georgia State wanted to do. After McClain reentered the game, the Panthers didn’t score and gained just 85 total yards. While you struggle to see what everyone was doing without him on the field, the excitement he brought to the defense was real and it worked for Auburn in the second half. He only finished with 4 tackles and a TFL, but he was still involved in almost every play and let the scoreless charge. TJ Finley (QB) - 9-16, 97 yards, 1 TD; 3 carries, 15 yards - Finley spelled Bo Nix after the latter kept making the same mistakes he’d made for three years. While his stat line won’t dazzle you, he got the team energized in the same way that McClain did, and led a 98-yard touchdown drive in the final three minutes. That’s not something that happens every day. He showed a good amount of elusive ability, scrambling away for conversions on several occasions, and he was a good bit more accurate than Nix late in the game. We’ll see if he gets the nod at his old stomping grounds next weekend. UP NEXT Ha! Auburn travels to Baton Rouge for the start of SEC play against LSU. Kickoff comes next Saturday night at 8 pm CST/9 pm EST.

Auburn beats the odds, averts football disaster ByPhillip Marshall 5-6 minutes (Photo: Adam Sparks, 247Sports When Michael Hayes’ 52-yard punt bounced out of bounds at the 2-yard line with 3:23 left in the game, it appeared Auburn’s football team had run out of chances. With Georgia State leading 24-19 at Jordan-Hare Stadium, could Auburn drive 98 yards to win the game? Even head coach Bryan Harsin had his doubts. “For Georgia State, that’s as good as you could’ve gotten from your punt team, to pin the offense back like that and to make an offense that hadn’t been really explosive in the game go the entire length of the field to find an opportunity for them to score. The odds were against us, based off what I’d seen in the game and probably what Georgia State felt like.” COMPLETE AUBURN-GEORGIA STATE STATISTICS In the huddle, backup quarterback T.J. Finley told his teammates they were going to do it. And do it they did. Thirteen plays later, Finley scrambled and found Shedrick Jackson for a 10-yard touchdown pass with 45 seconds left in the game. When it was done, when Finley had hit Kobe Hudson for a two-point conversion and Smoke Monday had returned an interception 36 yards for a touchdown, Auburn had won 34-24. Shedrick Jackson caught Auburn's game-winning touchdown pass. (Photo: Auburn University) How did Auburn find itself in such a dire situation against a 27-point underdog? It took some doing. In the first half, Auburn’s defense could not stop Georgia State. The Panthers scored had 299 yards of offense. Even more surprising: They had 219 yards rushing. Linebacker Chandler Wooten said most of Georgia State’s offensive success came because of defensive mistakes. "Yeah, a couple guys out of their gaps,” Wooten said. We just have to communicate. Everybody's got to be where they're supposed to be when they're supposed to be there and doing their job. We made adjustments at halftime. Once we get 11 cleats in the ground and everybody doing their job, we're pretty tough to beat. “I think we came out in the second half and made adjustments to what we did in the first half -- well, what we didn't do well in the first half -- corrected it and got the win." Meanwhile, four first-half offensive drives resulted in field goals. Passes sailed over receivers’ heads. The running game sputtered in the red zone. Georgia State had a shocking 24-12 halftime lead. For Auburn to have a chance to come back, the defense had to be better om the second half. It was much better, shutting out the Panthers over the final two quarters. The Tigers got starting linebacker Zakoby McClain, who sat out the first half after a bogus targeting call at Penn State, back. Coordinator Derek Mason appeared to call more man-to-man pass defense and some blitzes. The Panthers managed just 86 total yards in the second half. As the third quarter wound down, Auburn’s special teams made a play that probably had to be made if they were to win. Caylin Newton blocked a Georgia State punt and Barton Lester recovered in the end zone for a touchdown. Auburn coach Bryan Harsin replaced starter Bo Nix with Finley late in the third quarter. It did not pay immediate dividends. Four drives came up empty – one because of a Tank Bigsby fumble at the Georgia State 24 – before Finley led the drive that saved the day. There were plenty of questions when it was over. How did Auburn’s give up so much in the first half? Why did both Auburn quarterbacks overthrow wide-open receivers? Why did the defense play so poorly in the first half? Why did the running game come short of expectations? Those are questions Harsin and his coaching staff will address as preparation begins for LSU. Auburn found a way to win one that could have gotten away Saturday. And thus began the debate about who should be the starting quarterback. Finley was having none of that. He said Nix was his biggest supporter. 7COMMENTS “We talk every series,” Finley said. “He comes to the sideline, and I have some things that I see that he could’ve hit and things like that. I calm him down sometimes, and the same, vice versa. When I came off the sideline, he calmed me down sometimes and things like that. “We both give each other positive feedback and even negative feedback, because if a person is always giving you positive feedback, they’re not really keeping it real with you. I kept it real with him in the first half; he kept it real with me in the second half, and that’s just the level of relationship we have with each other to be able to do that. He trusts my word, and I trust his.” ">247Sports

Bryan Harsin goes on rant after being asked about 'game plan' for TJ Finley/Bo Nix decision Sydney Hunte | 12 hours ago It’s safe to say that Auburn head coach Bryan Harsin will be asked repeatedly this week about whether he’ll start Bo Nix or T.J. Finley at quarterback against LSU on Oct. 2. Nix obviously has experience on his side, but Finley likely has the backing of the fans after his last-minute touchdown drive to help the Tigers hold off upset-minded Georgia State. Plus, he’s familiar with LSU’s tendencies after having played there a season ago. Unsurprisingly, Harsin isn’t about to reveal when he’ll make a decision leading up to the LSU game, much less who it will be. “I don’t have a game plan like that,” he replied when asked by a reporter after the game about a timeline for a decision. “That’s not how it works…and I don’t have to tell anybody what the ‘game plan’ is … [At] the quarterback position, you get yourself ready like everybody else. Bottom line. “I know everybody wants to make a big thing out of that, but that becomes the storyline. The storyline is ‘Get better…every single day moving forward. You’re playing chess, not checkers. Prepare yourself. Have yourself ready. Coaches, get better. Everybody improve every single day. Be 1-0 every day, and then get yourself ready throughout the week so you can go cut it loose on Saturday and play really good football.’ That is the message. Period. “And I’m not getting into all the other stuff, so that’s what they’re going to hear from me, and that’s what I’ll tell you.”

Auburn rallies to avoid upset, beats Georgia State with late score ByNathan King 6-8 minutes AUBURN, Alabama — Bryan Harsin might have a new starting quarterback — and more importantly, Auburn has a win. Thanks to a heroic effort by backup quarterback T.J. Finley, including a go-ahead touchdown pass on fourth down with 45 seconds left, Auburn escaped an upset Saturday in Jordan-Hare Stadium, beating Georgia State 34-24. The Tigers added another touchdown after Finley's score thanks to a pick-six by Smoke Monday. In case you missed our live updates, here's a rundown of the action. FOURTH QUARTER 0:31 4Q: Smoke Monday pick-six. TOUCHDOWN (Auburn 34, Georgia State 24) 0:45 4Q: Finley scrambles and finds Shedrick Jackson for a TOUCHDOWN on fourth down. (Auburn 27, Georgia State 24, 2-point conversion GOOD) 0:53 4Q: Fourth-and-9 upcoming from the 10 yards out. 1:13 4Q: Finley finds John Samuel Shenker for 19 yards inside the 15-yard line. 1:19 4Q: Finley hits Elijah Canion on the sideline for a first down inside the 35. 1:47 4Q: Finley scrambles across midfield for a first down. 2:25 4Q: Finley moves the chains on third down with a throw to Hudson. 3:23 4Q: After the punt, Auburn has 98 yards and three timeouts to take the lead. 4:04 4Q: Georgia State gets a couple first downs, but T.D. Moultry gets a sack and forces the punt. 5:27 4Q: Grainger picks up 22 yards on a scramble for Georgia State. 6:43 4Q: Tank Bigsby fumbles at Georgia State's 31-yard line and Georgia State recovers. 7:42 4Q: Two nifty plays from Finley convert a pair of third downs and move Auburn into Georgia State territory. Kobe Hudson is down on the field after the most recent completion. 9:46 4Q: Auburn's defense forces its fourth straight three-and-out. 11:35 4Q: Auburn's offensive line is still getting manhandled, and Auburn goes three-and-out. 13:40 4Q: Another quick three-and-out forced by Auburn's defense. 14:50 4Q: Finley can't convert on third down, and Anders Carlson misses a 40-yard field goal. THIRD QUARTER 0:00 3Q: Auburn will have a third-and8 at GSU's 23-yard line at the start of the third quarter. 1:21 3Q: Finley completes on the sideline to Ze'Vian Capers, and Georgia State is called for a late hit. Auburn is inside GSU's 40-yard line. 3:10 3Q: T.J. Finley checks in for Nix at quarterback. 3:52 3Q: Smoke Monday hits Grainger in the open field, and Georgia State is set to go three-and-out again. 5:21 3Q: Auburn blocks the punt and recovers it for a TOUCHDOWN. After an Eku Leota sack, Caylin Newton blocked the punt and walk-on linebacker Barton Lester recovered. (Georgia State 24, Auburn 19) 6:43 3Q: Still nothing for Auburn's offense. Student section is chanting to bring out backup QB T.J. Finley. Tigers to punt. 8:19 3Q: Sophomore defensive tackle Zykeivous Walker comes out of the locker room with his right arm in a sling. Meanwhile, Georgia State will punt after Auburn gets a stop on third-and-6. 10:40 3Q: Colby Wooden smacks into Grainger and forces a fumble, but GSU's offensive line recovers. 11:11 3Q: Already a pair of third-down conversions for Georgia State on this drive. 12:34 3Q: Zakoby McClain is back in the game for Auburn after serving his first-half suspension. 13:32 3Q: Bigsby is hit in the backfield on third-and-short. Tigers go three-and-out to open the second half. SECOND QUARTER 0:00 2Q: Tigers head to the break to plenty of boos in Jordan-Hare Stadium. 0:59 2Q: The ball is snapped to Nix before he calls for it, and the Tigers' third-down play is blown up. Auburn punts again. 1:57 2Q: Georgia State scores on a 50-yard touchdown run. He was barely touched right up the middle. TOUCHDOWN (Georgia State 24, Auburn 12) 2:54 2Q: Auburn linebacker Desmond Tisdol is hit with an unnecessary roughness penalty, so Georgia State starts this possession at its own 40-yard line. 2:59 2Q: Nix is pressured on third down again and has to throw it away. Anders Carlson is good from 45 yards. FIELD GOAL (Georgia State 17, Auburn 12) 4:01 2Q: Nix hits Hudson for 17 yards inside the 30-yard line. 7:29 2Q: Grainger finds his tight end wide-open. TOUCHDOWN (Georgia State 17, Auburn 9) 7:58 2Q: Grainger scrambles, and GSU has a first-and-goal. 8:29 2Q: A first-down run and a pass interference have Georgia State already across midfield. 8:42 2Q: Auburn DT Zykeivous Walker walks off under his own power after he was down for a minute following the play. 9:00 2Q: Nix is brought down scrambling on third down, and the Tigers will settle for another short FIELD GOAL (Georgia State 10, Auburn 9) 11:06 2Q: Jarquez Hunter scampers for 28 yards inside the red zone. 12:02 2Q: Nix hits Kobe Hudson on third down for a pickup of 29 yards into Georgia State territory. 12:45 2Q: Darren Grainger finds a wide-open target for 12 yards and a TOUCHDOWN (Georgia State 10, Auburn 6) FIRST QUARTER 0:00 1Q: Georgia State will start the second quarter with a third-and-1 at Auburn's 32-yard line. 0:53 1Q: Georgia State is across midfield with its third first down of the drive. 3:07 1Q: Two straight high throws in the back of the end zone, and Auburn will kick a field goal inside the 10-yard line. FIELD GOAL (Auburn 6, Georgia State 3). 4:02 1Q: Auburn has a first-and-goal from the 6-yard line after Bigsby picks up 12 yards. 5:28 1Q: Shaun Shivers picks up 27 yards on an end around to put Auburn inside GSU's 40-yard line. 6:45 1Q: Ja'Varrius Johnson returns the punt into GSU territory, but a blocking penalty on Barton Lester brings it back inside Auburns' 30. 6:59 1Q: Georgia State goes three-and-out again. Roger McCreary had good coverage down the sideline on third-and-4. 7:34 1Q: Auburn's offense does nothing with the field position and settles for a field goal. FIELD GOAL (Auburn 3, Georgia State 3). 8:24 1Q: Nehemiah Pritchett returns the kickoff 72 yards to give Auburn great field position for its second drive. 8:39 1Q: Colby Wooden makes a big hit on the backfield on third down, and Georgia State settles for the short field goal. The Panthers miss the field goal, but the officials call a delay of game right as the ball is snapped. The second time around, the kick is good. FIELD GOAL (Georgia State 3, Auburn 0). 10:44 1Q: Tucker Gregg rips off a 58-yard run for Georgia State, now inside Auburn's red zone. 11:22 1Q: Tank Bigsby moves the chains for one first down, but that's it. Tigers to punt. 13:58 1Q: Auburn's defense gets a three-and-out on its first possession. Tigers will start inside their own 15. 15:00 1Q: Auburn wins the toss and defers. Georgia State starts with the football.

What they're saying about Auburn's late rally, QB change vs. Georgia State By Tom Green | tgreen@al.com 2-3 minutes Auburn wide receiver Shedrick Jackson (11) catches a pass for a touchdown over Georgia State cornerback Quavian White (20) to take the lead in the final minute of the second half of an NCAA football game Saturday, Sept. 25, 2021, in Auburn, Ala. Auburn won 34-24. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)AP What was set to be a final tune-up before the start of SEC play turned into a dramatic and quite eventful homecoming for Auburn on Saturday. After trailing by 12 at halftime, Auburn rallied to defeat Georgia State, 34-24, thanks to some late-game heroics by LSU transfer quarterback T.J. Finley, who replaced third-year starter Bo Nix late in the third quarter. Finley’s late touchdown pass to Shedrick Jackson, paired with Smoke Monday’s pick-six -- both of which came in the game’s final minute -- helped the Tigers avoid disaster against the Panthers. It also brought about conversation about Auburn’s quarterback situation moving forward, with the start of SEC play next weekend on the road at LSU. Here’s a look at what’s being said across the country about Auburn’s comeback win and the Tigers’ quarterback position: -- At least we know Bryan Harsin has guts (AL.com) -- Georgia State coach Shawn Elliott says Auburn was helped by referees (ESPN) -- After replacing Bo Nix, T.J. Finley seems like a good bet to start against his former team (Associated Press) -- Shedrick Jackson’s late touchdown catch rallies Auburn past Georgia State (Associated Press) -- Georgia State was one play away from its second SEC win in as many tries (247Sports) -- Auburn avoids upset with help from officials (Yahoo Sports) -- No one expected it to be so close, but T.J. Finley saved the day for Auburn (CBS Sports) -- Auburn avoids upset with wild late score (Sports Illustrated) -- Auburn needs late comeback to avoid home loss to Georgia State. Not Georgia. (Bleacher Report) Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.