Georgia Survives the Storm in Jordan-Hare

by Keegan Shinall

Dawgs OTL Writer/ Bleeds Red and Black

Electric Energy in the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry

Many times under the lights of Jordan-Hare Stadium, football fans have been gifted chaos in its purest form. The Tigers initially brought the energy of that 2010 Championship season, but we displayed the will of a team that refused to surrender. 

From the jump, Auburn fed off a record-breaking sellout crowd and the ceremony of retiring Cam Newton’s jersey. The Tigers struck first and kept swinging, forcing Georgia onto its heels early. But then came the play that changed everything, a goal-line punch out for the ages.

CJ Allen’s Legendary Goal-Line Punch-Out

With Auburn threatening to go up by two scores late in the second quarter, linebacker CJ Allen met the quarterback at the 1-yard line and delivered a violent, perfectly timed strip that jarred the ball loose just before the plane. It bounced into Georgia’s hands, and the Bulldogs’ sideline erupted. The stadium went from roar to disbelief in seconds — one of those surreal college football moments you’ll see replayed for decades.

The referees examined video footage for what seemed like an eternity. At first I myself thought Auburn was getting screwed over because I had focused on the punch of the ball by Raylen Wilson. The ball looked to be past the plane at that point . However, upon closer examination you can see that CJ Allen had initial contact prior to Allen crossing the plane. Had Auburn scored they would have gone up 17-0. Instead,  that turnover flipped the whole script. Georgia’s offense, which had been sputtering, found life — grinding out an 88-yard drive before halftime to cut the deficit and seize momentum. The refs definitely felt too involved at points of the game but I think both teams suffered from bad calls. Including what easily should be argued a touchdown from our end of recovering the football. Either way- from that point, the Dawgs started looking like they actually wanted the dub.

Wild Scenes, Controversial Calls, and Jordan-Hare Chaos

So we know by now that good ole Jordan-Hare has a reputation for weirdness. Well - lol-  it lived up to the hype. Between the emotional energy, iconic highlights, and some truly head-scratching officiating, the night had everything.

At one point, Kirby Smart appeared to call a timeout — then argued that he hadn’t, and somehow got it back. Auburn fans were livid, commentators baffled. Meanwhile, both fanbases are still arguing about whether that goal-line fumble should’ve been ruled a touchdown.

Add in 11 Auburn penalties, inconsistent punting, and several missed opportunities, and you start to see how the Tigers let this one slip away. But Georgia’s resilience was the difference — a theme that’s defined their dynasty.

Georgia’s Second-Half Dominance and Clutch Execution

After halftime, it was all Georgia defense. Auburn managed just 50 total yards in the final two quarters. The Dawgs dominated time of possession, leaned on physicality, and made the Tigers’ offense disappear.

Running back Chauncey Bowens punched in the game-tying score in the third quarter, and kicker Peyton Woodring drilled a 53-yard field goal to give Georgia its first lead of the night. From there, quarterback Gunner Stockton became the closer — calmly directing a 16-play drive late in the fourth that drained the clock and ended with a 10-yard bootleg touchdown run that produced an iconic poster worthy picture of Gunner diving over the pylon. That play felt like a direct slap in the face to the classic Cam Newton highlight, ironically with Newton in attendance to witness. 

The stat that tells the story: Georgia didn’t convert a single third down through three quarters - then converted four of their last six when it mattered most. That’s championship DNA. It’s also annoying as a fan to watch . We should probably consider starting with a plan that can succeed earlier on. Where we do great to adjust on the field- we seem to be struggling to anticipate how teams will play us earlier on. 

UGA vs. Auburn 2025: Key Takeaways and Turning Points

This wasn’t Georgia at its cleanest. It was Georgia getting kicked in the mouth early and deciding to finish the fight. We looked — sluggish, sloppy, and very vulnerable. Ultimately, our Dawgs responded like a team that knows how to win.

For Auburn, this one hurts. They had the emotion, the momentum, and the stadium on fire — but couldn’t capitalize. Still, the Tigers showed they can go toe-to-toe with a top-10 program, and Hugh Freeze’s team looked much more dangerous than their record might suggest.

For Georgia, it’s another notch in a growing streak — this is our ninth straight win over Auburn — but also a reminder that the path through the SEC is never smooth. You don’t survive Jordan-Hare; you escape it.

Go DAWGS.