Auburn fans finally had a big win to cheer about, while Texas A&M, and maybe the Southeastern Conference, did not.
Payton Thorne connected with KeAndre Lambert-Smith for a two-point conversion in the fourth overtime, helping Auburn secure a 43-41 win over No. 15 Texas A&M on Saturday night. This win spoiled the day for SEC playoff contenders.
Auburn (5-6, 2-5 SEC) shocked Texas A&M and continued the trend of unranked teams upsetting playoff hopefuls. Fans, who had been disappointed by the season, rushed the field and celebrated, though they left the goalposts untouched.
“It’s been that kind of year where you just battle through and you fight through and you keep climbing cliffs,” said Auburn coach Hugh Freeze, who faced criticism in his second season. “Our locker room has continued to fight and no matter what people say, they just have chosen to say we’re going to fight to the finish.”
And that’s exactly what they did this time.
In the fourth overtime, both teams got one play from the 3-yard line to score. Texas A&M tried a trick play with receiver Terry Bussey taking a direct snap and handing it to quarterback Marcel Reed. Reed threw to Amari Daniels, but the pass was dropped in the end zone, ending the game.
Texas A&M (8-3, 5-2) had come back from a 21-0 deficit in the first half, but their playoff hopes were crushed, just like two other SEC teams. Florida had already beaten No. 9 Mississippi 24-17, and No. 7 Alabama lost 24-3 to Oklahoma.
The Aggies still have a chance at their first SEC championship but now face their rival, No. 3 Texas.
“This one’s certainly going to hurt, and we’re obviously extremely disappointed,” said Texas A&M coach Mike Elko. “We had ourselves in a really good position. Obviously with who we play and what we’re playing for, there’s still going to be a lot of energy going into that stadium next week.”
Thorne threw for 301 yards and two touchdowns to Cam Coleman. Jarquez Hunter carried the ball 28 times for 130 yards and three touchdowns. Coleman caught seven passes for 128 yards, and Lambert-Smith had two catches for 104 yards.
“My emotions are kind of tough to put into words right now,” said Thorne. “I am still kind of riding that high. It was great. I did not know if they were going to storm the field or not, and I turned around and some fan was smacking me in the head. That is when I was like, ‘Whoa, this is pretty sweet.’ It was awesome.”
Reed passed for 297 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 66 yards. Daniels rushed 27 times for 90 yards and a touchdown.
Auburn and Texas A&M traded touchdowns in the first overtime and field goals in the second. Both teams missed two-point conversion attempts from the 3-yard line in the third overtime.
Then came the two-point play that made the difference.
“We have run that play since I’ve been here, since the summer,” said Lambert-Smith, a transfer from Penn State. “We hit it every day in practice against the defense. I was lowkey pitching for them to call it.”
Auburn forced overtime with a 29-yard field goal by Ian Vachon with five seconds left. The 15-play drive was stalled by two false start penalties after a first-and-goal situation. Vachon is a walk-on who got the starting job with Alex McPherson out sick and freshman Towns McGough struggling.
“He had come to Auburn after spending two years at Birmingham-Southern before the school shut down,” Freeze said. “We get him out of the classroom and here we are with a guy hitting some really critical kicks for us.”
