Thrilling overtime win – AuburnSports: Auburn Tigers Football & Basketball Recruiting

AUBURN | Marcel Reed’s pass fell to the ground incomplete and Jordan-Hare Stadium erupted in sheer delight.

Auburn beat No. 15 Texas A&M 43-41 in four overtimes Saturday night as a fanbase starved for a win stormed the field in retirement.

“I’m thankful. I’m thankful,” said outside linebacker Jalen McLeod, who had 10 tackles and a sack. “You know, playing for the crowd like that, 88,000, you can’t dream for more. It’s my dream… I love everything about Auburn.”

Payton Thorne connected with KeAndre Lambert-Smith for a 2-point conversion to open the fourth overtime and AU’s defense made one of the biggest stops of the season to give AU its first win over a ranked opponent in three years.

The Tigers improve to 5-6 overall and 2-5 in the SEC.

“Just so thankful. Thankful to be at Auburn,” said AU coach Hugh Freeze. “Thankful that we can give our fans a win like that and, hopefully, it’s a sign of many to come.”

The Aggies scored a touchdown to open the first overtime before AU answered with a 2-yard TD run by Jarquez Hunter, his third touchdown of the game.

In the second overtime, AU had to settle for a 41-yard field goal by Ian Vachon after a questionable offensive pass interference call. AU’s defense stepped up to hold TAMU to a 42-yard field goal as overtime shifted to 2-point conversion attempts.

Neither team was able to convert in the third overtime, setting up a thrilling finish in the fourth.

Trailing 31-28, Auburn drove 74 yards on 15 plays in 2:28 as Ian Vachon made a 29-yard field goal with five seconds left to tie the game and send it into overtime.

In a wild back-and-forth game, the Tigers led 21-0 midway through the second quarter before the Aggies scored 21 unanswered to tie it 21-all midway through the third.

Auburn took a 28-21 lead late in the third before on a 1-yard run by Hunter, but TAMU scored 10 in the fourth including a 32-yard field goal and 8-yard touchdown run by Amari Daniels to take a 31-28 lead.

The field goal came three plays after AU quarterback Payton Thorne was intercepted on AU’s 15-yard line.

AU had just six yards in the fourth quarter before the game-tying drive.

Thorne finished 19 of 31 for 301 yards and two touchdowns. Hunter had 130 yards on 28 carries.

“It feels great,” Hunter said. “I think it’s one of my best games I’ve played in Jordan-Hare. Well, played ever in my college career. I think we played well as a team on both sides of the ball.”

TAMU out-gained AU 228-27 yards during a 20-minute stretch from the second through the middle of the third quarter including a 73-yard TD pass from Reed to Noah Thomas that tied the game.

Auburn built its 21-0 lead on a Hunter 2-yard touchdown run, and Cam Coleman’s 63- and 15-yard TD catches. Coleman finished with catches seven for 128 yards while Lambert-Smith had two catches for 104 yards.

The Aggies put together a 15-play, 75-yard DT drive that took up most of the second quarter and cut AU’s lead to 21-7 at halftime.

Auburn closes out the regular season at No. 7 Alabama in the 89th Iron Bowl. Kickoff at Bryant-Denny Stadium is scheduled for 2:30 pm CT on ABC.