Few people gave Auburn football much of a chance to beat No. 1 Georgia in their Week 7 matchup, with the Bulldogs standing as a nearly 20-point favorite against their longtime rival.
There was at least one person, though, who had a hunch that the Tigers just might pull off the improbable.
After stunning Georgia, 27-24, on Saturday, Oct. 17 at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Georgia, first-year Auburn head coach Alex Golesh said in a post-game interview on the field that his son, Barrett, had asked him two days earlier if he could get on the field after the win.
Surely enough, as Golesh was speaking with ESPN reporter Taylor McGregor, a beaming Barrett was standing
two his dad's left in a white Tigers jersey and hat.
"We're on the field, bro," Golesh said to his son, who he brought in for a hug while holding back tears.
"We're on the field, bro." 🥹
— ESPN (@espn) October 17, 2026
Coach Alex Golesh's son never had a doubt about his dad and Auburn pulling off the upset 🧡 pic.twitter.com/FD3Pw0nJyN
Golesh said that the rest of his family wasn't at the game as his daughter, Corbin, had homecoming at her school on Saturday night. Barrett, though, wasn't about to miss the game — and given what transpired, he was awfully happy to have been there.
After falling behind 14-0 in the first quarter, Auburn reeled off 24 unanswered points. Georgia mounted a late rally to tie the game at 24 and appeared to be on its way to a game-winning field goal attempt before quarterback Gunner Stockton fumbled near midfield. The Tigers pounced on the ball and went 40 yards in five plays to set up a game-winning 34-yard field goal from Alex McPherson as time expired.
Auburn had lost its previous nine games against the Bulldogs in the Deep South's Oldest Rivalry, seven of which had been decided by at least two scores. With the win, it improved to 4-2 overall, putting it one victory shy of matching its 2025 win total.
The 42-year-old Golesh is in his first season at Auburn after spending the previous three seasons at South Florida, where he went 23-15 at a program that had gone 4-29 in the three seasons before he was hired.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'We're on the field, bro': Alex Golesh has heartfelt moment with son after win vs Georgia
