The Auburn Tigers outlasted the Baylor Bears on Saturday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga., in one of the most thrilling finishes in Week 1 of the 2026 college football season.
After a rushing touchdown by quarterback Byrum Brown with 3:21 left in the fourth quarter, the Tigers took a 17-16 lead. Auburn was still in a precarious spot, with Baylor having ample time to respond.
The Bears then went on a 14-play scoring drive, with quarterback DJ Lagway throwing a 5-yard touchdown pass to Gavin Freeman to pull within one point with nine seconds remaining in regulation.
But instead of going for an extra-point kick attempt, the Bears decided to go for it with a two-point try.
Lagway took the snap and immediately found tight end Matthew Klopfenstein on the right side, just a yard away from the end zone before getting stopped at the goal line by Auburn safety Eric Winters.
Here is a video of that wild sequence.
BAYLOR FALLS JUST SHORT OF THE GOAL LINE 😲
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) September 5, 2026
Auburn wins in the final seconds with a CLUTCH tackle ‼️ pic.twitter.com/JCgjTS1fC6
Winters perfectly anticipated the play, immediately recognizing that the ball was going to Klopfenstein. But fans are also left to wonder what could have happened if Lagway had thrown the pass in front of Klopfenstein instead.
For Auburn, the Tigers were clearly saved by their defense. Brown had an ugly performance under center, going 26/35 for 259 passing yards, no touchdowns and three interceptions, while Auburn’s defense held the Bears to just 7/2 on third downs.
