Before anyone gets ahead of themselves, this was not any iteration of an ideal victory for Auburn football in Week 4.
Georgia State was supposed to be a feel-good cupcake crushing during Homecoming weekend on the Plains, but the Panthers fought until the very end. They led for most of the afternoon.
Bryan Harsin was impressed, giving the visitors up I85 north their due in his post-game interview. But calamity wasn’t to be as the Tigers staved off a second straight loss by entrusting TJ Finley with the ball in the second half.
Did Finley’s heroics and Smoke Monday’s game-sealing pick-six–ultimately leading to a 34-24 victory–help AU climb in the AP Top 25?