Finley's late TD rallies No. 23 Auburn past Georgia State

Auburn quarterback TJ Finley (1) throws a pass for a touchdown to take the lead over Georgia State in the final minute of the second half of an NCAA football game Saturday, Sept. 25, 2021, in Auburn, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

by: Associated Press

Posted: Sep 25, 2021 / 09:17 PM EDT

Updated: Sep 25, 2021 / 10:15 PM EDT

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AUBURN, Ala. (AP) — Shedrick Jackson caught a 10-yard touchdown pass from T.J. Finley with 45 seconds remaining, and No. 23 Auburn rallied to beat Georgia State 34-24.

Auburn trailed Georgia State by 12 points at halftime and avoided losing to a Sun Belt team for the first time in program history.

Finley, an LSU transfer who replaced starting quarterback Bo Nix late in the third quarter, led Auburn (3-1) on a 98-yard scoring drive in the final minutes.

Safety Smoke Monday sealed the victory, returning an interception 36 yards for a score on the second play of the ensuing drive.

Led by running back Tucker Gregg, Georgia State (1-3) generated 299 yards of offense and 24 points before halftime.