Todd Gurley takes blame for Trump curse costing Georgia vs. Auburn

Georgia Bulldogs legend Todd Gurley jokingly blamed himself for his former team's 27-24 loss to the Auburn Tigers on Saturday after accompanying President Donald Trump to a political rally in Georgia the day before.

The No. 1-ranked Bulldogs suffered their first loss of the season Saturday at Sanford Stadium, surrendering an early 14-point advantage before Alex McPherson's 34-yard field goal capped Auburn's comeback as time expired.

Gurley, who traveled aboard Air Force One with Trump and attended his rally at Dalton Municipal Airport, reacted to Georgia's defeat on X (formerly Twitter).

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"Damn I done made UGA lose," the former running back wrote, suggesting his appearance alongside the president might have brought bad luck to his alma mater.

Trump's Friday visit was organized to support Republican Senate nominee Mike Collins and gubernatorial nominee Rick Jackson ahead of Georgia's midterm elections. Gurley's participation continued the president's efforts to connect with prominent Georgia football figures while campaigning in the battleground state.

Gurley played for the Bulldogs from 2012 to 2014 before becoming a first-round NFL Draft selection by the Los Angeles Rams. He later earned NFL Offensive Player of the Year honors in 2017.

Georgia initially appeared in control, building a 14-0 lead in the first quarter. However, the Tigers responded with 24 unanswered points, putting the Bulldogs in a difficult position.

Quarterback Gunner Stockton helped Georgia recover from a 24-14 deficit, guiding a 94-yard touchdown drive that ended with a four-yard scoring pass to London Humphreys. Peyton Woodring's 42-yard field goal also contributed to the comeback, allowing the Bulldogs to level the score at 24.

Georgia's hopes of securing a late victory disappeared when Stockton fumbled with 58 seconds remaining while running from the Auburn 46-yard line. Tigers safety Sylvester Smith-Reed recovered the ball, and a roughing-the-passer penalty against Bulldogs outside linebacker Gabe Harris Jr. helped Auburn move into position for McPherson's game-winning kick.

Stockton finished with 272 passing yards, two touchdown passes and two interceptions on 22-of-34 passing. Tigers quarterback Byrum Brown excelled on the ground, recording 115 rushing yards and a touchdown on 26 carries while completing 15 of 26 passes for 150 yards and another score.

The loss ended Georgia's nine-game winning streak against Auburn and its run of 53 consecutive wins over unranked opponents. The Bulldogs fell to 6-1 overall and 4-1 in Southeastern Conference play, while the Tigers improved to 4-2 and 2-2 in the SEC.

Georgia will have a bye week before facing Florida on October 31 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.