[pensive music playing]
[tiger growling]
[man 1] Get in here. Let's go. Hurry up.
You got to come out here with the right mindset.
What is Thursday about?
Today is move with purpose.
Be intentional. Be quick.
If it's half-speed,
we can't count on everybody doing their job.
You got to be moving and executing
at the same speed we would on Saturday night.
[whistle blows]
Every game becomes more important than the regular season in November.
All I've thought about really is preparing this football team.
And if we do that,
we're gonna put ourselves in a great position
to have the outcomes we want.
-[players grunting] -[dramatic music playing]
[man 1] You gotta have the right mindset about what this day is about.
That's how you become successful
and get the right outcomes week in and week out.
Not just some of the time, but all of the time.
[players shouting indistinctly]
[Andy Staples] In the SEC, every coach expects a championship.
But not every team can win.
[man 1] Eliminate the distractions and really focus on what's important,
playing our very best on Saturday.
[Andy] There's a turning point in every season,
where a win or a loss could define the trajectory of a team,
a career,
even the future of a program.
-[man 1] Has everybody got that message? -[players] Yes, sir.
Let's go play.
[dramatic music playing]
[music fades]
[crowd shouting]
[intriguing music playing]
[hog grunting]
[commentator 1] Hand it off to Durham, and he gets into the end zone.
Touchdown.
[crowd cheering]
[Andy] Since Week 3, the LSU Tigers have been on a tear.
They've won six in a row, and they're now six-and-one.
[man 2] That's the best team we've played all year.
A lot of things are coming together for our football team.
[Andy] They're in the driver's seat for the playoff for the SEC Championship,
maybe even a national title run.
[commentator 2] A&M and LSU battling for first place in the SEC.
[commentator 3] Big third down. Game on the line.
Trying to bring the team back.
-[crowd yelling] -[yells indistinctly]
[commentator 2] Nussmeier floats it into coverage!
It's picked off again!
That might doom LSU's comeback chances.
[poignant music playing]
[TV commentator] After an epic collapse, the Tigers' six-game win streak is over.
[Andy] The loss at Texas A&M
means LSU has zero margin for error the rest of the way
if they wanna make the college football playoff.
They have to beat Alabama.
They cannot slip up at all.
-[music fades] -[birds chirping]
[students chattering indistinctly]
[man 3] Deep, deep, deep! Come on, come on, come on!
[continues shouting indistinctly]
[man 1] Go, go, go, go, go, go!
-Go, go! -[players cheer]
[man 1] Hey, fucking go!
Hey! Listen, listen. Stop. "Roscoe" is that way.
Fucking listen. "Roscoe" is that way.
You hear "Roscoe…"
Coming off the loss,
there's some private times where you lick your wounds a little bit,
but being emotional or having distractions,
they don't help you get to the outcomes that you want.
Here we go!
So you just focus on what's important right now
and really make that a priority.
-Go, yeah! -[players grunting]
[Brian] Yeah, yeah!
[whistle blows]
[Brian] That's better!
Yeah, that thing should look like we are all getting out to the numbers.
We are all getting out to the numbers. That's better. Much better.
That's "Roscoe."
If you're LSU and you’ve already got two losses,
every game is do or die.
If you have three losses, you're probably not gonna make it.
And who's next on your schedule?
The Alabama Crimson Tide.
The team that you have had some of the most iconic matchups with.
[dramatic percussive music playing]
[Andy] LSU and Alabama first played in 1895.
These teams have played each other for a long, long time.
[commentator 1] Give it to Nathan. Nathan dives and he's in there. Touchdown.
[Andy] Thirty times these teams have played when both of them have been ranked.
[commentator 2] Daniels for the win. Caught!
-[crowd cheering] -[commentator 2] It's good!
[Andy] In 2022, LSU beat Alabama in overtime at Tiger Stadium.
[crowd roaring]
[Andy] The roar from the crowd registered on the Richter scale.
[commentator 3] A night they'll never forget in Baton Rouge!
[Harry] This game for these two fan bases over the last 15 to 20 years
has basically decided how the rest of your year is going to go.
[players chattering indistinctly]
[whistle blows]
Ready, let's go!
[Brian] Listen.
Always think about a good stagger in there so you never get stepped on.
-[player] Yes, sir. -Good stagger, never get stepped on.
My name's Garrett Nussmeier. I play quarterback for the LSU Tigers.
Coach Kelly, you know, I love him.
He coaches me hard, and that's the way I want it.
Ready?
He's a legend of a football coach, and so he's somebody you want to play for.
[determined music playing]
[Brian] Garrett, he's our best offensive player.
He loves LSU,
and he's driven by wanting to see LSU win a championship.
[indistinct chatter]
[player] Garrett Nussmeier is the nicest quarterback in the country.
Just a great guy.
-I want you all to know that, world. -I appreciate that, GB. Appreciate that.
[laughing]
I was born in Lake Charles, Louisiana,
which was my constant home throughout my life.
Louisiana has always been very special to me,
and I wanted to be here so bad.
Garrett Nussmeier is the most important player for LSU this year.
[crowd cheering]
Cut from the LSU cloth, grew up wanting to be QB1 at LSU.
[Harry] Wildly talented,
top tier of SEC quarterbacks.
A guy that could genuinely be a top pick in the NFL Draft.
-Paul, feeling good? -I'm feeling good.
-[Garrett] Ready to go? -[Paul] I'm ready.
[Garrett] Going into the Alabama game, the stakes are high.
I think our focus is just to play a football game.
We've played some good teams,
and so we're built for this, and we're prepared.
-[music fades] -[wind blowing]
[man 1] My gosh. These red beans and rice are so good.
[man 2] Probably super authentic.
[man 1] I know, so good.
Man, that tuna bowl, goodness gracious.
That's your go-to right there, West. Isn't it? Yeah.
Megan, try some of this boudin. You gotta have one.
-[man 2] You need to eat it. -[man 3] Boudin--
-[man 2] No, don't tell her what's in it. -[Megan] What is it?
[man 2] You don't need to know.
It's just one of those things, just don't read the ingredients.
-[man 3] It's just rice and sausage. -[David] Yeah, it's so good.
You're in Louisiana. You have to try one.
-[man 2] Looks like a hush puppy. -A Cajun hush puppy.
[David laughs] She's got to experience all of Baton Rouge.
Yeah.
[restaurant patrons chattering indistinctly]
-Look, they're previewing our game. -[David] Are they really?
[Whit] Look, there we go. A little sack.
[David] There you go.
[Whit] Alabama, the biggest rival, the biggest game of the season.
I do not like those guys at all.
I do know, allegedly, the tiger's coming on the field tomorrow.
[Whit] Not allegedly. He is.
[David] He is, yeah.
But it's not Mike. It's some big, fat tiger.
[David] Yeah.
He's huge. We saw a picture of him. He's so fat.
-He's not an in-shape tiger. -[David] Really?
-[Whit] No. -Huge.
You try to stay the same every week, no matter what opponent you're playing.
But you know when you got a game like that,
you're like, this one… this one means more.
There's a bit more buzz around this one
than there is for the other ones.
-[David] Looked at the weather tomorrow? -Supposed to rain.
[Whit] I just hope the stadium's still packed.
This is what it's all about.
It's gonna be rainy, it's gonna be muddy. It's gonna be a dogfight.
Like, this is what you live for right here.
[suspenseful music playing]
[radio host] It feels like it's rubber-meets-the-road time,
with Alabama and LSU tonight in essentially a playoff eliminator.
This game could cost you an opportunity to get into the playoffs.
[sirens blaring]
[Harry] This is the peak of SEC football.
Alabama, LSU.
They've got the tiger out,
and your playoff hopes and dreams are on the line.
That is the most intimidating atmosphere,
not just in the SEC, not just in college football,
in all of sports.
This is the peak.
[dramatic music playing]
[crowd chattering excitedly]
[chanting] LSU! LSU! LSU!
[fan] Go, Tigers!
[music fades]
[tense music playing]
[Brian] Let me make it clear to you. All right?
There is a standard of play,
and that play is about physicality for four quarters,
doing your job at a high level…
with great excitement and love and passion
for the game of football, for LSU.
[tiger roars]
Let it go. Fast, free, and physical.
-[intense music playing] -[crowd cheering]
[Garrett] I get nervous for every game.
You're in the tunnel and you can hear people banging, stomping.
You can feel the stadium shaking. You know, people are going crazy.
You feel the suspense. The adrenaline just starts pumping.
You have to be locked in on the team you're playing.
Those minimal mistakes are what win and lose games,
and winning and losing games
is what affects where you go at the end of the year.
-[driving rock music playing] -[fireworks exploding]
[crowd cheering wildly]
[commentator 1] It is LSU. It is Alabama.
It is everything on the line for these two teams.
[fan] Go, team! Let's go, team!
[suspenseful music playing]
[commentator 1] It's a keeper.
Milroe explodes in the secondary! Race to the end zone! Touchdown!
Come on, 2!
[commentator 2] Touchdown! It's signaled from the near side.
Jalen Milroe! Touchdown!
[cheerleaders shouting enthusiastically]
[Whit] One play at a time! That's all it is!
We knew we were still in a spot to win the game.
We're only down 21 to six.
Like, we're still right in this game. We just gotta keep doing what we gotta do.
Go get your job done. Whatever it is.
-Look at me. -[player] Yes, sir.
You don't do rotten.
Okay? Losers do that. You're not a loser.
[player] Yes, sir.
[Brian] I knew on the sideline that we were in a vulnerable position
being down that much.
But we've been here before,
and that means really lock in, execute at a higher level.
[crowd cheering]
[Whit] You had to keep fighting. Anything can happen at any moment.
We're down the whole game, so what? We'll come back and beat these guys.
[players grunting]
[commentator 2] Jalen Milroe to the house!
Milroe just takes off.
[commentator 3] Milroe with his fourth rushing touchdown of the night.
[somber ethereal music playing]
[commentator 3] Final score, Alabama 42, LSU 13.
[Whit] I mean, it just fell apart for us. It fell apart fast.
I was like, "Holy cow. What just happened?"
Like, this is not who we are. This is not the team we are.
We're way better than this.
We played our worst game when they played their best game,
and sometimes that's just how the cards fold.
LSU got its ass kicked with everything on the line.
[West] Let's go.
Many more battles to come, brother.
[Andy] You have to win to stay in the playoff race.
LSU's done.
Their playoff hopes are cooked.
[marching band playing "LSU Alma Mater"]
[Andy] Where do the Tigers go from here?
[pensive music playing]
[Garrett] The Alabama game, for us, was an eye-opener.
Another big game, we get embarrassed at home.
Kinda broke us down to the lowest we could get.
Well, you know, I'll begin by saying,
you know, what we thought would be an exciting evening,
uh, turned out to be a disappointing evening.
And I've said this to our team, you're living on borrowed time
when you keep putting yourself in those tough positions.
And tonight, the dam broke
when we kept putting ourselves in those tough positions.
The dam finally-- finally broke.
Thank you.
[commentator] The bottom line is, look around college football.
This is the point in the season where guys start to opt out.
When their playoff hopes are dashed,
that's when guys typically opt out to start getting ready for the NFL.
[thrilling percussive music playing]
[music fades]
[man] When you decide, "Auburn is my home, by God,
and we're gonna make this program great again,"
don't be surprised if people mock you, criticize you, judge you.
[Andy] Auburn's season so far has been nothing but disappointment.
They're four-and-six with two games left.
The playoff hopes disappeared months ago.
[poignant music playing]
[man] Auburn is a proud program.
In my mind, it's a top-ten program in the country.
You wanna restore it to its glory,
but it does take work and time and patience.
Sometimes all you need is 20 seconds of insane courage.
And something great can happen from that bravery.
What's worth picking a fight for, for you?
Who is worth picking a fight for?
You might decide this program is worth fighting for,
but for dang sure,
there's some young men in here worth fighting for.
So prepare to climb a cliff, and let's fight.
-Got it? Three claps, all right? -[all clap three times]
[lively music playing]
[player] About to go down.
What up?
[fan] Can we get a photo?
Yeah, let's do it.
[laughs]
This is what it's all about.
Let's do it.
My name is Cam Coleman. I play wide receiver at Auburn University.
-Thank you so much. -Sure.
-Stay safe. Stay warm too. -You're my favorite player ever.
-It's cold out. -[fan] We will.
[Cam] I came here because it felt like home.
-That's what it's all about. -Yeah.
[Cam] You know how you walk in your house after a long vacation,
like, "Finally home." That's how I feel every time I came here.
[coach] The progression this season has been tremendous with you.
I think back to the first game, all the way up until this point, man.
I'm super excited to see what you'll do.
[lively music playing]
Cam Coleman, he was the first player that I offered once I got the job here.
The good Lord blessed him.
But the best part about how talented he is,
he works even harder.
[Andy] Getting Cam Coleman was a really big deal.
In our On3 industry rankings,
Cam Coleman was the number one player in Alabama,
the number two receiver in the country,
and the number four player overall in the country.
That ULM game last week,
he has the one-handed catch that's a highlight everywhere.
[crowd roaring]
Let's go! Let's go!
Now you're thinking, is he gonna be one of the scariest receivers in the SEC?
[compelling music playing]
[Cam] Being here a little over six months,
I'm starting to really see and feel the Auburn family,
and, like, the Auburn tradition, and just, really, Auburn being Auburn.
Some of the leftover toilet paper from the previous games we won.
[Marcus] Oh yeah. Yes, sir.
[Cam] Rolling the trees is one of the best traditions in college football.
[commentator] The Tigers are SEC Champions for the eighth time.
I have never seen a team like this.
[Andy] When Auburn's good, Auburn's great.
Eight SEC titles, national titles in 1957 and 2010,
2014 went undefeated.
Then, after they win, they go and roll Toomer's Corner.
And it looks like it has snowed, except it's toilet paper.
[crowd chanting] Said it's great to be an Auburn Tiger!
[music crescendos then fades]
[Andy] The only problem is,
when things are bad at Auburn, they're really bad.
They're four-and-six, and they've only got two games left.
[pensive music playing]
[radio host] If you're the Auburn fan base, on the outside looking in,
people are saying, "Man, the vibes must be just so, so bad."
What do you do now if you're Auburn?
[player] Things have been different than I thought they would be.
It's fun when you win, not so fun when you lose.
I think football is a lot like life.
People talk about football is the greatest game,
and I truly believe it is.
And life's not fair, and so football's not fair either.
My name is Payton Thorne,
and I play quarterback at Auburn University.
My whole life has really, truly been devoted to football.
That's my dream of my life, and it's my last year.
All of a sudden, you know, is it done?
[music turns dramatic]
[Hugh] Life's not always gonna be easy.
Life's not always gonna give you what you want.
What do you do when that happens?
I think the beauty in life is what you become through the process.
[music fades]
[Payton] Obviously, this season hasn't gone the way we planned,
and, uh, it's been a frustrating year.
But for me, you know, just finish this season strong.
We got two guaranteed games left,
and they're big games, conference games.
We got a night game at home against A&M.
-[compelling music playing] -[players grunting]
[Payton] A&M's a really good team.
They've been having a really good year. They're very talented.
I think they got a first rounder or two on their team.
We're gonna have to play well,
and we're gonna have to put a good plan together and execute,
just like every week.
[players yelling indistinctly]
[Payton] If your last name's Thorne, you play hard,
and you lay it all out there, no matter what your record is,
because that's just who you are.
Feet, man! Feet, man! Feet! Hands out! Hurry up, get set!
[man] You gotta go in sideways.
Payton Thorne, that man, he competitive.
He's a good mentor too.
I feel like Payton was on the same page the whole week in practice.
So, you practice how you play.
[Marcus] Speed, speed, speed!
[Harry] If you're a senior playing for pride, this is part of your life.
It's part of your legacy. It's part of how you're remembered.
If you're Auburn, you're hoping that A&M is overlooking you.
Even though the season hasn't gone the way that you wanted,
there's no reason in their minds that they can't pull off this upset,
no matter how difficult it may be.
You're playing for one more signature victory
and spoil somebody else's party.
-[Payton] Don't be good! -[team] Be great!
-[Payton] SEC! -[team] We're coming!
[guitar twanging]
[radio host 1] Garrett Nussmeier, very likely,
is gonna have a draft decision to make.
He's a fourth-year player, draft eligible, had a really good season, and could go.
[radio host 2] If you told me Garrett was the quarterback from this class
that became good in the NFL, I bought it.
You look at the draft boards,
and he's pretty high on a lot of people's lists.
Find me a kid on LSU's roster, or in the transfer portal,
that is better than Nussmeier. You're not gonna do it.
[electric razor buzzing]
I wanna try a beard one year, but I've never worn a beard.
I don't like the way a beard feels, like, with my helmet on, with the chin strap.
So I've never been a beard guy. I always shave before game day.
But, I was like, man, I might try a beard.
Just let it go. Like the Fitz Magic, Fitzpatrick.
I've always wanted to bring a championship to LSU,
but my dream's always been to play in the NFL.
A lot of my friends who I came in with or spent a lot of time with
are all in the NFL.
This was my class's senior year.
I redshirted, so I have another year,
but a bunch of guys that I came into school with are all done.
[poignant music playing]
Malik Nabers, Brian Thomas, Maason Smith.
Seeing those guys in the league this year, and now the rest of the class leaving,
all those guys that I played with for four years,
those are some of my best friends.
They're like my brothers, you know?
It's crazy how fast it goes by, you know?
Seeing these guys live out their dreams,
it lights a fire to just, you know, wanna do the same thing.
So I wanna do my due diligence on the situation,
talk to different people, and get the feedback.
I guess 'cause I don't know what the future is.
I just trust God and his plan for me,
and hopefully, you know, I can accomplish what I've dreamed of
and complete the goals that I have set.
-[Brian] Hey. -[man on phone] Hey.
-[Brian] What's up? -So I sent you a text.
-[Brian] Yeah, I saw it. -You guys have had-- Okay.
I know our people have some feelings on the LSU side.
And so I just want to figure out the best way for us to do this.
[Harry] For Coach Kelly,
the hopes of the following season lie in Garrett Nussmeier's hands.
And getting him back, he's everything to them.
We gotta figure out, like…
If it's a third-round draft pick, you're gonna break even.
So, you know, I mean, let's-- let's get the data together
so, you know, if you're not going to make money on this,
um, let's-- let's see how this works for both of us, right?
Look, everybody's gotta do the best they can for their clients.
I think everybody understands that.
[Brian] For us, we're trying to protect guys that can help us win.
Let's work together. That's all I'm saying.
Yeah. We'll figure it out. Happy hunting.
[Brian] Thanks, Trace. Talk to you later.
-See you. -[Brian] Bye.
Interesting world we live in. He's my agent.
[chuckles] But he's representing players that are on my team.
[director] Interesting.
Oh yeah, that's one way to put it.
[insects chirping]
-[Garrett] Isn't this illegal? -[player 1] I don't know.
-In Texas? Isn't it illegal in Texas? -[player 1] Most betting is illegal.
-[Whit] Illegal to play with friends? -[Garrett] Gambling is illegal in Texas.
[West] We get that gambling is illegal. Gambling's illegal in Georgia too.
-You can play poker with your friends. -All right.
[West] The cops aren't gonna bust you for playing poker with friends.
-We're looking it up. -[West] Did y'all put six in…?
[Garrett] I was born in Louisiana.
But I actually moved around 12 times growing up.
Baton Rouge is actually the longest I've lived anywhere in my entire life.
I've lived in four different houses here because I just can't handle not moving.
[Whit] And Big Money Nuss makes the call.
[Garrett] Come on, bro.
-[player 2] Six dollars to make the bet. -It doesn't even matter what this card is.
[all exclaiming]
[player 3] Part two. I have to fold.
[Garrett] I'll take you all in.
Quarterback is typically the main face of a program,
and so getting to be that guy at LSU, I take that to heart.
-[gentle music playing] -[birds chirping]
[Garrett] LSU, those three letters, it means everything to me.
I'm grateful that I can say that I played at LSU.
Forever grateful that I got to represent this state.
-No, I have trips. Full house. -[all exclaiming]
-[player 3] See ya! -[player 1] Beat every hand.
[Garrett] I'm gonna miss being around the guys every day.
College is different than the NFL. It's a different feeling.
So, uh, just feeling that-- that unit of being in college,
uh, I'm gonna miss that, for sure.
That was a good hand. Good hand, Whit. Great hand, pal.
You played it nicely.
[Garrett] Thank you very much.
[bird chirping]
[Hugh] In today's culture, man,
we are taught, naturally, to make it all about us.
It should always be about God and others.
When you're not going to the playoffs,
the instinct for so many would be to lay down,
to not continue to work.
I kept preaching to our seniors,
the truth of the matter is you may not get to experience the mountaintop,
but you play a vital role in what comes after you.
What I'm here to tell you today is, you older guys,
I'm sorry you're not gonna get to experience the fullness
that's coming to Auburn football.
[ethereal music playing]
[Hugh] You won't get to experience the fullness of it.
But let me read you a text that was sent to me.
This is from Eugene.
"If some of us must suffer this year to understand adversity,
and show these young kids how to handle it
and blossom into something for the next season,
and establish a true standard of winning ways at Auburn football,
so be it."
"Sign me up."
"And my joy will come from that service."
I've never had a text like that.
So where do you stand?
Senior?
Junior?
Sophomore?
Freshman?
Let's finish this thing the right way.
Build for the future.
-Three claps, all right? -[all clap three times]
[exciting music playing]
[commentator 1] It is a gorgeous evening for football
as Auburn closes out the home portion of its schedule on senior night.
[screeches]
[commentator 2] What goes through the mind of a player
when you know this is the last time you're gonna play at your--
You've taken your last Tiger Walk,
it's the last time you'll come through that tunnel
to get ready to play for the Tigers at home?
[fans cheering]
-[Jeff] Be situational, okay? -Yep.
-Be smart. Love ya, bud. Go get 'em. -Love you, Payton!
[Jeff] Knowing there's no more home games to enjoy together,
I'm sure it'll be emotional.
I might get as emotional as her sometimes. So I'm kinda…
I'll try to hold it together, let's put it that way.
It'll be emotional for me.
-[crowd cheering] -[fan 1] War Eagle!
-[fan 2] Go, Payton! -[fan 3] Here we go!
[fan 4] Go, Payton!
[Payton] Being my final home game, it really hasn't hit me.
This whole season, I've done my best not to be nostalgic.
I need to be locked in and focused on the task at hand.
So I plan on going out there, playing hard like I do every week,
and trying to get us a win.
-[fan 5] Go! -[fan 6] War Eagle!
[fan 7] War Eagle, let's go!
[Andy] Auburn needs to show that there is gonna be hope for next season,
because the worst thing that can happen is get thrashed by Texas A&M.
These seniors have been through a lot.
They don't wanna be party to another disaster.
They want to be the ones that help turn it around.
They have the opportunity to start the turnaround
right here against Texas A&M,
and then maybe things are different.
[tense music playing]
[Hugh] You've got insane, absolute crazy courage and effort
on every given play for the entire 60 minutes of this thing.
It cannot be another option.
What a night it's gonna be in Jordan-Hare, man.
-[crowd roaring] -[thrilling music playing]
[commentator 1] Texas A&M arrives,
aiming to earn a spot in the SEC Championship game
and the 12-team playoff.
For Auburn, they've got to win out to have a shot at a bowl game.
[thrilling music continues]
[crowd cheering wildly]
We've been through adversity all season, ups and downs!
But you take care of your brother tonight!
We're here, baby. Let's go. It's time to go, baby.
[football thuds]
[commentator 1] A&M offside. Free play for Auburn.
[commentator 2] Caught inside the five! Cam Coleman!
[players cheering]
[commentator 3] On a run to the right.
[players grunting]
[commentator 3] Oh, and he keeps moving forward and gets a touchdown.
Go!
Wow, what a great play!
[commentator 1] Play action by Thorne.
Has a man wide open. It's Cam Coleman!
-Touchdown, Auburn! -[crowd roaring]
[commentator 3] Thorne lobs, end zone, wide open touchdown for Coleman.
[crowd cheering wildly]
[Payton] Everybody's going crazy. Our sideline's going nuts.
It feels good, for sure, but there's a lot of game left to play,
so you can't get too excited.
We haven't won the game yet.
[commentator 4] A&M offense, you still got a lot of game left.
You can't just become one-dimensional fully.
-[commentator 1] Keeper… -[commentator 2] Touchdown!
[commentator 3] The line judge is saying touchdown!
[crowd booing]
[commentator 1] Love to see them take one more look at this.
[tense music playing]
[players shouting and grunting]
[commentator 1] Touchdown, Aggies!
[players] Boom!
[commentator 2] He's taking off! Noah Thomas!
Touchdown, 73 yards!
[tense music playing]
[Payton] You have to be disciplined with thoughts and mind, and say,
"Okay, it's a tie game."
"So let's just go and win the rest of the game."
[commentator 1] Hunter, touchdown, right up the middle.
[commentator 2] Amari, into the end zone for a touchdown!
[commentator 3] Amari Daniels gives the Aggies their first lead.
[music fades]
[Payton] I'm sure there's a lot of guys thinking, "Here we go again."
Because we had lost too many games that way in the last two years.
And so it's definitely a battle to keep guys up and say,
"Okay, here we go."
"Execute each play as they come in, and let's see what happens."
[commentator 1] 2:33 to go in the fourth, Auburn down by three.
[dramatic music playing]
Thorne's gonna run it.
[crowd cheering]
[commentator 2] First down, Payton Thorne.
Jarquez Hunter!
Jarquez Hunter at the ten!
Jarquez Hunter bounced to the outside, thrown out of bounds at the eight.
So Ian Vachon, who had never kicked for Auburn until last week,
is out to tie it, and possibly send this game to overtime.
-It is good! -[crowd roaring]
And we will get overtime.
-[Payton] Let's go to OT! -Let's go!
Hell yeah! Let's go to OT!
[suspenseful music playing]
[commentator 2] Marcel fires.
[commentator 1] Jahdae Walker to the end zone!
Touchdown!
Pitch, Jarquez. Jarquez… Touchdown, Auburn!
Kick on the way by Vachon.
It is good!
Right down the heart to tie this game.
[commentator 3] Now goes the two-point conversions.
[commentator 1] Incomplete.
If Auburn gets the conversion, they win.
Incomplete!
Both teams come up empty on their first two-point conversion.
Now Auburn will go first offensively.
[suspenseful music continues]
Thorne looking.
It is… caught!
-Caught! In the back of the end zone! -[crowd roaring]
[commentator 1] Auburn's defense, does it have one more stop left?
[commentator 2] Aggies must convert to send us to a fifth overtime.
[commentator 2] It's dropped!
Auburn wins!
-Auburn wins! Auburn wins! -[crowd cheering wildly]
43-41! Four overtimes! Auburn wins!
[triumphant music playing]
Finally!
[Hugh] To send Payton and Jarquez, those seniors,
to send them out of Jordan-Hare
with this kind of feeling and atmosphere is pretty special.
Congratulations…
[Cam] We have a saying,
"The pain you experience losing,
it won't be comparison to the joy that's coming."
It's just exciting because the future's bright.
The sky's the limit.
[all cheering]
Let's go! Let's fucking go!
Congratulations.
[Hugh] I give our seniors a lot of credit.
Man, they kept grinding to lay a foundation,
and I'm thankful that they did that well.
[excited chattering]
Hell yes! We won, baby!
Moments like this
make some of the struggle and some of the frustrations worth it.
Being my last home game,
it was like one of the best nights of all time.
[crowd chattering and cheering]
[sentimental music playing]
[Joanna] Yay! This means you guys won.
[Payton] Thanks, Mom.
-What'd she say? -She said, "This means you guys won."
[crowd chanting] It's great to be an Auburn Tiger!
Said it's great to be an Auburn Tiger!
[Payton] What's the technique?
Toss it over the tree?
-Yeah. -Yeah, baby!
[crowd cheering]
-[Payton] First one. -[Cam] Let's go!
Thank you, thank you.
[Payton] Obviously, the season is not what we had hoped for.
Uh, we're not sitting where we had planned.
I was asked a couple days ago if I regret coming down here, and I definitely don't.
I've always had that, uh, belief in my mind,
if things aren't going exactly the way they were planned,
I truly do believe there's a reason it's happening.
It's been fun.
It's been fun playing in the SEC in a school like this.
And so, ultimately, looking back on it,
uh, I think it's been more of a good experience than not.
And so I'm thankful for the opportunity that I had to come here,
and, um, you know, I'll always cherish, you know, to play here at Auburn.
-[music fades] -[birds chirping]
[sports reporter 1] Right now, LSU is in the transfer portal looking for players.
And there is no bigger spot that you would need to spend money on than quarterback
if Garrett Nussmeier were to leave.
If Garrett Nussmeier leaves LSU,
this football program will be in some trouble.
[reporter 2] You gotta get Garrett Nussmeier back.
[Whit] You still play this game a lot?
Every once in a while. Good amount, yeah.
[Whit] You don't wanna use LSU?
[Garrett] No. You can use LSU if you want.
[controllers clicking]
-Of course he's doing his uniforms. -You got to when you play as Oregon.
Me and Nuss, we're like this now. I mean, we're best friends.
He's a great guy.
[Garrett] Can't believe you made it a home game.
[Whit] I had to have some sort of advantage.
Are you openly admitting that I'm better than you at this?
I'm openly admitting that you play this game way more than me.
[both laughing]
The thought of losing Nuss, it's like…
[sighs]
If we lost Nuss, you're obviously not only losing your quarterback,
you're losing your leader.
[pensive music playing]
What you thinking for next year?
-[inhales deeply] I don't know, bro. -You've been thinking about it a lot more?
I mean, obviously, there's pros and cons with both, but like…
[Whit] Yeah.
[Garrett] Been dreaming about playing in the NFL since I was a kid.
When you have that opportunity right in front of you,
it's hard to-- to have the trust to say, "No, I'm not ready yet,"
or "No, I'm gonna come back one more year."
[Whit] College is too fun to leave, man. Come on.
I know, you know. I mean…
[Whit] You only get this opportunity once.
[Garrett] Yeah.
[Whit] If you come back, all the other dogs we got?
-[Garrett] We'll have a good squad. -[Whit] Can't mess around.
Oh my God, that's a touchdown.
Get rolling at the end of the year. Carry it into next year.
I just told him, I was like,
"Dude, if you come back, we're winning the natty."
Like, there's no doubt in my mind. Like, next year is LSU's year.
Oh my God, how did I miss that?
-[Whit] You're flustered. -No. I'm not flustered.
-Flustered in a video game. -[Garrett] The stadium pulses.
You haven't had a first down since the first quarter.
[Garrett laughs]
[poignant music playing]
[Garrett] The Lord has blessed me with so many amazing opportunities.
He has blessed me with an amazing family, circle of support,
and the ability to allow me to live out my dream.
The fact that I'm even in a position to make this type of announcement
is truly a testament to his true glory and love.
Since a young kid,
all I have ever wanted was to grow up and play in the NFL.
But I feel like my time at LSU is not over.
I'm officially announcing I'm returning for my final year of eligibility,
and I'm fully committed to bringing this university a championship.
[emotional music playing]
[Garrett] My teammates, coaches, and the fans
will get the absolute best out of me every single day
until we complete that goal.
Go, Tigers.
The biggest piece of LSU's 2025 puzzle is returning.
Garrett Nussmeier back for a fifth season.
[radio host 1] This is huge.
This is the biggest offseason news we're going to get.
[radio host 2] To those in the transfer portal,
everybody's gonna be evaluating this guy's tape
next year for the NFL draft.
You'll be on that tape if you come play with us.
I'm just excited to get a chance to have a championship roster.
[Brian] You know, I don't fear failure.
The only thing that would be a fear
is if your program wasn't better when you left it.
That's my only fear.
I want to be able to leave something better than when I found it.
And I've done that everywhere I've been,
and I'll do that when I-- when I leave LSU.
[Garrett] I believe I owe my teammates and coaches and fans
a better version of myself every week, every snap, every play.
I believe the group we have coming back, and the group that we're gonna bring in,
we have a real chance to be so special next year.
And so I wanna give it a shot.
I wanna complete that goal, and I believe that we can.
[music fades]
-[intense music playing] -[crowd cheering]
[commentator 1] Sellers tries to throw the football. It's a fumble.
Shane Beamer needs to show that he can either right this ship
or at least get it moving in the right direction.
If we're together, we're gonna get this done!
Everybody just slow down and finish!
[commentator 2] Up the middle he goes!
-Finish! -[intense music continues]
[commentator 3] Vanderbilt victorious again!
Vanderbilt's a team you gotta look out for.
Can they continue that now, is the biggest question.
[commentator 4] Touchdown, Texas!
The mighty Texas Longhorns are coming to Nashville.
[commentator 4] Touchdown! Diego Pavia!
The only team that can beat Vanderbilt football is Vanderbilt football.
This is absolutely about earning some goddamn respect.
When it comes to game time, put the ball in my hands, let me work.
[players grunt]
[closing theme music playing] t the ball in my hands, let me work.