AUBURN | Auburn got to the fourth quarter in perfect position to knock off the No. 5 team in the country.

Then it laid an egg on both sides of the ball.

Trailing 20-14, Texas A&M out-gained the Tigers 168-21 in the final quarter and scored 17 unanswered points to come away with a 31-20 win at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

“We had a chance to play a top 5 team at home on Senior Day and win, and we didn’t seize the moment,” Auburn coach Gus Malzahn said. “So it’s a frustrating deal from that standpoint. The big thing for me is I’m disappointed for our seniors.

“We’d of had to play well. We could have beat them if we played well and made some plays and made some stops. When you’re playing one of the top teams, you’ve got to do it. They made the plays in the fourth quarter and we didn’t.”

Auburn took a 20-14 lead on an Anders Carlson field goal with 3:38 remaining in the third quarter. Texas A&M responded with an 11-play, 75-yard drive that stretched into the early fourth quarter as Kellen Mond completed a 20-yard touchdown to Jalen Wydermyer on a pass that went right through the hands of Auburn linebacker Zakoby McClain.

After a 3-and-out by Auburn’s offense, the Aggies raced 77 yards on seven plays as Ainias Smith scored a touchdown on a 4-yard run to stretch the lead to eight points. Another quick 3-and-out by AU’s offense and TAMU was essentially able to run out the rest of the fourth on a 12-play, 55-yard drive that culminated in a 32-yard field goal.

On its first two drives of the fourth quarter, Auburn managed just three yards on six plays before gaining 18 more in the final seconds.

“They outplayed us at the end of the game. You know, just, their scheme was different. Just give credit to them -- they out-played us,” offensive tackle Brodarious Hamm said.

TAMU’s 4th quarter numbers included 69 rushing yards on 14 carries, Mond completed 7 of 8 passes for 99 yards and a touchdown, and TAMU converted 4 of 5 third downs.

“Well, it was just a matter of stopping the run. That's pretty simple,” Malzahn said. “We couldn't stop them. They did a good job. The offensive line is good, their back is good. We couldn't stop the run. That was a big factor to this.”

The Aggies finished the game with 313 rushing yards, the most allowed by Auburn since Mississippi State had 349 yards in a 23-9 win in 2018. TAMU’s 509 total yards are the most allowed since Alabama’s 515 in the 2019 Iron Bowl.

Auburn, which falls to 5-4, finishes up the regular season next Saturday at Mississippi State.