The script was flipped for Auburn.

Prior to Saturday, Auburn had been outscored 176-62 in the second half of its previous 10 power-5 games.

Now under interim-coach Carnell Williams, the Tigers outscored Mississippi State 27-9 to force overtime in Starkville.

It didn’t result in a win for Auburn, but Williams saw something from his team that he hadn't seen in a while.

"Ever since yesterday, we said we’re either going to fight or quit, and we’re going to see who’s going to quit," Williams said. "Then nobody quit. I mean, I haven’t experienced Auburn football in that way this year; this is Year 4 for me, and man, the energy, the belief them kids had, man, that’s just—wow. Like I told them guys, I know the Auburn family’s proud of them guys. They got nothing to be ashamed of."

Defensively, it was a nightmare start for Auburn as it allowed 17 points in three of the first four drives of the game.

“We just can't have slow starts like we did,” said cornerback Jaylin Simpson. “We had a real slow start is all. Coaches did a great job this week adjusting and everything."

After a kickoff return by the Bulldogs, Auburn stringed together nine consecutive stops.

This was led by Auburn’s front seven, which had five sacks and 10 tackles for loss on the night and allowed only 13 rushing yards on the night.

“We just kept playing our game,” said EDGE Colby Wooden. “We knew we've got top-notch pass-rushers. We knew they wanted to pass the ball. Early on, they were getting it out quickly, so we were getting a little frustrated. But we stuck with it and kept playing and kept rushing.”

Offensively, the Tigers leaned on the part of the game that Williams has great familiarity with: the run game.

As a whole, Auburn rushed for 176 yards in the second half.

Both Tank Bigsby and Jarquez Hunter scored in the 4th quarter. At the time, both were go-ahead touchdowns.

“We started off slow,” Hunter said. “The second half, we just came out and started hitting them in the mouth and started moving the ball, pushing the ball. We came out with better energy.”

It was a tumultuous week for Auburn, and down 24-6 at half, the Tigers easily could've punted the game and the season.

They didn't. They fought back.

"Them kids, they didn’t blink," Williams said. "Like, ‘Coach, we got you. Nobody’s quitting. We’re going to continue to serve. We’re going to continue to bleed. We’re going to continue to fight. We’re going to continue to fight on offense, man.’ We laid an egg in the first half, challenged those guys, and they responded."