Finally they did it.

When Marcel Reed’s pass fell through the hands of Amari Daniels in quadruple overtime to secure a 43-41 victory for Auburn, a palpable pressure was lifted at Jordan-Hare Stadium. It came in the form of thousands of Auburn fans storming the field.

It was the first time Auburn fans stormed the field since the 2019 Iron Bowl victory over Alabama, and the program’s first win since a 31-20 victory over No. 10 Ole Miss in 2021.

It was not only a special moment for the jubilant fans, but also a chance for Auburn’s seniors to cap their careers at Jordan-Hare Stadium with a win.

For some of those seniors and many of the underclassmen, it was the first time they had been part of a field storm.

“That was the first time I experienced that and last year we were clearly one game away from probably storming the field. So that was tough, you have to deal with that all season,” Payton Thorne said after the game, referencing Auburn’s heartbreaking loss to Alabama in 2023. “So to cap that off the right way and have that experience have, it’s something to watch.” back when you’re stinking 90 years old.

Thorne played a crucial role in Auburn securing the victory, leading a 15-play, 74-yard drive that yielded a field goal to send the game into overtime. He finished with 301 passing yards and two touchdowns.

Another Auburn veteran who enjoyed the win and field rush in his final home game was Jarquez Hunter. He was just as critical as Thorne of Auburn’s performance, rushing for 130 yards and three touchdowns.

Unlike Thorne, Hunter spent his entire career at Auburn, but he wasn’t part of a rush until Saturday.

“Oh, I was hoping we’d win so I could get my first experience rushing the field,” Hunter said. “I mean, it was such an exciting experience with all the fans there just cheering us on.”

Senior Buck linebacker Jalen McLeod had a different field rushing experience than Thorne and Hunter when he was on the field for the final play of the game. It was also his first experience of a field storming, and he admitted he was scared for a second in the immediate aftermath.

That fear didn’t last long, however, and Reed’s pass that hit the ground still drew a passionate reaction from McLeod.

“He dropped it, I was like, ‘Oh man,’” McLeod said. “So I went to the sidelines and started talking nonsense. That was the first copy.”

For freshman wide receiver Cam Coleman, it was a taste of what college football can be.

“Next thing you know, I looked around and we were swamped,” Coleman said, describing the moment fans stormed the field. “I see Dre getting thrown in the air and I’m like, ‘Man, this is crazy.’ This is the university here. ”

The game was another huge one for Coleman, who racked up over 100 receiving yards for the second week in a row and set a new season high (128).

His performance and several others were what led Auburn to a wild 43-41 victory to close out the home schedule. It was a party that Auburn will have to play for (literally), but a party that no one wanted.

Peter Rauterkus covers Auburn Sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X on @peter_rauterkus or email him [email protected]M