Alex Golesh rewatched the film from Auburn's 45-15 loss to Ole Miss in Oxford, Mississippi, this past Saturday.
As it turns out, the Tigers players didn't quit in the fourth quarter after only being down 17-15 late in the second half.
"I thought you would turn on the film and there would be lack of effort everywhere ... there's not. We didn't (give up). That's the part I'm hanging my hat on," Golesh said on Monday.
Golesh had previously lamented the lack of a strong finish at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium during the postgame press conference.
"That's inexcusable. That's coaching in every way... You can live with hard-playing penalties. When it's pre-snap on us, that's the stuff that kills you," Golesh said to the media on Saturday.
Alex Golesh talks Auburn's tough October stretch
After knocking off Georgia and also losing to LSU and Tennessee, in addition to the Rebels defeat on Halloween, Golesh talked about the perils of playing in the SEC.
"It's a really, really good learning lesson for us, as we move forward in this program, of what this league really is. You have to be at your very best every single week," Golesh said.
Golesh said that the UGA win was huge for the program because "our guys expect to win those football games." (h/t Auburn247's Nathan King).
Auburn took serious licks last month and learned this wouldn't be a special season, at least in terms of a CFP run. The blowouts to LSU and Ole Miss proved that this team still has plenty of work to do. Golesh said as much on the field after the Georgia win.
November is a different story, though.
Hope springs eternal for Auburn in November
With Arkansas, Mississippi State, and Samford on the schedule before the Iron Bowl regular-season finale in Tuscaloosa, November offers the chance for a major bounceback.
The worst is past Auburn, and by and large, the Tigers are where many expected them to be. Golesh doesn't sound deterred by recent on-field results. He's been realistic about the program all season.
His being confident about the future is nothing but a good sign, since the next few weeks could have this season right on track with what many were hoping for before the 2026 season started: in the ballpark of 7-5 or 8-4.
We'll see if this program can take advantage and earn the fanbase back after many have given up hope in the wake of being outscored 83-32 over its past two matchups.
If nothing else, this team is battle-tested heading into the home stretch.
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