Malzahn to Maryland

Maryland now has interest in Malzahn. Hopefully, this will not be a distraction.

The Road to Glendale (2)

AuburnUndercover »

STARKVILLE, Miss. – It was Nick Fairley’s coming out party.

Fairley, a junior defensive tackle, had shown flashes of brilliance late in the 2009 season, his first at Auburn after spending two seasons at Copiah-Lincoln Community College. But he wasn’t even preseason All-Southeastern Conference, much less viewed as future Lombardi Award winner.

On Sept. 9, a Thursday, Auburn went to Davis Wade Stadium to take on Mississippi State. And Fairley showed up in a big way. Fairley had three sacks, 3. 5 tackles for losses, intercepted a pass and recovered a fumble as No. 21 Auburn held on for dear life to win 17-14.

“My ends got pressure across the board,” Fairley said. “I made them step up so I could make a couple plays. The defense overall, we did well. We came into tonight, and we said we would have to hold them down because they had a good offense. We just wanted to get our offense the ball, and we did that tonight."

It was special night for quarterback Cam Newton. He had played for Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen for two seasons when Mullen was offensive coordinator at Florida. After the game, Newton had an emotional reunion with Mullen and Mullen’s wife, Megan.

Statistically, it was Newton’s least productive game of the season. He completed 11-of-19 passes for 136 yards and two touchdowns. He threw an interception and was sacked twice. He ran 18 times for 70 yards.

Mississippi State managed just 246 yards of offense.

Auburn broke fast out of the gate, taking a 7-0 lead on a 39-yard pass from Newton to Emory Blake with 11:22 left in the first quarter. Mississippi State tied with 2:30 left in the quarter when quarterback Chris Relf fumbled into the end zone and Gabe Jackson recovered.

Auburn went back on top on a 12-yard pass from Newton to Darvin Adams with 8:37 left in the half and went up 17-7 on a 34-yard Wes Byrum field goal 4:29 left.

Mississippi State pulled closer on a 1-yard Vic Ballard run with 8:55 left in the third quarter.

As time ran short, Auburn drove to the Mississippi State 20, using up 6:08. But with 2:19 left in the game, Byrum’s field goal attempt was blocked. The Bulldogs had one last chance. They moved to a first down at the Auburn 41 after a pass interference call on third-and-14. But four Relf passes fell incomplete and Auburn escaped with a victory to move to 2-0.

Auburn coach Gene Chizik saluted his defense and coordinator Ted Roof.

"Coach Roof had a great game plan for a very potent offense,” Chizik said. “I thought the players played extremely hard and they executed what we ask them to do most of the time about as good as we could do it. We didn't play perfect, but I think Coach Roof had them in the right spots and they played physical and hard.

“It was encouraging to see them play as hard as they did, because they were relentless down to the last snap. I was proud to see that."


Key statistics

TEAM

First downs: Auburn 21, MSU 16

Rushing yards: Auburn 190, MSU 117

Passing yards: Auburn 158, MSU 129

Passes: Auburn 12-21-1, MSU 16-35-1

Total offense: Auburn 348, MSU 246

Sacks by: Auburn 3, MSU `2

Fumbles-lost: Auburn 1, MSU 1

Third-down conversions: Auburn 6-14, MSU 5-15

Time of possession: Auburn 31:48, MSU 28:12

Penalties-yards: Auburn 4-35, MSU 2-25

INDIVIDUAL

RUSHING

Auburn: Cam Newton 18-70, 0 TD; Onterio McCalebb 12-68, Mike Dyer 9-50.

MSU: Chad Bumphis 3-27, 0 TD; Chris Relf 14-26, 0 TD.

PASSING

Auburn: Cam Newton 11-19-1, 136 yards, 1 TD.

MSU: Chris Relf 12-26-0, 110 yards, 0 TD.

RECEIVING

Auburn: Terrell Zachery 4-32, 0 TD; Darvin Adams 3-38, 1 TD; Emory Blake 2-39, 1 TD.

MSU: Chad Bumphis 5-34, 0 TD; Arceto Clark 2-28, 0 TD.

DEFENSE

Auburn: Eltoro Freeman 9 tackles, 1 TFL; Aairon Savage 6 tackles; Josh Bynes 6 tackles; Zac Etheridge 6 tackles; Nick Fairley 5 tackles, 3.5 TFL, 3 sacks, 1 INT, 1 FR, 3 QBH.

MSU: Chris White 11 tackles, 1 TFL; K.J. Wright 10 tackles, 1 INT; Pernell McPhee 6 tackles, 1.5 TFL.

The Road to Glendale (1)

AuburnUndercover »

Auburn Uncercover/The 247Road to Glendale: Auburn 52, ASU 26
Phillip Marshall, Senior Editor

ShareOver the next two weeks, AuburnUndercover.com will look back at each of Auburn’s victories on the road to a 13-0 record and a matchup with Oregon in the BCS National Championship Game on Jan. 10.


Mario Fannin gathers in one of his two TD passes against Arkansas StateAUBURN - Cam Newton threw his first Auburn touchdown pass, a 36-yarder to Mario Fannin, with one minute left in the first quarter of Auburn’s season-opener against Arkansas State.

But it was in the second quarter that he gave the first real signal of what was to come.

Dropping to pass, Newton saw the field open in front of him. He pulled the ball down and took off, outrunning the Arkansas defense for a 71-yard touchdown. Newton added touchdown passes of 48 yards to Quindarius Carr and 38 yards to Fannin. He ran 2 yards for another.

Kodi Burns scored on a 3-yard run after Arkansas State took a 6-0 lead. Freshman Mike Dyer scored Auburn’s final touchdown on a 2-yard run. Wes Byrum kicked a 24-yard field goal. Auburn had 608 yards offense.

Newton broke an Auburn record for rushing yards by a quarterback with 171 yards on 15 carries. He completed 9-of-14 passes for 186 yards.

Arkansas State coach Steve Roberts certainly was impressed.

"I don't know if I have seen an individual performance better than Cam Newton's,” Roberts said. “He is the best player I have ever seen live.”

It was a shaky start defensively. Arkansas State quarterbacks passed for 323 yards and two touchdowns. Overall, there was little to indicate a championship run had begun.

Gene Chizik, who began his second season as head coach, said when it was over that much remained to be done.

“Obviously if you watched the game, there were a lot of glaring things that weren't very good,” Chizik said, “but they were things that I think are very fixable and things I think we can build on.”

Newton gave himself and his team mixed reviews.

“We are always happy with the win, but there are things we made mistakes on,” Newton said. “We just have to come out the next game and do better. I didn’t play the best game I could have played, but I have to watch film tomorrow and correct my mistakes.”


Key statistics

TEAM

First downs: Auburn 23, ASU 22

Rushing yards: Auburn 367, ASU 43

Passing yards: Auburn 241, ASU 323

Passes: Auburn 11-16-0, ASU 33-49-0

Total offense: Auburn 606, ASU 366

Sacks by: Auburn 4m ASU `1

Fumbles-lost: Auburn 2, ASU 0

Third-down conversions: Auburn 5-10, ASU 5-18

Time of possession: Auburn 25:37, ASU 34:23

Penalties-yards: Auburn 7-60, ASU 5-28

INDIVIDUAL

RUSHING

Auburn: Cam Newton 15-171, 2 TD; Mike Dyer 14-95, 1 TD; Onterio McCalebb 9-80, 0 TD.

ASU: Derek Lawson 16 -45, 1 TD; Jerry Robertson 7-20, 1 TD.

PASSING

Auburn: Cam Newton 9-14-0, 186 yards, 3 TD.

ASU: Ryan Aplin 28-42-0, 278 yards, 1 TD.

RECEIVING

Auburn: Mario Fannin 4-65, 2 TD; Quindarius Carr 2-87, 1 TD; Darvin Adams 2-58, 0 TD.

ASU: Dwayne Frampton 8-74, 1 TD; Taylor Stockemer 6-58, 0 TD.

DEFENSE

Auburn: Daren Bates 10 tackles, 1 QBH; Aairon Savage 7 tackles, 1 TFL; Antoine Carter 4 tackles, 3.5 TFL, 2.5 sacks; Nick Fairley 4 tackles, 1.5 TFL, 1.5 sacks.

ASU: M.D. Jennings, 11 tackles, 1.5 TFL, 1 sack, 1 FF, 1 FR; Tausean Holmes, 7 tackles, 1.5 TFL, 1 FF.

No More Blue-Gray Game

Freddy remarks about the Blue-Gray game that used to be played on Christmas Day. I do miss it. I remember us watching it in 1992 when Auburn couldn't go to a bowl game. This was an all-star for non-bowl teams, and with so many bowls now, the game if it were being played today, would certainly have far fewer players to choose from.

Malzahn Stays

Phillip Marshall says Gus is staying. If in fact Malzahn turned down 15 million guaranteed, he's a better man than me. If it were me, I'd take the money and run even if it is Vanderbilt.

Will He or Won't He?

We wait this morning to see if Gus Malzahn will take the Vandy job. As far as I know this moment, he has not made up his mind.

Federal judge grants an Auburn University fan's request to delay trial for BCS title game

BY Kent Faulk
09 December 2010
The Birmingham News

A Birmingham lawyer -- and lifelong Auburn football fan -- asked a judge this week to hold off scheduling a trial so he and his family can go to the team's Jan. 10 national championship game, fearing he might not ever get another chance.

The judge understood his predicament.

Michael Mulvaney, one of the attorneys representing the Hartford Fire Insurance Co. in a civil case in federal court in Mobile, filed a motion Wednesday requesting that a trial scheduled for January begin on Jan. 17 or be continued to February in light of the championship game.

"As a life-long Auburn fan, I am asking the Court for grace and mercy to allow me to take my family (wife and 3 daughters) to the game, which is set for January 10, 2011. We have purchased non-refundable plane tickets and hotel rooms," Mulvaney writes in his motion. "We have not yet bought tickets to the game."

"Since the last National Championship Game for Auburn was 1957 (and I was born in 1965) it is fair to say that this is a once in a life-time opportunity," Mulvaney wrote. "Without Cam Newton (or Nick Saban as our coach) it is hard to imagine this ever happening again."

Along with his motion, Mulvaney filed a photo of his daughters -- Ellie, Grace, and Sellers -- wearing Auburn football jerseys that he said was taken seven years ago. He also filed a photo of his daughters taken last year.

Later on Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Kristi DuBose, whose court is in Mobile, granted Mulvaney's request, ordering that the trial not be held on Jan. 7-11.

"The Court has a unique understanding of the predicament of Hartford's lead counsel. See Exhibit A," she said in her order.

Exhibit A attached to the judge's order was a photograph of a young girl in what appears to be an Auburn cheerleader outfit with a stuffed tiger sitting next to her. It is not clear who the girl is in the photograph.

Calls to clerks in DuBose's office requesting a comment from the judge were not returned today.

When asked about the reference to Nick Saban as the Auburn coach, Mulvaney said he was "hedging my bets in case the judge was an Alabama fan."

"But to set the record straight, I don't want Nick Saban for my coach," Mulvaney said. "I love Gene Chizik -- he is my coach."

Mulvaney said he was thankful for the judge's response: "Judge DuBose was incredibly gracious and incredibly cool to grant our motion. But of course she is -- she is an Auburn fan, what more would you need to know about her."

Attorneys for the other side in the case didn't object to a Jan. 17 trial date, but didn't want it to go into February.

David McKnight, one of the attorneys representing The Mitchell Co. Inc., the other side in the civil case, said he didn't personally mind Mulvaney's request. "I'm an Auburn fan, so I was actually rooting for Michael on that," he said.

McKnight has a son who plays football for Air Force and plans to attend the AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl in Shrevport, La., where that team will play Georgia Tech on Dec. 27.

Attorneys -- and Alabama fans -- last year made similar requests of judges for that team's national championship game in January. At least one was approved.

Mulvaney said he tried to be respectful in his request.

"I did not want to assume that my schedule is more important than anybody else," he said. "But for the love -- this is huge, this is Cam Newton and Auburn -- I had to ask."

Chuck Dauphin, an Alabama fan and another attorney for the other side in the case, said: "Courts did it for Alabama fans last year, so I think they need to do it for Auburn fans this year.

"It's great for the state."

Go Cam

It's good to see Cam Newton winning so many awards. The Heisman will cap it off.

The 2010 Regular Season

2010 AUBURN FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
Schedule 2010
Date Opponent Result / Time
9/4 vs. Arkansas State W 52 - 26
9/9 at Mississippi State W 17 - 14
9/18 vs. Clemson W 27 - 24
9/25 vs. 12 South Carolina W 35 - 27
10/2 vs. Louisiana-Monroe W 52 - 3
10/9 at Kentucky W 37 - 34
10/16 vs. 12 Arkansas W 65 - 43
10/23 vs. 6 LSU W 24 - 17
10/30 at Mississippi W 51 - 31
11/6 vs. Chattanooga W 62 - 24
11/13 vs. Georgia W 49 - 31
11/26 at 9 Alabama W 28 - 27
12/4 at 18 South Carolina W 56 - 17
1/10 vs. 2 Oregon 5:30 PT6:30 MT7:30 CT8:30 ET1:30 GMT9:30 北京时间6:30 MST8:30 EST

Copyright © 2010 by STATS LLC.
All rights reserved.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

How football coaches voted in their final regular-season poll

Here is are snippets from the article:

BY Jon Solomon
06 December 2010
The Birmingham News

At one point, this was going to be the first year that coaches no longer had to reveal their final regular-season ballots. Coaches didn't like awkward moments sometimes created by revealing where they rank certain teams, so the American Football Coaches Association sought to keep the ballots confidential.

The public got up in arms about the lack of transparency. So did conference commissioners, who ultimately decide what polls get used in the BCS formula. The final ballots remain open.

The ballots submitted yesterday in the USA Today Coaches' Poll show most coaches (or other school officials who vote for them -- wink, wink) typically don't stray from conventional thinking on these subjective polls. But there are still some awkward moments, which we'll gladly point out. Some nuggets from the voting:...

* Auburn had three coaches not vote the Tigers in the top two: Idaho's Robb Akey (TCU 1, Oregon 2); New Mexico's Mike Locksley (Oregon 1, TCU 2); and Utah's Kyle Whittingham (Oregon 1, TCU 2). Locksley and Whittingham both coach in the Mountain West against TCU.

* No. 18 Alabama's highest vote was 12th, by Mississippi State's Dan Mullen. Navy's Ken Niumatalolo put the Crimson Tide 13th. Alabama's lowest vote was 23rd by New Mexico's Mike Locksley, who put five teams ahead of the Crimson Tide that ended up finishing behind them. Locksley, who is 2-22 in two years at New Mexico, ranked Alabama behind Utah, Hawaii, Mississippi State (which lost by 20 to Alabama), West Virginia and Central Florida.

* Alabama coach Nick Saban ranked Auburn No. 1 and Alabama No. 15. He was the only coach from the state of Alabama. Voters are selected randomly based on their conference affiliation.

Nick Saban's Ballot
1. Auburn
2. Oregon
3. TCU
4. Stanford
5. Ohio State
6. Michigan State
7. Wisconsin
8. Arkansas
9. Oklahoma
10. LSU
11. Boise State
12. Virginia Tech
13. Missouri
14. Oklahoma State
15. Alabama
16. Texas A&M
17. Nebraska
18. Nevada
19. West Virginia
20. South Carolina
21. Mississippi State
22. Utah
23. Florida State
24. Central Florida
25. Connecticut

* There were no hard feelings from two former Auburn coaches. Tommy Tuberville, now at Texas Tech, voted Auburn No. 1. So did Iowa State's Paul Rhoads, a former Auburn defensive coordinator.

* Five of the six SEC coaches voted Auburn No. 1, including Mississippi State's Dan Mullen. By now, you've probably heard who didn't: Florida's Urban Meyer, who put the Tigers No. 2 behind Oregon. Bad feelings over Cam Newton, or strong respect for Oregon's offense, which Meyer has described as "mesmerizing"?

* All five of the Pac-10 coaches voted Oregon No. 1....

Ingredients of Greatness

AuburnUndercover »

Phillip's blog: Ingredients of greatness

Phillip Marshall, Senior Editor

What does it take to have a perfect season, to win a championship? It takes talent, of course. No matter what else a football team has, of the players aren’t good enough, it doesn’t matter. It takes a cohesive coaching and staff pulling in the same direction.


Phillip Marshall, Senior Editor, AuburnUndercover.comAuburn’s 2010 Southeastern Conference champions certainly have those things. But those things alone aren’t enough. Over the years, great seasons I’ve observed have had five common denominators:

Chemistry and leadership. This Auburn team certainly has these qualities. A senior almost two dozen has played a major role in Auburn’s run to a 13-0 record. Like on the unbeaten 2004 team, the most talented players on this team are all about the team. As defensive coordinator Ted Roof likes to say, the strength of this team is the team itself. A team with selfish players won’t likely be a champion.

Injury luck. The only two significant injury losses the Tigers have suffered are safety Aairon Savage and offensive tackle A.J. Greene. Brandon Mosley at tackle and Mike McNeil at safety proved more than adequate replacements.

Plain luck. Every unbeaten team I’ve covered, somewhere along the way, won a game because the ball bounced the right way. This one is no different. There was a busted coverage in overtime against Clemson, and quarterback Kyle Parker simply missed a wide-open receiver in the end zone. Clemson made a field goal to force a second overtime, only to see it wiped out by an illegal snap penalty. The next try went wide and Auburn won.

Quarterback. Not every great team I’ve seen has had a great quarterback, but every one of them has had a winner at quarterback who is respected by his teammates. Auburn quarterback Cam Newton certainly is respected and admired by his teammates. They respect him personally as much or more than they do as a football player. And he has been, for this season, the best quarterback ever to play in the SEC and maybe the best in college football history.

Strength up front. If a team can’t win the physical battles at the line of scrimmage, not much else matters. More often than not, Auburn has won that battle on the both sides of the ball. There are four seniors on the offensive line, led by All-America tackle Lee Ziemba. All will be chosen in the NFL draft. There are four seniors in the playing rotation on the defensive line. The main man is junior Nick Fairley, the most dominating defensive tackle in the game.

Because the 2010 Tigers have these things, they are one win away from an undisputed national championship.

It's Official

Updated: Sunday, December 05, 2010, 7:31 PM
Charles Goldberg/Auburn Bureau, The Birmingham News, It's official. Auburn will play Oregon for the BCS championship on Jan. 10, thanks to the final BCS standings that were released Sunday night.


Auburn is No. 1. Oregon is No. 2.


Auburn coach Gene Chizik says he's not sure the details of his practice schedule, or when the Tigers will go to Glendale, Ariz., for the game, "but when it's time to go to work, it's all business. When it's time to back off and have a little fun, we should do that, too.


"We all know the ultimate goal is to win. That's not a new concept for anybody."


Auburn is 13-0. Oregon is 12-0.






BCS Standings List


Harris USA Today Computer BCS
Rk Pts Pct Rk Pts Pct Rk Pct Avg Pv
1. Auburn 1 2809 .9856 2 1437 .9742 1 1.000 .9866 1
2. Oregon 2 2773 .9730 1 1450 .9831 2 .960 .9720 2
3. TCU 3 2613 .9168 3 1348 .9139 3 .900 .9102 3
4. Stanford 5 2421 .8495 5 1239 .8400 5 .820 .8365 4
5. Wisconsin 4 2443 .8572 4 1276 .8651 8 .690 .8041 5
6. Ohio St. 6 2293 .8046 6 1200 .8136 9 .680 .7660 6
7. Oklahoma 9 1926 .6758 t8 1008 .6834 4 .830 .7297 9
8. Arkansas 8 1992 .6989 t8 1008 .6834 6 .800 .7274 7
9. Michigan St. 7 2104 .7382 7 1104 .7485 11 .590 .6922 8
10. LSU 11 1625 .5702 12 826 .5600 7 .720 .6167 10
11. Boise St. 10 1800 .6316 10 914 .6197 12 .580 .6104 11
12. Missouri 13 1368 .4800 14 712 .4827 10 .620 .5276 12
13. Virginia Tech 12 1623 .5695 11 900 .6102 18 .330 .5032 15
14. Oklahoma St. 15 1232 .4323 13 718 .4868 13 .550 .4897 14
15. Nevada 14 1302 .4568 15 640 .4339 16 .410 .4336 17
16. Alabama 16 1155 .4053 18 521 .3532 14 .540 .4328 16
17. Texas A&M 18 1077 .3779 17 542 .3675 15 .500 .4151 18
18. Nebraska 17 1136 .3986 16 607 .4115 17 .370 .3934 13
19. Utah 19 685 .2404 19 375 .2542 t19 .270 .2549 20
20. South Carolina 20 631 .2214 20 345 .2339 t19 .270 .2418 19
21. Mississippi St. 22 500 .1754 22 255 .1729 21 .200 .1828 22
22. West Virginia 21 519 .1821 21 261 .1769 24 .040 .1330 24
23. Florida St. 23 274 .0961 23 156 .1058 22 .140 .1140 21
24. Hawaii 24 191 .0670 25 98 .0664 23 .100 .0778 NR
25. Cent. Florida 25 190 .0667 24 143 .0969 28 .000 .0545 NR

What a Dominating Peformance

Auburn completely dominates South Carolina. What a football team! What a player in Cam Newton! This football team is unlike any other in Auburn history. The togetherness, the toughness, the desire of this team is amazing. Let us enjoy. Let us ENJOY!

The 2010 SEC Championship Game

Will this game follow our normal pattern: we get behind and have to come from behind in the second half? Last week was the quarter finals. This is the semi-finals for the national championship.

FIRST HALF

USC wins the toss and defers. Why? Why would they give Auburn the balls first?

First possesion Auburn goes 74 yards in 4 plays. The score comes on a 12-yd. toss to McCalebb.

Auburn 7 South Carolina 0

USC comes right back and drives the touchdown.

Auburn 7 South Carolina 7

Auburn drives again on their second possession. Cam runs it in from the 5. Twelve plays and 74 yards.

Auburn 14 South Carolina 7

Next possession as our defense stars to hold USC there's a 55 yd. TD pass to Adams.

Auburn 21 South Carolina 7

Adams drops what would have a touchdown pass in the end zone. Byrum misses a FG attempt as the quarter winds down. USC drives for a touchdown.

Auburn 21 South Carolina 14

With only seconds left, with USC seizing the momentum and getting the ball to start the second half, Cam lofts a ball about 60 yards into the end zone and Adams catches it on a tip!!! You rarely see this work. A last second pass the end zone, a tipped ball, and touchdown Auburn! The Tigers regain the momentum literally on the last play of the quarter. We sure feel better than we were feeling just seconds ago. Wow!

Auburn 28 South Carolina 14

SECOND HALF

The Tigers roll in the second half.

Our defense does its usual brilliant effort, holding the chickens to just 3 points.

Our offense is literally unstoppable.

Auburn 56 South Carolina 17

The Tigers win the SEC Championship!

It's great to see the Tiger fans on TV celebrating after the game.

We see the trophy presentation.

How great is is to be an Auburn Tiger!

We will have a relaxing evening.

Auburn is on its way to play Oregon for the National Championshp.

Arizona here we come!

The Day Before the Game

It's hard not to think about the game. How will it go? We hear that USC is better; I like to think Auburn is better also since we played them in September. We've had trouble defending the pass (at least in the first half) all year. No reason to think this won't continue tomorrow. We've had success defending the run. I hope this continues tomorrow. My main wish is that we simply play 4 quarters and don't have to come back in the second half. But then that's not the personality of our team, is it?

Good News

The NCAA officially rules that Cam is eligible.

28 TO 27 - A Recap

Auburn 28
Alabama 27
Final

–FIRST QUARTER–
ALABAMA TOUCHDOWN @ 11:34 — Mark Ingram 10 run. PAT kick good. Driver covered 71 yards in 7 plays, 3:26. Easy. Alabama had plenty of pre-snap motion, which is unusual for them. Big play was a 12-yard reverse run for Julio Jones, which Antoine Carter sniffed out behind the line of scrimmage. He missed the tackle. Jones was off and away.


ALABAMA TOUCHDOWN @ 8:39 — Julio Jones 69 pass from Greg McElroy. PAT kick good. Drive covers 81 yards in 2 plays. Mike McNeil, at safety, neglected his responsibility and let Jones fly away without oversight. Simple play.


ALABAMA TOUCHDOWN @ 1:58 — Darius Hanks 12 pass from McElroy. The drive was ended with a sack by Nick Fairley, then he inexplicably draws an excessive celebration penalty. He did nothing unusual. So that turns a 4th-and-19 into a 4th-and-4 that Alabama converts. Wow.


–SECOND QUARTER–
ALABAMA FIELD GOAL @ 8:01 — 20 FG. Drive covered 50 yards in 7 plays. Auburn actually held on a third down there, so that’s progress.


AUBURN TOUCHDOWN @ 5:08 — Emory Blake 36 pass from Cam Newton. PAT kick good. Drive covers 80 yards in 9 plays. Kodi Burns, of all people, catches a pair of touch passes to convert third downs. Who knew?


–THIRD QUARTER–
AUBURN TOUCHDOWN @ 14:04 — Terrell Zachery 70 pass from Newton. PAT kick good. Drive covers 69 yards in 2 plays.


AUBURN TOUCHDOWN @ 4:25 — Cam Newton 1 run. PAT kick good. 75 yards in 8 plays, 3:14. Auburn never faced a third-down conversion there. Auburn is running to the weak side far more often than expected right now.


ALABAMA FIELD GOAL @ 1:05 — 33 FG. Drive covered 12 yards in 5 plays. Quindarius Carr’s fumbled punt gave Alabama prime field position. You have to consider that a major defensive stand right there.


–FOURTH QUARTER–
AUBURN TOUCHDOWN @ 11:55 — Philip Lutzenkirchen 7 pass from Newton. PAT kick good.
——————–

The SEC Championship Line

The line is 5, which is more than I thought it would be. I was expecting 2 or 3.

The win feels just as good today as it did Friday after the game.

I'm wondering if this game will be tale of two halves like we've had all year. It's time we played 60 minutes.

The Toughest Game Yet?

This may be our toughest game yet. I was hoping to play Florida because I do believe it's hard to beat a good team twice in the same year. After losing big to Arkansas, USC righted their ship and ripped Florida and Clemson last night. Spurrier knows how to get a team ready for the SEC Championship. Auburn has to come down from the mountains quickly to get ready for this game. This team cannot keep getting behind and having to come from behind. Sooner or later it may not happen. So far I would say this team's greatest advantage is that it seems to have an intangible will to win that won't quit. Let's hope it carries us thru next Saturday night.

The Magnitude of the Game

The sheer magnitude of the game is with me this morning. You just don't come back from a 24-pt. deficit on the road in a blatantly hostile environment. That is, you don't unless your're the Auburn Tigers!

What an amazing game. We will never forget this one. No matter what happens the rest of the way, this is truly one of the GREAT wins in Auburn football history.

The key was Antoine Carter stripping the ball from Mark Ingram, the ball rolling 19 yards into the end zone for a touchback. THAT was a championship play!

P.S. I was watching the Boise/Nevada game last night but went to bed at halftime. I wake up this morning and see that Nevada rallied to win in overtime. Now MAYBE the ESPN dittoheads will finally SHUT UP about Boise State.

We Bask in the Glory

On this wonderful Friday evening we bask in the glory of Auburn's amazing and stunning comeback win over Alabama. Down 24 to 7, the Tigers outscore UAT 28 to 3 the rest of the to win a classic game in this 75th renewal of the biggest rivalry in the country 28 to 27.

This is as big as any win ever over the Crimson Tide. Everyone picked UAT to win. We were 4-point underdogs. The ESPN talking heads including that chucklehead Lou Holtz were hoping AU would lose. Has there EVER been a more satisfying Auburn win over Alabama? I don't think so.

Now it's on the SEC Championship against USC and with a win there we know what will lie ahead. It's Great 2 Be an Auburn Tiger!

Let's Play

The Auburn-Alabama game is always big. Some are bigger than others. This is one of the bigger than others.

The rain has passed through. It's raw and cold. Showers are possible. The wind is swirling.

Auburn is 11 & 0 and ranked #2 in the BCS standings. UAT is 9 and 2 and ranked #11. The Tigers are a 4-point underdog. Most people are picking Alabama.

What will determine the outcome? Penalitites, turnovers, their defense slowing Cam down, their offense having success against our defense? Big plays? Number #2. Number #90. Discipline with the crowd noise? Definitely. I think big plays one way or the other will be critical. It's likely to be one or more of these things.

Auburn wins the toss and defers.

FIRST QUARTER

Alabama starts at their 29.
The Tide starts moving the ball with 6 and 7 yard gains.
An bad interference call puts the ball on the 10.
Ingram walks in for the TD from the 10. Fairly out; Carter gets blocked.
A picture-perfect drive for Alabama.
That's a methodical 71-yrd. drive in a little over 3 minutes.
Our defense starts slow which seems to be typical this year.
Once again we start the game from behind. We've been behind all year.
This is nothing new, but it better not be the story of the game.

Auburn 0 Alabama 7

The Tigers start at the 25.
Auburn goes 3 and out. On a 3rd and 1 Dyer gets stuffed.
Our offense looks tentative.
The punt goes to the Alabama 19.
I think Fairly is out.
There's a long TD pass to Jones. Very poor pass defense as if we just let him go right down the field. Pitiful, says Stan White. The culprit was safety Michael McNeil.
What a horrible start for the Tigers. Our defense is sleep-walking.
We are down big early.

Auburn 0 Alabama 14

Auburn starts on the AU 37.
Our offense needs to get in gear.
Cam is sacked. Loss of 8. Alabama gets penetration. Good coverage downfield.
Cam is sacked again holding the ball too long.
Incomplete pass and Auburn goes 3 and out again.
So far Alabama is completely dominating.
Alabama starts again on offense on their 39.
This is getting ugly in a hurry.
Alabama's defense is manhandling our offense.
Oh, for a turnover. Oh, for a defensive stop.
If we don't stop them here, this game could be over.
It looks as bad as it's looked all year early.
Cam looks totally tentative.
#90 is back.
As we have all year, we're giving their wideouts too much room.
Alabama is on our 38. We can't stop them.
We stop them on a sack by Fairly but the ref calls unsportsmanlike on Fairly. This is the worst call I've ever seen in my history of watching college football.
The Tide scores again on a pass and we're down 3 touchdowns.
The head referee give the Tide their third score.
This will be the biggest deficit of the year for Auburn.
Domination by UAT but a horrific call leads to the third score.
But UAT has executed still.
Auburn has to get going.
We have no answers for Julio Jones.
Our 24 seniors have to take charge.

Auburn 0 Alabama 21

It must start here with 1:58 to go in the first quarter.
Nick Fairly did NOTHING to deserve that 15-yrd. penalty.
It's now or never.
Auburn starts on the 25.
2 running plays and nothing. The UAt defense is manhandling our offense.
Once again we're 3 downs and out.
Auburn will have to punt again.
Cam is frustrated. Our offensive line is getting whipped. Their defense is well-prepared and is dominating our offense.
End of the quarter with the Tigers punting up big.
Auburn 0 Alabama 21

SECOND QUARTER

Well, it's only the start of the second quarter and already we're in a dire situation. We may already be too far behind. We've done nothing offensive so far. We are actually minus 8 yards offensively.

UAT starts on their 17 helped by a blocking in the back penalty.
The Tide goes to 3 and a long 1 or a short 2.
Ingram runs for the first easily.
I see no hope at this point.
We are down by 21. We can't stop their offense. It's only the second quarter.
It looks like they are going to drive for another score.
Then Ingram fumbles big time and the ball goes all the way to the AU end zone.
That's a safety and Auburn has the ball on our 20.
That's a turnover although we're only on our 20.

We punt it back to the Tide and at least we hold them to a field goal.

Auburn 7 Alabama 24

After a dismal offensive start, what will our offense do now?
Finally our offense gets it going.
There's a 36 yard TD pass to Emory Blake!

Auburn 7 Alabama 24

Alabama drives right down the field to the Auburn 9 when Fairly rips McElroy, who fumbles and Auburn recovers at the 13.
After one first down, we punt on the last play of the half.
It could be worse. At least we got that huge turnover at the end to avoid making the deficit worse.
Auburn 7 Alabama 24

THIRD QUARTER

Auburn receives and it takes less than a minute for the Tigers to score.
There's a 70 yard TD pass to Zachary!

Auburn 14 Alabama 24

Will our defense respond now?
AU kicks off with 14:04 left in the third.
The kickoff goes out of bounds at the 3.
Alabama gets to start on their 40.
Not good.
There's a running play for 5.
Come on defense!
Incomplete pass.
Complete pass just short of the first down by a half-yard.
McElroy sneaks and just makes it.
Come on defense!
Ingram for a short gain.
3rd and 10 at midfield with 11 minutes to go in the third.
Pass deflected by T-Sharvan Bell!
Our defense holds. Alabama punts.
Carr fair catches at the 18.
Whew!

After one first down Auburn has to punt.
Alabama will start at their 24 with 9:05 to go in the third.
Our defense has to stay strong. Our offense can win this game if our D holds.
Come on defense!
McElroy is sacked. Goggans gets him.
Julio picks up 5 on a short pass.
3rd and 6 from the 28.
Incomplete pass but there's a flag. Against Alabama.
3 and out again and Bama has to punt again.
Auburn starts on their 25.
Plenty of time left but our offense has to get going again.

The Tigers drive for the touchdown mixing pass & run but mainly running.
Cam jams it in from the one.
We have a ballgame!

Auburn 21 Alabama 24

Auburn has scored 21 points in a row with a little more than 4 minutes left in the third.

The kickoff goes into the end zone.
Auburn holds the Tide to another 3 and out but Carr fumbles the punt!
We hold them to a FG as the third quarter winds down.

Auburn 21 Alabama 27

Auburn starts at their 32.
From 24 to zip Auburn has cut the lead to 6 as the third quarter comes to a close.
Newton runs for 4.
There's a first down pass to the AU 46.
Short gain for Dyer as the third quarter concludes with AU near midfield.
Auburn 21 Alabama 27

FOURTH QUARTER

(At this point I lost control of this post. Suffice it to say Auburn gets the winning TD with about 11:53 left in the game and wins 28 to 27. On a third and 4 from the UAT 7 Cam rolls right and throws back left to a wide-open Lutzenkirchen for the score. Late in the game, T'Sharvan rips McElroy to the ground and out of the game. This is one of the all-time great wins on this series)

The Alabama Game

We are a day away from the big one. Each game in this historic series has its own story line. This one is as big for Auburn as it's ever been. The Tigers are 11 & 0. We win this one and beat USC in the title game and Auburn is playing for the mythical national championship.

The Tigers are a 4 point underdog in Tuscaloosa. That's OK. I like it that way. Most people are probably picking UAT. That's OK too.

The favored team usually wins this game. There have been few upsets. The 4 point line is not big enough to worry about in this context.

I can see Auburn winning. We've come this far against the toughest schedule that any other contender for the NC has faced. We've come from behind all year. We were down 17 to Clemson and 14 to Georgia. We have the best player in college football. Our defense is porous but comes on strong in the second half. Our best chance is to able to throw the ball early when they bunch the line to set up the run later.

I can see UAT winning. UAT has underperformed this year. Their offense, considered unstoppable at the beginning, has been stoppable. Their vaunted running game is not what it was supposed to be. Their so-called young defense has improved as the year has gone on, but is certainly vulnerable to the pass. Their best chance, it seems to me, is to torch Auburn with the pass, and they could do that.

As always, we'll see what happens.

The Game

Here is an excerpt from the book The Uncivil War, by Will Collier and Scott Brown. It addresses that moment of anticipation right before the Auburn-Alabama game, when you are in a frenzy just before the start of the greatest rivaly in sports.

My favorite part of every Game, every year, has always been the playing of the National Anthem just before the battle begins. Stop and picture the scene for a moment. The stadium is always packed to capacity and beyond. The fans have been shouting at the players warming up for about two hours, and at each other for days, weeks, months. And then, for a brief moment, all fall silent as the band on the field plays a familiar tune. You can hear the wind as it wraps around the bowl of an arena where a moment earlier, you would have been lucky to hear yourself screaming. You can even hear the sound of the American flag whipping in that wind as it is raised above the throng. You look out at the vast gathering standing in expectant silence, and you realize that it is not hate at all that has brought them to this place, to this cathedral of grass and concrete and steel. You realize that this game, this experience, is a reaffirmation of what we really are. It is a statement of family, of state, of country, and yes, of religion. You take a deep breath of the cool Southern wind, and in that magical pause, you see all the things that bring us together, and you look far beyond the things that tear us apart.


And then, of course, the song ends, and you roar out your school's battle cry at the top of your lungs, and the war is on for another Game and another year. But you are always left with that warm stillness, filled with giddy anticipation, and whether you win or lose, that feeling will always be with you, until you come back the next year and experience it again. That's what draws us back, year after year, that's what keeps us thinking about this larger than life THING that happens once every twelve months.

Game Week

It's game week and I'm trying not to think about it too much. Friday will come when it comes.

The NCAA is silent, but we've been led to believe by Phillip Marshall that Cam will be eligible. Auburn is not under investigation. The only issue is Cam's eligibility. Cam Newton will play.

Alabama is favored by 4. I like that. I hope everyone picks UAT to win. I hope no one (like the ESPN talking heads) gives us a chance. I like it this way.

So Far (2)

Football ScheduleRecord: 11-0
Date Opponent Result
Sept. 4 Arkansas State W 52-26
Sept. 9 at Mississippi State W 17-14
Sept. 18 Clemson W 27-24 OT
Sept. 25 South Carolina W 35-27
Oct. 2 Louisiana-Monroe W 52-3
Oct. 9 at Kentucky W 37-34
Oct. 16 Arkansas W 65-43
Oct. 23 LSU W 24-17
Oct. 30 at Ole Miss W 51-31
Nov. 6 Chattanooga W 62-24
Nov. 13 Georgia W 49-31
Nov. 26 at Alabama 2:30 p.m.

Georgia Boxscore

Scoring Summary
First Quarter UGa Auburn
Auburn TD 12:36 Cam Newton 31 yd run (Wes Byrum kick) 0 7
UGa TD 8:21 A.J. Green 31 yd pass from Aaron Murray (Blair Walsh kick) 7 7
UGa TD 6:20 Shaun Chapas 9 yd pass from Aaron Murray (Blair Walsh kick) 14 7
UGa TD 1:00 A.J. Green 40 yd pass from Aaron Murray (Blair Walsh kick) 21 7

Second Quarter UGa Auburn
Auburn TD 12:26 Onterio McCalebb 4 yd run (Wes Byrum kick) 21 14
Auburn TD 0:51 Philip Lutzenkirchen 18 yd pass from Cam Newton (Wes Byrum kick) 21 21
Third Quarter UGa Auburn
Auburn TD 10:48 Onterio McCalebb 2 yd run (Wes Byrum kick) 21 28
UGa TD 7:54 Washaun Ealey 7 yd run (Blair Walsh kick) 28 28
Auburn TD 5:04 Onterio McCalebb 4 yd run (Wes Byrum kick) 28 35
UGa FG 0:00 Blair Walsh 28 yd FG 31 35

Fourth Quarter UGa Auburn
Auburn TD 8:05 Philip Lutzenkirchen 13 yd pass from Cam Newton (Wes Byrum kick) 31 42
Auburn TD 2:45 Cam Newton 1 yd run (Wes Byrum kick) 31 49

The South's Oldest Rivalry

Finally it's time for football! After all of the distractions of the week, let's play football. Has there ever been a bigger game at Jordan-Hare? The '89 Alabama game is the only one that might rival this one.

FIRST QUARTER

For some reason Georgia defers. The Tigers start on the 20 and take it the distance. Cam Newton runs it in from 31 yards out! Auburn strikes quickly on its first possession.

Auburn 7 Georgia 0

After the kickoff, the Bulldogs start on their 27.
The Dogs begin a march.
We're getting some pressure on their QB but they are still moving the football.
From the AU 31 on a 4th and 1 Georgia gets the TD pass to their good receiver Green.
That's an impressive drive for Georgia. Our defense makes some plays, but we continue to give up big plays. This is the same Auburn defense we've seen all year. We're going to have to outscore Georgia. We simply as we've seen all year do not have a stout and consistent defense.

Auburn 7 Georgia 7

Auburn starts on the 28.
We get a long run from McCalebb but it's called back for holding.
Then we get another major distance penalty.
AU is back at the 14 with 3rd and long.
Then a pass goes thru Blake's hands and Georgia intercepts. Should have had it.
Georgia is on our 9.
First play a receiver is wide-open in the end zone.
A lack of focus Stan White says. Our linebackers leave a receiver wide-open

Auburn 7 Georgia 14

Three pesonal foul penalities have been called on Auburn veterans.
Will Auburn rally?
We have to settle down. We've been down before this season.
McCalebb runs for 5.
Cam loses maybe a half yard.
3rd and 5.
Cam scrambles for 14.
AU on their 44.
Fanin is open but drops a potential TD pass.
McCalebb loses 1 yard.
A short to Fanin to midfield.
AU has to punt.
Auburn has 4 people at the 1 but no one can catch the ball.
Georgia starts at their 20. Our defense has to make a stop.
Georgia is moving the ball again.
We get some pressure on their QB but not enough.
Down the field the Bulldogs go.
Georgia is having their way with our defense.
There's a long TD pass to Green---41 yards.
Our defense looks helpless.

Auburn 7 Georgia 21

We've got to get it going. This could get out of hand.
After an initial TD drive, Auburn has gone to sleep.
It's time for our offense to get back into the game.
AU starts at our 37 after a penalty against Georgia.
The quarter ends as we face a third down.

SECOND QUARTER

It seems that there is a lack of focus by the Tigers.
Our defense looks lost and our offense has absolutely no rhythm.
3rd and 8 from our 40.
A pass interference gives us a first down.
AU is at the Georgia 49.
Cam is stuffed at the line of scrimmage.
Cam runs up the middle for 10 leading to a 3rd and 1.
Cam runs to the Georgia 35 for the first down with 13:47 to go.
McCalebb picks up 5 on a misdirection sweep.
Cam to Blake to the 4. Quentin Riggins says that against a 3-4 defense the slot receiver will be open. Blake dropped the first one but caught that one!
McCalebb sweeps left for the touchdown!

Auburn 14 Georgia 21

Our defense has not stopped Georgia yet. What will happen this time?
The Bulldodgs start at their 32
Caleb King picks up 5.
Five yards on first down.
No gain on a wildcat formation.
Auburn holds as Murray scrambles and barely gets the ball back to the line of scrimmage. The defense gets a stop.
Georgia punts from their 37.
the Tigers start from their 13 with 10:43 to go in the half.

A pass to Zachary nets 7.
A pass to Adams for 11.
Cam runs for 4.
Cams runs for another 4.
3rd and 2 at the 39.
Cam is sacked back at the 29. Loss of 10 on 3rd and 2. Strange play.
Fair catch at the Georgia 35.
That was a good possession until the 3rd and 2 with Cam rolling out and getting sacked for a 10 yard loss.

Georgia is on their 35.
9 yards on first down.
Come on defense!
A chop block moves the Dogs back 15 yards.
2nd and 16 on the Dog 29.
A pass to Green gets 15 and it's 3rd and 1.
We give up another big play.
Murray runs for the first down to midfield.
Our defense needs to get a turnover.
Incomplete pass.
Good coverage there.
2nd and 10 with 5;15 to go.
3rd and 10 from the 50.
3rd and 15 after a procedure penalty.
Incomplete pass on a screen pass and our defense holds again at the Bulldog 45.
Auburn starts at the 27. That was a short punt by their good punter.

Let's see what Auburn can do with 3:51 to go in the half.
A pass to Adams for 8.
Dyer is stuffed for a gain of only 1.
Cam dances up to the 40 for the first down.
A long pass to Blake for 25 yards to the Bulldog 35.
A reverse to Kodi but he cannot find an open receiver.
2nd and 10.
A short pass to Fanin.
3rd and 8.
1:14 to go 3rd and 8 on the Bulldog 33.
Timeout Georgia.
Cam runs to the 20 for the first down.
Fanin for 2 to the 18.
Timeout Auburn with 56 seconds left.
This is a big drive for Auburn.
We have two timeouts left so we can still run the ball.
Cam to Phillip Lutzenkirchen for the touchdown!
Wow! Great play call. Great pass from Cam Newton.
That was a bigtime drive. That was a clutch drive in the waning seconds of the first half.

Auburn 21 Georgia 21

There's still time for Georgia. We need to hold here. There are 51 seconds left.
Georgia starts at their 20.
The Dogs choose to let the clock run out and we are tied at halftime.

Auburn comes back from a 21 to 7 deficit to tie this thing 21-21 at the half.

THIRD QUARTER

Auburn STUNS Georgia with the recovered onside kick beautifully executed. Byrum kicks the ball softly, follows the ball ten yards and picks it out of the air. The Bulldogs had no clue.
Zachard goes 30 yards on a reverse.
Auburn goes to 3rd and 2 at the 8.
Cam powers down to the 5.
Cam powers down to the 2.
There is some bigtime hitting going on out there.
A handoff to McCalebb and he's in going around left end.
How about that! Cam has been running up the middle but this time he hands off to McCalebb. After the onside kick to start the half, Auburn is back in the lead.

Auburn 28 Georgia 21

Georgia answers as we blow a 3rd and 16 as T'Sharvan Bell is position to make the interception but he lets the Georgia player catch it. He's in front of the receiver but doesn't make the intercpetion he should have made. There's a pass to Green and Georgia runs it in from the 7 right thru our defensive front. We are tied again. Our defensive backs have been weak all lyear

Auburn 28 Georgia 28

Auburn starts at the 19. Georgia has high kickoffs which allows them to get good coverage.
On a reverse McCalebb goes for 48 yards!
Dyer runs for 8 to the Bulldog 28.
Dyer to the 14.
Dyer to the 10.
From a first down at the 3 McCalebb sweeps right for the score!
Our offense is amazing. If only our defense could bow up.

Auburn 35 Georgia 28

So here we are with 5:04 to go in the third quarter and Auburn quickly answers Georgia to take the lead back. If only our defense could get a couple of stops. They are certainly not tired.

Michael Dyer breaks Bo's rushing record for a freshman. Bo is on the sidelines to congratulate him.

A great kickoff and Georgia is pinned on their 8.
But the Dogs march right down the field.
On the last play of the 3rd quarter we hold them to a short FG.
Our defense plays like it has all year. An occasional good play is offset by many breakdowns and missed tackles.
If we can't pressure their QB we are totally vulnerable to their passing.

Auburn 35 Georgia 31

FOURTH QUARTER

Georgia kicks off to start the final stanza. It's anybody's game. Our offense needs to score on every possession because our defense will need a miracle to stop Georgia even once.

But not to worry. The 4th quarter belongs to Auburn.

The Tigers mount a long drive. With 8:05 left Cam hits Phillip Lutzenkirchen for a 13 yard strike and the Tigers extend their lead.

Auburn 42 Georgia 31

The game is iced with 2:45 left as Cam goes airbound from the 1. Up and over!

Auburn 49 Georgia 31

The Bulldogs flail like a fish out of water at the end. Auburn wins the biggest game at Jordan-Hare since 1989.

THE TIGERS WIN THE WEST!

Cam does his thing around the stadium. The week's distractions do not distract him today! You have to admire this great player and this great team for handling the pressure of the week.

Now we wait for Tuscaloosa a week from Friday, tne SEC Championship game and the bowl game. Where will we go bowling? We have a chance for the big one in Arizona. Auburn is close to the mountaintop.

THE TIGERS WIN THE WEST! Regardless of what happens from now on, this has been one MEMORABLE football season.

The Georgia Game

I cannot remember in my over 40 years of watching Auburn football a game like this one coming up today. That's because there's never been a situation like we face today. Auburn is 10 and 0. A win puts in the SEC championship game. The controversy swirling around Cam Newton and father over the last 10 days is unique.

A report overnight now comes that Cecil Newton admits he did indeed talk to MSU about money for his son signing at State, but alledgedly no money changed hands, the son & wife knew nothing about it, and Auburn is not implicated. Who knows.

The intriguing thing is that nobody knows for sure if Cam Newton will play today. We've been led to believe by Auburn that he will play. But until the game actually starts, who knows for sure.

The Cam Situation

I've learned to let this story play out. There is no use in following every news story or listening to what every person has to say. There is nothing to implicate Auburn so far. Auburn seems secure in saying that Newton is eligible to play. Our compliance person is supposed to be the best. You can hear so many varied opinions as to where this is headed. It's foolish to speculate.

Anticipation

We haven't had such anticipation since 2004. The season is right in front of the Auburn Tigers. Win out and we win it all. Georgia will be tough no doubt. No need for style points; just win!

The Chattanooga Game

Historically the Auburn homecoming game is a sleeper. We play a team we are supposed to beat and we beat them though typically looking sloppy and the game is not memorable. But after the Cam Newton thing started Thursday, this one will be different. Everyone will looking to see the attitude of this team and of our QB. We will listen on the radio as in the old days as this will be the only Auburn game that will not be on free TV

It's a cold day & windy at Jordan-Hare. Kickoff is at noon. As our announcers say, it's good to play a game after the nonsense of the last two days.

UTC wins the toss and for some reason decides to defer. The Tigers start on their 39and it only takes 2 passing plays and 30 seconds to score. The TD comes with Newton passing to Adams. Auburn is up quickly 7 to 0.

UTC comes out quick passing as we expected. The Tigers yield a couple of first downs before the Mocs punt from their 46. The punt comes off of Carr's chest but he falls on the ball at the Tiger 26.

(As we listen to the game unfortunately we have to watch Florida roll over Vanderbilt)

The Tigers move quickly again throwing on almost every down. Newton hits Blake in the end zone for the 20-yd. TD pass. With 9:33 to go Auburn leads 14 to 0. Newton makes a great throw, throwing to a spot before Blake came open.

UTC goes 3 and out and punts from their 33.

Carr catches this punt and after a 10-yd. return AU is at the 37.

On a 3rd and 10 Newton scrambles for a first down--his first carry of the game. On a third and 4 Newton runs the QB draw to the Moc 38. On another 3rd down Newton runs to the 20. New play there's a pass to Burns to the 1 yard line. Newton walks into the end zone on the next play. With 4;51 in the first it's Auburn 21 UTC 0.

UTC goes 3 and out again and Auburn starts around midfield. The TD pass goes 39 yards to Darvin Adams into the wind. Great throw! Auburn 27 UTC 0 still in the first quarter as Byrum misses his first point after of the year.

The first quarter ends with the Tigers up 27 to 0.

Early in the second, Cam Newton hits Terrell Zachary 3 yards beyond the line of scrimmage and Tzac takes it 80 yards for the touchdown. Auburn 34 UTC 0. Has it ever been easier so far?

Newton has already passed for 76 yards.

Then Auburn gives up a TD on the kickoff return. After such good kickoff coverage this year, Auburn has a breakdown here. Auburn 34 UTC 7. Our coverage got out of its lanes Stan White says. Officially it's a 98 yard kickoff return.

Auburn starts on the UTC 49. On the first play McCalebb takes it the distance with blazing speeds like he's shot out of a cannon. Auburn 41 UTC 7.

There is still over 13 minutes to go in the half. Auburn is averaging 4 plays per drive per touchdown.

UTC punts from midfield. Adams returns 11 yards to the AU 22. Mike Dyer runs the wrap around draw to the UTC 47. Newton is sacked and AU goes to 3rd and long after a penalty that should have called against Carr is not called. Newton runs to the UTC 43. Auburn will for it on 4th and about 5. The Tigers get the first down on a proper interference call against Adams. First down at the 33. Newton is dropped for a loss. The Mocs are getting pressure on our QB all of a sudden. Another 9 yard loss. Dyer runs to the 36 but quickly it's 3rd and 13. Newton is sacked again! This is highly unusual. This drive will end with Auburn's first punt. How are they getting pressure all of a sudden?

Stephen Clark makes a terrible 19 yard punt with the wind at his back. Our punting all year has been awful. With a little over 6 minutes left AU continues to lead 41 to 7. We sure got sloppy on that last possession.

With 1:26 to go in the half, the Mocs face 4th and 6 from the Auburn 23. The Tigers have substituting liberally already. The Mocs get TD pass into the end zone to their tight end over Jake Holland. Good throw and catch. Auburn 41 UTC 14 with 1:19to go in the half. Quentin Riggins says it's a good learning experience for Holland in that he has to get deep quicker covering his man.

Auburn starts from the 32. There's a holding penalty on Auburn against Ryan Pugh. Our offense continues to be sloppy and complacent here at the end of the half. A pass to Zachary for 17 yards. A complete pass to Burns and a first down at the 46. Auburn goes to the UTC 37 with 18 seconds to go. Then Mike Dyer takes it to the house! Dyer explodes for the touchdown. Auburn 48 UTC 14. Auburn has 484 yards of total offense in just one half. That's your halftime score.

Auburn 48 UTC 14 at the half.

The Tigers roll in the second half winning 62 to 24. The only disappointing thing is that UTC takes the second half kickoff and marches for a touchdown. No starters play in the second half. Mario Fanin gets two rushing touchdowns. I think the Tigers have something like 625 yards of total offense.

This game goes as expected with Auburn rolling up big yardage and points and giving up some points. Seven of those points come on a kickoff return.

Now comes Amen Corner. It starts next week at 2:30 against Georgia for AU's 11th consecutive game.

AUBURN 62 UTC 24

Newton a Victim

Newton A "Victim," Sources Say



Cameron Newton By Mark Murphy
Inside the Auburn Tigers
Posted Nov 5, 2010


Sources tell Inside the Auburn Tigers that Auburn University has no evidence of any wrongdoing by Cam Newton or anybody associated with Auburn.

Auburn, Ala.--Sources very close to the Auburn University Athletic Department have told Inside the Auburn Tigers that Auburn has “no evidence whatsoever” of any wrongdoing by any member of the athletic department or by Cameron Newton in the wake of media reports on Thursday that an investigation is being conducted into Newton’s recruitment by Mississippi State.
According to reports, agent Kenny Rogers, a former football player at Mississippi State, is being investigated for trying to solicit money from Mississippi State in exchange for having Newton sign with the Bulldogs out of Blinn Junior College in Texas. Cecil Newton, the quarterback’s father, denied that was the case or that there were any improprieties in the recruiting of his son who committed to Auburn last New Year’s Eve, choosing the Tigers over Mississippi State and Oklahoma.

“There is no evidence whatsoever of any contact between Mr. Rogers and anyone on the staff at Auburn University or anyone associated with Auburn University,” the source said, noting that Auburn looked into the matter over the summer before the start of the season and found no issues with Newton.

“There have also been no NCAA allegations made against Auburn University or anybody on the Auburn staff regarding the recruitment of Cam Newton,” the source said.

“This is a really sad and disgusting situation,” the source added. “Cameron Newton and his family have become the victim of a rogue agent with a questionable past and of other people who are out to hurt Cam Newton and his family.”

Auburn officials have had little to say about the matter for the record other than Coach Gene Chizik’s comment that Newton remains eligible to play football at Auburn. On Friday, Auburn athletic director Jay Jacobs said that if there was any gray area concerning any athlete's eligibility or compliance with NCAA rules, including Newton, that athlete would not be allowed to compete for Auburn. Jacobs then noted that Newton will continue to play for the Tigers.

“Concentrate on that comment about Cam Newton being eligible to play at Auburn,” the source said regarding Chizik's public statement. “That comment is short, but it says a lot. Auburn’s NCAA compliance director (Rich McGlynn) has a reputation for being extremely competent and tough in his position. He believes strongly in following NCAA rules to the letter. If there was any doubt whatsoever about Cam Newton’s status you can be assured that he would have not been on the football field playing for the Tigers this year.”

Commenting on why Auburn is not publicly defending the quarterback and speaking out on the matter, the source said, “In a situation like this the NCAA rules do not allow the university to comment. It is unfortunate that is the case now because members of the Auburn staff believe that Cam did nothing wrong and he is a terrific young man

The Cam Newton Story

Phillip Marshall's story "Long on Inuendo" is great. Assuming there is nothing to this story except the timing, it's a set-up by somebody. Alabama's Red Elephant Club, Urban Meyer, who knows, but it's an awful travesty perpetrated a fine young man and his family. All it takes is a story like this to tarnish Cam Newton and Auburn. It's quite amazing.

So Far this Season

So far in this magical football season the Tigers are undefeated now at 9 & 0. We had the distinct pleasure of seeing the Ole Miss demolition. It seemed that the Tigers could score almost at will. We fumbled once and punted only once. Otherwise, we scored on every possession.

The defense is what it is. We've given up a lot of points, which certain national pundits never cease to remind us of, but the defense has its moments. It's just that we still give up too many big plays like that long Ole Miss had on their second play from scrimmage. I guess you can say our defense is inconsistent. On the other hand, our kickoff coverage and return game is magnificient as witnessed by Demond Washington's dash for the endzone Saturday night. We have yet to get consistent punting, and Quindarius Carr can't seem to ever get a punt return although at least he hasn't fumbled lately.

We drop to 2nd in the BCS standings. I don't think that matters because it won't matter unless we keep winning.

On we go to a win against Chattanooga and then Amen Corner with Georgia coming into Jordan-Hare. It will be interesting to say the least to see how this season ends up.

Football ScheduleRecord: 9-0 (6-0)
Date Opponent Result
Sept. 4 Arkansas State W 52-26
Sept. 9 at Mississippi State W 17-14
Sept. 18 Clemson W 27-24 OT
Sept. 25 South Carolina W 35-27
Oct. 2 Louisiana-Monroe W 52-3
Oct. 9 at Kentucky W 37-34
Oct. 16 Arkansas W 65-43
Oct. 23 LSU W 24-17
Oct. 30 at Ole Miss W 51-31
Nov. 6 Chattanooga TBA
Nov. 13 Georgia TBA
Nov. 26 at Alabama 2:30 p.m.

So Far

Football ScheduleRecord: 8-0 (5-0)
Date Opponent Result
Sept. 4 Arkansas State W 52-26
Sept. 9 at Mississippi State W 17-14
Sept. 18 Clemson W 27-24 OT
Sept. 25 South Carolina W 35-27
Oct. 2 Louisiana-Monroe W 52-3
Oct. 9 at Kentucky W 37-34
Oct. 16 Arkansas W 65-43
Oct. 23 LSU W 24-17
Oct. 30 at Ole Miss TBA
Nov. 6 Chattanooga TBA
Nov. 13 Georgia TBA
Nov. 26 at Alabama 2:30 p.m.

The Ole Miss Game

Auburn goes to Ole Miss 8 & 0 ranked first in the BCS standings. The coaches backed off contact work this week to keep the team fresh. Ole Miss is supposed to be improving but earlier in the year lost to Vanderbilt and Jacksonville State at home. Our defense continues to be disparaged, yet the defense won the LSU game, limiting LSU to 7 points in the second half. You can say they won the Arkansas game with three turnovers in the second half that turned that game around. Nobody give our defense the least bit of credit. The critics are waiting for us to lose. We'll see what happens in Oxford where the Tigers are favored by 7.

From USA Today

Oct 24, 2010
Auburn takes over No. 1 spot in BCS standings followed by Oregon


Auburn's 24-17 victory Saturday against LSU vaulted the Tigers to the top of the Bowl Championship Series standings Sunday, even though they are third in the USA TODAY Coaches' Poll, behind Oregon and Boise State.

Cam Newton and Michael Dyer celebrate during Auburn's 24-17 victory over LSU on Saturday. The victory propelled the Tigers all the way to No. 1 in the latest BCS standings released Sunday night.
CAPTIONBy John Reed, US PresswireAuburn (8-0) replaced Oklahoma, which suffered its first loss Saturday at Missouri and dropped to 11th in the poll.

"I can only control how we proceed in this building," coach Gene Chizik said a few hours before the standings were released. "We just had a team meeting and we talked about being very grounded and understanding that every week is another new week and another opportunity."

Oregon (7-0), which demolished UCLA 60-13 Thursday night, is second in the BCS for the second consecutive week, despite being ranked first in the coaches' and Harris Interactive polls, which make up two-thirds of the BCS formula.

Boise State (6-0), which did not play Saturday, is again third in the BCS despite being ranked second in both polls. The Broncos are sixth this week in the BCS' computer ratings, which comprise the other one-third of the standings. That's an improvement of one position from last week but wasn't quite enough to move them past Oregon in the overall standings.

The Broncos play Tuesday against visiting Louisiana Tech. Auburn is at Mississippi next Saturday, and Oregon plays at Southern California.

TCU (8-0) moved up to fourth in the standings this week, and Michigan State (8-0) is fifth.

-- Jack Carey

The Polls

In all 3 regular polls, the Tigers are now 3rd, trailing Boise State and Number 1 Oregon. However, tonight we watch on ESPN the unveiling of this week's BCA standings, and Auburn is Number 1.

We know that this is only as good as the next game. We don't keep winning, it won't matter. Oklahoma was Number 1 in the first BCA rankings last week, and they lost to Missouri this week. Fame can be very fleeting.

However the season turns out, I think it's a milestone that this program is, even at this early point, Number 1 in the BCA standings. Who would have thought it when Gene Chizik was hired as the Auburn coach before last season that the program would rise this far so fast. Nobody!

Kirk Herbstreet says Auburn is a one-man show and that we have no defense. I laugh. Sure, without Cam Newton we probably wouldn't be 8 & 0, but that hardly means Auburn is a one-man show. The offensive line is pretty good. We have good receivers who help make Newton look good. Our defense is not a shut-down defense, but it has been strong in the second half of every game and especially strong in the 4th quarter. Herbstreet is oblivious to such gradations of the truth.

One thing's for sure: this has been an unexpectedly interesting season so far. Isn't this always the case with a good Auburn team?

The LSU Game (3)

Here we go again with two 7 & 0 teams at Jordan-Hare with a 2:30 kickoff. LSU has the number #1 defense in the conference. Auburn is first in offense. Most likely LSU will try and jam the box, single cover our receivers, and stop Cam Newton and our running game. LSU likes to run the ball. Let's hope our defense can at slow down their running game. LSU is supposed to be not as good throwing the ball. It's so good see that ocean of orange in our stadium on TV. There's so much talk about Cam Newton. Today will be a big challenge for him with their strong defense. Can Auburn play 4 quarters?

FIRST QUARTER

LSU wins the toss and puts AU on offense first.
Auburn starts on the 36 after a good return by Demond Washington.
The Tigers come up a yard short and have to punt.
After a good punt LSU starts on their 12
LSU mounts an impressive drive with continuous short gains, punching out first downs.
It's not flashy but effective so far mixing runs with short passes.
LSU is first down at the AU 37.
Auburn needs to start winning first down.
On 3rd and 8 Zac Etheridge gets the pick! The defense comes up with the first big play. And as Stan White says, "There are no penalities!"
AU is on their 47 after the big defensive play.
The Tigers drive for the touchdown in impressive fashion. Only one short pass in the drive.
From the 16 Dyer crashes down to the 1.
Newton runs it from there, running OVER an LSU defender at the goal line.

Auburn 7 LSU 0

LSU starts at the 28.
LSU is running the fooball. It's discouraging to see them running ball so well. If we can't stop their run we're in trouble.
Where is our run defense? LSU is not doing anything fancy.
3rd and 13 on the AU 33 and the gain is 2 yards.
LSU makes the 48-yard FG. We hold them to 3 with the long field goal. It turns out to be a win on defense.

Auburn 7 LSU 3

The quarter ends with AU driving again up 7 to 3.

SECOND QUARTER

The drive stalls at the 25 two yards short of the first and Byrum makes the 43-yard FG early in the second quarter.

Auburn 10 LSU 3

LSU starts a drive with Lee now their QB.
After a big sack from around midfield, LSU punts and the ball rolls to the one. Carr doesn't fair catch the ball and it rolls from the 16 to 1. Quindarius Carr makes a big mistake with 8:08 left in the half.
Newton runs to the 6.
Newton runs to the 9.
McCalebb picks up the first down to the 13. Good run.
Newton runs the QB draw to the AU 44.
The drive stalls at the LSU 22 and Byrum misses a 39 FG attempt. Tough.
Seven or three there would have great going into the half.
LSU tries to mount a drive from their 23.
Nick Fairly at least temporarily knocks Lee out of the game.
AU gets a facemask penalty to give LSU the ball at the AU 49.
Jefferson runs to the AU 35.
Fairly is hurt as he sacks Jefferson at the 40.
1:22 left.
LSU has a wide-open receiver but he drops the ball.
Jordan runs for the first down on a third and long. Bad, bad defensive lapse.
LSU threatens for the TD.
We give a third and long----how many times has AU yielded on third and long. We got good pressure but their QB escaped for a long first down run.
Jordan Jefferson runs right from the 2 with 19 seconds left as Bates misses what would have been a half-ending play for the touchdown. Bates does what so many Auburn defenders have done all year: he lunges at the opposing player rather than keeping his feet and making the tackle.
This happened as the play clcok stood at zero, but it's not reviewable. LSU gets lucky.
Stan White says, "How do you miss that?"
LSU will have all of the momentum and will get the ball to start the second half.
The TV clearly shows LSU starting that last play with the play clock at zero.
We go into the half tied. Auburn had their chances. We missed the 39-yd. FG. We let LSU off the hook on that last drive on a 3rd and 17, and Bates missed a tackle he should have made that would have kept LSU out of the end zone.
The thing I do not understand is Auburn's continued poor tackling. Just don't understand it because it seems to me it's a matter of proper coaching.

Auburn 10 LSU 10 at the half

THIRD QUARTER

We hold LSU on their first possession of the half. There's another good LSU punt.
The Tigers start on their 9. A penalty pushes the ball back to the 5. There is a good run by Mike Dyer, and THEN Cam Newton makes an electrifying 49-yd. run to the end zone. What a physical, twisting run for glory! If Cam Newton is not the best college football player in America, I should would like to know who is. That's a 3 play 91 yard drive.

Auburn 17 LSU 10

LSU goes 3 and out. The Tigers start on the 20.
I just the officials don't find a way to give this game to LSU.
3rd and 5 from the 25.
Complete pass to Darvin Adams to the 37.
Another complete pass to Zachary.
Fanin fumbles again and LSU has the ball at their 44.
Wow. Fanin fumbles AGAIN as the Auburn offense is moving the ball. Wow.
That's huge. Our offense is in rhythm and Fanin fumbles. I don't understand why he fumbles and why they give him the ball. It happens over and over again.
The thing too is that he wasn't hit hard.
We can move the ball on this defense. That is clear, but turnovers can negate everything.
Jefferson runs for 16 as our defense loses containment on their QB. It looks too easy. I don't understand how we cannot contain their scrmabling QB.
The Tigers hold at the AU 38.
LSU punts to the AU one yard line. The LSU player catches the ball at the two.
The Tigers are backed up at the two after a great punt.
Auburn punts from their 6. Dyer caught a pass at the 7 and was pushed back into the end zone and the officials place the ball at the one. A totally bizarre call by these officials.
LSU starts from their 47.
So far LSU has exactly one first down in the third quarter.
4 plus minutes left in the third.
LSU goes 3 and out. Our defense holds again.
LSU punts again.
LSU punts again to the Auburn one as LSU saves the ball from going into the end zone.
LSU's best weapon in this second half has been their punter.
3:10 left in the third as AU is on the one.
Newton gains 9 to the 10.
Dyer is stopped and it's 3rd and short.
Newton runs for the first. He's hard to stop without some kind of gain.
Dyer gains 9.
Wow! Dyer pushes and pushes and gains 10 when it should have been a 2-yd. gain.
The third quarter ends with our Tigers up 17 to 10.

FOURTH QUARTER

The final stanza starts with AU leading 17 to 10 with 2nd 7 from our 37.
But Auburn has to punt from the 35.
We had a 3rd and 2 and Newton goes does well not to lose a bunch. I don't understand that play. We try to catch LSU sleeping rather than pound for 2 yards. I don't understand it. Strange call to say the least.
We have a poor punt and LSU has good field position.
Auburn stops Auburn. LSU has not stopped us.
LSU has much better special teams play than us. This is the only phase of the game where they have beaten us.
13:29 left and LSU starts at midfield.
LSU runs to the AU 39.
LSU gets a 39-yd TD pass on a halfback pass.
LSU scores on some trickeration.

Auburn 17 LSU 17

Well, I suppose this is what we expected.
The last AU possession baffles me. 3rd and 2 and we try to throw?
Just when you think AU is in command, something happens.
Now our offense HAS to score again.
The Tigers start on the 20.
Dyer runs to the 27.
Newton to the 29.
Newton to the 33 for the first down.
10:55 to go with a TO.
Newton to the LSU 44.
Dyer for 1.
Newton is a yard short of the first down.
AU is called for holding---what a costly penalty on 3rd and short for the first down. Unbelievable.
Big call there.
Fanin to the 39.
4th & 6 and Auburn is going for it!
Incomplete pass. The ball goes over to LSU.
Adams was open but the pass was not good.
LSU is at their own 40.
They've only scored in this half on a trick play.
THIS IS A CRITICAL POINT IN THE GAME.
A holding call on a 3rd and 2 run for a first down stopped this drive. The officials stopped us again.
How many times have we had critical, critical penalities at crucial times.
LSU at their 40 with 7:51 left.
A big surge drops the LSU runner for a 3-yd. loss.
A complete pass and we've got 3rd and 6.
Fairly drops the LSU QB for a big loss.
Nick Fairly is a beast!
LSU punts!
Carr lets the ball go again and the ball rolls dead at the Auburn 10.
If LSU wins this game, they will have won it with their kicking game.
Newton runs to the 26.
Dyer runs to the 30 with 5:30 to go.
THEN MCCALLEBB TAKES IT TO THE HOUSE. 70 YARDS ON THE SPEED SWEEP WITH 5:05 TO GO.
The Tigers go 90 yards in 3 plays. McCalebb, McCalebb, McCalebb!

Auburn 24 LSU 17

Auburn answers LSU again. Auburn has over 500 yards total offense so far against the NUMBER ONE defense in the SEC.
Now it's up the defense to make one more stop.
LSU starts on the 25.
There a 4 yard completion.
No gain on a rush. Blue jersies everywhere.
Incomplete pass!
4th and 6 from their 30 and they go for it.
LSU looks terrible on the 4th down play and AU stuffs the QB on a short gain and the Tigers hold!!!
Newton for an 8 yard gain.
First down by Newton!
Newton to the 17 as the clock winds down to 2:07 and LSU's last timeout. Newton almost breaks it.
Newton to the 7 for the first down.
That's your game. This first down ices it.
The game ends with AU taking a knee at the LSU 3. Newton takes that knee and that does it.

Now there is only ONE undfeated team in the SEC. It's the Auburn Tigers.
LSU has exactly 115 yards rushing.
523 to 243 is the total yard difference.
The Tigers have 440 yards rushing to a team that was giving up only 83 per game.

All we heard this week was talk about the LSU defense. No more!

The LSU Game (2)

Some things I'm thinking about:

1) The people who think LSU will win this game seem to think that LSU will line up to stop the run and force Newton to throw and they think Auburn can't win with Cam Newton forced to throw the ball. My recollection is that Clemson did this and Newton was able to throw the ball effectively in the second half. Also, Newton IS leading the SEC in passing efficiency. And in addition, Newton's scrambling ability to make things happen can still be effective.

2) There's Les Miles's supposed luck. Maybe he is lucky, but I don't put much credence in this kind of thinking.

3)There is the factor of the weird and unexpected things that seem to happen in this series and the wild finishes. I do think there's something to this for I do always take history into account. If something weird happens, who knows what will happen.

4) I wish we had more going in the running game other than Newton. I wish our defense were more predictable. I wish we could play 4 quarter.

5) The game IS at Jordan-Hare. No one picking LSU seems to take this fact into consideration.

A Different Kind of Rivalry

AuburnUndercover »

PremiumPhillip Marshall, Senior Editor

Auburn and LSU did not meet regularly until the Southeastern Conference split into divisions in 1992. But since then, the rivalry has become one of the more intense and unusual in the league.


Courtney Taylor catches pass that sinks LSU in 2004/Todd Van EmstIt started even earlier, with a 7-6 LSU victory in 1988 at Tiger Stadium that eventually cost Auburn a chance to play for the national championship. It’s been dubbed the “earthquake game” because the noise celebrating the winning touchdown registered on the campus seismograph.

From Jason Campbell’s touchdown pass to Courtney Taylor in Auburn’s 10-9 victory in 2004 to LSU’s winning touchdown pass with one second left in 2007 to the Sports Arena burning game was played in 1996, to Auburn returning three interceptions for touchdowns in the fourth quarter in 1996, the series has been filled with the unusual and the bizarre.

Twenty games of Auburn-LSU:

2009, Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge: LSU dominates on both sides of the ball, hands Auburn its third consecutive loss, 31-10.

2008, Jordan-Hare Stadium, Auburn: After Chris Todd gives Auburn a 21-20 lead on a 16-yard touchdown pass to Robert Dunn, LSU quarterback Jarrett Lee completes an 18-yard pass to Brandon LaFell with 1:03 left for the winning touchdown. Lee, who had an interception returned for a touchdown by Gabe McKenzie in the second quarter, returns to the game only after starting quarterback Andrew Hatch was knocked out.

2007, Tiger Stadium: In what would become typical Les Miles fashion, he almost blows the game in the final seconds, but LSU wins when quarterback Mike Flynn completes a 22-yard touchdown pass to Demetrius Byrd with a single second left on the clock and LSU wins 30-24.

2006, Jordan-Hare Stadium: Quarterback Brandon Cox scores the game’s only touchdown on a 1-yard sneak in the third quarter as Auburn wins 7-3 in one of the more brutal games ever played at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

2005, Tiger Stadium: In swirling wind, John Vaughn misses five field goal attempts, including one to win the game and one to force a second overtime. LSU wins 20-17.

2004, Jordan-Hare Stadium: Jason Campbell hits Courtney Taylor for 16 yards on fourth down and for 12 yards and the winning touchdown as Auburn wins 10-9 on its march to a perfect season.

2003, Tiger Stadium: LSU takes a 21-0 lead in the first quarter and matches Auburn’s 31-7 victory from the previous season.

2002, Jordan-Hare Stadium: Auburn abuses the nation’s No. 1 defense and romps to a 31-7 victory.

2001, Tiger Stadium: With the West Division title at stake, Auburn is penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct on the opening kickoff for jumping on the LSU emblem, kicker Damon Duval gets in a shoving match with a band member at halftime and LSU wins 27-14.

2000, Jordan-Hare Stadium: Tim Carter returns a kickoff 100 yards and Auburn beats Nick Saban’s first LSU team 34-17.

1999, Tiger Stadium:Tommy Tuberville’s first Auburn team crushes LSU 41-7. Players smoke cigars after the game, some of them on the field, infuriating LSU fans.

1998, Jordan-Hare Stadium: Ben Leard has a career-best day throwing the ball, but LSU wins 31-19 as what would be Terry Bowden’s final season comes unraveled.

1997, Tiger Stadium: Cecil “The Diesel” Collins runs wild, but Dameyune Craig leads a late 80-yard drive and Auburn wins 31-28.

1996, Jordan-Hare Stadium: As the iconic Sports Arena burns to the ground, flames leaping above the stands, LSU wins 20-16.

1995, Tiger Stadium: LSU gets a safety when quarterback Pat Nix stops playing after a whistle is blown in the stands and LSU stymies Auburn’s high-powered offense to win 12-6.

1994, Jordan-Hare Stadium: In one of the more remarkable games ever played at Jordan-Hare Stadium, Auburn intercepts five Jamie Howard passes in the fourth quarter, returning three for touchdowns, and wins 30-26 for its 14th consecutive victory.

1993, Tiger Stadium: Terry Bowden’s first Auburn team signals it will be force to be reckoned with, romping to a 34-10 victory.

1992, Jordan-Hare Stadium: Auburn blows a 27-7 lead, then wins 30-28 on a late field goal.

1989, Jordan-Hare Stadium: Greg Taylor’s fourth-quarter punt return sets up Auburn’s only touchdown in a 10-6 victory.

1988, Tiger Stadium: Auburn’s defense dominates the game until Tommy Hodson leads a late touchdown drive, hitting the game-winner to Eddie Fuller on fourth down, for a 7-6 LSU victory.

The LSU Game

The talk is about Auburn's league leading offense against LSU's league leading defense. Our offense is averaging about twice as much yardage as their defense is giving up. Some people think LSU will pack the box to stop the run and make Cam Newton win the game passing. Maybe so. But Cam can throw the ball, and we have receivers like Darvin Adams (whom most commentators seem to have never heard of), Emory Blake, and Terrell Zachary. Plus, CN can still scramble against a stacked defensive front.

One thing is that the Auburn-LSU game is known for close games and interesting things happening. Who can forget the fire in 1996?

We take them one game at a time and see what happens. At least so far it's been a nice ride. Who would have thought we would be 7 & 0 anyway?

After Arkansas

With 14:09 left in the football game, Auburn trailed Arkansas 43 to 37. Arkansas had all of the momentum; Arkansas had the game in hand. The rest of that last quarter is the stuff of legend. The Auburn defense, maligned all game and indeed maligned all year, rose to the occasion like something out of fiction. A fumble returned for a TD and 2 interceptions that led to touchdowns and the Tigers beat Arkansas 65 to 43. Today the whole country should be marveling at Cam Newton. If he isn't the best college football player in the country then I sure would like to know who is.

The Arkansas Game

Here we go again.
Auburn vs. Arkansas at Jordan-Hare.
Auburn is 6 & 0 and Arkansas is 5 & 1.
Auburn is ranked 8th and Arkansas is ranked 12th.
2:30 kickoff on CBS.
There is a lot riding on this game for the Tigers.
There is talk of an offensive shootout.
There is talk of Cam Newton vs. Ryan Mallett: two very good quarterbacks.

FIRST QUARTER
Arkansas receives and we hold them to one first down but the Hogs score first on their next possession after Auburn is denied a first down on a phantom holding call.
Arkansas 7 Auburn 0
After a good kickoff return, the Tigers respond with a smash-mouth drive, Newton bowling over a Razorback defender running the ball in from the 5. I love this smash-mouth football.
Auburn 7 Arkansas 7
The Tigers hold Arkansas to a 3 and out with great open field tackling. So far this is the best Auburn has tackled all year.
The Tigers start backed up but march down the field.
The quarter winds down with Auburn driving after a holding penalty. It's amazing how many penalities Auburn gets called for. We get called for penalities at crucial times. We've already had two holding penalities.
The Tigers will have 3rd down and 16 from the Arkansas 26 as the quarter ends.

Auburn 7 Arkansas 7

SECOND QUARTER
Newton overthrows an open Blake in the end zone.
Wes Byrum makes a 43-yd. FG!
Auburn 10 Arkansas 7
We'll take it.
Arkansas starts a drive.
The Hogs convert a 3rd and 9 on a toss sweep to the AU 23.
A pass takes the possession to the Auburn 7.
To the 2 on another run.
No gain.
3rd and goal from the 2.
Another bad call gives Arkansas a gift TD.
Interference call on Demond Washington that should not have been called. He barely touched the receiver, and the ball was uncatchable anyway. Ridiculous!
Auburn 10 Arkansas 14
The refs give one to Arkansas. You have to say it.
The Tigers drive right down the field. Newton runs for 40 yards to inside the 5.
Mario Fanin runs it in from inside the 5 but fumbles as he goes into the end zone.
The play is reviewed and the call on the field stands. It looked like a fumble to me. Auburn gets a break I think. Can you believe that!!!
If I were the Auburn coach, Mario Fanin would never touch the ball again ever.
Auburn 17 Arkansas 14
There is about 6:28 left in the second quarter.
Arkansas starts at their 24. It seems that on every play I look for a flag against Auburn.
Another QB is in for Arkansas for some reason. On a trick play, Ark is penalized for a block in the back.
T'Sharvin Ball is down on an incomplete pass.
Auburn forces the punt from the Ark 32.
Mallett is out of the game at this point.
AUBURN BLOCKS THE PUNT!
Auburn is on the Ark 25.
McCalebb runs it in from the 13. Touchdown Auburn!
Newton's runs up the middle opens up the outside for McCalebb.
With 4:03 left in the quarter Auburn extends its lead after the blocked punt.
Auburn 24 Arkansas 14
Arkansas runs the kickoff back to their 34.
The Hogs are still with the backup QB.
Ark moves to the Auburn 47.
On third down Ark complets the pass to an open receiver at the Auburn 30.
Ark runs to the 18.
Ark is penalized for unsportsmanlike.
The ball goes back to the 34.
TD pass over Thorpe. Neiko doesn't get his head around as he receives a little shove from the receiver but it's not a callable penalty. 7 plays. 66 yards. This game will go down to the wire. Auburn gives up a very disappointing drive as the first half winds down. Neiko never turned around. We had their QB on his heels but let him loose. This is the kind of game everyone expected.
New score.
Auburn 24 Arkansas 21
The kickoff goes into the end zone with 1:06 left.
What will Auburn do from the 20 with 1:06 left.
Newton runs to the 29 with 59 seconds left.
Fanin runs to the 34.
Newton to Burns to the Razorback 45.
Newton runs to the AU 18.
Timeout Auburn with one left.
From the 18 a complete pass to a measurement for the first down.
About a foot short for the first down around the 8.
But on the play AU is hit with a personal foul and the ball goes back to the 24. Another costly penality.
The play clock started on the play and we're down to one second to go after an interference call. We took too much time on the last play.
With 1:06 left starting on their 20 Auburn marches to the Ark 9 for a FG attempt.
Wes Byrum nails the FG and we go to halftime with Auburn leading.

Auburn 27 Arkansas 21
At the half it is obvious this game could go either way. Will Mallett return? The backup did well. We seem to be able to score but so does Arkansas. This is the game we all expected. Once again Cam Newton looks like Superman.

THIRD QUARTER
The Tigers get the ball first to start the second half. We can't have a meltdown like we did at Kentucky last week.
Starting from the 20, the Tigers drive for a FG running the football, trying to wear Arkansas down. We have a first down on the 9 but have to settle for the 3.
Auburn 30 Arkansas 21
Ryan Mallett is out of the game with some kind of concussion.
Ark starts from their 13 after good kickoff coverage.
We hold Ark on 3rd and 2 but we get called for ruffing the passer: another costly, costly, penalty against Auburn.
The Arkansas drive continues thanks to that penalty.
We get a team into 3rd and long and get a penalty so many times it seems.
Arkansas moves to another 3rd down---third and 15.
The pass is complete to the Auburn 43 and on 4th and 6 Ark will go for it.
Big play here.
4th and 6 but a complete pass and Ark gets the first down by an inch.
The play is reviewed and stands. We give up a 4th and 6.
It's a game of inches like they say.
There's a TD pass to an open receiver who runs right by Craig Stevens on a wheel route. Oh, boy. 37 yards.
Auburn 30 Arkansas 28
Oh, boy. Oh, boy. Oh, boy.
This is what we expected. Somehow our defense is going to have to get a turnover. Somebody on our defense is going to have to make a play before this game is over.
On the kickoff McCalebb returns 99 yards to the Ark 1.
After a foolish delay penalty, Newton dives into the end zone from the 1.
Wow, wow.
Auburn 37 Arkansas 28
Now it's time for the defense to step up. Now is the time for a turnover or a big defensive play.
On the first play Ark gets a long pass from the 20 to the Auburn 26. Oh, my. We can't stop those guys.
After a 2 yard run, Ark gets the TD pass. That was too easy. Our defense has to do some soul searching. A backup QB is drilling our defense. Where is our defense. With a little over 3 minutes left in the third, the Tigers cling to a 2-point lead. Stan White says this is just poor defense leaving receivers wide open. Auburn is getting eaten alive by a backup QB. We just can't allow this.
Auburn 37 Arkansas 35.
Auburn goes to a 3rd and 7 at our 30.
Newton is sacked at the 29.
The Tigers go 3 and out.
This is a dangerous time in this game.
Arkansas has all the momentum as we are punting from our 29.
Fair catch at the Ark 36.
With 1:11 to go in the third it's gut-check time for our defense.
Something good needs to happen for this defense.
First and 10.
Second and 12.
First down pass to the Hog 47.
A run to the Auburn 28. Our defense if folding right now as the third quarter ends. Arkansas is driving with ALL the momentum.

Auburn 37 Arkansas 35

FOURTH QUARTER

There is a 5 yard gain. Arkansas runs the ball just enough to keep our defense honest. Incomplete pass after an all-out blitz. Third and 5. TD pass on a slant pass. Bad defense. A simple slant route and Thorpe can't cover. Their receivers are getting off the line of scrimmage without any hindrance from Auburn. Poor, poor defense. That's all there is to it. We knew Ark would score points but this is ridiculous. It's too easy. And from a backup QB!
The 2-point pass is good and we have a new score.
This will have to a bigtime rally for Auburn now to win this football game. Our offense went three and out last time and our defense has folded. Our defense has been whipped in every way.
Auburn 37 Arkansas 43
Auburn starts on the 32 down by 6.
Pass complete for 12 yards.
Fanin is stopped for a yard gain.
Complete pass to Burns to the Ark 43.
Complete pass to Blake to the Ark 30.
Fanin runs to the Arkansas 16 for 14 yards holding on to the ball with both hands.
2nd and 8.
TD pass to Blake for 15 yards on a fake to McCalebb on the speed sweep.
PAT good with over 11 minutes to go. The last team with the ball may win this thing.
Auburn 44 Arkansas 43
Arkansas fumbles and Zac Etheridge runs it in from 47 yards out.
Here is the big play the defense needed!
The play is reviewed AND THE CALL STANDS! Touchdown Auburn!!! A defensive TD.
Point after good.
Auburn 51 Arkansas 43.
What a football game. I knew there would be some scoring, but not like this with so many close plays.
The defense not only makes a big stop, but scores on the play.
But this ballgame is far from over with 9:44 to play.
It will still go down to the last play.
First play AUBURN INTERCEPTS. Bynes runs it down to the Ark 7. The pass went right to an "open" Bynes.
Newton to the 3. Newton runs it in. After the Bynes interception Auburn cashes in and extends its lead.
Auburn 58 Arkansas 43.
But still with over 8 minutes left this game is not over.
Quentin Riggins says Auburn was in the Tampa 2 defense and their backup QB Wilson held the ball too long. Auburn now has 2 straight turnovers.
Aaron Saviage is out with an injury.
Our defense still has to hold up with 8 minutes left.
Ark starts at the 18.
8:21 left.
First down just past the 28.
BYNES PICKS ANOTHER ONE!!! Their backup QB has imploded.
That's 3 turnovers in a row. Unbelievable.
Dyer for 9.
DYER RUNS FOR THE TOUCHDOWN right up the middle!!! 37 yards.
What a turnaround.
Auburn has EXPLODED. Our defense looked like it was finished and now we get 3 turnovers in a row.
Auburn 65 Arkansas 43
The last time Auburn scored over 60 was 63 against Florida in 1970.
The Hogs drive to the Auburn 30 before running out of downs.
What a football game.
Auburn scores 65 points.
Our defense looked it was dead.
Then boom! Three straight turnovers and this game turned quickly.
Auburn scores 28 underanswered points in the 4th quarter.

FINAL SCORE
Auburn 65 Arkansas 43

What a game. What a 4th quarter.
566 yards of offense. Three turnovers in the final quarter that turned the game around. When it seemed that our defense was toast, they rose up and turned this game around.
We'll remember this one for a long time.

From USA Today

No. 13 Arkansas at No. 7 Auburn

The quarterback duel between Arkansas bomber Ryan Mallett and Auburn two-way threat Cam Newton is the headliner, but a couple of receivers named Adams could end up battling for top billing. The Razorbacks' Joe Adams is Mallett's primary target, and he gets help from Greg Childs and D.J. Williams. Tigers DT Nick Fairley and LB Josh Bynes will have to disrupt things up front to protect their backfield. When Newton doesn't take off, Darvin Adams is his principal catcher. TB Michael Dyer also has breakaway speed, giving Razorbacks LBs Jerry Franklin and Anthony Leon another worry.

Getting Ready for Arkansas

The Arkansas game brings back lots of memories---mostly bad! I remember the losses to this team much more than the wins. It seems like since Arkansas joined the SEC in 1992 this team has been our greatest nemesis, even more than Alabama.

If we lose, we'll think Arkansas again, one more time, beats us like they've done in the past. There is a feeling that sooner or later Auburn will lose a game. I can't imagine going undefeated thru this schedule. So if we lose people can say, well, it was inevitable that sooner or later this team would lose one.

If we win we'll go "whew!" and move on to LSU with still the feeling that we'll lose one eventually. We keep hearing that Auburn has yet to put together 4 quarter of quality football on both sides of the ball. This team has yet to put it all together. This team may never put it all together this season: there is no guarantee that this will happen. But maybe it will. This Saturday would be a good time to do so!

Pick 'Em (7)

Pick the winner. Home team in CAPS.

1. Arkansas at AUBURN (3)
2. Ole Miss at ALABAMA (20)
3. Mississippi State at FLORIDA (8.5)
4. South Carolina (6) at KENTUCKY
5. Vanderbilt at GEORGIA (16.5)
6. UTEP at UAB (2)
7. Texas at NEBRASKA (9.5)
8. Missouri at TEXAS A & AM (3)
9. Maryland at CLEMSON (14.5)
10.Oklahoma State at TEXAS TECH (3.5)
11.Iowa (3.5) at MICHIGAN
12.California at USC (2)

Fred's Picks
1. Auburn
2. Alabama
3. Florida
4. Kentucky
5. Georgia
6. UAB
7. Nebraska
8. Missouri
9. Clemson
10.Texas Tech
11.Michigan
12.USC

Moyna's Picks
1. Auburn
2. Alabama
3. Florida
4. SC
5. Georgia
6. UTEP
7. Nebraska
8. Missouri
9. Clemson
10.Texas Tech
11.Iowa
12.USC

1. Auburn
2. Alabama
3. Mississippi State
4. Kentucky
5. Georgia
6. UAB
7. Nebraska
8. Missouri
9. Clemson
10.Texas Tech
11.Iowa
12.California