The Arkansas State Game

It's time for Auburn football. It's time to start the 2010 season.
The game is on Fox Sports South with a 6 o'clock kickoff.
Auburn is favored by 30 plus points.
The Tigers debut a new QB and a promising group of freshmen.
We look for much better depth than last year.
We hope for a better defensive effort.
We hope for better special teams.
What will happen?

On the radio before kickoff I hear that Craig Stevens is not playing tonight. We do not know why.

THE FIRST HALF

Auburn kicks off to the start the new season. Auburn drops the returner at the 12. Good kickoff coverage.

ASU makes a couple of first downs but has to punt from midfield.

(Word comes that Jacksonville State has upset Ole Miss 49 to 48 in overtime. Talk about unbelievable! This is beyond unbelievable)

Auburn starts from their 21.

McCalebb starts over Fanin.

The Tigers punt from their 48. The offense is slow starting it seems to me. Cam Newton is tentative trying to get comfortable.

The Red Wolves get a big pass play and are at the Auburn 21 quickly after the punt.

The Red Wolves move the Auburn 10.

ASU looks quicker than Auburn.

On 3rd and goal at the 10 the Red Wolves get the TD pass on a pinpoint pass with 5:18left in the first quarter. Quentin Riggins said the culprit was our safety play. So far our safeties are not playing well. We block the point after.

Arkansas State 6 Auburn 0

This is not the start we hoped for.

The Tigers mount a drive after a good kickoff return by Demond Washington. After two good runs by McCalebb, Kodie Burns wildcats the TD and with 3:28 left in the quarter Auburn takes the lead.

Auburn 7 Arkansas State 6

ASU starts from their 25.

Auburn pushes ASU back inside the 5! The defense is aroused.

After the punt from the end zone, Auburn is on the Red Wolf 36. And just like that Newton hits Mario Fanin on the wheel route and he is open by 20 yards for the touchdown. There is about a minute left in the first quarter.

Auburn 14 Arkansas 6

With 5 seconds to go in the quarter ASU punts on the last play of the quarter. Carr makes the fair catch on the Auburn 25.

On the first play of the second quarter Michael Dyer picks up 9 yards around the right side. Michael Dyer has arrived.

But then Auburn has 3 straight negative plays, going backward bigtime.
Auburn has to punt from the 20. Auburn squanders its momentum. This is a horrible offensive possession.

ASU starts from their 46 after a short punt.

After a good defensive stand and a short punt, Auburn starts at their 35.

The Tigers move quickly for the touchdown. There is a dazzling run by Newton. Then Kodie Burns hands the ball to McCalebb, who flips the ball to Neil Caudle, lined at wide receiver, who hits Darvin Adams on pass inside the 5. Newton pushes it in and Auburn goes up 21 to 6.

Auburn 21 Arkansas State 6

Arkansas State starts moving the ball after a good kick return. The announcers say our safeties are not playing well. The Red Wolves move the football to a first down inside our 15. The Red Wolves run it in from about the 14 after a missed tackle---poor tackling in the open field by Etheridge.

Auburn 21 Arkansas State 13

We've seen good and we've seen bad so far. It's been a roller coaster ride. Our announcers keep talking about the poor play of our safeties.

Auburn starts from their 35. Newton hits Carr on a 49 yard TD pass. Great pass, great catch! With 5:59 to go in the half it's

Auburn 28 Arkansas State 13

The scoring drive is 3 plays for 65 yards.

The Tigers do appear to be rotating some defensive guys.

ASU starts from their 26.

ASU starts quick passing their way down the field. Our defense is porous.

Our defense cannot stop them. We've stopped the run, but their quick passes are killing us.

The Red Wolves settle for the field goal.

Auburn 28 Arkansas State 16

Our defense better stiffen or this game will be in doubt to the end. We've had 6 penalities.

Cam Newton runs the quarterback draw for a long touchdown run. A great play call on the QB draw after faking to Fanin. That's 72 yard run by Newton.

Auburn 35 Arkansas State 16

Auburn's drives are quick. It puts the defense back on the field quickly.

With 1:03 left Auburn is at midfield.

Newton's running takes us the 11 as the clock winds down.

Auburn gets to the 6 but the clock expires. The ref is slow in spotting the ball. The Tigers lead 35 to 16 at the half.

THE SECOND HALF

Demond Washington fumbles the kick return---a disastrous start. This is the first turnover of the game. ASU has the ball on our 27. ASU moves to the Auburn 8. ASU runs it in. The second half starts bad, oh so bad. What on earth is going on here? Auburn has put Arkansas State back into the game with momentum to start the second half when we received to start it.

Auburn 35 Arkansas State 23

On our first play from scrimmage Fanin fumbles again! ASU recovers at the Auburn 29.
Fanin fumbles. Fanin fumbles. After all of the talk about Fanin, he fumbles sure enough.

What a disaster in the making. Auburn starts the second half with two consecutive turnovers. But our defense PUSHES them back. The Auburn defense steps up one time.

Auburn is on their 44. The Tigers go backward; McCalebb fumbles and ASU recovers. The offense is imploding. This is un-be-lievable. I've never seen such a poor start for an Auburn team. McCalebb's fumble is reviewed and overturned, but still the Auburn offense has disintegrated so far.

The Tigers can't make a first down. The Red Wolves start at their 36 with 9:36 left in the third. Auburn is playing badly. Turnovers and penalties.

Auburn holds and ASU has to punt from their 40. Carr returns to the Auburn 31 with 9:08 left in the third. It's been a slow third quarter.

After 3 good runs by Dyer, Newton goes under and completes an easy 38 yard TD pass to Fanin. Four plays, 69 yards now with 8:07 to go in the third.

Auburn 42 Arkansas State 23

Carr completes a long pass to Carr to the ASU 2, but the Tigers can't punch it in and have to settle for the FG on the last play of the third quarter.

Auburn 45 Arkansas State 23

As the 4th quarter proceeds, the Tigers have a sustained drive running the football featuring Michael Dyer, who gets his first TD of his Auburn career from a run inside the 5. ASU gets a field goal.

Auburn 52 Arkansas State 26
This is the final score.

The Tigers open the 2010 season beating Arkasnas State. Next up is Mississippi State Thursday night in StarkVegas. That one will be interesting.