The Mississippi State Game

Pat Dye has gained attention this week saying that David-Wade Stadium is the toughest place to play in the SEC. I don't understand that.

The game is on ESPN with a 6:45 kickoff. Will it be a track meet with both teams having high scoring capabilities? Will our defense improve and rise to the occasion? What about that first road game with a lot of freshmen? Is Cam Newton for real? Will those cow bells have any effect? Can Auburn get off to a good start?
Control the line of scrimmage. No turnovers. We need to win the turnover battle.

Auburn is a slight 2 or 3 point favorite. I'm a little surprised by this.

FIRST QUARTER

Auburn wins the toss and receives. The Tigers start at their 32.
The drive is consumatted by a 39-yd. TD strike to Emory Blake!
8 plays 68 yds. 3;38 off the clock.

Auburn 7 MSU 0

MSU starts on their 18.
The drive stalls around midfield.
After a good punt, AU starts on their 4.

After 3 running plays, AU punts from the 10 to midfield. Very conservative play calling with less than 7 minutes left in the quarter.

Three straight sacks and State is punting from their 40!

But theb we fumble the punt!!! The ball goes right thru Carr's hands. Unbelievable.

State is on our 20.
A shovel pass and they are at our 9.
A between the tackles takes the ball to the 2.
Our defense must be dazed.
State runs it in. There is a fumble at the goal line but the officials rule touchdown.
Auburn had all the momentum with a tremndous 3 and out on defense. Then a fumble by Carr on the punt return---the ball simply goes right thru his hands pretty as you please--- and we are tied with 2:30 left in the first quarter.

Auburn 7 MSU 7

A good return puts the ball at the State 48
Newton is picked off in the end zone. It looked like the receiver had a step but their safety came running over and picked it off. State starts at their 20.
That's two straight turnovers by Auburn.

END OF FIRST QUARTER

Auburn 7 MSU 7

The defense has played well. We can't run the ball on offense. We are losing the turnover war 2 to 0.

Auburn intercepts at midfield. Nick Fairly does the honors as Auburn confuses the State freshman QB.

Let's see if Auburn can run the football. A good gain by McCalebb. Another one by Newton. Lee Ziemba is injured on the play. Newton runs for a first down to the 25 yd. line. Newton crashes down to the 8. A missed hand-off to Fanin pushes the ball back to the 12. A holding penalty is refused. Auburn is goal- to- goal at the 12. State blitzes and Newton hits Adams on a BULLET in end zone.

Auburn 14 MSU 7

One thing I can say right now. Cam Newton IS the real deal.

State fumbles the snap and Fairly reovers at the State 44. Fairly now has an interception and a fumble recovery.
The Tigers move to a third and four just inside the State 15. After a penalty and an incomplete pass the drive stalls.
The Tigers settle for a Wes Byrun 34-yd. FG.
There is about 5 minutes left in the period.

Auburn 17 MSU 7

So the half ends. The Tigers mount a late drive but don't quite get into field goal range.

END OF FIRST HALF

Auburn 17 MSU 7

We may win this game. We may lose this game, but it is obvious that we have the better team and should win the football game.

SECOND HALF

State takes the second half kickoff and mounts a drive with QB keepers and those short passes that we can't seem to defend like the bubble screen where we give too much room to the receivers.
The Bulldogs march right down the field. I don't understand. All of a sudden our defense is passive. At times our defense is aroused; at times they seem to go limp.
State is not doing anything fancy.
From the 3 an incomplete pass.
A rush just short of the goal line.
A handoff and State gets the touchdown.
This is not the start to the second half that we wanted.
Our defense lets them go right down the field and we have a ballgame with 8:55 to go in the third.
12 plays. 63 yards. Simple football. Where was our defense? They took that series off.

Auburn 17 MSU 14

State is successful with the onside kick---beautifully executed.
State is their 44.
Etheridge is down. He gets up and trots off the field.
Our defense holds State to a 3 and out and a 4th and 10 from their 44.

Carr fair-catches at the 12.
The Tigers move to the State 48.
The Tigers move to the State 38.
3rd and 11 just outside the 39.
All of a sudden our offense gets messed up.
Newton is swamped and we are punting from outside the 50 all of a sudden.

Byrum punts to a fair catch at the State 11.
State faces a 4 and 1 at their 20.
State get off a 43-yd. punt and Auburn starts at their 37.

From their 37 as the third quarter winds down the Tigers try to get the offense going again. After a nifty Newton run, the third quarter ends with Auburn having a first down at midfield.

END OF THIRD QUARTER

Auburn 17 MSU 14

FOURTH QUARTER

The game is very much in doubt. Auburn has to score more points to win this game.

A pass to Fanin takes the ball to the 35.
Fanin makes a big run but a holding penalty brings the ball back. This is only our second penalty of the game but it's a big one.
The Tigers face a 4th and long at the State 39.
The Tigers take a delay of game penalty moving the ball back to the State 45.
This is two straight drives which start well but bog down.

State fair catches at their 11 early in the 4th quarter.
State gains one yard and they punt from the end zone.
The punt goes out of bounds at midfield

Auburn desperate needs to get some points.
The longer this game goes on with only a 3-point lead on the road the more nervous I get.

A pass to Smith takes the ball to the State 37.
Newton is sacked and AU faces a third and long.
3rd and 16.
The Tigers are forced to punt. Once again our offense squanders good field position.
This is dangerous territory on the road for AU. State starts on their 20. If we lose this game at this point it will be because of the offense not being able to sustain drives in the second half. On this possession, we have a first at the State 37 and get pushed back.

State tries to drive from their 20.
The Bulldogs have success running the football with the option. Our defense is not adjusting playing what our announcers assignment football.
Our defense holds at the State 45.
Carr fair catches the State punt at the Tiger 23.

With a little more than 6 minutes to go, the Tigers have the ball on their 23 but the offense is out of rhythm. Both defenses have adjusted well in the second half.
Mario Fanin is out of the game with some kind of shoulder injury.
The Tigers move the football.
There is a razzle dazzle play with Newton lateraling to Burns who passes sto Newton for a huge gain.
Auburn is on the march from the State 26.
Auburn is at the State 18 with a third and short.
Stan White says, "This is the game." Third and a yard a half.
State gets in and sacks Newton for a losss.
Auburn is 4th and 5.
What will the Tigers do?
Byrum lines for a 37 yard FG, but it's blocked!
As Yogi Berra says, it's not over till it's over.
Poor kick by Byrum. He didn't get the ball up.

State starts from their 20. Our defense has to do it again to save the game.
State moves to a fourth and 4 at their 27.
Here's the ballgame.
State gets a receiver behind the coverage. First down State on their 48 taking advantage of freshman Chris Davis.
Auburn sacks the QB!
Nick Fairly comes thru! What a game he is having.
State faces 3rd and long from their 44. Third and 15.
Auburn is stuck by a poor call--a pass interference call that shouldn't have been.
State is given a first down by poor officiating.
34 seconds left State on the Auburn 40.
Play moves to 4th down and 10 from the Auburn 40.
This is the game to this point.
State faces 4th and 10 from the Auburn 40.
A State lob pass goes to an open field

AUBURN WINS THE GAME! Final score 17 to 14.
The defense wins this game. The best effort of a Ted Roof defense so far.

Our offense misfired in the second half. Otherwise, this would not have been a close game. Our defense had to come thru, and they did.