It's About Winning

Phillip's blog: It's about winning
Phillip Marshall

Auburn’s football team is inconsistent. For two consecutive weeks, the defense has had a hard time getting off the field on third down. The offense, as coordinator Gus Malzahn said Saturday, hasn’t been all that great on third down either.


Senior Editor Phillip MarshallThese Tigers, with so many young players in key roles, look great at times and look lost at times. They’ve given up 560 rushing yards in two games. They’ve given up big plays.

But after the second Saturday of the college football team, there’s still one thing does better than anybody. It wins.

Say what you want about the defense, about the inconsistency, about two harrowing escapes. Auburn, the defending national champion, has won 17 consecutive games. And, in the end, the game is not about yards gained or third-down conversions allowed. It’s not about how you look. It’s about winning.

And there’s a funny thing about winning. It really is contagious. Most of the players who played for Auburn in Saturday’s 41-34 victory over Mississippi State are freshmen, redshirt freshmen and sophomores. None of those players have ever lost a game in an Auburn uniform.

When Utah State took a 38-28 lead with 3:34 left in the opener, it seemed Auburn’s winning streak was surely over. Instead, Barrett Trotter threw a touchdown pass to Philip Lutzenkirchen, Emory Blake snared Chandler Brooks’ perfect onsides kick and Mike Dyer scored with 30 seconds left. Auburn won 42-38.

Saturday, Mississippi State was a yard away from sending the game to overtime or going for two points and the win. But Jake Holland and Neiko Thorpe stuffed Vick Ballard for a 1-yard loss and Ryan Smith made the play of a lifetime to stop quarterback Chris Relf inches short of the goal line on the game’s final play. Auburn won 41-34.

And the Tigers marched on toward their first road test next Saturday at Clemson, which had its hands full with Wofford before winning 35-27.