The New Mexico State Game

How strange this is.  The game is on CSS but we don't get CSS.  It's like the old days of listening on the radio.  Maybe it's best I can't see the game!  Everyone knows that Auburn will likely have a new football coach next though nothing has been said by administration.  We continue to wait for developments.  In the meantime Auburn at 1 & 7 plays an Aggie team with an identical record.  It's a homecoming 11:30 kickoff. The only question today is whether Auburn comes to play or if they've packed it in for the season.

FIRST QUARTER

Even against a 23 point underdog team it's the same song, different verse for the Tigers.
After being minus 5 yards in our first 2 possession, the Tigers advance to the Aggie 44 before Wallace tries to hit a long pass to Coates but the pass is intercepted at the 2 yard line.
Earlier in the quarter the Aggies advance to the Tiger 29 but our defense holds on 4th and 1.
In the early going it feels like we are going to lose this game or at best win by a close margin.  This is not historic Auburn football. 
New Mexico State is a short passing team, the kind of offense that drives our defense crazy.
The first quarter ends with NMS facing a 4th and 10 on the AU 30 after moving the ball from their 2 yard line.

Auburn 0  New Mexico State 0

SECOND QUARTER

On the first play of the second quarter the Aggies miss a 47-yd. FG attempt.
The Tigers are 3 and out.  Our offense once again cannot move the ball even against this team.
We are trying to throw the ball rather than line up and run the ball behind Prosch.
Our coaches must think we can't run the ball straight up.
Our offense will not commit to try and establish something.  We seem to run a little bit of everything without establishing anything.
After our punt NMS is quickly to the Auburn 48.
Our defense holds and we fair catch the punt on the 11.
Our coaches are letting Wallace throw deep.  Interesting though not much succss so far.
The Tigers move out to midfield.
Prosch runs for the first down on 3rd and 2.  If only the rest of our team was as tough as Prosch!
There's a pass completion to Blake to the Aggie 32.
There's a nice run by McCalebb to the 22.
Mason runs to the 13.
Mason to the 11 for the first down.
Mason to the 5.
Mason for the touchdown. 
Finally we show some smashmouth football with 4:56 to go in the first half.

Auburn 7  New Mexico State 0

After one first down the Aggies are punting with 3:23 to go.
Bray faircatches at the 10 when he should have had room to run.  Big mistake.
We go 3 and out as we disappointingly can't convert a 3rd and 2 from the 18 from a heavy set.
There's still plenty of time for New Mexico State to score.
NMS starts at their 39 with 1:13 to go.
The first half ends on an Aggie punt.
I suppose this is what we could have expected.  Our offense struggles like it has all year, manages one touchdrive drive, but there is no consistency as has been the case all year.  We are saved so far by the same inconsistency on the part of the opponent's offense.  This game is not in the bag by any means.  In any event, there is no cause for optimism at the half of this game.

Auburn 7  New Mexico State 0

THIRD QUARTER

The Tigers get the ball first.
I don't understand why we don't line up and run Tre Mason and throw off play action.
At the half Chizik says we need some turnovers.  We shouldn't need turnovers to beat this team.
Auburn hasn't had an interception in 8 weeks.
The Tigers march 80 yards for the touchdown.  Along the way Mason runs for 32 yards and Blake makes a 15 yard catch.  McCalebb also has a big run.
Prosch bulls his way in from the one for the score.  It's good to see Prosch score one.
7 plays for 80 yards.

Auburn 14  New Mexico State 0

Okay, so the second half starts like a dream.  What will happen now?
Will our defense continue to hold up?  Will our offense continue from here or fold like it has the rest of the year so far?  What will happen in the fourth quarter?
The kickoff is returned to the 23.
Bates picks up a fumble and runs it back 61 yards for the touchdown!  Our annoucers praise the runback including a ferocious stiff-arm by Bates around the 15.  Bates dives into the end zone and picks up an unsportsmanlike penalty enforced on the kickoff.

Auburn 21  New Nexico State 0

Parkey kicksoff out of bounds and because of the penalty the Aggies start at midfield.
We push them back to the 41.  It sounds like the defense is aroused.
The punt rolls to the Auburn 4.  Let's be careful, offense.
6:24 to go in the third quarter.
Our announcers say that Wallace has pocket presence.  He is doing a good job so far.
There's a clutch 3rd down completion to Blake to the Auburn 36.
McCalebb runs to the Aggie 46.
MCalebb runs 38 yards untouched to the end zone!  That was an easy TD run Stan White says.

Auburn 28  New Mexico State 0

The Aggies are 3 and out and Bray almost returns the punt for the score.
Wallace gets pressure but continues to look downfield.  He is obviously our best quarterback.  He has the maturity far beyond that of a freshman.  He is much better than our other two quarterbacks.
Parkey misses a 47-yd. FG attempt with 7 seconds left in the quarter.

Auburn 28  New Mexico State 0

FOURTH QUARTER

Auburn outscores the Aggies 21 to 0 in thei third quarter.  We do not need a 4th quarter meltdown.
The Aggies get a long 51 yard pass completion and they are inside the Auburn 5.
The visitors run it in from the 2.  The fourth quarter is not off to a good start with 12:26 left.  Come on, guys.  Don't let this game get close.

Auburn 28  New Mexico State 7

McCalebb runs the kickoff back to the Auburn 45.
Mason runs for 8.
Mason explodes to the NMS 7.
McCalebb runs it in from the 7.
That didn't take long!  3 plays.  55 yards.

Auburn 35  New Mexico State 7

Don't get sloppy, defense.
Okay.  The Aggies go 3 and out.
Bray fields the ball and is dropped at the Auburn 23 with 10:27 to go.
Blakely joins the fun and runs hard.  Three runs for the first down.
There's a long pass to the Aggie 44 to Ricardo Louis.
Blakely to the 39 for 4 yards.
There's a touchdown pass to Reed for 39 yards!  Reed is open in the middle and Wallace does a great job of making the pass.  It's about time we saw something big from Trovon Reed.  All I hear all game is good things from our announcers about Jonathan Wallace.  If nothing else this year, we have found our quarterback.

Auburn 42  New Mexico State 7

As the game winds down Auburn recovers a punt muff at the Aggie 18 but cannot advance the ball beyond the 15 going for it on 4th down as Frazier plays the last minutes with Corey Grant in the backfield.  NMS drives into AU territory but the game ends on a sack by the defense.

FINAL SCORE
Auburn 42  New Mexico State 7

I do not know what the rest of the season holds.  I do not know the fate of Gene Chizik.  I do not know if this game result has any significance.  What I do know is that our quarterback is Jonathan Wallace.