The Tigers open the 2013 season at home against the Cougars of Mike Leach. I think AU is maybe a 14-point favorite or so. No reason to think it won't be a high scoring game. WSU scores alot and gives up a lot. I see where they averaged only 29 yards a game rushing last year. That is amazing. How can you win like that? I see online before the game starts that Jeffrey Whitaker and Kenneth Carter are unavailable due to injuries. We knew already that Dee Ford is out. We will be thin across the defensive front tonight. The Gus Malzahn Era begins.
FIRST QUARTER
WSU receives starting at their 25.
The Cougars move the ball out to midfield.
The Cougars move the ball to the AU 39.
The Cougars move the ball to the AU 27.
Pass after pass.
Five yard procedure penalty moves the ball back 5 yards.
There is a nice completion down inside the 5.
Incomplete pass into the end zone.
2nd and goal from the 4.
Their only running play is the draw and there it is for the muscle TD up the middle. Okay. WSU marches right down the field in their opening possession. That was way too easy.
Auburn 0 WSU 7
After one first down AU has to punt. Our offense does not look good on its first possession.
WSU gets the ball back on their own 33 already leading 7 to 0.
The Cougars move the ball again but we hold at the AU 44.
Holy Cow! The punt is downed inside our one yard line!
6:45 to go in the first quarter.
After one first down AU punts again.
The Cougars start at their 35.
There is BIG interception by Robinson Therezie!
AU is at the WSU 28.
First and goal at the 8 after a completion to Bray.
Great run by Tre Mason from the 8 from the touchdown.
THEN AU goes for 2 and Ryan White the holder runs it in!!! Amazing!
The play is reviewed but it stands.
It was a strange play the way Auburn lined but the snap went directly to a standing White with Parkay split out. Strange indeed.
Auburn 8 WSU 7
WS starts from their 25.
The Cougars go and out. We get pressure on their QB finally. Our DBs are in their face more.
AU will start on their 36.
1:25 left in the first quarter.
Ricardo Louis drops a pass and the Tigers go three and out. Should have been a first down.
WSU will start on their 12 with 6 seconds left in the quarter.
First play and Holsey intercepts!!! That's two picks in the first quarter.
Holsey leaps up and picks it off.
The quarter starts with the Tigers on the Cougar 45 starting a possession.
SECOND QUARTER
The possession ends when Cody Parkay misses a 50 yd. FG attempt.
Nick Marshall is showing an awesome arm but he is overthrowing receivers.
WSU on their 33.
Since the first Cougar possession our defense has stepped up.
If we lose this game based on what I've seen so far it's the inconsistency of our offense.
We could not take advantage of that last interception.
WSU will still score more points. Our offense will have to show up.
The Cougars drive like they did on their first drive picking us apart with short passes.
The TD pass comes from the 7. That pass was too easy. Their offense is bettering our defense. Here we go. This game will go to the wire.
Auburn 8 WSU 14
WOW! Tre Mason returns the kickoff 100 yards for the touchdown!!!
He runs right, turns it up the field and flat outruns 3 Cougars who seemed to have an angle on him.
Auburn 15 WSU 14
There is a long pass to a wide-open receiver and he runs a long way down to the AU 1.
WSU regains the lead quickly. It only takes them 5 plays. Boy oh boy. This is scary.
Auburn 15 WSU 21
The problem is that our offense is not consistent.
We can't win on kickoff returns.
Q says our defense is tired. Our offense has to move the ball. We have to run the ball and rest the defense. Our passing game is not in rhythm. We must run the ball and protect our defense.
Can we establish the run?
Well, this is not what we expected, but we'll take it.
On the first play from the AU 25 Corey Grant turns the left corner and speeds down the sidelines 75 yards for the touchdown. What blazing speed this kid has! He is faster than McCalebb.
Auburn 22 WSU 21
Is this wild or what?
Defensively we will not sack their QB but our lineman need to get their hands in the air which is the best chance to create more interception opportunities.
6:06 to go. This will be a LONG game.
Our defense didn't much rest. WSU at their 25.
A sack on the first play by freshman Montravious Adams.
The Cougars have picked on Mincy the whole game. Now he is down on the field.
We are thin at DB for sure.
The Tigers hold with 4th and 2 and the Cougar 45. Great play by Davis.
After one first down Cody Parkay kicks a 47-yd. field goal with 1:11 to go in the half.
Auburn 25 WSU 21
WSU is 3 and out and punts with 22 seconds left.
AU at their 32 with 14 seconds left.
The half ends with the Tigers up by 4.
THIRD QUARTER
As the third quarter begins it seems like it's one of those games where you think that the last team with the ball will have the chance to win. We get the ball to start the second half. It would be nice to do something with the ball first thing. Our offense has not been consistent. Our defense has had its moments. We've been saved so far by two interceptions, a kickoff return by Tre Mason, and a 75 yard TD run by Corey Grant. We have to match them score for score. Isn't this sort of what we expected?
AU gets the ball to start the half starting from our 25.
We go 3 and out. This is NOT what we needed. No surge in the line on 3rd and short. Chad Slade messed up.
Not good. Not good.
At least there is a good punt to the Cougar 13.
We did not need to go three and out on our first possession. Not good. Not good.
We needed to start the half with momentum. WSU picks up a first down but then has to punt. Mincy misses an easy interception.
A good punt return and AU starts on their 47.
Will our offense show up in this half? It has to if we are to win this football game.
There is a 35 -yd. completion to Coates to the 18.
We move to a first and goal at the 4.
But there's a holding call and we are back to the 15. Bad call.
After a first and goal at the 4 and a questionable holding call we have the kick the short FG.
Auburn 28 WSU 21
Parkay kicks out of bounds. WSU at their 35. Not good.
I would bet the house that WSU will score a touchdown right here.
I do notice that Montravious Adams is playing well.
The Cougars drive and we cannot stop them.
Our defense stiffens and WSU kicks the 43-yd. FG.
Auburn 28 WSU 24
We are still waiting for a consistent offensive drive. Come on, guys.
We drive to the WSU 38 but two misfires on wide-open receivers force a punt to the Cougar 10.
That was a tale of missed opportunities. Should have had a TD pass twice.
WSU drives as the quarter ends. This is scary. AU had an interception at the Cougar 31 but it was not reviewed. Our announcers are incredulous.
FOURTH QUARTER
The final quarter starts with Auburn clinging to a 4-point lead with the visitors driving. That interception that was not reviewed looms large. Oh, my. It was not reviewed because one official overruled another and called it an incomplete pass.
Our announcers say this is dicey. We've missed opportunties offensively.
Unbelievable that interception wasn't reviewed.
The drive ends at the Cougar 48.
Auburn begins at their 15 with a little more than 14 minutes left in this football game.
The Tigers drive running the football. Cameron Artis-Payne makes a great run on 3rd and short down to the WSU 31.
He is clearly tackled out of bounds but there is no call. Unbelievable.
The drive stalls and Parkay kicks a 42-yd. FG.
This is not going to be easy. This game is far from over.
Auburn 31 WSU 24
So far Grant and Artis-Payne have looked better and out-gained Mason.
9:02 to go. It will be a lifetime.
The visitors drive to a first and goal at the 8 but the Tigers intercept with Therezie in the end zone. Is that huge or what???
But then Mason puts the ball on the ground after a run to midfield. Golly, gee. Our first turnover in the game comes a critical time to say the least. Our defense is right back on the field.
Here come WSU again as the clock winds down.
The play of the game so far comes to 4th and 5 at the 27 and the pass is overthrown. Auburn holds with a little more than 2 minutes to play.
Can our offense hold the ball the rest of the game?
The secondary is markedly improved. Our announcers praise Robinson Therezie.
Mason gains 8 on the first play and WSU calls timeout with 1:59 left. AU at the 35.
Mason runs for the first down.
Mason gains 4 and Mike Leach calls his last timeout with 1:20 left.
The Tigers run out the clock.
The Malzahn Era begins with a W. I think the game went about like we could have expected. I do think our defense has improved over last year. The offense wasn't as smooth as we might have expected, but that's okay. It is obvious that Nick Marshall has great atheltic ability. The offense will improve game by game.
Final Score
Auburn 31 Washington State 24
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