2014 Mississippi State

Does it get any bigger than this vs. MSU?  I think not. Both teams are 5 and 0.   Auburn is ranked#2 and State is ranked #3 in the country.  The winner could vault to #1.  State is good, a very good football team.  Auburn will have to play well today in Starkville to win this game which is a 2:30 kickoff on CBS.

FIRST QUARTER

Before the game starts I can hear the cowbells in the background as our announcers talk.
AU wins the toss and defers so State receives.
State starts at the 25 as the kickoff goes thru the end zone.
The Bulldogs go three and out as our defense starts strong.
Bray fair catches at the Auburn 34 with an additional 5 yards due to a motion penalty.
On the first play the pass is tipped at the line and State intercepts with the ball at the 35.
On 3rd and 11 with strong Auburn pressure there is the 34-yd. touchdown pass.  Good defense.  We blitz and don't quite get to the QB before he is able to release the ball.

Auburn 0  State 7

So State converts the turnover into 7.  On that interception Williams was wide open but the ball was deflected at the line.
There is another turnover on the first play from scrimmage as our receiver catches the ball but fumbles.  It was a bang bang play that is not reviewed.  State is on the Auburn 32.
We are off to a tough start in this football game.
On third and 5 there is a complete pass to the 2.  We leave a wideout uncovered.  Touchdown on the first rush from there.
This team has to collect itself.  We give up 2 quick touchdowns on turnover.
The bleeding has to stop now.

Auburn 0  State 14

Two Auburn possessions.   Two quick turnovers on two plays from scrimmage that turn into scores.  This has to stop.
We are told that Auburn doesn't get rattled.  Now we shall really see if this is true.
After one first down we get a pass to Duke into State territory but the play is negated by a holding penalty.  Everything is going against us.  We end up punting to the State 29.  What else can go wrong?  I still think we are in this game but our defense needs a stop.
State drives down the field for another score.  They are out-executing Auburn.   There is a bad call on Trovon Reed in end zone that puts the ball on the 2 yard line.
Two turnovers and penalities are killing us.  We are still in this game.  I still believe this.  We are still in the middle of the first quarter.

Auburn 0  State 21

Our offense can come back from this and our defense can get it together.  This game is not over.
The good news is that our offense finally moves the ball to a first down at the State 11 BUT Carlson misses the easy field goal attempt.  What else can go wrong?  This is unbelievable.  I cannot believe what I am seeing.  Carlson hooks it bad left.
Finally our defense holds State to a 3 and out.
EXCEPT that amazingly State fakes the punt and Auburn intercepts at the State 36.  Why did Mullen do such a dumb thing.
There is a complete pass to Duke to about the 11, but we move to a 3rd down at the 5.  We keep running CAP up the middle and it doesn't work until maybe the fourth quarter.
We move to 4th down at the four as the quarter ends.
State has dominated.  We needed a TD here but it looks like we will settle for another field goal attempt.

SECOND QUARTER

If we end up winning this football game we will have overcome incredible adversity.
At least Carlson makes the short field goal.  We have to claw our way back Stan White says.

Auburn 3  State 21

On the second play after they start at their 25 from the State 31 Jonathan Jones intercepts!
Our offense is in business again.  It's time to find the end zone.
From the State 46 we move to a first down to the 7.
On third and five we get a TD pass but Coates stepped out of bounds in the end zone and came back in to make the catch.  We have to settle for the FG attempt and it's good.

Auburn 6  State 21

From their 25 State marches right down the field.  We cannot stop them.
From the AU 13 Jonathan Jones gets another pick in the end zone!  Wow!
You talk about a key turnover.  If we win this game we can look back to this State possession.
That's three State turnovers.
After one first down Auburn has to punt.
We have three turnovers but only 6 points to show for it.
State muffs the punt and Auburn recovers at the State 22.  Come on, offense!
Marshall runs to the 11.
On third down from the 9 Marshall throws a bullet into the end zone to Duke.  Finally we take advantage of a State turnover for 7.  We are in this game to the end.

Auburn 13  State 21

5:26 to go in the half.  State starts at their 25.c
State converts on a 3rd and 12 and then Prescott rambles to the Auburn 35.  We have not been good on third downs.  That third down completion was a killer.  Timeout Auburn with State at the Auburn 35.  We need another red zone stop.
There is a screen pass to the 16.
On third down Prescott runs up the middle untouched for the touchdown.
We had them stopped twice on this drive with third and long and we give up  a first down and then a touchdown.  Oh, my.  Our defense plays well and then gives up big yardage on third down.

Auburn 13  State 28

The Tigers go three and out and with 3:09 left State will have another chance with the ball.
The punt goes to the 15 with 2:43 to go and State with all three timeouts left.
We cannot left them score here.
Prescott goes the 26 for a first down.
The rain is coming down in sheets.
The half ends with the rain ripping down and State letting the clock expire.
With everything that went against us in the first half we are still in this game.  We get the ball coming out of the half.  It's not over till it's over.

THIRD QUARTER

We receive and get a big 76 yard completion to Coates but Coates is called for offensive interference in one of the worst calls I have ever seen in my 40 plus years watching college football.  Unbelievable.  The so-called interference occurred at about the 30 but the ref didn't throw the flag until Coates was in side the 10 with the catch.  Coach Malzahn rips the officials; that's all he can do.  Calls like this do make you wonder.
We have to punt and hold the Bulldogs but they get a punt inside our one.  I have never seen a team have as much bad luck as Auburn in this football game so far.
We get out to the 15 on an obvious pass interference call on Coates.  Another first down to the 30.
The Tigers start a drive.
The Tigers march to the State 17.
Roc Thomas gains three.
Marshall hits Duke for the 16 yard touchdown pass.  Great throw.  Great stretch by Duke Williams.
That's a 99 yard drive.  Our offense is back.

Auburn 20  State 28

After one first down with 4:43 to go in the quarter State punts.
Bray fair catches at the AU 20.
The Tigers move to the 47 but have to punt from there.
The punt is fair caught at the State 14.
After one first down Prescott is sacked on 3rd and 10.
Bray fair catches at the AU 36.
The third quarter clock winds down and Auburn faces 4th and 6 to start the final stanza.
How is this game going to end?  I wish we had scored again before the end of the third.

FOURTH QUARTER

State starts on their 22 with 14:54 to go in this game.
The Bulldogs drive to the red zone and on a 4th and 8 get the benefit of ANOTHER bad interference call against from the same official who called the offensive interference on Coates.  Unbelievable.  It's hard to win against a good opponent on the road especially when you get robbed by bad officiating.  The Bullies get the field goal

Auburn 20  State 31

Louis fumbles the kickoff and State recovers.  The play is reviewed.  Unfortunately the call is fumble and the ruling on the field is confirmed.  On this day in this stadium we are not going to get any calls.
State punches it in.  Turnovers and officiating have killed us.

Auburn 20  State 38

Both teams have turned the ball over, and State has taken advantage: 21 points off of turnovers.
The Tigers drive to a 42-yd. field goal.  It's back to 2 score game with less than 9 minutes to go.

Auburn 23  State 38

Do we onside kick?  No, we kick deep.
We get the ball back at our 30 with 4:56 to go.
We need to score in a hurry.
We get to the State 34 with a big run by CAP.
The Tigers drive to a first down to the Bulldog 11 but on the next play a tipped pass is intercepted.
We gave it a shot on that last possession but in the long view of this game the Tigers could not overcome the adversity of turnovers, bad calls, and last of success in the red zone.  We lost 66 yards on that bogus call against Coates and the other kept State alive on a 4th and 8 that led to a touchdown.
It wasn't meant to be.  It just wasn't meant to be today in Starkville, Mississippi.

FINAL SCORE

Auburn 23  State 38