Posted on 11/30/2013 4:41:05 PM PST by xzins
With only a second left on the clock, Chris Davis caught a 57-yard field-goal attempt that fell short, got up the left side and returned it 100 yards to give the No. 4 Tigers a 34-28 win over No. 1 Alabama and the SEC West title.
Now, Auburn (11-1, 7-1 SEC) has a shot at the SEC title and possibly a national championship all left on the table.
For the second straight game, the clock was running down, and the Tigers had little time left.
That's when Nick Marshall came up with another play.
After a drive spent handing the ball off over and over again, Marshall kept the ball on the zone read, then pulled up short and floated a pass to a wide-open Sammie Coates, who raced in with a 39-yard touchdown to tie the game.
Badly needing some momentum to erase a 21-7 deficit, Auburn went back to the running game that has carried the Tigers all season.
Held without a rushing yard for most of the second quarter, Auburn ripped off a 7-play, 81-yard drive near the end of the first half, punctuated by a 40-yard burst from Mason up the middle to set up his own 2-yard score.
And then, given the ball to start the second half, Auburn kept the momentum going, alternating Marshall and Mason on a nine-play, 69-yard drive that Marshall capped by firing a 13-yard strike to C.J. Uzomah in the corner of the end zone to tie the game at 21.
But after AJ McCarron's 99-yard strike to Amari Toomer, the Tigers had trouble getting going offensively, and the defense came up big with two stops, a fourth-down stand by Carl Lawson and a blocked field goal by Robenson Therezie that set up Auburn's final drive to set up a trip to Atlanta
I was surprised at the least Bama didn’t challenge, even though I didn’t see the Auburn player touch the line.
Having a bad kicker will do that, it totally alters your strategy.
When Dantonio was at Cincinnati, he was sold as being a defensive guru. He was a methodical recruiter/coach, but he had a real feel for stud defensive players.
If I were Ohio State, I’d worry about what Dantonio throws at them on the defensive side of the game. He’s good.
I guess rankings of recruiting classes don’t include the talents of the kickers.
yeh- against those mighty Big Ten defenses!!
My wife and daughters were going to roll a tree out on front of our house but we were worried that a few drunk rednecks would poison it.
Hopefully Michigan State beats Ohio State for the Big Ten title, but even if MSU loses they could go to the Rose Bowl, and have OSU face FSU in the BCS Championship game.
Saban got greedy when he should have went into ot
agree- i also think Michigan State very underrated and their defense could give OSU a run for the money...Spartan QB has got to stay away from mistakes though and play consistent football...
I don’t think there’s anything wrong with trying to kick a field goal to win a game. What’s wrong is not having players on the field to defend in case it goes bad.
Are they playing defense in the SEC this year? In all the games I certainly haven’t seen it.
FSU is the best all around team in the country. It will be a big challenge for any team to beat them this year.
“when Auburn won on that fluke tipped pass it was the luckiest play in the world. Today’s ending tops that.”
Last week was a fluke, this week was not.
Auburn had its kick returner on the field and I’ll even bet they may have drawn up an unlikely play. I’m sure it was discussed in the huddle about a return, and Alabama had maybe 4 guys on the field capable of making a tackle. That is the offensive linemen are not good tacklers, neither are the holder or kicker which leaves the 2 outside blockers at each end who can tackle people.
Auburn just makes sure those 4 guys get block and it is an easy touchdown.
nope. DVR’d it. played it back over and over in slo mo.
/sigh. it was a fair play. dangit.
“I don’t think there’s anything wrong with trying to kick a field goal to win a game. What’s wrong is not having players on the field to defend in case it goes bad.”
read post 53 and yes you got that right.
The 5 interior linemen are probably so entangled, they are not tacklers anyway. The holder and kicker are not great athletes. That leaves 4 players for alabama who need to stop the return.
I am sure the Auburn team targeted those four. That left the kicker to try to make a pathetic play against a very good return man.
Poor Nick, he can recruit every position but kicker...
“Saban really wanted that last second on the clock. “
Remember the old saying “BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR, YOU MAY ACTUALLY GET IT”
“OSU face FSU in the BCS Championship game. “
If auburn wins next week, I think they jump OSU.
there’s no comparison to the teams or defenses in the SEC and Big Ten....OSU also started the season with stalwarts like San Diego State, Cal, Florida AM...
the ACC is also mediocre this season- Duke is a terrific story but put them in the SEC or PAC 12 and they’re lucky to make a bowl game, never mind the chance at playing for a conference title...
top 10 BCS rankings entering the weekend:
4 SEC teams
2 ACC teams
2 Big 12
1 Big 10
1 Pac 12
Yep. There was one possible tackler who got a hand on him and one possible foot that might possibly have gone out of bounds. Davis shrugged off the hand, and tiptoed a bit, but stayed in bounds.
A field goal kicker should be able to kick a ball out of play, but this one was short.
I could fault Saban for not knowing his kicker better, but the idea of a game-winning field goal with one second left is not all that unusual.
In fact, had Alabama NOT tried the field goal and gotten unlucky in overtime, Saban would have been ripped apart far worse than this is gonna be.
Ping!
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