THREE PLAYS COOK BAMA IN HUGE AUBURN COMEBACK
When you hear coaches, broadcasters or even the guy sitting next to you at the bar say "it all comes down to a couple of plays." They're right, this game came down to 3 plays that kept Auburn in the game with a chance to win.
You have to hand it to the Tigers, down 24-0 on the road versus their biggest rival, with a shot at the national title on the line, Auburn didn't blink. But Alabama did & it cost them not only a win against their in-state rival, but any chance of a BCS bowl bid. The game might have also cost them their starting QB, Greg McElroy was slammed to the turf late in the game & he appeared to have sustained a concussion & an injury to his throwing shoulder.
Bama came out smoking with a 7-play, 71-yard drive for a touchdown. After an Auburn 3 & out, it took McElroy only two plays to strike again, this time on a 68-yard touchdown pass to Julio Jones. Another 3 & out sent the Tide on 10-play, 61-yard touchdown drive & it was still the 1st quarter. Visions of a major blowout could be seen on both sidelines.
Then we saw Big-Play #1. Alabama's reigning Heisman Trophy winner, RB Mark Ingram, caught a little swing pass & headed up the far sideline, forty-yards later he had the ball punched out by Auburn DE Antoine carter, who never gave up on the play. The ball stayed in bounds & rolled out the back of the endzone for a touchback. No first & goal at the eight, Auburn ball for only three plays yet again, they get off a terrible punt that travels only to their own 48-yardline.
Big-Play #2 occurs after McElroy marches Bama to a first & goal at the 4-yardline. They sneak RB Trent Richardson out of the backfield & he is all alone in the endzone, McElroy throws the ball & hits Richardson belt-high with a pass & he drops it. I'd say Richardson catches this ball 9 out of 10 times, but not today. You could see the relief on Auburn, they knew they dodged a bullet. The air sort of went out the Crimson Tide. later in the second quarter, Cam Newton connected with Emory Blake for a 36-yard touchdown & they went to the half Bama leading 24-7.
After Auburn score twice in the third quarter to tighten the score at 24-21, a listless Alabama was forced to punt once again but Auburn's return man, Quindarius Carr, failed to signal for a fair catch & got drilled by Bama's punt coverage, he fumbled with the Tide recovering at Auburn's 28.
Now we see Big-Play #3. After completing two passes to Julio Jones, the Tide stood 3rd & 2 at the Auburn 5-yardline. Their left guard, Mike Berry, was flagged for a false start & they were set back to a 3rd & 7. Incomplete pass, kick a field goal for a 6-point lead & it was just a matter of time before Newton lead Auburn to the winning score.
A fumble by their Heisman winner, a dropped pass by their 3rd down receiver & a false start by their best offensive lineman. That's all it took to change momentum, to kill scoring opportunities & to their credit, Auburn took advantage of those Big-Plays.
The Tiger defense played lights out in the second half too, holding Bama to just 88-total yards after they rolled up 356 in the first half. The Auburn front-four made the difference in the 2nd half, forcing Tide QB's to throw before they wanted.
You hear people say "the best team didn't win today." Don't give that, the best team today was Auburn, unquestionably the best. They converted their opportunities into points while Bama squandered too many chances, which is why it's said "It all comes down to a couple of plays." That was never more true than this afternoon in Tuscaloosa.
You have to hand it to the Tigers, down 24-0 on the road versus their biggest rival, with a shot at the national title on the line, Auburn didn't blink. But Alabama did & it cost them not only a win against their in-state rival, but any chance of a BCS bowl bid. The game might have also cost them their starting QB, Greg McElroy was slammed to the turf late in the game & he appeared to have sustained a concussion & an injury to his throwing shoulder.
Bama came out smoking with a 7-play, 71-yard drive for a touchdown. After an Auburn 3 & out, it took McElroy only two plays to strike again, this time on a 68-yard touchdown pass to Julio Jones. Another 3 & out sent the Tide on 10-play, 61-yard touchdown drive & it was still the 1st quarter. Visions of a major blowout could be seen on both sidelines.
Then we saw Big-Play #1. Alabama's reigning Heisman Trophy winner, RB Mark Ingram, caught a little swing pass & headed up the far sideline, forty-yards later he had the ball punched out by Auburn DE Antoine carter, who never gave up on the play. The ball stayed in bounds & rolled out the back of the endzone for a touchback. No first & goal at the eight, Auburn ball for only three plays yet again, they get off a terrible punt that travels only to their own 48-yardline.
Big-Play #2 occurs after McElroy marches Bama to a first & goal at the 4-yardline. They sneak RB Trent Richardson out of the backfield & he is all alone in the endzone, McElroy throws the ball & hits Richardson belt-high with a pass & he drops it. I'd say Richardson catches this ball 9 out of 10 times, but not today. You could see the relief on Auburn, they knew they dodged a bullet. The air sort of went out the Crimson Tide. later in the second quarter, Cam Newton connected with Emory Blake for a 36-yard touchdown & they went to the half Bama leading 24-7.
After Auburn score twice in the third quarter to tighten the score at 24-21, a listless Alabama was forced to punt once again but Auburn's return man, Quindarius Carr, failed to signal for a fair catch & got drilled by Bama's punt coverage, he fumbled with the Tide recovering at Auburn's 28.
Now we see Big-Play #3. After completing two passes to Julio Jones, the Tide stood 3rd & 2 at the Auburn 5-yardline. Their left guard, Mike Berry, was flagged for a false start & they were set back to a 3rd & 7. Incomplete pass, kick a field goal for a 6-point lead & it was just a matter of time before Newton lead Auburn to the winning score.
A fumble by their Heisman winner, a dropped pass by their 3rd down receiver & a false start by their best offensive lineman. That's all it took to change momentum, to kill scoring opportunities & to their credit, Auburn took advantage of those Big-Plays.
The Tiger defense played lights out in the second half too, holding Bama to just 88-total yards after they rolled up 356 in the first half. The Auburn front-four made the difference in the 2nd half, forcing Tide QB's to throw before they wanted.
You hear people say "the best team didn't win today." Don't give that, the best team today was Auburn, unquestionably the best. They converted their opportunities into points while Bama squandered too many chances, which is why it's said "It all comes down to a couple of plays." That was never more true than this afternoon in Tuscaloosa.
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