Game 12 Review: DESTINY

(This post is dedicated to Auburn all-time great and first Heisman Trophy winner Pat Sullivan who passed away Saturday night.  He will always be on the Mount Rushmore of Auburn football.)

Auburn 48  Bama 45.  Once again I thought I had seen it all in the Iron Bowl as I wrote about my memories of all the Iron Bowls I have seen in my last post.  Once again I was wrong and once again I was lucky enough to be there in the middle of it with my parents and youngest son for probably the last time in person.  I really feel so blessed and so thankful that I was fortunate enough to see another one of these.  Frankly though I am not sure I can take much more.  I turned to my mother as the fourth quarter started in this one and told her I was not sure I was going to make it through this one.  This was pretty much the wildest game I have ever seen in person or on TV and an instant classic.  

This game resembled the 2014 game in many ways although I think both teams yesterday were actually a little better and the game was a little crazier.  However that one was a high scoring back and forth affair that could have gone either way that Bama won 55-44.  This one could have gone either way but this time Auburn won.  It is hard to fully "get your hands around" this game.  There was SO MUCH that happened.  I mean WOW.  The game started as low-scoring and defensive with the first quarter ending 7-3 Auburn and then we saw a second quarter with 48 POINTS SCORED, 38 POINTS IN THE LAST SIX MINUTES (!!!!!!).  

I am just going to try and hit points in this game and give my take on them and some of the controversial moments although I think the field goal before the half is really the only one.  I have also been a huge critic of Gus Malzahn throughout this season.  How do I reconcile this game with that?  I stand by what I wrote but I obviously admit he did a good job at points within his system to give Auburn some good chances and he did a good job getting the overall attitude of the team right, i.e. expecting to win.  However the game was to me won by Auburn and lost by Bama on the pick sixes especially the second one.  Auburn also got unbelievable plays and performances we have not seen this year.

PREGAME

I drove down with my youngest son and we met up with my parents at their RV.  Again they have been Auburn season ticket holders for 36 years but are giving it up after this Iron Bowl.  We did a little reminiscing about 36 years of watching Auburn football and then my son and I headed to the stadium a little early.  The weather was absolutely gorgeous, the best I have ever seen even remotely close to the end of November.  It was seventy and sunny pretty much the whole time.  We had a few issues with people taking up more than their seat but after a cool flyover by F16s I was ready to go.  The stadium was packed, the energy was high and it was time to start another Iron Bowl.  

FIRST QUARTER

Auburn received the opening kickoff, hit a few passes but had to punt.  Bama got the ball and immediately headed down the field.  The Bama offensive line dominated the vaunted Auburn defensive line most of the first half.  Bama actually scored a touchdown but it was called back on a holding call.  It was pretty bad holding but I was still shocked they called it.  Bama did end up with a field goal to take a 3-0 lead.  Auburn went three-and-out and then forced Bama to punt.  Christian Tutt came up with Auburn's first big play returning the punt 37 yards putting Auburn in business at the Bama 32 yard line.  Bo Nix took it in after a big Boobie Whitlow run to make it 7-3 Auburn.

SECOND QUARTER

In the words of Samuel L. Jackson in "Jurassic Park"... "hold on to your butts", this again is the craziest quarter of football I have ever seen.  Bama started the quarter with an almost seven minute 14-play touchdown drive topped off by Najee Harris taking it in for the touchdown to make it 10-7 Bama.  Auburn then takes it down and ties the game 10-10 aided by a pass interference penalty.  Bama got the ball back and quarterback Mac Jones finally made a mistake and it turned out to be a bad one sailing a pass high.  Smoke Monday intercepted it and took it back all the way to make it 17-10.  This is definitely KEY MOMENT NUMBER ONE to Auburn winning the game. 

You can complain about refs all you want and I have this season but you cannot throw pick sixes and then blame the refs for losing the game.  It was a great job by the Auburn defense taking advantage.  The crowd went nuts on this play and got really loud...  it did not last long.  Bama's Jaylen Waddle then basically took over the game.  He started by taking the ensuing kickoff all the way to immediately tie the game.  Auburn got the ball and two plays later Boobie Whitlow fumbled and Bama got it.  The Bama brain trust made a great call and immediately went for the throat and this time quarterback Matt Jones threw a perfect strike to DeVonta Smith to give Bama first-and-goal.  Jones then hit Henry Ruggs for the touchdown. 

The air went completely out of Jordan Hare.  My head was still spinning.  Auburn had seized the lead and the momentum with a huge pick six and then in LESS THAN A MINUTE AND A HALF BAMA SCORED TWO TOUCHDOWNS to take the lead back.  I just did not think it was in the cards after that blitzkrieg.  I do not think I have ever seen two touchdowns scored so quickly.  Bama had seized this game and here is where they could have won the game.  Instead Auburn went on their most clutch touchdown drive of the entire season.  This drive with Seth Williams unbelievable one-handed catch, Will Hastings out of nowhere grab plus Sal Cannella's tip-toe masterpiece was KEY MOMENT NUMBER TWO to Auburn winning this game.  

This drive kind of gets lost in everything else that happened in this game but it should not.  It was huge.  It came down to 3rd and 7 at the Auburn 38 yard line.  Bo Nix with no fear threw a great pass and then Seth Williams made an even greater one-handed catch for 37 yards.  That is a gutsy pass to throw on 3rd down in that situation.  I mean WOW, what a play.  Nix then scrambles and appeared to just throw it away before Will Hastings came out of nowhere for the catch.  Another WOW moment.  The very next play Nix hits Sal Cannella for the tying touchdown on a pass-and-catch that would make NFL players jealous.  Nix put it the only place he could and Cannella made one of the best catches you will ever see keeping his toes just in bounds.

It was an unbelievably clutch drive with three just incredible passes and catches.  These were players giving it everything they possibly could and making some of the biggest plays of their career.  The game was now tied 24-24 and Auburn had recovered some momentum.  Bama immediately took it away AGAIN.  The Tide scored on TWO PLAYS with Mac Jones hitting Bama hero Jaylen Waddle on the second play and he took it 58 yards to make it 31-24.  It looked like a high schooler racing elementary kids.  Auburn has some pretty good players in the secondary and he just blew past them.  I mean there was nothing you could say.  I just sat down and shook my head.  Auburn could not cover these guys.  I just did not see how Auburn could score more points than Bama.

Auburn had earlier dumbed it up and used all their timeouts because they could not get it together on substitutions.  It almost bit them but they got lucky and we hit the only real controversy in the game.  Auburn got the ball back with 33 seconds left.  The Tigers hit two big plays but the last was a swing pass to Bobbie Whitlow and he got the first down but was tackled with the clock running out.  The play was reviewed and one second was put back on the clock.  Auburn then was able to get the field goal unit on the field and was able to simultaneously snap the ball with the timekeeper starting the clock and got the field goal off which was made and three points was the difference in the game.

First, yes I would be upset if the shoe was on the other foot but since no one and especially Bama fans ever think like that when something questionable is happening to Auburn, I do not feel real sorry for them.  I think a worst call was made in the 2015 Iron Bowl when then defensive coordinator Will Muschamp was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct which gave Bama the win and he did not go off nearly as bad as Nick $aban.  I agree with the official they had checking calls on TV.  He simply explained this is one of the cons of having technology.  It was the correct call to put one second back and since they had to take time out for the replay then Auburn was able to get right people on the field and lined up.  The score was Bama 31 Auburn 27 at halftime.

I agree that I would not like it if this happened to me but Bama still had the lead and had PLENTY OF CHANCES TO WIN THIS GAME.  I believe I would be here writing about those plays more and not this one if I was a Bama fan who has such a higher standard than everyone else.  I am sorry this call did not cost Bama the game.  On the other hand I thought it was pretty good coaching (and it hurts to say that) for Auburn to be ready for something like that especially after watching the incompetence that cost Auburn the timeouts to start with.  You also have to give a ton of credit to Anders Carlson.  The guy had been terrible from over 40 yards and has not been strong the last few weeks.  He was absolutely CLUTCH in this game with fields goals of 43, 52, 43 and 44 yards.

THIRD QUARTER

It took awhile to catch my breath at halftime.  I mean whew the stats told the story, the score and the stats were pretty much what you would see after a whole game (!!!).  Also kudos to both the Auburn and Bama bands, they both put on a great show with Bama paying homage to the Beatles and Auburn to Woodstock.  I know most of us are too busy hating each other to notice but both bands were awesome.  Auburn was able to get coverage and pin Bama deep to start the second half.  The defense then forced Bama into one of their few three-and-outs on the day and got good field position.  The Tigers were then able to just do enough to get into position for Carlson to get his third field of the day.  That brought Auburn to within one with the score 31-30 Bama.

Bama then flexed their muscles again.  Bama's offensive line is ridiculously good.  They are top notch at every position on the field on offense.  Mac Jones was even outstanding going 26 for 39 with 335 yards and FOUR TOUCHDOWNS.  That is a career day for a lot of guys but the problem was his two interceptions.  They were critical mistakes and again they were the biggest reason Bama lost this game in my opinion.  In fact KEY MOMENT NUMBER THREE was the biggest key moment of them all.  This swung the game the most in my opinion.  Bama drove 74 yards in eleven plays for first and goal at the Auburn two yard line.  Auburn also helped with multiple pass interference penalties.  The stage was set for Bama to go up by eight and be in position to take control.

The Auburn offense just was not going to be able to keep up with this Bama juggernaut unless the defense could make some plays.  Mac Jones made his second mistake although the Auburn defense gets some credit for pressuring him so fast.  He was trying to hit Najee Harris for the touchdown and threw it behind him.  In fact it hit him in the back and covering Auburn linebacker Zakoby McClain who was also Auburn's leading tackler in the game was able to grab the ball and then took it 100 yards for a touchdown and a 37-31 lead.  The Auburn defense was struggling against Bama's talent but just kept working and when the mistake was made they were able to capitalize and turn the game right when Bama was close to putting it out of reach.

I can say that now but not then.  I cheered hard but as soon as Auburn kicked back to Bama I just thought here we go again... and I was right.  It took Bama just five plays to take the lead back, basically just three.  Mac Jones passed to Henry Ruggs for 24 yards, then to DeVonta Smith for 26 yards and then 12 yards to you guessed it Jaylen Waddle for his third touchdown of the night to make it 38-37 Bama.  Auburn is playing their guts out and guys are making unbelievable plays they have not done all season.  Auburn is doing everything they can but at this point I was just not seeing how it would be enough especially after the Tigers were stopped and punted it back to Bama the next possession.

You have to keep fighting though.  That is the mantra of every coach and every team fighting Goliath.  The Auburn defense had been absolutely shredded much of the night but they had made some plays and hung in there.  Luckily Auburn was able to pin Bama deep when they punted and then the defense stopped Bama three-and-out the next series to keep it at 38-37.  It was a huge stop.  Boobie Whitlow then busted one for 36 yards to put Auburn in field goal range.  Anders Carlson buried another one from 44 yards to give Auburn the lead 40-38.  Bama opened the fourth quarter by storming down the field again with Mac Jones passing to Henry Ruggs for 33 yards, to DeVonta Smith for 14 yards and then hitting Jaylen Waddle for a 28 yard touchdown, his FOURTH.

Bama was now up 45-40 when Auburn got the ball with a little over thirteen minutes left in the game.  The Auburn offense had hung in all day but now it was down to crunch time.  Auburn pretty much had to score a touchdown because the odds were Bama would go down and score and put this one out of reach like 2014 if they did not.  This is KEY MOMENT NUMBER FOUR.  This was when Bo Nix's dad came up big in the Iron Bowl and now it was Bo's turn.  Bo Nix opened with a great win against Oregon and turned in an incredible performance against Mississippi State but he has struggled a lot of the season.  Now though he was in the spot he had dreamed of being in his whole life.  He was the starting quarterback at Auburn leading a do-or-die drive against the Crimson Tide.

Bo Nix proceeded to write his own chapter in Iron Bowl history leading Auburn down the field to put them in position for the winning touchdown.  He made three huge plays on the drive.  First he had two big runs for first downs and then hit Seth Williams on a huge third down conversion atoning for the one he missed in the Georgia game.  Nix and the offense drove the ball 66 yards consuming over five minutes to a 3rd and 5 at the Bama eleven yard line.  A field goal was really not going to get it done, Auburn needed to score.  Auburn lined up in the wildcat which is usually not good.  Boobie Whitlow took the snap and handed to a crossing Shaun Shivers.  Bama had the end covered, Shivers was not going to take it around the end...

Shivers saw the end was covered and immediately cut up, trucked a Bama defender sending his helmet flying and charged into the end zone and into Auburn history.  The crowd noise was deafening.  It was an unbelievable play.  Auburn then converted the two-point conversion on another clutch pass from Bo Nix to Shedrick Jackson.  It was now Auburn up 48-45 with eight minutes left in the game.  I sure did not feel confident that Auburn could hold the lead.  Bama then started a long slow drive down the field.  Bama drove 52 yards in 12 plays chewing up six minutes to the Auburn ten yard line.  They overcame three procedure penalties caused by the unbelievable crowd noise.  Big bad Bama was first and goal on the Auburn ten yard line needing a touchdown to put the Tigers away.

Bama with all their offensive talent, all their championships, all their swagger simply had to go ten yards to finally put Auburn away, win the Iron Bowl and go to their six straight college football playoff.  They simply had to get ten yards against a battered, bruised and exhausted Auburn defense.  Bama had massively won the time of possession battle for most of game and had controlled the ball for around 34 minutes at this point.  Auburn's defense was on fumes but they were not done yet and they stood strong one more time.  They stopped a Najee Harris run, forced Mac Jones into a short scramble and then Auburn MVP Derrick Brown came up with KEY MOMENT NUMBER FIVE batting down Mac Jones' third down pass which probably would have been a touchdown.

Bama now lined for a short 30-yard field goal and it seemed the first overtime game in Iron Bowl history was finally going to happen.  The kick went up... and bounced off the goalpost.  PANDEMONIUM.  Hold on though there was two minutes left, two long minutes.  Auburn had to get a first down or Bama and their quick strike offense was going to get one more crack at it.  Auburn ran it twice and Gus even tried a pretty nice misdirection trick play with Boobie Whitlow at quarterback but it did not work.  It was fourth down and Arryn Siposs was running onto the field.  Bama's punt return unit ran onto the field... but all of a sudden Auburn was in their regular offensive shotgun set with Siposs split wide???

I think all of us were wondering if Gus had lost his mind.  He tricked us but more important he tricked Nick $aban.  Bama rushed their defense back onto the field but still had their returner, Jaylen Waddle, on the field as Auburn came set.  Bo Nix saw it first, the flag had been throw, it was a twelve men on the field penalty...  Auburn had their first down and AUBURN HAD JUST WON THE FOOTBALL GAME!!!!!!!!!!  Andy Burcham screamed "LET THE CELEBRATION BEGIN!!!" in his first big game call.  I turned and hugged my parents.  This was probably our last one together and it just could not feel sweeter.  I felt now that it was DESTINY that we would get to see one more great one together after watching so many over almost 40 years.

I got to take my younger son down on the field after his first Iron Bowl.  We got to go to Toomers and see another titanic celebration.  I have to say, I do not think there is much debate, there is NOTHING like celebrating a really big win at Auburn University.  Toomer's Corner really is a one-of-a-kind place.  There is just not anything like it.  You head there with about fifty thousand of your best friends, young and old, and you whoop it up, take pictures and just soak it all in.  Toomer's Corner is the best celebration tradition in college football (although a post game meeting on the field at Jordan Hare is rising) and I just feel so thankful to have been there for a few of them.  

I have to say the reaction from Bama fans has been pretty bad even for them.  It is hard to find any Bama fan with sportsmanship.  I have not heard one Bama fan yet give Auburn any credit.  I mean Auburn made some big plays and gave unbelievable effort.  Auburn fans have lived under the $aban regime for going on twelve years now and I have not seen any widespread behavior like this.  Listen Bama, Auburn has had INJURIES, PENALTIES, BAD CALLS and PLAIN BAD LUCK in PLENTY OF IRON BOWLS.  If you want to diminish Auburn winning this game and not give them any credit then I want a LOT OF PAST BAMA WINS IN THE IRON BOWL DISCREDITED.  

I mean when I coach a youth sports team I try to teach KIDS my three rules of sportsmanship and they are:  NO BRAGGING, NO MOPING AND NO WHINING.  That needs to be taught in Tuscaloosa.  I love the supposed greatest college football program in the country of the past decade that had PLENTY of chances to win this game going on and on about Auburn getting a field goal before halftime WHEN BAMA STILL HAD THE LEAD.  I mean come on guys, if the shoe was on the other foot I would be much more upset with my team not running with first and goal at the one yard line with a chance to take the game over or not being able to score at all with a first and goal at the ten yard line to win the game.

It had been a season that was missing something up to this point.  It was a good football team with the nation's toughest schedule that had an offensive staff with some issues.  The team's effort though was never a problem.  This team played their butts off all season and while they did plenty to hurt themselves in the other big games this season they were so close to pulling off a big win.  I guess they saved the best for last.  I will remember this football team for their effort and their perseverance.  The coaching staff and players just kept working.  This team "wrestled with them angels" like their predecessors thirty years ago and like that team we watched them grow up and become men.  These men then went out and won one of the greatest Iron Bowls ever played.

It sure seems like it was their DESTINY as well...  WAR DAMN EAGLE.