College Football Friday
Auburn at Alabama
Almost 25 minutes into the Iron Bowl, the number 2 team in the nation was about to pave the way for TCU or Boise State. Trailing 24-0 on the road against the defending champions, the situation seemed bleak.
But don't fear. Cam Newton is here. And he produced.
Newton led Auburn to a 28-27 win in the last 35 minutes as Auburn ended a 2 game Iron Bowl losing streak, and kept them alive for the BCS Title, which they should make with a SEC Title W over South Carolina next week.
Alabama struck first, starting at the 29 and picking up short chunks of yardage to get into the red zone. On first and goal, Mark Ingram took a handoff up the middle and ran into the end zone to give Alabama a 7-0 lead.
After a Tiger 3 and out, Alabama came back. At the 32 yard line, Julio Jones slipped through the secondary and caught a McElroy pass. After reaching the end zone, Alabama led 14-0. Then on their next possession, an unsportsmanlike conduct turned 4th and 19 into 4th and 4. After picking it up, Alabama scored and took a 21-0 lead.
On the Tide's next possession, Mark Ingram caught a screen pass and rumbled 41 yards into the red zone. However, on that same play Ingram fumbled into the end zone, and a 28-0 chance was wiped away. While it didn't seem big then, it proved costly.
After a 20 yard Auburn punt, Julio Jones caught a 42 yard pass to get Alabama down to the 3. But the Tide couldn't punch it in, and they had to settle for a field goal and a 24-0 lead.
On the next Auburn possession, they finally got going. 2 3rd down completions to former QB Kodi Burns set up a 34 yard TD pass from Cam Newton to Emory Blake. The route was hook-and go, and Newton had barely enough space to fit the ball in.
But Alabama got going again, getting to the 8 yard line. But Nick Fairley, who had cost the Tigers a TD with a penalty earlier, sacked McElroy and forced a fumble. Instead of 42-7, what it could have been if Alabama capitalized on everything, it was 24-7.
And those points were huge. On the second play from scrimmage, Newton lofted a pass up to Terrell Zachery. Zachery caught the pass in between 2 defenders, broke a tackle and raced into the end zone. The deficit was only 10.
Alabama punted twice, and on Auburn's second possession, they struck. Ontario McCalebb rushed for gains of 11 and 20 and caught a 15 yard pass, and after backup Mario Fannin caught a 6 yard pass, the Tigers were at the one. Cam Newton threw himself into a pile and into the end zone on the next play, and it was 24-21.
Then 'Bama went 3 and out, but Quindarius Carr fumbled the punt and Alabama recovered. Although they only got a field goal, points are points, and those points gave the Tide a 27-21 lead.
However, on Auburn's next drive they got to the seven yard line. And on 3rd down, Cam Newton hit Phillp Lutzenkirchen, who ran a wide route out of the backfield, for a 7 yard scoring strike. After this play, the Tigers led 28-27.
However, the Tide put together a long drive that got to the Auburn 32. But 2 plays later, Alabama was forced with 3rd and 12. And on 3rd down, T'Sharvan Bell sacked McElroy, and McElroy was hurt. Alabama was forced to punt.
And on the ensuing Auburn possession, the Tigers faced 4th and inches. Auburn went for it, and Cam Newton leaped over the pile for the first down. Although Auburn would have to punt, only 51 seconds remained.
And 3 plays later, it was fourth down. After a pass to Julio Jones was broken up, and Auburn kneeled, the game was over. Auburn, down 24-0, had rallied to victory and kept their title dreams alive.
A win will throw Auburn into the BCS Title.
Boise State at Nevada
As the Nevada Wolfpack charged the frozen turf at 11:00, you could look back at the game. Halftime; Boise State 24, Nevada 7. The Broncs were in control, and they looked poised to stay in the BCS Title race. Just don't get outscored by 17+.
But you might have figured out by now that they did.
Nevada came back to tie the game, then Anthony Martinez nailed a 34 yard FG to give the Wolfpack a 34-31 win. Boise had a chance to win in regulation, but Kyle Brotzman's 26 yard try sailed right.
The Pack started with the ball, but George Iloka made a great catch staying in bounds for the interception. Kyle Brotzman nailed a 33 yard kick, and the Broncs took a 3-0 lead. On Boise's next possession, Austin Pettis caught a 3rd down pass on a slant and Doug Martin ran around right end for a touchdown. Boise led 10-0 after that.
Nevada got some offense going, but 2 sacks took them out of Boise territory and forced 4th and 31. On Boise's next possession Kellen Moore found Titus Young for a touchdown. Young made a great effort to stay in bounds, and it paid off.
But on the Wolfpack's next possession, Vai Taua found a hole and took it. He picked up 55 yards on the play, then after a touchdown was taken back because Rishard Matthews stepped out of bounds, Taua rumbled into the end zone. That cut the deficit to 17-7.
But on the next Boise State possession, Austin Pettis caught a 24 yard pass and then Kellen Moore handed it off to Doug Martin, who found a hole and exploded. Martin scored, and at the half, the score was 24-7. Boise seemed to have the game won.
But Nevada didn't think so. They got to the Boise State 17 yard line, but Anthony Martinez had a 35 yard kick blocked. The Broncs got the ball back, but they had to punt. An unsportsmanlike penalty on Boise gave Nevada the ball at their own 42.
On 4th and 2, Colin Kapernick tried to force the ball to his receiver. It didn't work, but PI was called, and Nevada got a first down. On 3rd down Colin Kapernick had nowhere to throw, so he ran. After dodging a Boise defender, he dove into the end zone to make it 24-14.
Boise State went 3 and out, and Nevada got good file position. They got to the Boise 44, where they went for a double reverse to Rishard Matthews. Matthews took the reverse, made a juke, broke a tackle, and outraced the entire Boise D. It was now a 3 point game.
Boise went 3 and out again, and again the Nevada offense hit the red zone. But this time, Nevada couldn't score a touchdown, and they failed to take the lead. Instead they tied the game at 24.
But this time, Boise needed just one play to turn a tie game into a 7 point lead. Doug Martin caught a screen pass, and he raced 15 yards before breaking a tackle and getting downfield blocking. He scored, and after his 3rd TD of the game Boise had a 31-24 lead.
The Nevada offense just couldn't be slowed down. Virgil Green caught a 3rd down pass, then Vai Taua ran for a first down on 3rd and 1. Then, in the red zone, Kaepernick hit Matthews on an out for a TD with 17 seconds left.
But that was enough time for Boise. Moore hit Titus Young for a 54 yard gain, and it set up a 26 yard field goal try for Kyle Brotzman. With perfection on the line, Brotzman took the kick. He hooked it right. The game went into OT.
The Broncs gave Brotzman another try, but this time he hooked it left. Nevada picked up 9 yards on their drive, but the difference was Anthony Martinez nailing a 34 yard kick. Nevada had won, ended Boise's drive for perfection and putting themselves in the drivers seat for the WAC title.
Other headlines:
2 TD's from LaMichael James, 3 from Darron Thomas help Oregon survive Arizona 48-29 and win Pac-10 title.
3 TD's from Bilal Powell help Louisville beat Rutgers, become bowl eligible.
Ability to force turnovers give West Virginia Backyard Brawl over Pitt.
Cody Green 2 TD passes help Nebraska beat Colorado, clinch Big 12 North title.
4 TD passes from backup Brock Osweiler help Arizona State beat UCLA 55-34, stay alive for bowl game.
Almost 25 minutes into the Iron Bowl, the number 2 team in the nation was about to pave the way for TCU or Boise State. Trailing 24-0 on the road against the defending champions, the situation seemed bleak.
But don't fear. Cam Newton is here. And he produced.
Newton led Auburn to a 28-27 win in the last 35 minutes as Auburn ended a 2 game Iron Bowl losing streak, and kept them alive for the BCS Title, which they should make with a SEC Title W over South Carolina next week.
Alabama struck first, starting at the 29 and picking up short chunks of yardage to get into the red zone. On first and goal, Mark Ingram took a handoff up the middle and ran into the end zone to give Alabama a 7-0 lead.
After a Tiger 3 and out, Alabama came back. At the 32 yard line, Julio Jones slipped through the secondary and caught a McElroy pass. After reaching the end zone, Alabama led 14-0. Then on their next possession, an unsportsmanlike conduct turned 4th and 19 into 4th and 4. After picking it up, Alabama scored and took a 21-0 lead.
On the Tide's next possession, Mark Ingram caught a screen pass and rumbled 41 yards into the red zone. However, on that same play Ingram fumbled into the end zone, and a 28-0 chance was wiped away. While it didn't seem big then, it proved costly.
After a 20 yard Auburn punt, Julio Jones caught a 42 yard pass to get Alabama down to the 3. But the Tide couldn't punch it in, and they had to settle for a field goal and a 24-0 lead.
On the next Auburn possession, they finally got going. 2 3rd down completions to former QB Kodi Burns set up a 34 yard TD pass from Cam Newton to Emory Blake. The route was hook-and go, and Newton had barely enough space to fit the ball in.
But Alabama got going again, getting to the 8 yard line. But Nick Fairley, who had cost the Tigers a TD with a penalty earlier, sacked McElroy and forced a fumble. Instead of 42-7, what it could have been if Alabama capitalized on everything, it was 24-7.
And those points were huge. On the second play from scrimmage, Newton lofted a pass up to Terrell Zachery. Zachery caught the pass in between 2 defenders, broke a tackle and raced into the end zone. The deficit was only 10.
Alabama punted twice, and on Auburn's second possession, they struck. Ontario McCalebb rushed for gains of 11 and 20 and caught a 15 yard pass, and after backup Mario Fannin caught a 6 yard pass, the Tigers were at the one. Cam Newton threw himself into a pile and into the end zone on the next play, and it was 24-21.
Then 'Bama went 3 and out, but Quindarius Carr fumbled the punt and Alabama recovered. Although they only got a field goal, points are points, and those points gave the Tide a 27-21 lead.
However, on Auburn's next drive they got to the seven yard line. And on 3rd down, Cam Newton hit Phillp Lutzenkirchen, who ran a wide route out of the backfield, for a 7 yard scoring strike. After this play, the Tigers led 28-27.
However, the Tide put together a long drive that got to the Auburn 32. But 2 plays later, Alabama was forced with 3rd and 12. And on 3rd down, T'Sharvan Bell sacked McElroy, and McElroy was hurt. Alabama was forced to punt.
And on the ensuing Auburn possession, the Tigers faced 4th and inches. Auburn went for it, and Cam Newton leaped over the pile for the first down. Although Auburn would have to punt, only 51 seconds remained.
And 3 plays later, it was fourth down. After a pass to Julio Jones was broken up, and Auburn kneeled, the game was over. Auburn, down 24-0, had rallied to victory and kept their title dreams alive.
A win will throw Auburn into the BCS Title.
Boise State at Nevada
As the Nevada Wolfpack charged the frozen turf at 11:00, you could look back at the game. Halftime; Boise State 24, Nevada 7. The Broncs were in control, and they looked poised to stay in the BCS Title race. Just don't get outscored by 17+.
But you might have figured out by now that they did.
Nevada came back to tie the game, then Anthony Martinez nailed a 34 yard FG to give the Wolfpack a 34-31 win. Boise had a chance to win in regulation, but Kyle Brotzman's 26 yard try sailed right.
The Pack started with the ball, but George Iloka made a great catch staying in bounds for the interception. Kyle Brotzman nailed a 33 yard kick, and the Broncs took a 3-0 lead. On Boise's next possession, Austin Pettis caught a 3rd down pass on a slant and Doug Martin ran around right end for a touchdown. Boise led 10-0 after that.
Nevada got some offense going, but 2 sacks took them out of Boise territory and forced 4th and 31. On Boise's next possession Kellen Moore found Titus Young for a touchdown. Young made a great effort to stay in bounds, and it paid off.
But on the Wolfpack's next possession, Vai Taua found a hole and took it. He picked up 55 yards on the play, then after a touchdown was taken back because Rishard Matthews stepped out of bounds, Taua rumbled into the end zone. That cut the deficit to 17-7.
But on the next Boise State possession, Austin Pettis caught a 24 yard pass and then Kellen Moore handed it off to Doug Martin, who found a hole and exploded. Martin scored, and at the half, the score was 24-7. Boise seemed to have the game won.
But Nevada didn't think so. They got to the Boise State 17 yard line, but Anthony Martinez had a 35 yard kick blocked. The Broncs got the ball back, but they had to punt. An unsportsmanlike penalty on Boise gave Nevada the ball at their own 42.
On 4th and 2, Colin Kapernick tried to force the ball to his receiver. It didn't work, but PI was called, and Nevada got a first down. On 3rd down Colin Kapernick had nowhere to throw, so he ran. After dodging a Boise defender, he dove into the end zone to make it 24-14.
Boise State went 3 and out, and Nevada got good file position. They got to the Boise 44, where they went for a double reverse to Rishard Matthews. Matthews took the reverse, made a juke, broke a tackle, and outraced the entire Boise D. It was now a 3 point game.
Boise went 3 and out again, and again the Nevada offense hit the red zone. But this time, Nevada couldn't score a touchdown, and they failed to take the lead. Instead they tied the game at 24.
But this time, Boise needed just one play to turn a tie game into a 7 point lead. Doug Martin caught a screen pass, and he raced 15 yards before breaking a tackle and getting downfield blocking. He scored, and after his 3rd TD of the game Boise had a 31-24 lead.
The Nevada offense just couldn't be slowed down. Virgil Green caught a 3rd down pass, then Vai Taua ran for a first down on 3rd and 1. Then, in the red zone, Kaepernick hit Matthews on an out for a TD with 17 seconds left.
But that was enough time for Boise. Moore hit Titus Young for a 54 yard gain, and it set up a 26 yard field goal try for Kyle Brotzman. With perfection on the line, Brotzman took the kick. He hooked it right. The game went into OT.
The Broncs gave Brotzman another try, but this time he hooked it left. Nevada picked up 9 yards on their drive, but the difference was Anthony Martinez nailing a 34 yard kick. Nevada had won, ended Boise's drive for perfection and putting themselves in the drivers seat for the WAC title.
Other headlines:
2 TD's from LaMichael James, 3 from Darron Thomas help Oregon survive Arizona 48-29 and win Pac-10 title.
3 TD's from Bilal Powell help Louisville beat Rutgers, become bowl eligible.
Ability to force turnovers give West Virginia Backyard Brawl over Pitt.
Cody Green 2 TD passes help Nebraska beat Colorado, clinch Big 12 North title.
4 TD passes from backup Brock Osweiler help Arizona State beat UCLA 55-34, stay alive for bowl game.
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