Neo
09-18-2006, 10:46 PM
http://www.sectalk.com/boards/images/logos/Auburn.gifNo. 3 Auburn slips past No. 6 LSU
By: Collin Mickle
Staff Writer
In the on-field chaos immediately following Auburn’s dramatic 7-3 win against LSU on Saturday, there wasn’t anyone happier than Jerraud Powerrs. The redshirt freshman cornerback had played almost the entire second half for the Tigers, replacing injured starter Jonathan Wilhite. That meant plenty of attention from LSU quarterback JaMarcus Russell and his trio of star receivers.
Powers and fellow youngster Walter McFadden were on the field for No. 3 AU’s two biggest defensive stands of the young season: The final two drives of Saturday’s game. And though the process was nerve-wracking for Auburn fans, the end result was all anyone in orange and blue could ask for.
“We’re new. We’re young. We knew the offensive coaches would see that and try to pick on us,” Powers said.
“We’ve just got to, like Coach (Will) Muschamp says, earn our scholarship and play.”
AU’s defense bent nearly as far as it could on those last two drives. But it stiffened enough to hold No. 6 LSU out of the end zone - and that’s all that mattered. “Our guys fought so hard it would have really been a shame to have lost that ballgame right there at the end,” said AU head coach Tommy Tuberville. “When you play that hard, you deserve to win.”
It didn’t come easy, though. Junior nickelback Zach Gilbert was nearly the goat on LSU’s second-to-last drive.
On fourth-and-8, quarterback JaMarcus Russell fired a pass to wideout Early Doucet, bracketed by Gilbert and safety Eric Brock. Brock broke up the pass - but not before Gilbert dragged Doucet down.
The officiating crew called defensive pass interference, which would have given LSU a first down inside AU’s 20-yard line. But after a brief conference, the refs called off the penalty, saying Brock’s deflection negated the interference.
Auburn (3-0, 2-0 Southeastern Conference) wasn’t out of the woods yet.
The Tigers ran 90 seconds off the clock on their ensuing possession, forcing LSU (2-1, 0-1) to burn both of its remaining timeouts. Then a huge punt by Kody Bliss pinned the Bayou Bengals at their own 20-yard line.
But Russell wasn’t out of magic yet. The junior completed 20- and 21-yard passes to Craig Davis down the left sideline, then hit Dwayne Bowe for a 21-yard strike. That gave LSU possession at the Auburn 19.
A penalty pushed the Bayou Bengals back to the 24, with time for one last play. Russell completed another pass to Davis, down to Auburn’s 6. But Brock was there again, dragging down the wideout to end the game.
“That was an unbelievable feeling,” Brock said. “We’ve worked so hard and here they are with a last drive to win it. But we gelled together, and they ran out of time.”
Auburn’s offense couldn’t do much against LSU’s touted defense. AU eked out 182 yards of offense and managed just one impressive drive. But that was enough.
That drive, the Tigers’ first of the second half, lasted 6:43 and covered 75 yards in 12 plays. It marked the only time all night AU flashed its patented run-pass balance. The drive ended with a 1-yard touchdown by Brandon Cox on a quarterback sneak, giving AU a 7-3 lead.
Did Cox think one score would be enough against LSU, which had scored 45 points in each of its previous two games? “If you’d asked me before the game, no,” the quarterback said. “But how the game was going, our defense was going, when we scored that touchdown, I really thought it could win the game.” It did.
LSU head coach Les Miles, meanwhile, was left shaking his head. His Tigers turned in a superb game - everywhere except on the scoreboard. “They played extremely well, and it was a damn exciting finish,” Miles said. “I couldn’t be happier with how we played.”
Auburn is past one obstacle in the race for the SEC’s Western Division title. The winner of the AU-LSU game has represented the West in the SEC title game four of the last five years - a fact repeated ad nauseam in the days leading up to the game.
Just as important for AU fans - who, unlike the players, can openly look past next week’s game against Buffalo - No. 2 Notre Dame lost Saturday. That means the Tigers have a fighting chance to move into the second spot in the polls - assuming they can stay ahead of No. 4 USC.
“We don’t talk about it much, but I’m pretty keen on that No. 2 spot,” noseguard Josh Thompson said. “I don’t think there’s a real big reason for us not to get it. Everybody knows LSU is a top team in the country, for sure, and we came out here and pretty much dominated them on defense tonight.”
cmickle@oanow.com | 737-2561
http://www.oanow.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=OAN%2FMGArticle%2FOAN_BasicArti cle&c=MGArticle&cid=1149190670509&path=%21sports%21index.html
By: Collin Mickle
Staff Writer
In the on-field chaos immediately following Auburn’s dramatic 7-3 win against LSU on Saturday, there wasn’t anyone happier than Jerraud Powerrs. The redshirt freshman cornerback had played almost the entire second half for the Tigers, replacing injured starter Jonathan Wilhite. That meant plenty of attention from LSU quarterback JaMarcus Russell and his trio of star receivers.
Powers and fellow youngster Walter McFadden were on the field for No. 3 AU’s two biggest defensive stands of the young season: The final two drives of Saturday’s game. And though the process was nerve-wracking for Auburn fans, the end result was all anyone in orange and blue could ask for.
“We’re new. We’re young. We knew the offensive coaches would see that and try to pick on us,” Powers said.
“We’ve just got to, like Coach (Will) Muschamp says, earn our scholarship and play.”
AU’s defense bent nearly as far as it could on those last two drives. But it stiffened enough to hold No. 6 LSU out of the end zone - and that’s all that mattered. “Our guys fought so hard it would have really been a shame to have lost that ballgame right there at the end,” said AU head coach Tommy Tuberville. “When you play that hard, you deserve to win.”
It didn’t come easy, though. Junior nickelback Zach Gilbert was nearly the goat on LSU’s second-to-last drive.
On fourth-and-8, quarterback JaMarcus Russell fired a pass to wideout Early Doucet, bracketed by Gilbert and safety Eric Brock. Brock broke up the pass - but not before Gilbert dragged Doucet down.
The officiating crew called defensive pass interference, which would have given LSU a first down inside AU’s 20-yard line. But after a brief conference, the refs called off the penalty, saying Brock’s deflection negated the interference.
Auburn (3-0, 2-0 Southeastern Conference) wasn’t out of the woods yet.
The Tigers ran 90 seconds off the clock on their ensuing possession, forcing LSU (2-1, 0-1) to burn both of its remaining timeouts. Then a huge punt by Kody Bliss pinned the Bayou Bengals at their own 20-yard line.
But Russell wasn’t out of magic yet. The junior completed 20- and 21-yard passes to Craig Davis down the left sideline, then hit Dwayne Bowe for a 21-yard strike. That gave LSU possession at the Auburn 19.
A penalty pushed the Bayou Bengals back to the 24, with time for one last play. Russell completed another pass to Davis, down to Auburn’s 6. But Brock was there again, dragging down the wideout to end the game.
“That was an unbelievable feeling,” Brock said. “We’ve worked so hard and here they are with a last drive to win it. But we gelled together, and they ran out of time.”
Auburn’s offense couldn’t do much against LSU’s touted defense. AU eked out 182 yards of offense and managed just one impressive drive. But that was enough.
That drive, the Tigers’ first of the second half, lasted 6:43 and covered 75 yards in 12 plays. It marked the only time all night AU flashed its patented run-pass balance. The drive ended with a 1-yard touchdown by Brandon Cox on a quarterback sneak, giving AU a 7-3 lead.
Did Cox think one score would be enough against LSU, which had scored 45 points in each of its previous two games? “If you’d asked me before the game, no,” the quarterback said. “But how the game was going, our defense was going, when we scored that touchdown, I really thought it could win the game.” It did.
LSU head coach Les Miles, meanwhile, was left shaking his head. His Tigers turned in a superb game - everywhere except on the scoreboard. “They played extremely well, and it was a damn exciting finish,” Miles said. “I couldn’t be happier with how we played.”
Auburn is past one obstacle in the race for the SEC’s Western Division title. The winner of the AU-LSU game has represented the West in the SEC title game four of the last five years - a fact repeated ad nauseam in the days leading up to the game.
Just as important for AU fans - who, unlike the players, can openly look past next week’s game against Buffalo - No. 2 Notre Dame lost Saturday. That means the Tigers have a fighting chance to move into the second spot in the polls - assuming they can stay ahead of No. 4 USC.
“We don’t talk about it much, but I’m pretty keen on that No. 2 spot,” noseguard Josh Thompson said. “I don’t think there’s a real big reason for us not to get it. Everybody knows LSU is a top team in the country, for sure, and we came out here and pretty much dominated them on defense tonight.”
cmickle@oanow.com | 737-2561
http://www.oanow.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=OAN%2FMGArticle%2FOAN_BasicArti cle&c=MGArticle&cid=1149190670509&path=%21sports%21index.html