It’s not often that you get to call a tough, close win “National Championship saving” in October. But in retrospect, that’s exactly what the October 9, 2010 Auburn 37-34 gutty road win over Kentucky would prove to be (at least I think the BCS system of computers and human voters would have vaulted 13-0 TCU over hated 12-1 Auburn with a “bad loss” to 6-7 Kentucky).
2010 Auburn AT Kentucky. Auburn was 5-0, and had surged to 8th ranked, and the secret was out about Cam after the USCe and Clemson wins.
Also recall, that phenomenal AU team had to grind out a dangerous 17-14 win AT Starkville the 2nd game of the season. Undoubtedly fueled by butthurt Dan Mullen and the State contingent’s anger at those cheatin’ Auburn boosters who bought Cam (nevermind the fact it was only MSU that offered $180K).
Ah, the SEC. Hazardous night game in a fired up Lexington environment. First year head coach Joker Phillips had his kids ready to play.
Mike Hartline was the Cats’ QB and had a good game, but it was Randall Cobb in the Wildcat that gave us fits defensively, as KY drove the opening drive for a TD, up 7-0. Cobb would be named All-American in 2010, and he scored FOUR touchdowns that night against Auburn.
In some ways, not having the team better prepared (defensively) for the road threat was a window into Chizik not being a “complete” head coach. But he also gets credit for composure in surviving a scare.
AU then went on a tear, with Cam putting on a rushing and passing clinic, to go up 24-7 in the 2nd quarter. Sound familiar as a score? Foreshadowing of the CamBack Iron Bowl?
Down only 31-24, 4:44 3rd quarter, AU had Randall Cobb corralled for a 20 yard loss on a pass play, but he pulled a Houdini and scampered down to the goal line! Kentucky had shockingly tied it 31-all, late 3rd quarter.
With 4:00 left to play, 34-34 tie, Malzahn wisely put the whole game in Cam’s hands. Cam ran the ball on multiple 3rd and 2, 3’s and Wes Byrum kicked the winning FG from the Cats’ 5 yard line with no time left on the clock.
Despite having generationally great Cam and Fairley, had to absolutely gut one out with an “all Cam” final drive for the winning FG.
Lose that one and AU gives the BCS human voters a way out of picking Auburn vs Oregon. The pressure to do so would have been palpable.
And we’d all still be crying in our beer “what if?” like in 1988, 1983, 2004, 1993.
2010 Auburn AT Kentucky. Auburn was 5-0, and had surged to 8th ranked, and the secret was out about Cam after the USCe and Clemson wins.
Also recall, that phenomenal AU team had to grind out a dangerous 17-14 win AT Starkville the 2nd game of the season. Undoubtedly fueled by butthurt Dan Mullen and the State contingent’s anger at those cheatin’ Auburn boosters who bought Cam (nevermind the fact it was only MSU that offered $180K).
Ah, the SEC. Hazardous night game in a fired up Lexington environment. First year head coach Joker Phillips had his kids ready to play.
Mike Hartline was the Cats’ QB and had a good game, but it was Randall Cobb in the Wildcat that gave us fits defensively, as KY drove the opening drive for a TD, up 7-0. Cobb would be named All-American in 2010, and he scored FOUR touchdowns that night against Auburn.
In some ways, not having the team better prepared (defensively) for the road threat was a window into Chizik not being a “complete” head coach. But he also gets credit for composure in surviving a scare.
AU then went on a tear, with Cam putting on a rushing and passing clinic, to go up 24-7 in the 2nd quarter. Sound familiar as a score? Foreshadowing of the CamBack Iron Bowl?
Down only 31-24, 4:44 3rd quarter, AU had Randall Cobb corralled for a 20 yard loss on a pass play, but he pulled a Houdini and scampered down to the goal line! Kentucky had shockingly tied it 31-all, late 3rd quarter.
With 4:00 left to play, 34-34 tie, Malzahn wisely put the whole game in Cam’s hands. Cam ran the ball on multiple 3rd and 2, 3’s and Wes Byrum kicked the winning FG from the Cats’ 5 yard line with no time left on the clock.
Despite having generationally great Cam and Fairley, had to absolutely gut one out with an “all Cam” final drive for the winning FG.
Lose that one and AU gives the BCS human voters a way out of picking Auburn vs Oregon. The pressure to do so would have been palpable.
And we’d all still be crying in our beer “what if?” like in 1988, 1983, 2004, 1993.
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