Auburn Vs. Oregon: The Stats Tell The Story

Breaking down the 2011 BCS Championship Game by the numbers.

By land.
The tiny irresistible force versus the very large immovable objects: Oregon, boasting the nation's fourth-ranked rushing offense, showpiece of the No. 1 overall offense in both yardage and scoring, was held to 75 yards on the ground, a shadow of the Ducks' "normal" 2010 output of over 300. LaMichael James, the leading rusher with 44 yards, can't exactly be called a non-factor, not when he caught both touchdown passes for the Ducks, but with both feet on the ground he was as close as it gets. Auburn's own rushing offense, no slouch at No. 5 heading into this game, fared better by what may as well have been a light-year, with 254 net ground yards recorded, 142 of that courtesy of the young Michael Dyer, he of breaking records as a freshman that previously belonged to one Bo Jackson.

By air.
Neither of these teams have been all that keen on throwing this year, purely because they don't need to. When they do, they're good: Darron Thomas ranks 18th nationally in passing efficiency, with Cam Newton topping the list at No. 1. Faced with a sizable wall preventing the run, the Ducks found greater gains to be made on the wing, with Thomas rocketing the ball a blistering 363 yards on 40 attempts. Newton wasn't far behind, with 265 aerial yards, and while each threw two touchdowns, the oft-maligned Auburn secondary made a world of difference with two well-timed picks. Entering the national title game, Josh Bynes led the Tigers' defenders with a not-whopping three picks.

By ... sea? [crash of metaphor falling into shards]
Special teams, unfortunately for those hoping and gambling on a fireworks show, won the year for Auburn, which is only fitting. Cam Newton ranks seventh nationally in scoring, but not far behind at No. 19 is Wes Byrum, he of the sure foot and the Tigers' all-time scoring record from any position. Since attaining that mark, however, it's ben a quiet fall for the senior kicker: Auburn's touchdown-happy offense required his services only once since Halloween, and (perhaps out of practice), he missed that single shot in the SEC Championship Game. In Glendale, you might have noticed, Byrum appeared to have regained his edge.