Auburn is apparently going to make this last-minute escape deal a signature of its game. In this case, though, it was a last-minute stop of a driving Mississippi State team that preserved the win. The Bulldogs came ever so close to pushing the ball across the goal line twice on the final drive -- once on a leap by running back Vick Ballard that went out of bounds just short, and yet again on the last play of the game, when Auburn stopped quarterback Chris Relf with the ball just inches from the goal line.
Mississippi State Vs. Auburn Final Score: Tigers Win Another Heart-Stopper, 41-34
This is the same Auburn team that used a last-minute onsides kick and drive to finally put down a challenge from upstart Utah State last week. Maybe they only play well with their backs against the wall.
In any case, the game was not a showcase for supposedly superior SEC defenses. The teams combined for 52 first downs, 912 total yards and, of course, 75 points. Three players -- Relf, Ballard and Michael Dyer -- rushed for more than 100 yards. It was eerily reminiscent of last year's Arkansas-Auburn game, without the national championship implications.
At least, you would think. There’s only so many times you can run towards the end of the cliff before you fall off.
To celebrate the win, head over to Track Em Tigers. Mississippi State fans can commiserate about the loss at For Whom The Cowbell Tolls.
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