Write On Sports LLC - "Auburn survives South Carolina" by Frank Sita

Auburn survives South Carolina

2006-09-30 10:06:04 | By: Frank Sita

Kenny Irons saw some old friends and the senior showed his old school why it never should have let him leave.

The former Gamecock running back ran for 117 yards and scored a pair of touchdowns, both on fourth down, leading the second-ranked Auburn Tigers past South Carolina, 24-17, Thursday night at Brice-Williams Stadium in Columbia.

“It felt pretty good… a good feeling,” Irons said after the game. “There are no hard feelings. It’s all fun and games on the field.

Auburn (5-0 overall and 3-0 in the Southeastern Conference) picked up a critical victory that kept its unbeaten season and its hopes to reach the national title game alive. Still, the Tigers needed a last-second defensive stop to get out of Carolina with the victory.

The Gamecocks (3-2 and 1-2) rallied from 24-10 down and drove to the Auburn 6 with 26 seconds left in the game. But Patrick Lee knocked away Syvelle Newton’s floating pass to star receiver Sidney Rice in the end zone.

Along with Irons’ ground game and a rock-solid defense, the Tigers displayed a passing game that helped them take every snap, all 28 of them, in the third period.

Neither coach could ever remember a game where one team so dominated a quarter of play.

“I think that’s a first for me,” South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier said. “I haven’t seen a game where one team had it for an entire quarter.

Auburn quarterback Brandon Cox completed nine of 13 passes for 125 yards in the third period alone to keep the Tigers moving and the South Carolina offense off the field.

Leading 14-10 at the half, Auburn drove 85 yards in 17 plays for a 25-yard field goal by John Vaughn.

Then with the Gamecocks feeling good about holding Auburn out of the end zone, coach Tommy Tuberville took a page of out Spurrier’s playbook and stunned South Carolina with a perfectly executed onsides kick. No Carolina player was within three yards of the ball when it landed, and Jerraud Powers recovered for Auburn.

Cox came out firing again, rifling an 18-yard strike to Courtney Taylor, an eight-yarder to Robert Dunn on fourth-and-six and a 25-yard bolt to Taylor on third-and-21. Irons finished off the drive on the first play of the fourth period, putting Auburn ahead, 24-10.

South Carolina closed to a touchdown on Syvelle Newton’s 25-yard pass to Jared Cook with 8:25 to go in the game. It looked like the Gamecocks had the tying touchdown on their final drive, but Newton’s perfect pass to Cook bounced off his hands as he crossed the end zone.

On fourth down, Newton, who completed 21-of-35 passes for 240 yards with two touchdowns and an interception and added another 44 yards rushing, tried to find Rice in the end zone. However Lee was there to make sure Rice didn’t make the catch.

Irons got going early for Auburn, rushing for 38 yards on the first drive of the game for the Tigers. The senior finished off the drive by stretching the ball over the goal line over USC linebacker Jasper Brinkley.

Irons also led Auburn to its other first-half touchdown, ripping off runs of 24 and 11 yards. Fullback Carl Stewart added a 20-yard gallop to the Carolina 7. Two plays later, Cox hit tight end Tommy Trott with a nine-yard scoring pass and a 14-3 Auburn lead.

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