Auburn/Georgia: High highs, low lows
The great thing about watching college football, is that you might see something you’ve never seen before on any given Saturday. That can also be the bad thing about watching college football if you had Georgia (+3) this Saturday.
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Head coach Gus Malzahn designed a “dig” route by sophomore receiver Sammie Coates to try and pick up a first down. Instead, sophomore wide receiver Ricardo Louis demanded the ball and quarterback Nick Marshall decided to throw the ball down the field, into triple coverage.
It was basically a pass of desperation but it was deflected by sophomore strong safety Josh Harvey-Clemson, who had his hand on the ball. He knocked it up in the air and it went behind him and defensive back Trey Matthews. Louis then got ahead of the defensive backs, tipped the ball to himself and gained control of the ball at the 14-yard line before running into the end zone with 25 seconds play.
That had to be one of the most improbable endings of a big-time football game since Colorado’s Kordell Stewart’s 64-yard heave to Michael Westbrook to beat Michigan in 1994, 27 26.
But the game wasn’t over with 25 seconds. Georgia went right down the field in two plays thanks to quarterback Aaron Murray. They got all the way down to the Auburn 20-yard line before Murray’s fourth-down pass fell incomplete to end the game as many Auburn fans couldn’t bare to watch the final play.
What a frustrating loss for the Bulldogs, who fell to 4-3 in the SEC and 6-4 overall. This has to be the most disappointing team in the country to follow (or bet on), because they have so many talented skill position players.
Auburn ran all over Georgia, finishing with 323 yards as running back Tre Mason and Marshall combined for 204 yards and three touchdowns. If you can’t stop the run or least slow it down, it’s tough to be more than just a marginal bowl team.
The Tigers will play Alabama in two weeks in Iron Bowl, in what should be another great SEC matchup. While they compiled over 500 yards of offense, they have to do a better job of managing the game with a big lead.
For bettors, this was one of those rare games with the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. But in the end, if you gave three with Auburn, you picked the right side and were lucky to win at the same time.
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