THE STAR

Cam Newton. The Auburn quarterback entered the game embroiled in controversy, but none of it seemed to weigh him down. He rushed for a game-high 166 yards and two touchdowns and was 12-for-15 passing for 148 yards and another pair of scores.

KEY MOMENT

Auburn were trading touchdowns when, in the final minutes of the third quarter, Auburn’s defense rushed Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray into consecutive incompletions to bring up a fourth-and-5 at the Auburn 11. The Bulldogs opted for the conservative approach with a 28-yard Blair Walsh field goal, but never got closer than that 35-31 score as the third period ended.

KEY DECISION

Auburn kicker Wes Byrum opened the second half with an onside kick, recovering the ball himself and setting up an Auburn touchdown drive that gave the Tigers their first lead of the game. Auburn coach Gene Chizik said the play was a major momentum shift for his team.

QUOTE OF THE GAME

“You are always concerned with it’s 21-7, but I don’t think a 21-7 score affects you unless you have never been there before. We have probably been there two or three times, maybe more times, this year. I just think our football team has confidence, and we get things adjusted to the best of our ability, and we try to come back and just keep playing for 60 minutes.” — Auburn coach Gene Chizik on trailing Georgia in the first quarter

BY THE NUMBERS

4

Trips to the SEC championship game for Auburn after it defeated Georgia on Saturday. The Tigers also went in 1997, 2000 and 2004.

19-5

Head coach Gene Chizik’s record in two years at Auburn. He had an inverse record in two years at Iowa State, going 5-19.

234

Difference in rushing yards in favor of Auburn, which had 315 yards to Georgia’s 81.

471

Total points for Auburn and a new school record after the Tigers posted 49 on Saturday.

— By Chris White