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Metropolis Reality Forums Ť 12-0, #3 Auburn Wins SEC Championship ť

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   12-0, #3 Auburn Wins SEC Championship

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Topic: 12-0, #3 Auburn Wins SEC Championship (Read 166 times)

lakelady
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12-0, #3 Auburn Wins SEC Championship
« on: Dec 4^th, 2004, 10:03pm »

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December 4, 2004

ATLANTA, Ga. - Auburn will probably have to be content with a Southeastern Conference championship.

The Tigers aren't likely to get a shot at the title they want most.
Jason Campbell threw for three touchdowns and accounted for more than 400 yards, leading the No. 3 Tigers to a 38-28 victory over 15th-ranked Tennessee in the SEC championship game Saturday night.

Auburn is 12-0 for the first time in school history but appears to be the odd team out in another Bowl Championship Series mess.

No. 1 Southern California also finished 12-0 by holding off UCLA 29-24 earlier Saturday. No. 2 Oklahoma was still in progress when the Tigers wrapped up their first SEC championship since 1989, but the Sooners had a big lead over Colorado in the Big 12 title game.

Barring a Sooners' collapse, Auburn seemed likely to get twice-beaten Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl - not the Orange Bowl. USC and Oklahoma had the inside track for the game that will determine the national championship.

Campbell did all he could to get the Tigers to Miami. He completed 27-of-35 for 374 yards - the first 300-yard passing game of his career. He also rushed for 57 yards, setting an SEC championship game record with 431 yards of total offense.

Tennessee (9-3), which will settle for a trip to the Cotton Bowl, played much better than its first meeting against Auburn. The Volunteers were embarrassed on their home field, committing six turnovers in a 34-10 loss in early October.

With third-string Rick Clausen at quarterback because of injuries, the Volunteers rallied to tie this game at 21 on Gerald Riggs Jr.'s 80-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. Then, Tennessee pulled to 31-28 with just over 10 minutes remaining when Riggs rumbled for a 9-yard TD.

But Campbell would not be denied. He finished off the Volunteers with his final touchdown, a 43-yard pass to Ben Obomanu with 6:56 remaining.

Campbell also threw a 53-yard scoring pass to Devin Aromashodu that put the Tigers ahead to stay late in the third quarter.

Riggs gained 182 yards on just 11 carries, the first runner in 17 games to surpass 100 yards against the fearsome Auburn defense. Cedric Houston also ran for a touchdown on the Tigers, who had given up just one rushing score all season.

Auburn had a 14-0 lead before Tennessee made a first down, and the Tigers dominated the first two quarters. The halftime numbers were ridiculously one-sided: Auburn held a 303-39 lead in total yards, was up 17-2 in first downs and had a nearly 13-minute edge in time of possession.

Yet the Volunteers were still in the game, trailing only 21-7 because of two big mistakes by Auburn.

Punter Kody Bliss mishandled a snap, forcing him to fall on the ball at the Tigers 14. The sophomore slammed the ball to the turf, then got an earful from coach Tommy Tuberville on the sideline.

Bliss' mistake set up a 2-yard touchdown dive by Cedric Houston.

Auburn was in position to extend its two-touchdown lead in the waning seconds of the first half, but Campbell messed up by attempting a pass over the middle. The ball went through the hands of Tennessee linebacker Omar Gaither and was intercepted in the end zone by Corey Campbell with just 7 seconds left, costing the Tigers a chance to at least attempt a field goal.

Campbell had another costly turnover early in the second half, fumbling on a hit by Kevin Burnett. Turk McBride recovered at Auburn 19, leading to Clausen's 17-yard touchdown pass to Robert Meachem.

After Bliss punted into the Tennessee end zone, Riggs found a gaping hole on the very next play. He wasn't so much as touched on his long, tying touchdown.

But Campbell made sure that Auburn didn't squander the chance to at least win one championship.

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