GLENDALE, Ariz. — Nick Fairley’s right hand hoisted the BCS National Championship trophy high into the air in celebration, but two hours earlier, that same hand was busy thrashing LaMichael James’ face into the University of Phoenix Stadium grass.
Fairley was called for the late hit, but the message was sent; he and the Tiger defensive front were going to be a handful. That group held the nation’s most dynamic offense to just 75 rushing yards en route to a 22-19 victory over No. 2 Oregon Monday night in the BCS National Championship Game.
“I could not be more proud of our defense,” Auburn head coach Gene Chizik said. “For one month, our defense was bound and determined to show up and play the best game of their life.”
That unit held Oregon to just 11 points through 57 minutes of play, but weren’t able to build on their eight-point lead offensively, giving the Ducks a small window to claw their way back.
Oregon did just that, as sophomore quarterback Darron Thomas executed a perfect shovel pass to LaMichael James for a two-yard touchdown to pull Oregon within two late in the fourth quarter.
Senior Jeff Maehl pulled in the ensuing two-point conversion on a high-arcing pass to the back of the end zone with 2:33 left in the game. And that, unfortunately, was too much time for Cam Newton and the Auburn offense.
Newton hit sophomore Emory Blake with a 15-yard pass to start the possession, before freshman Michael Dyer made the play of the game on the ensuing first down. Dyer appeared to be down after a small gain, but he held his balance on top of Oregon rover Eddie Pleasant, and after a short hesitation he jolted down the field for a 37-yard gain.
“I was trying to make a play and keep my feet moving,” Dyer said.
The freshman eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark for the season with his big day, carrying the ball 22 times for 143 yards. In comparison, James and fellow sophomore Kenjon Barner finished the game with a combined 24 carries for 81 yards.
Dyer exploded for another 16-yard run up the middle, which eventually set up a Wes Byrum 19-yard field goal to seal the win and secure Auburn’s first national championship since the 1957 season.
For his efforts and fourth-quarter heroics, Dyer was named the offensive Most Valuable Player, while Fairley was tabbed the defensive Most Valuable Player.
Fairley finished the game with five tackles (three for a loss) and one sack.
“He was a competitor,” James said of Fairley. “I was up for the challenge. It was an overall battle between him and our offensive line and me. I told him, ‘No matter how hard you hit me, I will always get back up.’”
Though James was held in check in the run game, he did have two receiving touchdowns, giving him 38 career scores, just seven away from the all-time lead in program history.
The scoring, however, was too few and far between.
After the sixth scoreless quarter in BCS Championship Game history, sophomore kicker Rob Beard opened the game’s scoring with a 26-yard field goal to give Oregon its first lead moments into the second quarter.
Auburn responded by taking the ball 82 yards on eight plays, capped by a 35-yard touchdown grab by senior Kodi Burns. That lead was short-lived, however, as an 81-yard strike over the middle to senior Jeff Maehl quickly put Oregon within scoring distance.
Maehl always seemed to make the big play when Oregon needed him this season, making his nine-catch, 133-yard performance on the game’s biggest stage all the more fitting. After Byrum’s kick ended the Ducks’ dream season, Maehl was visibly upset as he knelt on the sideline.
“You know, it has just been a roller coaster ride ever since I got to Eugene,” Maehl said. “I got the greatest teammates, coaches and fans that I ever could dream of.”
After James’ eight-yard touchdown grab in the second quarter, the Duck defense weathered a 16-play drive by the Tigers, stopping them short on a fourth-and-goal opportunity. Newton’s pass bounced to the turf, leaving Oregon with little room to work. An illegal shift penalty on the first play came back to haunt the Ducks, as James was tackled in the end zone for a safety.
Six plays and 66 yards later, Newton found Emory Blake on the sideline for an easy 30-yard touchdown pass.
Minutes later, Auburn tacked on a 28-yard field goal by Wes Byrum, which extended the lead to eight, and for the first time all season, Oregon trailed entering the fourth quarter.
The Ducks were in uncharted territory, and despite a great final drive, the clock just wasn’t in their favor as the final seconds ticked off the clock and Byrum fell to the turf in celebration.
It was a bittersweet ending to the greatest season in Oregon football history, but Chip Kelly made one thing clear — this won’t be Oregon’s last fight for a title.
“I said in my first game when I was the head coach one game doesn’t define you as a person or as a football player,” Kelly said. “And the same still holds true. These guys are champions.
“We will be back.”
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