Redshirt freshman Sammie Coates propels his 6-2 frame into the air for a catch that might help reshape the season.
It took 10 full quarters, two-and-a-half games into the season, but Auburn finally found a moment where they could take control of a game. Sophomore quarterback Kiehl Frazier was flushed from the pocket, spun out to his left and heaved a hope to the back of the end zone.
After losing the opener in Atlanta to Clemson, and losing badly in their conference opener to Mississippi State in Starkville, Auburn finally had some momentum.
This being the 2012 Tigers, and their opponent being a gamey Louisiana-Monroe, it wouldn’t end there. A turnover late and solid play in the second half found Auburn and ULM going to overtime at 28-28. But a bit of natural balance returned after that. Frazier started to look like a game manager, his coordinator finally seemed to realize what he has at quarterback and what he longs for. Frazier might have finally found a third receiver in Coates. Maybe and perhaps. Or maybe he is the third receiver; Frazier caught a touchdown pass early in the game a receiver throwback. The running game showed up.
Sure, there were some spotty calls coming from the booth, but the Tigers managed to find a way.
Auburn won 31-28 after one overtime. It did, as I said to my wife at the beginning of the game, come down to a special teams victory. Two ULM field goal attempts were blocked.
Sunburns should mean more than this.
And now on comes LSU.
Elsewhere, Alabama toiled in their task of heading to the sea, surrounding and drowning Arkansas 52-0. UAB could not facilitate my eighth-ranked curse. They fell 49-6 to number eight South Carolina, the first number eight to win this year. Samford remains a perfect 3-0 after upending Gardener-Webb 44-23.
Much more tomorrow.
