AUBURN, Ala. – True to his word, when the ball came Seth Williams' way, he fulfilled his expectation to come down with it.
Two receptions, two touchdowns, including the game-winner in Auburn's 28-24 victory Saturday over Texas A&M.
"I had a couple drops, but for the most part, every time the ball comes to me, I'm going to catch it," Williams said.
Williams' first touchdown catch, a leaping 11-yarder, gave Auburn a 14-10 lead in the second quarter.
His second, another 11-yarder with 1:41 to play, completed Auburn's comeback from a 10-point fourth quarter deficit.
"The ball came my way so I just caught it," he said. "The last one helped us out a lot. We focused on us and got the ball down the field."
Williams credited Auburn quarterback Jarrett Stidham, who completed 18 of 29 passes for 239 yards, two touchdowns and no turnovers.
"He made a lot of good throws throughout the game," Williams said. "That's what I like about Jarrett, he always puts the ball on the money."
In his first meeting with reporters during Auburn's off week, the 6-3, 210-pound freshman outlined his mentality.
"If the ball comes my way, I expect to come down with it," said Williams, perhaps foreshadowing his starring role.
Darius Slayton led Auburn with eight catches for a season-high 107 yards, including a trio of receptions on Auburn's first fourth-quarter touchdown drive.
"I got a lot of one-on-one opportunities and I just did my best to win as many of them as I could," Slayton said.
Auburn's offense had struggled in the second half until Noah Igbinoghene's interception with 7:14 to play.
"On the sideline the whole time, just staying positive," Slayton said. "Knowing that eventually we were going to be able to break through, and then once we hit a few, we felt like we got on a roll. I had the catch down by the goal line, we were able to score right there. We all felt it. I think everybody in the stadium felt it, that we'd be able to come back and win this game."
On Auburn's game-winning drive, Ryan Davis delivered Auburn's longest play, a 47-yard gain that preceded Williams' touchdown catch.
"It was a great look for what we were running," said Davis, whose five catches gave him 152 for his career, one shy of all-time leader Courtney Taylor. "I was the hot read on that. They blitzed, a middle blitz. Jarrett saw me right away and I was able to turn upfield and make stuff happen, and I had some great blocking in front of me. I was just trying to fight for yards and get as much as I can. It worked out perfect."
Davis, a high school quarterback, displayed his versatility in the first half, throwing a 20-yard touchdown pass to Sal Cannella.
"That definitely feels great," he said. "Hopefully I may throw another one. You never know."
All in a day's work for an Auburn receiving corps that blended size, speed, experience, youth – and passing ability - to make for a memorable Saturday afternoon on the Plains.
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff_shearer
