Auburn football notebook: 'a game-changer' in opening win

Auburn football notebook: 'a game-changer' in opening winAuburn football notebook: 'a game-changer' in opening win

ARLINGTON, Texas – After two Oregon timeouts, Auburn's defense was ready when the Ducks went for it on fourth-and-1 late in the game.

"I knew we were going to stop them," Auburn safety Jeremiah Dinson said. "It was hard. We just ran our play. A lot of guys figured out what it was and they made the tackle. That was a game-changer right there for us."

Zakoby McClain and Tyrone Truesdell teamed up to create a serving of stuffed Duck, stopping Oregon's CJ Verdell for a 1-yard loss at Auburn's 42 with 4:31 left in the fourth quarter.

While the Tigers did not score on their next possession, the fourth-down stop flipped the field and ultimately set the stage for Auburn's game-winning touchdown drive in Saturday's 27-21 AdvoCare Classic victory.

For the fifth time in his Auburn career, Dinson led the Tigers in tackles with 13, including two tackles for loss and a sack, earning SEC Defensive Player of the Week honors.

"I don't care about the individual things, stats and awards," Dinson said. "I want the big picture. The big picture was to leave here with a win. That's what we did."

BIG KAT ON THE PROWL

Having scored a touchdown in the Music City Bowl, Big Kat Bryant is no stranger to the end zone. The 6-5, 247-pound junior defensive end nearly returned to paydirt at AT&T Stadium, recovering a fumble and returning it 83 yards to the Ducks' 3.

"I scooped and tried to score with it," said Bryant of his first career fumble recovery. "When I got down to the 2 or 3-yard line, I didn't think there was anyone behind me so that's why I kind of slowed down. I saw someone to the right of me and thought, okay, I'm in now. Then he just came from behind."

Bryant's return set up Anders Carlson's second field goal, a 25-yarder, trimming Oregon's lead to 14-6 with 4:41 remaining in the first half.

"Everybody's blowing my phone up, talking about, 'You ran out of gas,'" he said. "Then my teammates were giving me a hard time about it. Everybody was happy for me and I'm glad I did it."

HOT STOVE

Eli Stove scored made his first career touchdown catch in the third quarter, an 11-yarder that was also Bo Nix's first Auburn touchdown pass.

"I made somebody miss," said Stove, who scored three rushing touchdowns as a freshman and sophomore in 2016 and 2017. "I felt like I was back to myself because I'm taking all the hits again and nothing's hurting."

Stove, who redshirted last season after recovering from knee surgery, set up Auburn's first TD with a 36-yard rush on a sweep.

"It was good to be out there," Stove said. "I loved it."

100-YARD WHITLOW

For the fourth time in his career, Jatarvious Whitlow eclipsed the 100-yard rushing mark, gaining 110 yards on 24 carries while picking up key first downs to extend drives.

"We just put our heads down and told ourselves, 'We've got to come out here way more aggressive than we did in the first half," Whitlow said. "The line played with a chip on their shoulder. With everybody talking last year, I know how they feel.

"I know how it feels, but they're talking about 'running backs are not back.' Every time my number gets called, I'm going to show you why RBU is back. I'm going to show you every time. No matter who they call, we're going to show you RBU is back."

JOEY OVER THE TOP

Joey over the top: Joey Gatewood scores his first Auburn touchdown vs. Oregon

For Auburn fans who remember the magical 2010 season, Joey Gatewood's 1-yard airborne touchdown leap brought back Camtastic memories.

"I like Cam," Gatewood said. "When Cam was on TV, I watched him. I role modeled him but I never wanted to be referred to as him."

The 6-5, 233-pound quarterback leapt into the end zone to pull the Tigers within a point with 9:48 left in the game, reminiscent of Cam Newton's goal-line exploits in his Heisman season.

"We brought back a play we used to run in 2010 with Cam," Auburn coach Gus Malzahn said. "He looked pretty good going over the top with it. Real proud of Joey. He's got a lot of good things he can bring to the table."

"It meant a lot to me because I know it meant a lot to my teammates," Gatewood said. "And I know it meant a lot for this university. I know I'm going to have my opportunity to help this team. And whenever that time comes, I'm here. I'm here for them. I'm 100 percent behind this team and Bo. I support Bo a lot."

Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff_shearer