Editor's Note: Ten years ago on this date, Auburn improved to 11-0 during one of the greatest seasons in program history. Each week, we're taking you back in time to relive the journey to the 2010 National Championship.
AUBURN, Ala. – The story of Auburn's 49-31 victory over Georgia in the Deep South's Oldest Rivalry on Nov. 13, 2010, can be referenced with an alternate title.
How the West was won.
So dominant were the 2010 Auburn Tigers, by beating the Bulldogs, Auburn had already clinched the SEC Western Division title and a trip to the SEC Championship Game even before the Iron Bowl.
"We had goals at the beginning of the year, and this was the first goal," Auburn coach Gene Chizik said. "We were blessed to be in a position tonight where if we won, then obviously, we have a trip to Atlanta. There was a lot of incentive out there. There was a lot on the line, and I couldn't be more proud of our team because of the way they responded and the way they just kept playing."
For the third time that season, Auburn trailed by two touchdowns before coming back. Georgia led 21-7 after the first quarter before the Tigers scored twice to even the score at halftime.
Leading up to the game, Cam Newton once again generated all of the headlines, but this time the stories were not limited to his spectacular play. Questions about Newton's recruitment by Mississippi State left Cam's availability in doubt.
Those doubts ended when Cam cruised down Donahue Drive during Tiger Walk and was announced as Auburn's starter a half-hour before kickoff.
Cam tuned out the noise and delivered another magnificent performance, rushing 30 times for 151 yards and two touchdowns while passing for 148 yards and two more TDs.
In the process, he became the first player in SEC history to pass for 2,000 yards and rush for 1,000 yards in a season.
"I'm a blessed individual on a blessed team," Newton said. "I would not have had any of the success I've had without the offensive line, the receivers and running backs around me. We have worked so hard as a team the entire season. Everybody is doing their job in the system and it is a great feeling when it all comes together."
With the win, the second-ranked Tigers improved to 11-0, 7-0 in the SEC. The trip to Atlanta had been earned, but after a week off, another destination loomed: Tuscaloosa. The tale of the 2010 Auburn Tigers would soon add another dramatic chapter.
Auburn's Onterio McCalebb beats UGA defender Sanders Commings to the corner for a touchdown in the first half. Georgia vs Auburn football on Saturday, Nov. 13, 2010 in Auburn, Ala.Todd Van Emst
IMPACT PLAYER: ONTERIO MCCALEBBWhen a hockey player scores three goals in a game, fans throw hats onto the ice, a tradition that dates to the 1940s. Against Georgia, Auburn running back Onterio McCalebb recorded a hat trick, scoring a trio of touchdowns.
"The coaches called the plays and everybody did their assignments," he said. "When it was our turn to touch the ball, we had to do what we had to do."
The speedster scored on a 4-yard run early in the second quarter to pull Auburn with a touchdown at 21-14. His 2-yard touchdown culminated Auburn's opening drive in the second half, giving the Tigers a 28-21 lead. His second 4-yard TD gave Auburn the lead for good, 35-28, with 5:04 remaining in the third quarter.
With an efficiency every offensive coordinator would crave, McCalebb scored his three TDs on just 12 carries, meaning one of every four times he touched the ball he took it to the house. He finished with 71 rushing yards, averaging 5.9 yards per carry.
PLAY OF THE GAME: ONSIDE KICK STARTS SECOND HALFTrailing 21-7 after the first quarter, Auburn rallied in the second quarter, outscoring the Bulldogs 14-0 and tying the game on Newton's 18-yard touchdown pass to Philip Lutzenkirchen in the final minute of the first half.
Georgia was due to get the ball to start the second half but Auburn had other plans. Auburn kicker Wes Byrum tapped the football off the tee and ran alongside it for 10 yards before recovering the onside kick at Auburn's 41.
"That's a very potent offense," Chizik said. "We felt really good about the onside kick during the week, and we felt like we needed to take one possession away from them in the second half. We needed to get some momentum coming out. We told our guys in the locker room at halftime, we said it's up and running and you have to get it.
"Wes made a great kick. I think it swung the momentum starting the second half, and it took one more possession away from their offense in the second half, which we needed to do."
In the visiting locker room, Georgia coach Mark Richt sensed Auburn might be up to something, but his options were limited.
"We alerted them at the half," Richt said. "The dilemma for our special teams is if they sit at the tee and watch the ball too long when all those guys are flying down the field at 100 miles an hour and they're supposed to get in position to block, they can't make the block.
"Auburn's kickoff team was one of the bigger differences in the game with them getting the onside kick to start the half and take the lead. We were hoping to get the ball first and put them in a position to be behind. We didn't get good field position off our kickoff returns and they're kickoff team tonight was the best we've played all season."
The Tigers capitalized on the momentum, driving 59 yards to take a 28-21 lead on McCalebb's second touchdown.KEY STAT: SACKS AND HURRIESA member of Auburn's SEC championship teams in 2010 and 2013, Dee Ford was fond of saying, "Pressure makes every quarterback average, at best." Against Georgia, Ford and Auburn's pass rushers pressured Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray relentlessly.
The Tigers logged four sacks and 12 hurries, meaning the Bulldog quarterbacks, primarily Murray, had a clean pocket on only half of 32 drop backs. While future All-Pro receiver A.J. Green led the Bulldogs with nine receptions for 164 yards and a pair of touchdowns, Auburn's pass rush limited Murray to 15 completions on 28 attempts for 273 yards and three TDs.
Freshman Nosa Eguae led Auburn with two sacks while Ford and Antoine Carter each had one. Nick Fairley led the Tigers with three hurries with Carter and Zach Clayton adding two apiece.IN THEIR OWN WORDS"I couldn't be happier for our fans, the Auburn Family. I am just excited for everybody. That stadium out there tonight was electric, and our student body, our alumni, our fans ... it was a great night for everybody. Our football team in that locker room over there has a lot of love for each other. I think tonight was another situation when we were down by 14 points I think at one point, they just play as a family. That's all that I can tell you. They play as a family, and I couldn't be more blessed personally in my life to be around great people, great coaches, great administrators and players who are a joy to be around. They care about Auburn. They care about this football team, and they never cease to amaze me. I am very proud of (Cam Newton) and his performance, and I am very proud of our whole football team starting with our seniors, who have done a great job getting us to this point this year." – Gene Chizik
"It is a great thing especially for the guys that have been here for four or five years. We experienced a 5-7 season my sophomore year and an 8-5 season with the new coaching staff last year. A lot of guys have been through three or four offensive and defensive coordinators, but with having the same staff from last year, we felt that we were going to go from good to great. We felt that we had a chance to go undefeated. Right now we are sitting at 11-0 and sitting as the SEC West champions."– Josh Bynes
"We still have one more game in the regular season that we have to tackle. We have to finish strong. The Iron Bowl speaks for itself. We just have to continue to work hard just like we did do get to where we are now." – Cam Newton
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff_shearer