AU FOOTBALL: Tigers rally to wild win over West Virginia

The third chapter of the 2009 Auburn season revealed two new revelations about this rejuvenated Tigers team.

It’s waterproof and resilient.

Facing a defense geared against the run and dealing with a defense of its own that couldn’t make many stops in the early going, the Tigers’ offense answered punch after punch with big play after big play through the passing game.

The end result, almost five hours after the originally scheduled kickoff, was a thrilling, rain-soaked, 41-30 victory over West Virginia before a sellout crowd of 87,451 patient, pancho-clad fans.

“We didn’t play well in so many ways,” coach Gene Chizik said. “But we won the game.”

Auburn, blitzed by 14 Mountaineer points in the game’s first five minutes, didn’t hold a lead until 12:07 remained in the fourth quarter, when Chris Todd hit Darvin Adams with a 17-yard touchdown pass — the third time the pair connected in the game.

The Tigers have made comebacks in all three of their victories this season.

“We had to overcome more adversity than we probably had to in the previous two weeks,” Chizik said. “It’s a sign of a football team coming together when you can overcome some of that adversity.”

Bludgeoned for 509 yards of West Virginia offense, the Tigers’ defense made up for its fault-exposing night with interceptions on four consecutive possessions in the fourth quarter.

Jake Ricks caught a deflected Jarrett Brown pass near his feet and rumbled 18 yards to the Mountaineers’ 19-yard line. Three plays later, Todd hit Adams with his fourth touchdown pass of the game, making him the first Auburn quarterback to throw four touchdowns in a game since Daniel Cobb threw for five against Louisiana Tech in 2001.

On the following possession, West Virginia drove 47 yards on eight plays before Walt McFadden picked off an overthrown Brown pass near the goal line.

Following an unsuccessful but time-consuming Auburn drive, linebacker Craig Stevens picked off a deflected Brown pass near the 15-yard line and ran it back for the game-clinching touchdown.

“Once I got it in my hands, I had to get in the end zone,” Stevens said. “It just happened so fast I didn’t know what happened. My teammates piled on me, and I couldn’t breathe.”

Middle linebacker Josh Bynes picked off a fourth-down Geno Smith pass to stifle a helter-skelter rally attempt, allowing the Tigers to run out the clock and continue Chizik’s perfect start at Auburn.

Bynes’ interception gave the Tigers’ defense five for the game, the most since 2004 against Tennessee.

“The turnovers were the difference in the game,” Chizik said. “There’s no question about it.”

Todd looked shaky with a number of his passes early in the game, but calmed down when it was apparent Auburn wouldn’t be running for more than 300 yards for a third consecutive game. The Tigers managed just 100 yards on 41 carries, almost half of which came during the fourth quarter.

He finished 16-for-31 with 284 yards and four touchdowns.

“I never looked in his eyes and never saw anything but confidence,” Chizik said. “I’m really proud of his performance, but he, like the rest of the team, have a long way to go.”

Of course, life’s a little easier for a quarterback when his receivers are making highlight-reel plays like they did Saturday night.

Adams made a no-look touchdown catch of sorts with 5:16 to play in a wild, 50-minute first quarter, helping the Tigers keep up with West Virginia’s 21 points and 219 yards of offense.

“We weren’t tackling well,” Chizik said. “That was the deal early in the game.”

Mario Fannin took a short screen pass midway through the third quarter and turned it into an 82-yard touchdown catch for a 27-27 tie, marking the first time Auburn was not trailing since West Virginia’s game-opening drive.

Tyler Bitancurt’s 28-yard field goal with 1:07 in the third quarter gave West Virginia its final lead, 30-27, before Auburn turned the tables with turnover after turnover.

For all the Auburn fans who waited and took a soaking during a 1:03 severe-storm delay before Saturday’s game, it was well worth the wait.

“I wish I had 87,000 game balls,” Chizik said. “Our fans were a huge reason we won the game.”

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