Sept. 24, 2016
By Charles Goldberg
AuburnTigers.com
AUBURN, Ala. - Auburn running back Kerryon Johnson saw LSU driving, saw what could have been the game-winning touchdown pass as time ran out, saw the officials huddle to see who really won.
Their decision took forever. Or was the wait only a few seconds?
The unknown, Johnson said, "was terrifying."
Not to worry, Kerryon Johnson. The officials reviewed it, said LSU snapped the ball after time ran out and Auburn had won 18-13 on six Daniel Carlson field goals.
Hey, nothing to it.
"That was probably the most intense moment I've ever had in my life," said linebacker Deshaun Davis. "I was kind of over the ball when they snapped it, and I thought the clock was at zero."
But was he sure?
"There were a lot of thoughts going through my head," Davis said.
"As an athlete," Johnson said of the closing minute, "there's nothing you can do about it. It's up to the guys out there on the field. At the same time, our defense has been holding people game in, game out. I have full confidence in them, but to see the clock run out and know it's over officially was a great feeling."
Quarterback Sean White was hoping for the best.
"I was watching the clock and I thought it ran off," he said. "But I wasn't sure if it was a reviewable thing. I didn't know how they'd treat it. I was just hoping and praying for the call that they did."
It was an emotional rollercoaster for LSU. The Bengal Tigers initially celebrated a win. Then heard the officials' call.
"That was unbelievable," said LSU offensive lineman Ethan Pocic. "It's crazy. One second you do, but then one second you don't, but that's college football."
Auburn won it by unleashing its not-so-secret weapon. Carlson's six field goals tied a school record.
"When we go to kick a field goal, I don't even look. I know it's going to be good. It just look up, three points. That's how it is," White said.
Carlson was the rock in a wild finish.
Auburn coach Gus Malzahn said he knew the 15-yard pass to the end zone would be waved off. He said he knew time had run out before the snap because LSU couldn't possibly get the play off because there was only a second left when the officials indicated it was OK to snap it. LSU wasn't fast enough.
Still, he called over an official after the 15-yard pass to the end zone.
"I was just making sure it was going to be replayed," he said. "I told him to check upstairs, because I knew it went to zero. I knew they had to do their due diligence, so I was just waiting. When you saw the replay it was obvious. It was a great way to win."
Charles Goldberg is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: Follow @AUGoldMine