< Previous2010 A UBURN TIGERS 21 It’s been 10 years since Auburn won the national championship and though plenty has happened in those 10 years, the memories from that season contin- ue to live on. Players from that 2010 team still run into fans who want to congratulate them or reminisce on specific moments from the season. They want to talk about coming back from 24 points down in Tuscaloosa and beating Alabama. They want to talk about how much they spent to go to Arizona and where they were when Wes Byrum’s 19-yard kick sailed through the uprights. “It was one of those surreal moments where I think if you’re in it, you just can’t fully appreciate it,” former defensive lineman Nosa Eguae said. “But now, 10 years later, you look back on it and you just know it was a complete blessing. “More than that, I think we were all destined for it. Everything just hap- pened to work out in our favor that year because we were meant to win the championship, we were meant to have the season that we did and we were meant to do it for the Auburn Family.” Current head coach Gus Malzahn, who served as the offensive coordinator in 2010, still uses the 2010 championship celebration in Jordan-Hare Stadium, where more than 70,000 fans showed up, as a way to motivate his players every year. This year was no different. “That’s our goal,” Malzahn told his team. “That’s what you’re looking for with the Auburn Family. They came through big, and that was just a special day.” One of the team mottos from that 2010 season was “Good to Great.” Au- burn won eight games the year before and probably could have won two or three more. The nucleus from that 2009 team was back in 2010, but how were they going to close the gap to get from good to great? “That was our charge as coaches and as players,” head coach Gene Chizik said. “How do we do that? We added obvious- ly a couple critical pieces to the puzzle with some junior-college players and some young freshmen, but we’ve got to learn how to win. We’ve got to learn how to close the door and finish those games when the game is on the line.” It was at different points throughout the season when it started to click, when coaches and players started to realize there was something different about the 2010 team. For Chizik, it was the resiliency showed in back-to-back weeks early in the season when Auburn rallied from a 17-0 deficit to beat Clemson in overtime and then came from behind again the very next week in a 35-27 victory against South Carolina. For wide receiver Kodi Burns, it was that South Carolina game when the offense hit its stride. “Looking back on it, we thought we were pretty good,” Burns said. “Coach Malzahn and the staff at that time really instilled in us becoming the best offense in the country and obviously the best team in the country. I think once we played South Carolina and Cam (New- ton) kind of did that Superman there in the end zone, that’s when everybody started looking at one another and say- ing we might be pretty good. We’ve got a chance to be really, really special.” Most of the country was not sold on Auburn as a legitimate national cham- pionship contender until the Tigers took down LSU a month later in what was a top-six matchup nationally. “When we beat LSU, I think that’s when we knew,” defensive back T’Shar- van Bell said. “The way we ran the ball on them, I think that’s when the team kind PERFECTION ON THE PLAINS: AUBURN ‘DESTINED’ FOR GREATNESS IN 2010 BY GREG OSTENDORF A UBURNTI G ERS.C O M 2010 A UBURN TIGERS 23 of hit another gear. It was like ‘We’ve really got something special. We really can do this.’ We took off from there.” “Once we beat LSU, we knew we were not going to lose,” added Burns. “We refuse to lose. And I think that was just the consensus on that team – that we refuse to lose.” Auburn cruised to victories the next three weeks, scoring a combined 162 points, but at 11-0 and ranked No. 2 nationally, adversity struck again in the Iron Bowl. Trailing 24-0 in the first half against Alabama, the perfect season looked to be in jeopardy. The Tigers never flinched, though. They fought back, chipping away at the lead, and in maybe the most iconic play of that season, Newton connected with tight end Philip Lutzenkirchen for the go-ahead touch- down. Auburn was undefeated and headed to the SEC championship game. “That victory, the way it ended, in Bryant-Denny Stadium, you just can’t replace that feeling,” linebacker Josh Bynes said. “That game is something you tell your kids about. I’ve taken my boys back to Auburn and showed them the pictures and the national champi- onship photo down by the locker room and just told them about the history and what it took to get there. “That season was full of adversity, full of guys sacrificing for one another, knowing what it takes, believing in each other. It’s everything rolled into one season. You can never replace that sea- son and the relationships you have with those guys forever.” A week after the victory in Tuscaloo- sa, Auburn won the SEC Championship with a dominant performance against South Carolina, and then it was off to Arizona for the BCS title game. In a game where the “experts” con- tinued to pick against Auburn, the de- fense locked down Oregon’s high-pow- ered offense. And with the game tied late, Cam Newton and the offense delivered yet another championship drive, setting up Byrum’s game-winning field goal. For the first time since 1957, the Tigers were national champions. “Being able to bring home a na- tional championship, having not won one since 1957, you felt like you kind of carried the torch for the Auburn Family,” Burns said. “And really to some degree, for that ‘04 team that should’ve won a national championship in our minds. But to be able to get there and do it for Au- burn was sweet. There’s nothing better than that.” “National championships change peoples’ lives,” Chizik said. “It meant a lot to me that we were carrying the flag for so many teams and so many fans over the years that never got a chance to carry that flag.” A UBURNTI G ERS.C O M L OOK B A CK: 2011 NA TIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME 25 LOOK BACK: 2011 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME #1 Auburn 22, #2 Oregon 19 University of Phoenix Stadium Glendale, Arizizona | Jan. 10, 2011 A UBURNTI G ERS.C O M 2: No. 1 Auburn defeated second-ranked Oregon 22-19 in the 2011 BCS National Championship Game in Glendale, Ariz., to claim the school’s second national championship and first since 1957. 19: Auburn’s defense held the high-powered Oregon offense to 19 points and 75 yards rushing, which was 30.3 points and 228.8 rushing yards below the Ducks’ season averages enter- ing the game. 500: Auburn totaled 519 yards of total offense against Oregon, which was the eighth game of the season in which the Tigers eclipsed 500 yards. The Tigers finished the season with pro- gram records of 6,989 yards of total offense and 3,987 rushing yards after rushing for 254 yards vs. the Ducks. 35: Kodi Burns got Auburn on the scoreboard with a 35-yard TD catch from Heisman winner Cam Newton in the second quar- ter. It was Burns’ first touchdown reception of the season and the second of his career. 8: Emory Blake’s 30-yard TD reception in the second quarter was his eighth of the season, which is sixth on Auburn’s single-sea- son touchdown reception list. 143: Freshman Michael Dyer was named Offensive MVP after rush- ing for 143 yards on the night, including 57 yards on Auburn’s game-winning drive. 14: The victory capped off the only 14-0 season in school history. 19: Wes Byrum’s 19-yard game-winning field goal on the game’s final play was the sixth game-winning kick of his career. 9: The victory was the Tigers’ ninth come-from-behind victory of the season . HEAD C O A CH GUS MALZAHN 27 In seven years as head coach at Auburn, Gus Malzahn has led the Tigers to seven consecutive bowl games, a Southeastern Conference Champi- onship, two SEC West Division titles and an appearance in the 2014 BCS National Championship Game. Malzahn has directed Auburn to five New Year’s Day bowl games. Malzahn, 71-34 in eight seasons as a head coach, has directed teams to seven conference championship game appearances in his 14 seasons as a collegiate coach, including a pair of SEC Championships at Auburn (2010, 2013) and a Sun Belt Championship at Arkansas State in 2012. The 2013 Bear Bryant, Bobby Bowden, Eddie Robinson, Home Depot, Sporting News, SB Nation, Liberty Mutual and Associated Press National Coach of the Year, Malzahn earned SEC Coach of the Year honors after guiding Auburn to the biggest turnaround in SEC history. He led the Tigers to a 12-2 record and one of the most memorable seasons in school history in 2013, with historic wins over Georgia and Alabama and a record-setting SEC Championship win over Missouri. He became just the third coach in SEC history to win an SEC title in his first year at a school, joining LSU’s Bernie Moore in 1935 and Ole Miss’ John Vaught in 1947. The second-longest active tenured head coach at one school in the SEC, Malzahn is one of only nine active FBS head coaches that have played in a national championship game. During his time at Auburn, the Tigers are one of three SEC schools to play in multiple SEC Championships games and play for a national championship. Last season the Tigers had one of the nation’s most difficult schedules while posting a 9-4 record with wins over na- tionally ranked Oregon and Alabama to bookmark the regular season schedule. Auburn’s schedule included four games against teams in the top nine of the final CFP rankings. Senior Derrick Brown was a consensus All-America and SEC Defensive Player of the Year while help- ing a Tiger defense rank in the top 20 nationally. Offensively, Auburn was led by true freshman quarterback Bo Nix, who was named the SEC Freshman of the Year. The Tigers concluded the reg- ular season third in the SEC in scoring offense and fourth in total offense. In 2018, the Tigers posted an 8-5 regular season record while facing six opponents that were ranked in the final College Football Playoff Top 25 (four of those played away from home), including four teams of the top 11 teams. The Tigers capped the season with an impressive 63-14 win over Purdue in the Music City Bowl. With Malzahn at the helm calling the plays, the Tigers’ 63 points were a new SEC bowl game record for points, and the 56 first-half points were the most ever by a college football team in one half of a bowl game. In 2017, Malzahn’s team reached as high as No. 2 in the College Foot- ball Playoff Poll and played in the SEC Championship Game for the second time in five seasons, knocking off No. 1 Georgia and No. 1 Alabama in a No- vember to remember on The Plains. It was the first time in poll history that a program has defeated two top-ranked teams during the same regular season. The 2017 Tigers were one of four FBS teams to average more than 225 yards rushing and 225 yards passing and averaged 37.1 points per game in league play. Auburn averaged 40.9 points and 491.1 yards in SEC action, both program bests, while winning five of seven con- ference games by 21 points or more. In 2016, Malzahn’s team won six consecutive games, the third longest win streak by Auburn in 12 years, while finishing second in the nation’s most difficult division, the SEC West. Under his direction, the 2016 Tigers ranked in the top 50 nationally in total offense and total defense, an Auburn first since 2005. Auburn’s balance in 2016 was dis- played by a team that ranked first in the SEC and sixth nationally in rushing, cou- pled with a defense that was seventh in the country in scoring defense and 28th in total defense. The special team units, traditionally been a strong point under Malzahn, were led by the strong leg of All-America and Groza Award finalist kicker Daniel Carlson. In 2015, the youthful Tigers, which lost 14 players to the NFL from the previ- ous season, faced 11 bowl teams en route to a Birmingham Bowl victory over Mem- phis. Malzahn’s 2014 team was ranked in the nation’s top 10 for a majority of the season before finishing 8-5 after navigating the nation’s most difficult schedule featuring seven ranked foes. He has produced 15 1,000-yard rushers in 14 seasons as a college coach, including Heisman Trophy finalist Tre Mason (1,816) and Nick Marshall (1,068) in 2013 and Cameron-Artis Payne (1,608) in 2014. Kamryn Pettway ran for 1,123 yards in 2016 despite missing significant time with injuries and Kerryon Johnson led the SEC with 1,320 yards in 2017. On three occasions, Malzahn has had two 1,000-yard rushers in the same season: 2013 (Auburn), 2010 (Auburn) and 2006 (Arkansas). Malzahn has also coached five 1,000-yard receivers and three 3,000-yard passers. His 2007 Tul- sa team had three 1,000-yard receivers. Since Malzahn’s arrival, Auburn has the top rushing offense in the SEC, averaging 234.6 yards per game. In 2013, Auburn led the nation in rushing at 328.3 A UBURNTI G ERS.C O M GUS MALZAHN HEAD COACHCONECUH - Auburn REV 8.19 Full.indd 18/15/19 12:25 PMHEAD C O A CH GUS MALZAHN 29 yards per game, the first SEC team ever to do so. Three of the top six team rushing totals in SEC history (2010, 2013, 2016) have come under Malzahn’s leadership. Auburn was just the second team in SEC history to gain more than 7,000 yards of total offense in a season in 2013, finishing the year with 7,018 yards; the other was Texas A&M in 2012. The Tigers set a school record with 48 rushing touchdowns in 2013 and set a school record against SEC opponents with 677 yards of total offense vs. No. 5 Missouri in the SEC Championship Game. The Tigers set SEC Championship Game team records with 26 rushing first downs, 74 rushing attempts, 545 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns. Tre Mason, a Heisman Trophy finalist and 2013 SEC Player of the Year, ranked third in the nation with 23 touchdowns, was fifth nationally with 1,816 yards rushing, sixth with 10.7 points per game, sixth with 169.57 all-purpose yards per game and eighth with 129.7 rushing yards per game. Mason set the Auburn single-season record with 1,816 rushing yards and 2,374 all-purpose yards and was second with 317 rushing attempts. His 46 rushing attempts and 304 rushing yards vs. No. 5 Missouri set SEC Championship Game records and fell three yards shy of the Auburn record. In Malzahn’s seven seasons, a total of 32 players have been selected in the National Football League draft, includ- ing four first round draft picks, includ- ing Derrick Brown (No. 7) and Noah Igbinoghene (No. 30) in the 2020 NFL Draft. Malzahn’s other first round picks including Greg Robinson (No. 2 overall) and Dee Ford (No. 23) of the 2014 draft. In the last two drafts, 12 Auburn players have been drafted, the most in a two- year span in the common draft era. Malzahn has coached 13 All-Amer- icans as head coach at Auburn: RB Tre Mason (2013), RS Chris Davis (2013), OT Greg Robinson (2013), C Reese Dismukes (2013-14), PK Daniel Carlson (2015-16-17), DL Carl Lawson (2016), DL Montravius Adams (2016), OL Alex Kozan (2016), OL Braden Smith (2016- 17), DB Carlton Davis (2017), DL Jeff Holland (2017), RB Kerryon Johnson (2017) and DL Derrick Brown (2019). Brown won the Lott IMPACT Trophy last season, Dismukes was named the 2014 Rimington Award winner as the nation’s top center and Carlson was a three-time Lou Groza Award finalist. The Tigers have faced the nation’s most difficult schedule collectively during Malzahn’s seven years on The Plains facing 34 ranked opponents, including 18 in the top 10. Auburn was the nation’s only program in 2016 to face both the No. 1 and No. 2 ranked programs and in 2017 it faced three of the four CFP Semifinalists a total of four times, earning two wins. Malzahn and his coaching staff have been highly successful on the recruiting trail, recording five consecutive Top 10 nationally ranked recruiting classes, a first in the program’s history. Six of his eight recruiting classes have been in the Top 11 nationally. Academically, Malzahn’s Tigers have excelled as nearly 200 players have graduated since his arrival. Malzahn, who won the Broyles Award as the nation’s top assistant coach in 2010 while helping the Tigers to the national title, returned to Auburn after serving as the head coach at Arkansas State in 2012, where he led the program to the Sun Belt Conference title. As offensive coordinator, Malzahn made an immediate impact during his tenure at Auburn, highlighted by a record-setting offense in 2010 when the Tigers finished 14-0 and claimed the school’s first national title since 1957. Malzahn’s arrival in 2009 and style of offense marked a drastic turnaround from the 2008 season when Auburn struggled offensively. In a two-year pe- riod, the Tigers improved from a tie for 110th to seventh in the nation in scoring offense (from 17.3 to 41.2) and from 104th to seventh in total offense. The 2010 Auburn offense set nine school records, while leading the SEC and finished in the top 10 nationally in six statistical categories. He coached Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton, who had one of the best single-season performances at the position in college football history. Newton threw for 2,908 yards and 30 touchdowns, while rushing for 1,586 yards and 20 TDs. Newton, the No. 1 overall draft pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, also won the Davey O’Brien, Manning and Maxwell Award. During two seasons (2007-08) at Tulsa, Malzahn’s offenses were among the nation’s finest, ranking first na- tionally in total offense. Tulsa’s offense in 2007 established nine team and 12 individual school records; the 2008 Tulsa offense averaged 569.9 yards per game and was second nationally aver- aging 47.2 points per games. Malzahn spent one season at Arkansas as of- fensive coordinator, coaching Heisman Trophy runner-up Darren McFadden and helping the SEC West champion Razorbacks finish fourth nationally in rushing offense. Malzahn’s coaching career began in his home state of Arkansas at the high school level. In 14 seasons as a high school head coach, Malzahn led seven teams to the state championship game and won three titles. In July 2013, he was inducted into the Arkansas High School Sports Hall of Fame. Born in Irving, Texas, Malzahn gradu- ated from high school in Fort Smith, Ark., and played football at Arkansas and Henderson State, earning his bachelor’s degree from Henderson in 1990. Malzahn is married to the former Kristi Otwell and they are the parents of two daughters, Kylie (Collin) Peek and Kenzie (Charl) Stander. The Malzahns have two grandsons, Anderson James Peek (March, 2018) and Arthur Elliott Peak (December, 2019). A UBURNTI G ERS.C O M MALZAHN AT A GLANCE Personal Born: Oct. 28, 1965 Hometown: Ft. Smith, Ark. Wife: Kristi (Otwell) Children: daughters: Kylie, Kenzie Grandchildren: Anderson and Arthur College: Henderson State (B.A. 1990) Playing Experience: Arkansas (1984-85) Henderson State (1988-89) Coaching Experience 2013-current: Auburn Head Coach 2012: Arkansas State Head Coach 2009-11: Auburn Offensive Coordinator/ Quarterbacks Coach 2007-08: Tulsa Assistant Head Coach/ Co-Offensive Coordinator 2006: Arkansas Offensive Coordinator 2001-05: Springdale High School (Ark.) Head Coach 1996-00: Shiloh Christian High School (Ark.) Head Coach 1992-95: Hughes High School (Ark.) Head Coach Bowl Experience Coach: 2020 Outback Bowl 2019 Music City Bowl 2018 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl 2017 Allstate Sugar Bowl 2015 Birmingham Bowl 2014 BCS National Championship 2011 Chick-fil-A Bowl 2011 BCS National Championship 2010 Outback Bowl 2008 GMAC Bowl 2007 Capital One Bowl Player: 1985 Holiday Bowl 1984 Liberty BowlNext >