Mississippi State (6-0, 3-0 SEC) jump-started its offense Saturday with two touchdowns in the final 2 1/2 minutes for an 18-16 win over Auburn, moving the Bulldogs to 6-0 for the first time in 55 years.
"I told the players and the coaches that sometimes you're just going to win games like this," Mississippi State coach Sherrill said. "I'm glad we did, and thankful this one is over."
Backup quarterback Matt Wyatt threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Matt Butler with 19 seconds to play to complete the comeback win.
Wyatt, in for injured starter Wayne Madkin, had pulled the Bulldogs back into the game one possession earlier with a 16-yard touchdown pass to C.J. Sirmones. That made it 16-10 with 2:28 to play.
If Mississippi State's offense was bad, Auburn's was even worse.
The Tigers (3-3, 1-3) had only nine first downs the whole day, and needing just one to avoid giving the ball back, couldn't get it.
Deep in its own territory, the Tigers took a delay of game penalty with 50 seconds to play. On the next play, kicker Damon Duval took the snap and ran out of the end zone for a safety that cut the score to 16-12.
"We had made a decision earlier that we weren't going to kick or punt," Tigers coach Tommy Tuberville said. "We are not going to second-guess ourselves now. I wouldn't change anything."
Pig Prather returned Duval's ensuing kickoff 41 yards, and Wyatt needed only four plays to do the rest. He threw his 11-yard TD pass to Butler with 19 seconds to play.
Auburn got the ball back, but quarterback Jeff Klein was intercepted by Fred Smoot to end the game.
Sherrill agreed with Tuberville's decision to take the safety, and not because it helped the Bulldogs win.
"That was a smart play," Sherrill said. "It just didn't work, but I would have done the same thing."
Tuberville said he knew he'd be criticized for losing the game.
"We should have won this game," he said. "Two plays and we win. Our guys were the best team today until the last 18 seconds."
Auburn has now lost three straight.
The Bulldogs, meanwhile, are off to their best start since 1944. Still, Mississippi State gets little respect. Even from Tuberville, who said earlier this week that the Bulldogs hadn't played their best competition yet.
"A lot of people said we were 6-0 because we haven't played anybody, even coach Tuberville said this game was the start of our season," Sherrill said. "He was right. But we've played somebody now, so I guess our season started today."
1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH FINAL
--- --- --- --- -----
Mississippi St 0 0 3 15 18
Auburn 0 10 6 0 16
Second Quarter
AUB-Daniels 64 pass from Klein (Duval kick), 12:49.
AUB-FG Duval 19, 3:03.
Third Quarter
AUB-FG Duval 36, 12:26.
AUB-FG Duval 46, 8:15.
MSU-FG Westerfield 33, :56.
Fourth Quarter
MSU-Sirmones 16 pass from Wyatt (Westerfield kick), 2:28.
MSU-Safety, Duval ran out of end zone, :50.
MSU-Butler 11 pass from Wyatt (run failed), :19.
MSU AUB
--- ---
First downs 18 9
Rushes-yards 23-42 42-39
Passing 320 125
Comp-Att-Int 25-49-1 7-28-1
Return Yards 177 121
Punts-Avg. 8-40.4 8-47.9
Fumbles-Lost 2-2 0-0
Penalties-Yards 10-78 7-53
Time of Possession 27:23 32:37
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING-Mississippi State, Miller 5-41, Walker 5-11, Griffith
5-7, Rainey 2-6, Team 1-(minus 1), Wyatt 2-(minus 1), Gibson
1-(minus 2), Madkin 2-(minus 19). Auburn, Williams 15-41,
T.Robinson 2-17, C.Robinson 12-12, Owens 5-4, Evans 2-2, Duval
1-(minus 17), Klein 5-(minus 20).
PASSING-Mississippi State, Wyatt 17-29-1-209, Madkin 8-20-0-111.
Auburn, Klein 7-27-1-125, C.Robinson 0-1-0-0.
RECEIVING-Mississippi State, Grindle 6-109, Love 4-91, Sirmones
4-42, Griffith 4-25, Huntington 3-26, Butler 2-15, Walker 1-8,
Miller 1-4. Auburn, Daniels 4-113, Evans 1-9, Diamond 1-5,
C.Robinson 1-(minus 2).
A-80,394.
Data provided by Infobeat Sports