Published Sep 1, 2019
Nix to Seth wins the day
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Bryan Matthews  •  AuburnSports
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@BMattAU

AUBURN | Bo Nix is building his own brand.

More than 25 years after his father, Pat Nix connected with Frank Sanders on two legendary passes to beat Alabama in 1993 and No. 1 Florida in 94, the younger Nix connect with Seth Williams for the game-winning touchdown pass against Oregon in his first college game.

“Everybody keeps comparing different passes to it, but I think that was my first Bo to Seth moment,” Nix said. “That was just the first moment we were able to come through and we were able to do something for our team that we had struggled to do all day.

“It was just a huge moment for Auburn and I was grateful and glad to be a part of it. It was a huge win.”

Nix first connected with Williams on a 13-yard out route on 3rd and 10 to give the Tigers a first down on the Duck 26-yard line with 16 seconds remaining. On the next play, Nix lofted a pass toward the left pylon where Williams caught it in front of Oregon defensive back Vernon McKinley at the 2-yard line and tumbled back into the end zone.

Williams, a sophomore, maintains that was just the start of big things to come from him and Nix.

“Oh, we’ve got plenty more. That was just the first one,” Williams said. “We’ve got plenty more. We’re going to keep on talking about it. Next week, probably week after that, week after that, too. And the week after that. And after that.”

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Neither Nix or Williams were having a particularly good night going into the final drive. Nix was 9-of-25 before completing 4-of-6 passes on the drive including the touchdown. Williams had one receptions for -3 yards before catching three for 44 yards including the game-clincher.

“We didn't have a timeout, so there was a little bit of stress that went with that,” Auburn coach Gus Malzahn said. “We just really wanted to give Seth one chance, you know, to have a 50/50 ball. And Bo underthrew it just a little bit and Seth tipped it to himself and made a big-time play.

“It was a really good win. Our locker room is really excited, real proud of those guys. Found a way to win, especially when we didn't play our best.”

And Nix’s heroics weren’t just through the air. With Auburn facing a 4th and 3 at the 47-yard line, he rolled out to pass and then tucked it, bulling ahead to earn the first down by just a couple of inches.

“It was a really close one. But he got it. And really, that was the play of the game or we wouldn't have anything afterwards,” Malzahn said.

Overall, Auburn covered the 60 yards in 11 plays, using two minutes and five seconds and leaving the Ducks just a few seconds to run one final play from scrimmage, an incomplete pass.

The 16th-ranked Tigers, which trailed 21-6 late in the third quarter rallied for three unanswered touchdowns to beat No. 11 Oregon 27-21 and begin the season with a big win over a Pac-12 team for a second consecutive year.

“I would have never thought the game would have ended like that to be honest, especially the first one,” Nix said. “We wouldn’t have been in that situation had the defense not played out of their minds in the second half. After the first quarter they gave up seven points and that’s a huge defensive stand for any team.

“We just really had all the momentum in the second half and then we had that huge fourth-down stop and we started moving the ball and we got the ball back with two minutes left and finally it was our turn to make a play. Thankfully, we did it.”

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