Clutch performance

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OPELIKA, Ala. | Jake Bentley's last trip deep into Auburn territory resulted in an interception but Opelika coach Brian Blackmon didn't hesitate to put the ball back in Bentley's hands late in Friday night's game.

The junior quarterback responded hitting J.D. Worth for a 20-yard touchdown with 2:49 left in the fourth quarter to give the Bulldogs a 31-30 win.

"No doubts," Blackmon said. "What we always say is we don't think about plays, we think about players.

"Jake had a great game. He had one blip on the radar, he made a mistake and he learned from it. The good thing was as a team we rallied around him and came back and made plays when we had to."

Bentley finished 13-of-23 for 228 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. He also rushed for 86 yards on six carries and had a 60-yard punt.

"Special is probably the only word that comes to my mind right now," Bentley said. "I didn't grow up here. I haven't been around the rivalry as much but I know how much it means to our guys. It meant a lot to me but I knew for Josh, the seniors, how much they wanted to win this game. Just to come out and do that is huge."

Bentley transferred from Duncan (S.C.) Byrnes to Opelika last year but served as a backup to senior Matthew Christian. He missed most of his freshman season at Byrnes with a knee injury.

"I had some setbacks and had to wait, and it just feels good to come out here and just play. To come out here and play the game you love is just great," Bentley said.

Rated a four-star and the nation's No. 160 overall prospect in the 2017 class by Rivals.com, Bentley has offers from Auburn, Stanford, Vanderbilt, Miami, Illinois, Cincinnati, Wake Forest, Southern Miss, Temple, Western Michigan and Appalachian State.

Several other elite programs are actively recruiting the son of Auburn analyst Bobby Bentley.

"Florida State and Georgia told me they would let me know after the third game what they thought," Bentley said.

Bentley said he will likely attend the Auburn-Louisville game in the Georgia Dome next Saturday.

Auburn offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee continues to actively recruit Bentley even with the Tigers adding a commitment from Rivals100 2017 quarterback Lowell Narcisse last month.

"Coach Lashlee said that as long as he's there, I've got a spot," Bentley said. "They stay in touch throughout the whole week."