Newton rallies Auburn from 21-7 down against Georgia
AUBURN, Ala. - Cam Newton did his talking on the field.
Responding to all those allegations of wrongdoing, Newton passed for two touchdowns and ran for two more Saturday to lead No. 2 Auburn into the Southeastern Conference championship game - and another step closer to playing for the national title.
The Tigers pulled away from Georgia in the fourth quarter for a 49-31 victory that, at least for one day, took some of the heat off college football's most dynamic player.
"I'm just very proud of the way he played," coach Gene Chizik said. "He's a really, really talented, extremely gifted player who means a lot to our football team."
Newton celebrated with his teammates after the game, yukking it up in front of the student section, but that would be the only insight into how he was feeling after persistent reports that his father solicited money - big money - during recruiting. Auburn officials did not make Newton available to the media.
Chizik answered questions only about the game.
The Tigers (11-0, 7-0 SEC) will face South Carolina for the conference title Dec. 4 in Atlanta, though Auburn will first face Alabama in Tuscaloosa on Friday, Nov. 26.
Auburn rallied from an early 21-7 deficit to tie it up by halftime. The Tigers kept the momentum going with an onside kick to start the third quarter, recovering the ball and driving for the go-ahead touchdown.
Georgia (5-6, 3-5) hung tough behind A.J. Green's nine-catch, 164-yard performance, tying the game again at 28-all before Auburn went ahead for good on Onterio McCalebb's 4-yard touchdown run.
Newton finished off the Bulldogs with his second scoring pass of the game to tight end Philip Lutzenkirchen, a 13-yarder over the middle with 8:05 left.
Newton rushed for 151 yards on 30 carries, scoring Auburn's first touchdown on a 31-yard run and capping it off with a 1-yard leap into the end zone in the closing minutes. The ball popped loose, Georgia recovered but the call on the field held up.
Newton completed 12 of 15 passes for 148 yards, and his one glaring mistake - an interception that set up a Georgia touchdown - was actually off a deflected ball that should have been caught by the receiver.
Along the way, Newton became the first player in SEC history to pass for 2,000 yards and rush for 1,000 yards in a season.
The only sour note for Auburn came in the closing seconds when the teams jawed back and forth and a brawl nearly broke out. Two of the Tigers' defensive players, tackle Mike Blanc and end Michael Goggans, were ejected and can't play in the first half against Alabama.
South Carolina 36, Alabama 14: Marcus Lattimore ran 40 times for a career-high 212 yards and three touchdowns as No. 23 South Carolina (7-3, 5-3) clinched the SEC East crown.
