Auburn stepped into the LSU’s hallowed Tiger Stadium, nicknamed Death Valley, on Saturday night. All bets were on the purple and gold.
After all, Auburn hadn’t won in Baton Rouge’s homage to college football since 1999 in the famous Cigar Game. But the rollercoaster reality that is Auburn quarterback Bo Nix was on full upswing as he willed his team to a 24-19 victory over the LSU Tigers with a flair reminiscent of a collegiate legend.
PLAY OF THE NIGHT 🤯
Bo Nix made the entire defense miss before throwing this TD! pic.twitter.com/FGQM1JpgSK
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 3, 2021
A junior benched just a week earlier, Nix saw himself become the hero for the Auburn faithful. Although Auburn quarterback T.J. Finley hit the field for a few plays, the offense under Nix’s special direction came to life in the most entertaining of fashions.
Schmoney Manziel Moves
How? Simple. He had fun and channeled the spirit of former Texas A&M meme-able quarterback Johnny Manziel.
With his father, a former Auburn quarterback himself, in the stands watching, Nix unleashed a fun offensive blitzkrieg.
The biggest criticisms of Nix were that his play hadn’t matched his strengths in previous games. However, this was not a factor against LSU.
How did Bo Nix pull this off 👀
(via @AuburnFootball)
pic.twitter.com/vBNbrd5pZx— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 3, 2021
Nix extended plays and ran the ball whenever necessary. He found open receivers; throwing at times at weird Manziel-esque angles was vital to their win. His natural arm talent, quick feet, and ability to avoid multiple tackle attempts made him special.
Nix went 23 of 44 for 255 yards and one touchdown and added 12 rushes for 74 yards and one touchdown.
However, the team stepped up as well. Auburn wide receiver Demetris Robertson had six catches for 60 yards. Linebacker Zakoby McClain locked another double-digit tackle performance with 12 stops.
LSU looked like it could have won the game at any time. It led 13-0 in the second quarter and 19-10 late in the third quarter.
The Auburn Difference
However, the Bayou State team relied on a heavy kick offense, kicking four field goals after reaching the red zone; they could not run the football.
In addition, Nix seemed unstoppable, as LSU couldn’t bring him down. Nix looked almost aquatic, slipping through sack attempts to orchestrate Auburn’s commando comeback.
Bo Nix leads @AuburnFootball to its first victory in Death Valley since 1999! pic.twitter.com/p1crg36hrM
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) October 3, 2021
On the ground, Auburn out-advanced LSU 178-29. Once built on a solid running game, LSU running backs touched the ball only six times in the first half. LSU. They averaged 1.2 yards per carry, with running backs combining for 13 attempts.
But Nix had some moments of nail-biting brilliance.
When Auburn faced fourth-and-2 from LSU’s 26-yard line, instinctually, Nix rolled to his right, evading a tackle. He effortlessly juked away from another defender running across the field.
Next, he shook off what seemed like an unbeatable sack attempt at the sideline, buying enough time to throw and complete a 24-yard touchdown to tight end Tyler Fromm.
Bo Nix tonight: pic.twitter.com/VdVXiR9Oag
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 3, 2021
Then after LSU punted, Nix expertly weaved through LSU’s defense, and on another fourth-down attempt from LSU’s 48-yard line, Nix beat another sack, completing a pass for first down. Auburn then kicked a field goal to bring itself within three points by halftime.
Bo Nix is the son of Patrick Nix, who played at Auburn 1992-1995. However, it was the Johnny Manziel moves that got it done in Baton Rouge.
All that was missing was his hands raised doing the money sign.
