Game Summary
Before the match a moment of silence was held for the victims of the shooting in Tucson, Arizona two days before the game in which US Representative Gabrielle Giffords was shot in the head and 6 others, including Federal Judge John Roll, were killed.
The first half ended up with Auburn leading 16-11. The half included a safety where the Auburn defense tackled Oregon's LaMichael James in the Oregon end zone.
In the 3rd quarter Auburn kicker Wes Byrum kicked a 28-yard field goal to give Auburn a 19-11 lead. The teams traded possession several times until Oregon recovered a fumble on the Auburn 40-yard line with 5:05 minutes left. Oregon then drove down the field and scored a touchdown with 2:33 minutes remaining in the game. They added a two-point conversion to tie the score at 19-19.
On the game's final possession, Auburn drove 73 yards to the Oregon 1-yard line and won the game with a field goal as time expired. The drive included a run by Michael Dyer in which he appeared to be tackled after 6-7 yards, but fell on top of defender Eddie Pleasant with his knees nor the ball touching the ground. The Auburn sideline urged Dyer to continue after getting back up, and the Oregon defense finally tackled him after a 37-yard gain. The play was reviewed and the ruling on the field was upheld.
Michael Dyer would then rush for a touchdown, however a subsequent review would show that Dyer's knee went down before crossing the goal line. The touchdown would be reversed and the ball would be placed at the Oregon 1-yard line. From there, Auburn would run the clock down to 2 seconds.
The Tigers would go on to be named national champions after a game winning kick by Wes Byrum as time expired.
Read more about this topic: 2011 BCS National Championship Game
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