BCS National Championship Game
![BCS National Championship Game BCS National Championship Game](https://www.si.com/.image/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/MTY4MjYxNDgyNjc1NzA5MDkz/00newop18-7864-midjpg.jpg)
BCS National Championship Game
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Auburn and Oregon were each making their first appearance in the BCS title game. Auburn's only previous title came in 1957, while Oregon was seeking its first.
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Despite a winter storm that kept some Auburn fans at home, the Tiger faithful at University of Phoenix seemed to outnumber the Oregon followers.
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After Oregon took a 3-0 lead early in the second quarter, Cam Newton hit Kodi Burns on a 35-yard touchdown pass to give Auburn its first lead of the game.
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Darron Thomas responded with an 8-yard scoring pass to LaMichael James to put the Ducks back in front 11-7.
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Oregon took a 12-0 record into the title game thanks in part to an explosive running game, but the Ducks had no run longer than 14 yards against Auburn.
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Auburn quarterback Cam Newton was sacked twice and threw an interception but he still rolled up more than 300 yards total offense.
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Jeff Maehl's 81-yard reception from Darron Thomas in the second quarter set up Oregon's first touchdown.
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Terrell Zachery was Cam Newton's favorite target, catching six passes for 48 yards.
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Cam Newton and Kodi Burns celebrate Auburn's initial touchdown, a 35-yard Newton-to-Burns scoring pass.
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Casey Mathews (55) helps Oregon get one of its two sacks of Auburn quarterback Cam Newton.
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Auburn's Kodi Burns stretches across the goal line for Auburn's first touchdown, a 35-yard pass from Cam Newton.
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Auburn's swarming defense sacked Oregon quarterback Darron Thomas twice and forced a pair of interceptions.
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LaMichael James scores the first of his two touchdowns for Oregon, on an 8-yard catch from Darron Thomas that put the Ducks up 11-7.
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Oregon's LaMichael James is tackled in the end zone for a second-quarter safety that helped Auburn trim the Ducks' lead to 11-9.
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Auburn quarterback Cam Newton rushed 22 times for 65 yards, including one carry for 18 yards.
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Oregon tied the game at 19-19 when Jeff Maehl hauled in Darron Thomas' pass on a two-point conversion with 2:33 to play.
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Auburn running back Michael Dyer escapes a tackle in the closing seconds of Monday's BCS title game by landing on top of Oregon's Eddie Pleasant before rolling back to his feet to complete a 37-yard run to put the Tigers in position for a game-ending field goal.
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Michael Dyer carried the ball three times for 55 yards on Auburn's final drive, including a 16-yard dash to the 1-yard line that set up Wes Byrum's winning field goal.
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Wes Byrum's 19-yard field goal as time ran out gave Auburn its first national title in 54 years and the fifth straight for an SEC team.
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Nick Fairley and his teammates were all smiles after Auburn's 22-19 victory over Oregon left the Tigers with a spotless 14-0 record.