Tigers-Mountaineers: Rain, Turnovers, Scoring Create One Crazy Night in Auburn

Saturday night was one of the craziest nights in Jordan-Hare Stadium that I can remember.

It all started with a rain of biblical proportions that started about 30 minutes before the game was scheduled to kickoff. I've never seen it rain harder or faster than that 45 minutes in Auburn, leaving the field almost covered in standing water.

That's where the student section came into play.

At 15,000 students strong, not a one left their seat as the monsoon came down across the field in Auburn. If anything, the rain seemed to fire the crowd up. Singing along to Bon Jovi and Creedence Clearwater Revival being played in the stadium and leading the cheers, it was a sight to behold.

It drew the attention of writers, recruits, and opposing fans alike. What looked to be a rain that would not only affect the game, but dampen the spirits of the crowd ended up doing nothing of the sort.

And we still had a game to play.

What was a fired up crowd, was quickly silenced by 14 quick points by the Mountaineers and flashbacks to last year's 34-17 defeat in Morgantown.

But this Auburn team isn't last year's Auburn team.

There is no sense of panic that has come over this team, a sense of belief instead, in what they are doing has occupied the space where doubt was last year. The Tigers answered back and by halftime, Auburn was only down a point and it was clear then, this was going to be a down to the wire game to remember.

Auburn finally tied the game 27-27 on a Mario Fannin 82-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter. But that was just beginning the wild ride that was the fourth quarter.

West Virginia took a 30-27 lead, but that would be the last points scored by the Mountaineers that night. 

Thanks to an Auburn defense that would force four consecutive interceptions in the fourth quarter, including an interception returned for a touchdown by Craig Stevens to seal the deal late in the fourth quarter, Auburn was on their way to a 41-30 victory Saturday night.

Ask any Auburn fan in the last three years if they gave up 30 points would they have a chance to win and they would tell you absolutely not. This Auburn team found a way, maybe it was Gus Malzahn, the six turnovers obviously helped, but this Auburn team didn't panic or throw in the towel like they did in Morgantown a year ago.

So after four inches of rain in an hour, a delayed start time, a 14-point deficit in the first quarter, and an extremely dangerous offensive team in West Virginia, the Auburn Tigers found a way to battle back and win and move to a very important 3-0.

Auburn has passed their first big test in 2009, playing a quality team and having to come from behind to win. The next big test will be their first road game in Knoxville in two weeks.

Judging from this past weekend though, it looks like this Auburn team led by Gene Chizik has the mental toughness needed to win in the SEC. Only time will tell if they have the players and depth to go with it for an entire season.