By CRAIG MORGAN
FOXSportsArizona.com
Jan. 10, 2011
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- LaMichael James enjoyed a rare moment of unimpeded progress as he walked through the tunnels of University of Phoenix Stadium toward the Oregon team bus late Monday night.
"It's so quiet," he said with a wistful smile.
Like a funeral.
The lasting image from Auburn's 22-19 victory over Oregon in the BCS Championship Game was freshman running back Michael Dyer's 37-yard run after everyone in the building thought he had been tackled, setting up Auburn's winning field goal.
But the lasting image for James, coach Chip Kelly and Ducks quarterback Darron Thomas was of an offense that never materialized.
Oregon led the nation in points per game (49.1) and plays per minute this season.
But a combination of Auburn's defensive front and Oregon's critical mistakes produced the second-lowest scoring game of Kelly's Oregon tenure and the lowest rushing total of James' season (49 yards).
"The matchup with our offensive line against their defensive line was really the changing point in that football game," Kelly said. "I will give Auburn credit. They've got a great front four. Nick Fairley proved he was the best defensive lineman in the country. It was a tough matchup for us."
It was also a familiar feeling.
With extra time to prepare for the Ducks' high-flying offense, Ohio State shut Oregon down in a 26-17 Rose Bowl victory last season.
The Tigers did the same, holding Oregon to a field goal on one red-zone trip, stuffing them on fourth-and-goal on another, burying James in the end zone for a safety and turning a presumed offensive battle into a showcase for their defense.
There were times when Auburn's defense appeared gassed by Oregon's pace of play, so Tigers coach Gene Chizik used his timeouts as breathers.
After scoring their first touchdown at the 10:58 mark of the second quarter, the Ducks went the better part of three quarters without another before breaking through with a touchdown drive and 2-point conversion to tie the score 19-19 with 2:33 left, threatening to erase a game's worth of trends and render Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton a goat after his costly fumble.
The comeback was short-lived, as the Tigers quickly responded with the help of Dyer's bizarre big gain to drive down for Wes Byrum's game-winning 19-yard field goal. But the outcome was determined just as much by Auburn's ability to manhandle the Ducks up front, leaving the nation's No. 4 rusher with no clear lanes to create the big plays he had all season.
"It is really tough to get around those guys," James said. "They just have great defenders."
Thomas tried to pick up the slack by throwing for career highs in yards (363), completions (27) and attempts (40). But he also equaled his season high with two interceptions.
"They didn't stop us, we stopped ourselves," Thomas insisted. "Those two plays (the interceptions) stick in my head. We still could have won the game."
But the Ducks did not.
There was much discussion of Oregon's speed advantage in the weeks leading up to the game. It was never in evidence Monday.
There was much attention paid to Kelly's offensive creativity
