Vasha Hunt | Opelika-Auburn News

Kodi Burns wasn’t sure if he was going to run or pass.

If the sophomore quarterback runs, he could pick up the first down and keep the clock rolling, or fall short and face a fourth down. If he passes, only three things could happen and two of them are bad.

So, he passed.

Burns’ 10-yard dart to Montez Billings on third-and-5 from the Auburn 10 with 2:30 remaining gave the struggling Auburn offense the first down it so desperately needed and preserved an ugly, 14-12 victory Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

“The coaches told me ‘if you don’t see anything, run it,’” said Burns, who replaced Chris Todd at quarterback in the fourth quarter. “I saw their cornerback drop back just enough.”

And that left the door open for Billings, who waited near the first-down marker at the 15. Billings caught the pass, turned and raced 4 more yards to the 19.

First down Auburn. Game over.

“At the end of the game, that third-and-5 pass was outstanding and gave us the win and put us over the top,” said Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville, whose 15th-ranked Tigers improved to 4-1 overall, 2-1 in the SEC.

Tennessee dropped to 1-3 and 0-2.

“We were all for it (the pass),” Tuberville added. “We wanted them to use a time out … If we drop it, the clock stops. If we catch it, game over. There were a lot of ifs and ands at the end. To see us make a first down at the end of the game to win the game … Last week, we didn’t quite do it.”

Burns’ late heroics were set up by the Auburn defense, which allowed the Volunteers no first downs in the fourth quarter and forced Tennessee into three-and-outs in each of their final four drives – one starting at the Tiger 38.

“It was gutsy, gritty and determined,” said Auburn defensive coordinator Paul Rhoads, whose unit allowed the Vols just 191 yards, the fewest AU has allowed Tennessee in 20 years. “They didn’t waver. They didn’t flinch. We talked before the game that it would be a 60-minute game and to expect adversity.”

Adversity came — and shown brightly — in the fourth quarter. With poor field position and neither starting quarterback Chris Todd nor Burns able to move the Auburn offense, the Auburn defense had its backs to the wall.

Tennessee started fourth-quarter drives at the Auburn 38, Tennessee 42, Auburn 46 and Tennessee 46. Four drives yielded 12 plays, 12 yards and four punts. Leading by 2, Auburn could ill-afford to allow the Vols to drive into field goal range.

“You get nervous before you go out there, but when you get out there, that mental state begins,” Auburn cornerback Jerraud Powers said. “Every time, we felt like we had to make a stop.”

Frustration was evident from embattled Tennessee coach Phil Fulmer after the game.

“Offensively, we were stuck,” he said. “We played a better defensive team than we did last week and that is not to take anything away from Florida.”

Rhoads said the Tigers “tightened” defensive coverage to prevent the Vols from reaching field goal range.

Aside from stopping Tennessee when it counted, Auburn’s defense scored a touchdown when defensive lineman Jake Ricks fell on an Arian Foster fumble in the end zone in the second quarter and stopped Tennessee on a 2-point conversion attempt that could have tied the score early in the fourth quarter.

“Coach Tuberville told us that we had to stop the run and fortunately they turned over the ball,” Ricks said. “It was just like one of our drills from practice, except that this time, it ended up as a touchdown.”

Ricks’ score gave Auburn a 14-6 lead.

But when Montario Hardesty rushed 2 yards for a touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter, the Vols managed to trim Auburn’s lead to 14-12. Needing two points, Vols’ quarterback Jonathan Crompton fired a pass to wideout Gerald Jones at the 2-yard-line, but Auburn cornerback Walter McFadden planted him there, preserving the AU lead.

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