Auburn Tigers vs South Carolina Gamecocks Match Player Stats On Dec 04, 2010

SportsDirect Inc. staff
Dec 4, 2010

The Auburn Tigers didn't need a comeback this time.

Cam Newton accounted for six touchdowns -- two rushing and four passing -- and the Tigers pounded South Carolina 56-17 in the SEC Championship game Saturday at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.

The Tigers had to come from behind to win eight of their 12 regular-season games, including a 35-27 home win against South Carolina on Sept. 25, but they scored touchdowns on their first three drives Saturday to take control.

The official announcement will come Sunday, but the win almost certainly puts Auburn (13-0) into the BCS Championship Game against Oregon (12-0), which beat rival Oregon State 37-20 on Saturday.

Newton's eligibility was in question all week. Auburn deemed him ineligible Tuesday due to a pay-for-play scheme his father was involved in, but the NCAA reinstated Newton on Wednesday, saying neither he nor Auburn had knowledge of the illegal activity.

If the off-field saga affected Newton, it didn't show on the field. He completed 17 of 28 passes for 335 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions, and he rushed for a team-high 73 yards and two more scores.

Newton joined former Florida quarterback Tim Tebow as the only two players in NCAA history with 20 rushing touchdowns and 20 passing touchdowns in the same season.

Two of Newton's touchdown passes went to Darvin Adams, who caught seven passes for 217 yards. One of those, a Hail Mary touchdown off a deflection, put Auburn ahead 28-14 at the half.

In their first appearance in the SEC title game, the Gamecocks (9-4) didn't get the usual production from their stars.

Freshman running back Marcus Lattimore rushed for 84 yards on 16 carries and was kept out of the end zone. Leading receiver Alshon Jeffery had only four catches for 36 yards and one touchdown. And quarterback Stephen Garcia was 16 of 28 for 170 yards, with two touchdowns and two interceptions.