Auburn quarterback Byrum Brown did not have the orange-and-blue debut he had hoped for, but he delivered a clutch performance when his team needed him the most.
Brown passed for 259 yards in Auburn's 17-16 win over Baylor on Saturday in the Aflac Kickoff Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, but could not find the end zone through the air, and he ended the day with the first three-interception game of his career. However, Brown's legs became the deciding factor in a crucial moment in the 4th quarter.
Brown scored what became the game-winning touchdown with 3:21 remaining on an 11-yard designed run. The touchdown was set up by keepers that gained 2 and 5 yards, respectively.
Brown credits Auburn's mantra of "play the next play" as motivation
to score the go-ahead touchdown late in the game.
"That was our mentality going into the game. Every drive it was play the next play," Brown said postgame. "Follow (Jeremiah) Cobb. He led me to the promised land and protect the ball as I go into the end zone. That was really it."
Brown's touchdown run was one of many by-products of a new mentality that Auburn head coach Alex Golesh has installed. Golesh delivered a brutal self-assessment after the game during his press conference, taking blame for Auburn's struggles rather than delegating it to officials, assistant coaches, or players. The mindset has trickled down to the players, with players stepping up in key moments.
Brown, who has been viewed as a leader since arriving on campus, is thankful for his teammates' initiative in having his back during his lowest moments of the game.
"It's huge for a team. It shows that real connection. When one's struggling, the other side steps up. When they're struggling, we step up. That's really complementary football," Brown said. "That's what Coach Golesh and Coach (Joel) Gordon are harping on, and Coach (DJ) Durkin as well. Just playing for each other. Shout out to the defense for getting stops when we needed it, and glad we could capitalize it."
Auburn football escaped the grit and tenacity of Baylor on Saturday and emerged with a win. Next week, Auburn will aim for another win by hosting Southern Miss for a 6 p.m. CT kickoff. Week 2's game against the Golden Eagles will be the home opener for Auburn, and the first home game for head coach Alex Golesh.
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This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: Byrum Brown credits 'complementary football' for Auburn football's win
