It's a final: Auburn wins national championship on Wes Byrum's kick as time expires
Published: Monday, January 10, 2011, 11:14 PM Updated: Monday, January 10, 2011, 11:14 PM
By Charles Goldberg/Auburn Bureau, The Birmingham News, Press-Register, and The Huntsville Times 
Kodi Burns finished his Auburn career on a high note with a national championship and this 35-yard touchdown catch (Todd Van Emst photo)GLENDALE, Ariz. - A quarterback with skills like none other this season, the school's all-time leading scorer and a defense that had just enough presented Auburn the ultimate prize in college football Monday night in the Arizona desert.
Wes Byrum kicked at the game-winning field goal as time expired to give Auburn a 22-19 victory in the BCS national championship game.
Thiller.
Cam Newton threw two touchdown passes and the Tigers' defense came up with big plays to lead Auburn to titl over Oregon in University of Phoenix Stadium in the thriller.
Oregon tied Auburn 19-19 late on a touchdown and 2-point conversion, but big runs from Mike Dyer put Auburn in a position to win it all.
Dyer rolled over a would-be tackler, got up and ran away from Oregon to the Ducks' 23-yard line to set up the winning score.
Neither snow nor rain in the South could prevent a stadium-record crowd of 78,603 from watching Auburn's win.
The Tigers finished their historic season at 14-0, the most wins in school history. It's Auburn's first national title since 1957, and helped ease the pain from the 2004 team that went 13-0 but just missed playing in the BCS title game.
The 2010 team was deserving of the BCS, leaving the game just as it entered it as the No. 1 team in the nation.
Newton threw touchdown passes to Kodi Burns and Emory Blake. Auburn also got a field goal from Wes Byrum. And the Tigers' sometimes-maligned defense stepped up and to stop Oregon's big-play, fast-paced offense. Auburn defensive tackle Mike Blanc dropped the nation's leading rusher, LaMichael James, for a safety late in the second quarter to jump start the Tigers and speed them to victory.
The Tigers quickly followed up the safety with the go-ahead touchdown pass from Newton to Blake.
Leading 19-11 late in the third quarter, Auburn turned back Oregon with a goal line stand. The Ducks had a first down at the Auburn 3. They were turned away when Auburn stopped them on fourth-and-1 from the 1.
The Tigers started slowly, but Auburn ran 36 plays in the second quarter, and helped carry the Tigers to a 16-11 halftime lead.
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