Bo Nix pulled off something special on Saturday night.
After Auburn had trailed Oregon for the entire game, Nix led a last-minute drive, which finished with a 26-yard touchdown to receiver Seth Williams with nine-seconds left in the game. Auburn won, 27-21. Nix, who is 19 years old and a true freshman, bested the Ducks and quarterback Justin Herbert, one of the favorites to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Nix wasn’t brilliant — he had two interceptions in the first half and Auburn fell behind, 21-6, in the third quarter. But poor game-management from Oregon coach Mario Cristobal opened to door for Auburn’s comeback.
When Nix threw the game-winning touchdown and gave the Tigers the lead for the first time in the game, his father Pat Nix, a former Auburn quarterback, was absolutely thrilled. He erupted with cheers and threw up his arms as the crowd went wild around him.
Perhaps Bo’s beautiful moment reminded Pat of a moment from his college career. During the Iron Bowl in 1993, Pat completed a touchdown pass to Frank Sanders that looked awfully similar to the one Bo completed in 2019. With Pat as the quarterback, Auburn beat Alabama.
Pat wasn’t the only person who was impressed with his son. An entire nation of college football fans were floored by the poise showed by Bo Nix. The youngster battled through a very rough start to his game before finding a rhythm, using his legs (seven rushes, 42 yards) and completing a wild and unlikely comeback. And frankly, the SEC needed a big win after suffering three upsets in the opening week of college football. (Wyoming beat Missouri. Georgia State beat Tennessee. And Memphis beat Ole Miss.)
Here’s what folks were saying on Twitter after Nix’s epic throw.
Nix surely has a long way to go in his development as a signal-caller. But he showed staggering maturity to persevere after facing early adversity.
