When Tre Mason ran over and through Florida State for a 37-yard touchdown run with just over a minute left, he took over a couple of team records. He became Auburn’s single-season record-holder for scoring (144 points) and all-purpose yards (2,374).
“It would be great to do that with holding the crystal ball in the air,” he said afterward.
Despite being a Heisman Trophy finalist, despite erasing nearly all the bad taste from last season’s 3-8 season, despite rushing for 195 yards Monday, Mason left the Rose Bowl saying he let down the Auburn faithful.
How’s that. “Because we told them we’d have the biggest turnaround in college football, and the biggest turnaround would be winning that crystal ball,” he said. “We owed them that because of the season last year. I just want them to know that I gave it all I got, but I still feel like I let them down.”
“I think Tre is being too hard on himself,” defensive end Dee Ford said, “but he’s a competitor. I don’t expect him to be any other way.”
Special play: Some of the biggest turning points of Monday's game came through that oft-neglected segment of the game, special teams.
Florida State stopped the first-half Auburn landslide when coach Jimbo Fisher called for a fake punt on his own 40-yard line late in the second half. It was fancy, a reverse to Karlos Williams, and it was effective. The Seminoles went on from there to score their first touchdown of the night.
“We lost momentum in the game, it was 21-3,” Fisher said. “I knew with five minutes to go if they got it back and scored, the game could be over right there before half…I thought (the fake) was what we had to do to gain the momentum of the game back. “
Kermit Whitfield’s 100-yard kickoff return with 4:31 left in the game was the other special-teams lightning bolt. Where Auburn and Gus Malzhan had beaten Alabama with a dynamic return of a missed field goal, now his team team was wounded in a similar sudden fashion.
“They cut it back and they hit a seam,” Malzahn said. “There was some good execution. Obviously we didn’t cover it very well. That was a big play in the game. That was uncharacteristic (of Auburn), but at the same time you’ve got to give them credit.”
Youth is served: Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston was the third freshman to be selected the player of the game in the BCS Championship game. He joined Auburn running back Michael Dyer (2011) and LSU running back Justin Vincent (2004).
Perfection is so perfect: The Seminoles sixth FBS team to finish with 14 victories in a season. They are the fourth to win a national championship — the others are 2002 Ohio State, 2009 Alabama and 2011 Auburn. Those winning 14 but not winning it all were 1996 Brigham Young and 2009 Boise State.
Front-runners can also play from behind: Florida State was the team that bullied everyone this year, playing all season with comfortable leads. But when punched in the nose, the bully also could respond. The Seminoles rally from as much as 18 points behind was the largest in BCS Championship game history.
Blast from the past: He is the winningest coach in the history of college football. He worked 34 years as FSU's head coach. Through all that, Bobby Bowden had never set foot on the Rose Bowl field until Monday night when he served as the Seminoles honorary captain for the coin toss.
Heisman watch: With Winston, ten Heisman winners have appeared in the BCS Championship game. The award guarantees nothing at this stage. He pushed their overall record to 4-6.
The other quarterback: Auburn's Nick Marshall finished with so-so stats. He was 14-of-27 for 217 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. He rushed for 45 yards.
“I felt Nick did a very solid job,” Malzahn said. “They were daring us to throw the football early in the game and I think we hit that big one (a 50-yard touchdown throw) down the middle and it kind of loosened him up a little bit. He’s done an outstanding job this year, not going through spring (as a transfer) and leading us to the national championship with a chance to win it.”
Marshall is among a strong core of players expected to return for Auburn next year.
“We’re going up,” Malzahn said. “The experience that we had, and we got most of our guys coming back. Recruiting is going great and our goal is to get back here. I really believe we’ll do it.”
