‘T-Zach can do things’

AUBURN - Ben Tate has a hard time believing this is the first year Terrell Zachery has enjoyed a full-time starter role at Auburn.

The junior receiver always had the tools, Tate said, it was just a matter of opportunity.

"We've known that T-Zach can do things, but when you're just a player you can't voice your opinion, your opinion doesn't matter. It's up to the coaches," Tate said. "I bet you can ask a handful of guys, a bunch of guys on the team that have been here since T-Zach has been here, we all know he can play.

"We asked him, 'Were you doing something wrong? Were you doing this or that?' But you can't really get into that because you're not supposed to and it really isn't any of your business, but we all knew he could play. He's just getting his opportunity."

It's a good thing for Auburn.

During the Tigers' three-game losing streak, they needed more from their offense both in the big-play category and passing production.

Zachery provided solutions to both problem areas on Saturday, hauling in a pair of Chris Todd passes for 83 yards. Neither play went for touchdowns, but both set up touchdowns later in the drive.

For Zachery, those two plays - one for 42 yards and another for 41 - marked the fifth and sixth plays he's made that went for 40-plus yards.

In that sense, Zachery is just the sparkplug Auburn will continue to need going forward this season.

Auburn coach Gene Chizik has taken notice, but is more impressed with the types of difficult plays he made on Saturday.

"He is a guy that has really come on. Those were some tough catches on Saturday," Chizik said. "Those are the catches that spark a football team. Chris throws the ball about the only place that you could put it where they can't get it and Terrell goes up and jumps for the ball and does get it. It is what I was talking about last week. That was what we needed somebody to do. He is a tough guy and certainly him catching the football Saturday gave us an edge."

Several Auburn offensive players said they thought it would take just one big play for the Tigers to snap out of their slump.

Fittingly, Auburn scored its first touchdown of the game Saturday two plays after Zachery hauled in his first reception.

"I think it was important for us to come out and get something going, get a big play and get everybody excited again," Todd said. "We've been right on the verge of getting something going and I think we were able to come out fairly early and do that."

That catch came at a key time, when the Tigers faced a third-and-2 from the Ole Miss 18-yard line. Had Zachery not made the 41-yard catch, Auburn would have punted and likely would have given the Rebels decent field position.

Instead, the Tigers took their first lead of the game two plays later when Todd hit a wide-open Darvin Adams for a 35-yard touchdown.

Zachery's second big catch started a drive. He leapt against a pair of Ole Miss defenders to bring in Todd's pass, good for 42 yards. This time Auburn needed three more plays to reach the end zone when Kodi Burns hit Tommy Trott for a touchdown pass.

Tate said he thought the Ole Miss safeties backed away from the line of scrimmage somewhat after Zachery's two catches. That eventually helped open him the senior tailback up for a 53-yard touchdown run that essentially iced the game.

Zachery has proven his teammates' predictions of a breakout season correct this year.

More importantly, he has gained the trust from both Auburn's coaches and Todd.

"Anytime a guy can step up and make big plays in a game that's obviously crucial - not only my confidence in that person being able to throw to them, but (coaches) looking for somebody," Todd said. "You know the coaches are looking for people who are able to make plays in a game. When it gets to crunch time they're looking for who I can get the ball to to make a play for us and he's been able to do that.

"Some other guys have made some really nice plays as well but, in particular, he's done a really nice job and called some plays for him and he's made some big ones."