Eric Winters earns national award for game-clinching performance vs. Baylor
By Mark Kern
Published:
Eric Winters and the Auburn Tigers hung on in Week 1 to beat Baylor 17-16 in one of the most competitive games of the weekend. The Bears cut the deficit to 17-16 with nine seconds left, and decided to go for the win. Quarterback DJ Lagway hit tight end Matthew Klopfenstein on the two-point conversion, but Winters was there to save the day and secure the win for the Tigers, tackling him inches from the goal line.
On Tuesday, Winters was named the Nagurski Trophy National Defensive Player of the Week for his performance.
While that game-winning play is what is getting a lot of talk, Winters had a monster game. The sophomore safety had 12 tackles, 2 TFLs and a forced fumble. He had a stellar freshman year for the Tigers, as he had 33 tackles and one sack.
The win was the first for Alex Golesh as the head coach of the Tigers, and they made enough plays in a tough game. The offense at times looked good, but three interceptions thrown by Byrum Brown helped keep Baylor in the game.
The Tigers will look to move to 2-0 on the season in Week 2 when they host the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles. Kickoff for that game is scheduled for 7:45 p.m. ET and the game will be on the SEC Network.
