Auburn Ignores Allegations and Steamrolls Over Georgia

AUBURN, Ala. — Auburn quarterback Cam Newton has been stalked by news reports that his father shopped him to Mississippi State, asking for money for his son to play football. The rumors seemed to be everywhere over the past two weeks, except inside Jordan-Hare Stadium.
The fans massed in orange Saturday and would not let an N.C.A.A. investigation ruin their party. The music blared, and the throng rocked to the beat as players ran joyously around the field when the clock reached 0:00.
With a 49-31 victory over Georgia, the second-ranked Tigers won the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference. And they could not have cared less, at least for the moment, what might come out of the investigation into reports that Cecil Newton Sr., Cam Newton’s father, solicited money from Mississippi State when his son was being recruited.
Auburn (11-0, 7-0) plays Alabama on Nov. 26, then plays South Carolina in the SEC championship game on Dec. 4. If it wins both those games, Auburn will play for the national title Jan. 10.
There seems to be no worry inside the Auburn camp, at least none that transcends to the field. Newton was sensational again, with 151 yards rushing and 2 touchdowns. He completed 12 of 15 passes and threw for 2 scores, and he became the first player in the SEC to rush for 1,000 yards and throw for 2,000 yards in the same season.
His teammates did not seem ruffled, either, even after Auburn fell behind by 21-7 in the first quarter. Georgia (5-6, 3-5) tried to take away Newton’s inside runs, but the Tigers hit the Bulldogs with reverses and turned the game into a rout in the fourth quarter.
“I answered this question Tuesday,” left tackle Lee Ziemba said when asked if it was tough to prepare for the game with a controversy swirling. “Our mind-set was to beat Georgia. It was not on outside distractions.”
There was a renewed allegation Thursday from an agent’s representative that Newton’s father was engaged in a pay-for-play scheme. That is an N.C.A.A. violation that could result in Newton’s being declared ineligible, even if his father did not solicit money from Auburn.
Auburn did not make Newton available for interviews after the game. The university provided quotations from Newton, which did not deal with the allegation.
Tigers Coach Gene Chizik began his postgame interview by saying he would answer questions only about the game. He was asked at the end of the news conference what he thought about Cecil Newton, and he declined to answer.
Members of Auburn’s athletic-media-relations department were stationed around the interview room listening to players’ interviews. After a reporter asked left guard Mike Berry how the team was dealing with the controversy, Berry looked at one of the university’s media representatives, then turned back and said he could not discuss it.
On the sideline before the game, Auburn Athletic Director Jay Jacobs said he would not comment. Cecil Newton has said that the allegations are not true.
The fans were in no mood to consider any consequences. They cheered wildly for Cam Newton as he made his way to the stadium during Tiger Walk, a procession of players that stretches from the athletic building to the locker room.
At the end of Tiger Walk, Newton hugged and kissed his mother, Jackie. He had a wide smile when the Auburn mascot jumped into his arms. There was the possibility he might not play because the investigation concerns his eligibility, but Newton’s buoyant mood before the game seemed to be a clear indication he would play.
Newton does not seem bothered by the allegation, and his supporters do not want to be bothered by the topic. Bo Jackson, the 1985 Heisman Trophy winner and former Auburn all-American, was annoyed at a reporter’s questions about that controversy.
“Take that pencil and paper away from me,” Jackson snapped.