Trick Play Backfires, Florida State Loses : Auburn: The Tigers steal the Seminoles’ magic to tie and then win game on a field goal, 20-17.

After a “fumblerooskie” play backfired on Florida State and helped Auburn tie the score, Jim Von Wyl kicked a 38-yard field goal with two seconds remaining, moving the fifth-ranked Tigers into the thick of the national championship race with a 20-17 victory over the seventh-ranked Seminoles Saturday night.

Quarterback Stan White helped set up the winning kick with a fourth-down, 21-yard completion to Herbert Casey. After letting the clock run down to six seconds, Von Wyl came on to kick his second game-winner of the year. Two weeks ago, his 30-yarder beat Louisiana Tech, 16-14.

Stacy Danley tied the score, 17-17, diving over from the two with 3:47 remaining to cap a 57-yard drive that started after the blown “fumblerooskie.”

Quarterback Casey Weldon put the ball on the ground for a lineman to pick up, but it was Auburn’s Walter Tate who covered it.

After Danley’s touchdown, Weldon, who came off the bench to pass for 244 yards, led the Seminoles back to the Auburn 37. But on fourth and five, Weldon was grabbed by Ricky Sutton, stumbled backwards while trying to keep his balance and finally fell for a 22-yard loss with 1:04 to play.

That led to Von Wyl’s kick.

Auburn (5-0-1), which came back from a 17-7 halftime deficit, won on a Saturday when two higher-ranked teams, No. 2 Miami and No. 3 Tennessee, were beaten. Tennessee’s 9-6 loss to Alabama was particularly important to Auburn, moving the Tigers into sole possession of first place in the Southeastern Conference.

Florida State (4-2) had its national championship hopes dashed as Auburn snapped a three-game losing streak in the series.

Weldon, who had passed for only 223 yards in Florida State’s first five games, entered the game late in the first quarter forstarter Brad Johnson and sparked the Seminoles to 17 second-quarter points.

He directed a 10-play, 48-yard drive completed by Richie Andrews’ 22-yard field goal with 12:02 remaining in the half.

That seemed to spark the Florida State defense, which held Auburn to ae first down the rest of the half.

The Seminoles, meanwhile, scored touchdowns on the next two possessions.

Edgar Bennett went over from the one with 7:19 left in the second quarter, capping a drive keyed by a 30-yard pass from Weldon to Shannon Baker.

With 1:40 left before halftime, tailback Amp Lee took a screen pass from Weldon on the right side, split four defenders and raced untouched 48 yards to give the Seminoles a 17-7 lead.

Auburn’s only score of the first half was set up by Terrell Buckley’s fumbled punt at the Florida State 46. Five plays later, Tony Richardson went in from the five.