Auburn Can’t Kick After 17-16 Victory : SEC: Tigers beat Mississippi State when Crawford blocks conversion attempt.

Auburn Coach Pat Dye wasn’t a bit surprised.

Darrel Crawford blocked Joel Logan’s conversion kick with 2 1/2 minutes to play, preserving Auburn’s 17-16 Southeastern Conference victory over Mississippi State Saturday.

“Mississippi State certainly didn’t surprise me. I guess I am the only one who thinks they have a good team,” Dye said. “The game turned out exactly like I expected, but I hoped it wouldn’t be that close at the end.”

Mississippi State, 3-4 overall and 0-4 in the SEC, had a chance to tie the Tigers (6-0-1, 3-0-1) after David Fair’s two-yard run with 2:33 to play. But Crawford, a junior linebacker, batted down Logan’s kick to preserve Auburn’s unbeaten record.

Fair’s touchdown, on his only carry of the game, capped an 80-yard, nine-play drive keyed by a pass interference penalty on a third-and-10 play that gave the Bulldogs a first down at the Tiger 45. Fair scored six plays later.

Auburn got what proved to be the margin of victory with 13:25 remaining in the game when Jim Von Wyl kicked a 20-yard field goal after a drive was halted at the Mississippi State three.

Auburn outgained Mississippi State, 405-292, in handing the Bulldogs their 10th consecutive SEC defeat and ninth in a row against Dye.

“I don’t see how you could expect any more from our players,” State Coach Rockey Felker said. “We came through and got the (final) touchdown when we needed it, but I’m not sure what happened on the extra point.”

Freshman quarterback Stan White directed two second-quarter scoring drives as Auburn overcame a 3-0 Mississippi State lead.

“We moved the ball pretty well in the first half, we just couldn’t quite get over that hump,” White said. “We’ve been in this situation all year. It always seems to come down to one big play.