[Tuck4Bama]

Senior will startat quarterback as AU faces Florida

AUBURN - Brandon Cox couldn't believe what he was seeing. On his first play Saturday night, center Jason Bosley's snap bounced off his hands, to the ground and into the waiting arms of a New Mexico State defender.

Cox could only watch as the Aggies scored on the next play to take a 20-14 lead in the second quarter.
"I didn't know what was going on," Cox said. "I didn't know if I was cursed or what. I just had to put it out of my mind, put it behind me and just go out and start over."

For Cox, it was the darkness before the dawn of a new day. A fifth-year senior, he had lost his starting job to freshman Kodi Burns after throwing six interceptions and losing a fumble in Auburn's first three games. He returned to lead the way as the Tigers scored 41 unanswered points for a 55-20 victory that broke a two-game losing streak.

On Sunday, exactly a week after getting the news that he'd lost his starting job, he got the news that he had it back. Cox, the starter in 27 of Auburn's last 29 games, will be under center to start the game when the Tigers (2-2) play No. 4 Florida (4-0) Saturday night in Gainesville.
"Brandon will be our starter," Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville said. "He played too well. He's a fifth-year senior and, hopefully, he got some of the cobwebs out."

That move had the enthusiastic endorsement of offensive coordinator Al Borges.

"He seized the moment," Borges said.

Shortly before practice last Sunday, Cox was told what he didn't want to hear - that he would not start against New Mexico State. It was an emotional and trying time, coming less than 24 hours after he'd been pulled from the game after his second interception against Mississippi State brought a cascade of boos from the Jordan-Hare Stadium stands. He hoped a last-ditch drive that came up just short of the winning touchdown might have made a difference. It didn't.

Tigers turning back to Cox- al.com