Turns out Bo Nix's first touchdown pass was improvised

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AUBURN, Alabama — The first touchdown pass of Bo Nix's career was special.
It was also unscripted.
The true freshman quarterback made a call of his own with the Tigers facing a first down at Oregon’s 11-yard line late in the third quarter. Receiver Eli Stove had just picked up 36 yards on an end-around run, the longest rush play of the game for the Tigers.

Auburn lined up, utilizing the hurry-up, no-huddle approach, and Stove looked to the sideline.
“I didn’t even get the play,” Stove said. “I was still waiting on the play and he just looked at me. He snapped and he just threw it. It was crazy.”

Wait. Stove didn’t even know the play call, and Nix made the executive decision to snap the ball and make the quick throw on the line of scrimmage?
Yup.

“I looked down and was like, there’s nobody covering me, and then [Nix] kept looking at me and I was like, ‘Oh, he’s fixing to throw me the ball,’” Stove said. “So, I was just like, ‘Oh, shoot.’ So I just turned around and caught it.”

Stove caught the quick pass ahead of his body, dodged a tackler at his waist and walked into the end zone for the touchdown with 4:20 remaining in the third quarter. The Tigers pulled within 21-13 to start the program's largest comeback since the 2010 Iron Bowl. The Tigers went on to win 27-21 in a dramatic finish.

Sometimes the play-call from the sideline doesn’t matter, even for a true freshman quarterback. If a player is not covered on the field, why wait?

“It kinda surprised me at the moment, but then again he’s a smart quarterback, so I know it’s just something he does,” Stove said.
More people will remember Nix’s second touchdown pass than his first as an Auburn Tiger. His 26-yard pass to Seth Williams with 9 seconds remaining gave the Tigers their first and only lead of the game.

Williams ran a go route, slow-played the route and stayed underneath an Oregon Nickelback before jumping in the air, bending his torso to shield the defender from the ball and juggled the pass before snagging the reception at the 2-yard line. He fell backwards into the end zone for the go-ahead score, sending the Auburn crowd into a frenzy.

That play was called by Auburn coach Gus Malzahn. The first touchdown pass? Well, that was just a quick-fire decision when Nix and Stove both noticed the receiver was not covered by an Oregon defender: a veteran move by a true freshman.

Nix finished 13 of 31 passing for 177 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions.

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