Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic

Statistics:
7 unassisted tackles, 2 tackles for loss for -4 yards

Will Herring had the blue and orange of Auburn University in his DNA. Born and raised less than 10 miles from the Auburn campus, he was a Tiger through and through. Herring was tough, smart, and possessed that all-important team-first mentality. He led Auburn in tackles as a junior at safety and again as a senior at linebacker. The 71st Cotton Bowl Classic was Herring’s 49th consecutive and final start for the Tigers, and his seven solo tackles were instrumental in helping Auburn take home a 17-14 victory over Nebraska. But it didn’t come easy. An Auburn turnover near midfield with just 5:24 to play could have proved costly, but it presented Herring and his defensive teammates one last opportunity to shine. They met the challenge and dashed Nebraska’s comeback hopes at the Auburn 30 to preserve a hard-fought victory for the Tigers.