Ya’ll Want To Win, Put Boobee In

Ya’ll Want To Win, Put Boobee In

September 6, 2018 Skye Underwood By

Auburn Tigers redshirt freshman running back JaTarvious Boobee Whitlow (28) sizes up Washington Huskies redshirt senior safety JoJo McIntosh (14) before plowing into the end zone for what would be the game winning touchdown in the 4th quarter during the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Saturday, September 1, 2018, in Atlanta. (Chris Eason via Abell Images for Chick-fil-A Kickoff)

In one Tecmo-Bo like season, JaTarvious Boobee Whitlow piled up 4,439 yards, an eye-popping 62 touchdowns, had a kickoff return for a touchdown, two punt returns for touchdowns and seven touchdowns called back during his senior season at LaFayette (AL) High School, nestled in the quaint, rural community that’s a hop, skip and jump away from The Loveliest Village on The Plains.

The redshirt freshman Auburn running back scored what was the game winning touchdown in Auburn’s Top 10 showdown with Washington when the Tigers tamed the Huskies last Saturday, 21-16.

Auburn was on Washington’s ten-yard line when Boobee took the Jarrett Stidham zone-read handoff and plowed straight up the middle before a head-on collision with a Washington Husky.

All that stood in Whitlow’s way of crossing the goal line was fifth-year senior safety JoJo McIntosh.

Senior vs. Freshman.

Freshman vs. Senior.

McIntosh lowered his helmet and practically speared Boobee square in the chest, but the pride of LaFayette, Alabama seemed hardly fazed and plowed forward for the go-ahead score.

A star was born.

Actually, the kid shined well before he got to Auburn.

Whitlow was such a legendary player for the LaFayette Bulldogs that the town’s city council named May 27th “Boobee’s Day.” That’s right, he’s got his own day named after him.

JaTarvious Boobee Whitlow poses with the LaFayette mayor and members of the city council after the town passed a proclamation declaring May 27th as “Boobee’s Day”/LaFayette Sun

Yes, JaTarvious Boobee Whitlow is Auburn’s next gamebreaker at running back. When Auburn needed it most in a bloody Top 10 fist fight, Whitlow delivered.

Auburn trailed Washington, 16-15 with just over nine minutes left in the fourth quarter when they started a drive from their own 24-yard line.

The Tigers first play from scrimmage was an incomplete pass. On 2nd down, Kam Martin rushed for 1-yard.

Timeout, Auburn with 8:55 on the clock and the Tigers staring at 3rd down and 9 on its own 25.

Stidham found h-back Chandler Cox sneaking out of the backfield for a 12-yard reception and a huge Auburn first down to keep the drive alive.

The Tiger quarterback then hit Ryan Davis for a 2-yard pass, but the Husky defense was penalized 15-yards after grabbing the Auburn receiver’s facemask.

1st down and 10 for the Tigers, who were now on the Husky 46-yard line and driving.

On the very next play, the Texas gunslinger dropped back to pass before finding fellow redshirt junior, receiver Darius Slayton for a big-time 21-yard strike all the way down to the Washington 25.

After back to back runs by Stidham and Martin for four and eight yards, respectively, the Tigers were in business with 1st and 10 on Washington’s 13-yard line with a little over seven minutes to go in the game.

On first down, Martin rushed up the gut for two yards to the Husky 11-yard line.

Timeout, Washington.

Auburn then tried handing it to Martin again on 2nd down, but the junior was tackled at the line of scrimmage for just a 1-yard gain.

The ball was on the Washington 10-yard line with the Tigers facing 3rd and 7 when second-year Auburn offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey faced arguably his most challenging play call of the game.

“Y’all want to win, put Boobie in.”

Maybe Boobee Whitlow was channeling his inner James “Boobie” Miles’ from the 2004 big screen hit “Friday Night Lights,” which featured a popular clip of Miles on the sidelines telling his head coach, “ya’ll want to win, put Boobie in.”

In trots the six-foot, 217-pound Whitlow on 3rd and 7 with the game hanging in the balance.

Surely Lindsey wasn’t going to call a third straight run play down inside the red zone.

Stidham lined up in the shotgun formation before taking the snap and handing the ball off to Whitlow, who wouldn’t let anyone stand in his way from crossing the goal line, including the fifth-year senior Husky safety JoJo McIntosh.

The fat lady didn’t immediately start wailing, but she was certainly warming up her vocals before Washington’s next possession saw Auburn’s suffocating defense create an impenetrable wall and sack Husky quarterback Jake Browning on 3rd and 4th down to secure the victory.

Whitlow helped his Tigers make history by winning its first opening game in a Top 10, non-conference matchup in its 126-year history as a program.

May 27 is considered “Boobee’s Day” in the small Alabama town of LaFayette, but maybe it should be honored on September 1st, the day Boobee Whitlow scored his first career Auburn touchdown, propelling the Tigers to a Top 10 win…after they put Boobee in.

 

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