Ellis Johnson explains personnel snafu final play against South Carolina

AUBURN -- Montravius Adams should not have been on the field for the final play of Auburn's victory over South Carolina Saturday night.

Auburn defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson said Adams, who wears No. 1, should have come off the field when the Tigers sent wide receiver D'haquille Williams, who also wears No. 1, on to defend against a 41-yard Hail Mary pass.

"We had worked on it with both (Williams) and Sammie (Coates)," Johnson said of end of game situations such as Saturday's. "I don't know what all went on, I'm up in the box, but at the last moment, they didn't put both of them out there, they put one of them out there, but Montravius was on the field and I don't think anyone thought about it."

Johnson is among the defensive coaches who work from the press box during games while defensive line coach Rodney Garner is on the sideline.

Williams impacted the play, leaping over South Carolina's Jerell Adams and appeared to tip Dylan Thompson's pass into the hands of Tigers cornerback Jonathan Jones to end the game and seal Auburn's 42-35 win.

A team is not permitted to have two players with the same jersey number on the field at the same time and on Sunday the SEC acknowledged a five-yard penalty should have been assessed, allowing South Carolina an untimed down from Auburn's 36-yard line.

South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier said he would have gone for a game-winning two-point conversion had the Gamecocks scored a touchdown on the final play.

"It doesn't affect the play, but a rule's a rule though," Johnson said. "But two jerseys out there with the same number certainly didn't affect who they thought was eligible. That's why the rule is really a rule, so you don't have two players on offense who are eligible. But it is a rule and it's something in the spur of the moment he took off out there and we've got to try and get Montravius off."