When Pat Dye came to Auburn he was asked how long it would take to beat Alabama. Dye’s famous response was “60 minutes”. Those “60 minutes” came in November of 1982. Auburn broke their 10-game losing streak to Bama and beat Bear Bryant in his last regular season game 23-22. “Bo over the top” was the signature play and Pat Dye’s “I am going to go back out there and thank our people” was the signature quote. My family watched it on TV and I just remember the absolute jubilation after it was over. You can definitely use the term “Auburn Family” for that day because if they were wearing orange and blue, they were family. It was a monumental game and marked the “turning of the tide” in the Iron Bowl. Bama had dominated the series in the Bryant era but since this game it is Auburn up 16-13 as of 2011. However it all started here in one of Auburn’s greatest “Saturdays to Remember”.
Honorable mention: Auburn went on to beat Boston College in a battle of future Heisman Trophy winners (Bo Jackson and Doug Flutie) in the Tangerine Bowl 33-26.
A Saturday to Forget…
Auburn would be back in the elite of college football the very next season in 1983 but the scrappy ’82 team was not quite ready yet. They only had one bad game all season and in it top-ten ranked Nebraska came to Jordan-Hare and laid a complete beat down on Auburn 41-7.
The Players
Award Winners...
We had five players make All-SEC this season: Dowe Aughtman, NG, Bob Harris, SS, Bo Jackson, HB, David Jordan, OL, and Doug Smith, DT. Bob Harris is the only senior of the group and I remember him being a vicious hitter at safety. Harris also made All-American.
Departures...
Dennis Collier S, Mark Dorminey S, Tim Drinkard CB, Mike Edwards WR, Bob Harris S, Chris Martin LB, and Ron O'Neal FB.
I remember Dorminey catching that fumble out of the air in the Bama game and almost taking it back for a touchdown but was caught by Bama quarterback Walter Lewis. I also remember the big fullback Ron O'Neal and him rumbling for several touchdowns the year before.
Arrivals...
Victor Beasley S, Lewis Colbert P, BO JACKSON RB, JAY JACOBS OT and Athletic Director, Tim Jessie RB, Jeff Lott OG, Ron Middleton TE, Jeff Parks TE, Greg Pratt FB, Gerald Robinson DE, Rob Shuler OG, Doug Smith DT, Steve Wallace OT, and Gerald Williams DE.
NOTE: People talk a lot about some of the great groups of running backs Auburn has had that were all there at the same time. Well this recruiting class brought together maybe the best group of tight ends ever at Auburn in Ed West who came in under Doug Barfield the year before Coach Dye came, and then Ron Middleton and Jeff Parks this year. Both West and Middleton would play a long time in the NFL.
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