The obvious one this year was Auburn’s 24-10 win at 12th ranked Georgia where Bo Jackson clinched the Heisman Trophy. Just like Pat Sullivan 14 years before, Bo had to do it the tough way in Athens against a good Georgia team. His long touchdown run that clinched it will forever be ingrained in my memory.
His other great touchdown run from this season that I will always remember was the long touchdown run he had to beat Georgia Tech 17-14. It was the run where 2 or 3 Georgia Tech defenders had the angle on Bo but he was just too fast. Jim Fyffe helped immortalize it with his famous "Bye Bye Bo" call on the radio. Auburn also smoked Florida State as well 59-27 in Auburn. In that game Bo ran over a freshman cornerback for Florida St named... Deion Sanders. Two of the greatest athletes ever shared the field one time in college.
Honorable mention: Those were some great games that I mentioned above but the season opener is one I will also never forget. Auburn opened ranked #2 in the nation and played Southwestern Louisiana and I was there. I do not think I have ever seen a team more outmanned. I mean Bo was video-game Bo that day. He was literally a man among boys. He finished the day with 290 yards rushing but could have had 500 yards rushing . Coach Dye took him out early in the second half I believe and was down to playing scout team guys by the end of the game. I just wish he could have gotten one more good run so he would hold the single season Auburn record. By the way, that is a good trivia question, who does hold the Auburn single game rushing record? I would never have guessed it (it was 307 yards by Curtis Kuykendall vs. Miami in 1944).
The Players
Award Winners...
We had seven players make All-SEC this season. They were: Lewis Colbert P, Harold Hallman NG, Bo Jackson TB, Tom Powell FS, Ben Tamburello C, Steve Wallace OT, and Gerald Williams DT. Bo Jackson, Ben Tamburello and Lewis Colbert were also All-Americans.
Departures...
Lewis Colbert P, Kyle Collins RB, Harold Hallman NG, Bo Jackson RB, Jeff Lott OG, Ron Middleton TE, Jeff Parks TE, Gerald Robinson DE, Rob Shuler OT, Steve Wallace OT, Pat Washington QB, Gerald Williams DT, and Steve Wilson OG.
Obviously this was the year of Bo but there is never a great offensive player without the boys up front. Auburn had one of its best in tackle Steve Wallace. Wallace would go on to be Joe Montana's left tackle and help win three Super Bowls with those great 49er teams. Jeff Lott, Rob Shuler and Steve Wilson were also good linemen that I remember. Quarterback Pat Washington was not great but he was a steady leader that restored order after the debacle in Knoxville. He would go on to be a long time assistant coach in the SEC.
Harold Hallman, Gerald Robinson and Gerald Williams were huge parts of Auburn's defensive lines during the last three seasons and all would go on to play professional football. Gerald Robinson became Auburn's greatest pash rusher setting the record for career sacks notching ten of those sacks this season.
Arrivals...
Carlo Cheattom S, Duke Donaldson WR, Chris Knapp K, Alvin Mitchell LB, Shan Morris S, Walter Reeves TE, TRACY ROCKER DT, Benji Roland NG, Stacy Searels OT, Brian Smith DE, Ron Stallworth DT, and Lawyer Tillman WR.
A Saturday to Forget…
There were a few bad ones this year. The first came in Knoxville as Auburn once again rose to #1 in the land and then got steamrolled by the Vols. That started the Sports Illustrated smear campaign against Bo Jackson because he dared take himself out of a game that was out of hand. Never mind that he played in the Texas game the year before with a separated shoulder and played the Bama game this season with bruised ribs. Auburn also lost a tough game at home to Florida. Florida had some great teams in 1984 and 1985 but they were discredited due to major NCAA violations.
However the one I would REALLY like to forget was Bama. After enduring “Wrong Way Bo” the year before I had to suffer through the stupid Van Tiffin kick this year. This is another one of the worst losses I have ever been through as an Auburn fan. I actually re-watched this debacle on ESPN Classic a few years ago. I only watched because I wanted to watch Bo however I did re-watch the end. It was unbelievable. I knew how it was going to end but still thought there was no way we could lose. I am sitting there again years later wondering how in the heck we lost this game??? Auburn scored to take the lead 23-22 and Bama with only 37 SECONDS left in the game were third down and long inside the 15 yard line. Auburn then goes into the super loose prevent defense and allows Mike Shula to complete a long pass to get it to 4th and short. Bama then runs a reverse for big yardage and then Auburn allows a long pass and lets the Bama wide receiver get out of bounds. It has to be one of the worst displays of late-game defense I have ever seen. Bama then completes another pass and the rest is history. Tiffin kicks a 53 yard field goal to win the game for Bama 25-23.
The thing I remember most about the game are the moments after the stupid field goal. The Bama fans were literally losing their minds going absolutely crazy. The upper deck at Legion Field on which we were sitting was literally shaking. It was absolute hell getting out of the stadium and getting back to our car. I remember feeling absolutely numb on the ride back home. The season got even worse a month later when Auburn was routed by Jackie Sherill and Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl.
Bo had won the Heisman and he did his job against Bama with 150 yards rushing and also had a good game in the Cotton Bowl but the season definitely ended on a down note. My one regret though is not enjoying and really soaking up Bo’s play more. However I was a junior in high school and had all of that drama. Bo ended up rushing for 1,786 yards, which was the second best single-season performance in SEC history and he averaged 6.4 yards per rush, which at the time was the best single-season average in SEC history. He was a once-in-a-lifetime player. He will probably always be my favorite. I am not an autograph guy. However, Bo Jackson in the summer after his sophomore year, for some reason, came by the place my grandmother worked in Birmingham. She got my brother and I his autograph and it is one of my most prized possessions. “To Michael and Jeff from Bo Jackson #34 War Eagle”. War Eagle to you Bo, you will always be one of the best.
My last in-person Iron Bowl and one I'll never forget.
ReplyDeleteUnbelievable fourth quarter. So many twists and turns. I remember we Bama fans serenaded Bo with "Happy Birthday," just as the Auburn faithful had before the game.
So many images come flooding back. Will never forget it.
Nice blog.