The 1986 team was one of the better offensive teams in Auburn history. The Tigers started 7-0 blowing out everyone in their path. Auburn was averaging 39 points per game compared to a mere touchdown by their opponents. Their victims included the Tennessee Volunteers, Georgia Tech and Mississippi State. However there was one win that stood above the rest this season and it was the Iron Bowl. As I said in my previous post the 1984 and 1985 Iron Bowl games were the first ones I attended in person. They were both two of the most excruciating losses in Auburn history back-to-back. I was back in 1986 and at the end of the third quarter Auburn was down 17-7. I remember sitting in the end zone at Legion Field as darkness fell and a light drizzle started. Things looked bad and a season wrecked by upset defeats to Florida and Georgia was going to end in another painful loss to Bama. Things just did not look like they were going to go our way that day. Bobby Humphrey had almost 200 yards rushing by halftime and Jeff Burger had thrown some critical interceptions. Auburn just could not get things going on offense or defense.
Then the fourth quarter started... and Brent Fullwood took it to the house on a long touchdown run closing it to 17-14. Brent Fullwood, one of the most underrated running backs in Auburn history. For a single season, not many have been better than Fullwood. In 1986 he was an All-American rushing for almost 1400 yards and an astounding eight yards a carry average. The rest of his career he sat behind Bo Jackson, it is just unbelievable that Auburn had two running backs that good at the same time. Carnell and Ronnie were very good but Bo and Fullwood were better. Fullwood would go on to be a first round pick of the Green Bay Packers and also notch an All-Pro season with them. He obviously had a lot of good runs in 1986 including 200 yards rushing against the Vols but none was bigger in my book than his run to open the fourth quarter against Bama.
Bama almost scored again in the fourth but lost a touchdown on a clipping call and then Van Tiffin himself missed an easy field goal. Yes that is a sweet little side note for this game. Auburn then got the ball back with around five minutes to go and started a long do-or-die drive toward the Bama goal line. Auburn stalled around midfield and it came down to fourth and three. It came down to fourth and three against a Bama defense that had Derrick Thomas and Cornelius Bennett lining up for them and a drizzling rain. Burger threw it to Trey Gainous who made a sliding catch for the first down on one of the biggest clutch throw-and-catches I have seen.
It then came down to third and goal at the Bama seven and under a minute to play. Lawyer Tillman lined up at wideout and the replays would show later he was trying to call timeout. He did not get that timeout and made one of the biggest plays in Auburn history on "The Reverse". Tillman took it around end, made an incredible fake and ran into the end zone... Auburn 21 Bama 17. I am proud to say I have been present during many epic Auburn wins and celebrations and some might match that drizzly night in late November at Legion Field but I am not sure any can surpass it. It was absolute bedlam as two years of pain and misery were released in joyous celebration especially for my brother and I who were seeing us beat the Crimson Tide for the first time. The replays would also show Coach Dye going bonkers as well.
The game ended with the celebrations both on and off the field going into high gear. The Auburn band let loose with "Louie Louie" and everyone was hugging everyone and screaming themselves hoarse. It was certainly great to be an Auburn Tiger that day. It is a memory my family and I talk about frequently whenever the subject of great Auburn games come up. Personally this one might just might be my all-time favorite, all things considered.
A Saturday to Forget...
Amen Corner was very unkind to Auburn in 1986 till that fourth quarter against Bama. You hate to dwell on one loss much less two losses but Auburn's only two of this season were extremely memorable. First, Auburn lost 18-17 to Florida in Gainesville ending hopes of an undefeated season in a game Auburn should have won. Florida lost five fumbles in the first half I believe. Auburn should have put this game away long before the fourth quarter and still was up 17-0. Florida led by quarterback Kerwin Bell brought the Gators back leading an epic do-or-die touchdown drive in the final minute to make it 17-16. Florida then went for two and the win and Bell scrambling just got it over the goal line giving Florida maybe the greatest comeback ever at "The Swamp". Another thing that made it particularly miserable was most Auburn fans had to listen to this one on the radio. Almost as memorable as the game was my parents especially my mom absolutely losing it after this game. Coach Dye's name was mud that day in our household. This loss made it three-in-row to the Gators.
Unfortunately it would get worse two weeks later when Georgia ended Auburn's SEC title hopes 20-16 at home. This would be Vince Dooley's last win against Auburn doing it on the field where he once played. He did it in true Vince Dooley style as well pounding Auburn with the run and playing good defense. Particularly galling was the fact Georgia did not even have their first string quarterback for this game. Auburn did get hosed on a critical call that several of us still remember. At one point late in the game as Auburn was driving Brent Fullwood was stopped by some Georgia's defenders but his feet never stopped churning and he broke away for a long run. The refs then called it back saying his forward progress had been stopped. It was a terrible call and it would end that drive and maybe Auburn's best chance at winning that game.
It was a tough loss but nothing other than that missed call was particularly memorable during the actual game. The memorable part came after the game, this was "The Hose Game". As I said earlier, this was our last game in our seats in section 45 which is in the northwest corner end zone. In this game, the vast majority of the Georgia fans were right beside us in the North end zone. After the game several Georgia fans decided they wanted a souvenir of the big win and some decided they were going to take it out of the midfield logo. Things started getting interesting when security personnel and several male cheerleaders engaged the Georgia fans at midfield to protect Auburn's turf. This is when those that were left including my Dad and I stopped to watch. Other Georgia fans started heading out to help their guys and it turned into a melee on the field.
At some point the decision was made to turn the water sprinklers on to help clear the field. As far as I remember it was working till several stupid Georgia fans decide to start throwing stuff. A security guard was hit and injured by a whiskey bottle. This is when the fateful decision was made to turn the water hoses on the Georgia crowd still in the end zone seats to clear them out. I will never forget the image of thousands of people "giving the bird" at the exact same time as the water rained down on them. At some point order was restored but it was a heck of a show to watch till then.
The Players
Again, thanks to www.lostlettermen.com for refreshing my memory on our rosters. I orginally created this post without these player sections. Later I realized how much I left out not mentioning the different players enough. I then rewrote this section several times. I could bring up so many names talking about players and of course some of the better players are key players for 3 or 4 years. I finally settled on having three different entries in this section. The first entry will list the award winners, basically the All-SEC and All-American players for Auburn that season. The second entry will list some of the more memorable or valuable seniors or players that would leave after the season in question. Finally the third entry would list some of the good or great recruits brought in that year. I do have to put out a disclaimer here that I may be off at times on when a player started at Auburn. The lostletterman site only lists the years they lettered at the school I believe. That means that a player could be at a school for four years but only letter two years. So without further ado here is my first players section.
Award Winners...
We had six players make All-SEC this season. They were: Aundray Bruce OLB, Kurt Crain ILB, Brent Fullwood TB, Tracy Rocker DT, Stacy Searels OT, Ben Tamburello C. Ben Tamburello and Brent Fullwood were also All-Americans.
Departures...
Tommie Agee RB, Collis Campbell RB, Russ Carreker LB, Yann Cowart OG, Brent Fullwood RB, Trey Gainous WR, Tim Jessie RB, Arthur Johnson S, Chip Powell CB, Tommie Powell S, Ben Tamburello C and FRANK THOMAS TE.
First Tommie Agee. I would have to say the best fullback to ever play at Auburn. He gave Auburn four full years of great production. He then went on to play in the NFL a long time. Great player. It is amazing how many good running backs we had at Auburn between 1982 and 1986. You had the great ones like Bo and Brent Fullwood. You had Lionel James and Tommie Agee. Then you had guys like Collis Campbell and Tim Jessie. In another place and time I think both of these guys would be solid starters.
Another guy that was probably the best ever at Auburn at his position was Ben Tamburello at center. He joined a very exclusive club at Auburn this year becoming at two-time All-American. I have two lasting memories of Trey Gainous. First was him taking a punt return to the house against Tennessee in Knoxville in 1983 and second was the 4th and 3 catch from Burger.
Russ Carreker, Yann Cowart, Arthur Johnson, Chip Powell and Tommie Powell. These are the good solid unsung guys behind the stars that good teams are made of. Finally we have Mr. Frank Thomas and his only year playing football before he would go on to baseball greatness.
Arrivals...
Kurt Crain LB, Stacy Dunn OG, Robert Goff DT, Vincent Harris FB, Smokey Hodge LB, John Hudson C, James Joseph RB, Craig Ogletree LB, Quentin Riggins LB, Brian Shulman P, Reggie Slack QB, Greg Staples S, and Alexander Wright WR.
NOTE: Pat Dye's 1982 through 1986 recruiting classes were simply phenomenal. Each one seemingly better than the next. Three consecutive SEC championship teams were built with these players. As is well documented, Auburn does not have the built-in recruiting advantages other places like Bama have but Dye and his staff just dominated in Alabama and Georgia during the 80s.
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