(This post is dedicated to Quentin Groves, a great person and a great player. He is tied as Auburn's career sack leader and one of the best college pass rushers I have ever seen. He had a huge role on the great 2004 team and was part of Auburn's 11 sack game against Bama in 2005 but his greatest games to me were absolutely dominating Florida and Bama in 2006.)
It is good to trend upwards but the team has to get that big win over a legitimately good team. It is like the 2013 team going on the road to beat a highly ranked Texas A&M team. It is like the 2010 team beating a ranked Arkansas team then a top five LSU team. There are a lot of examples but the best is probably the 2007 team who had two losses upsetting #4 Florida and Tim Tebow in Gainesville. Unfortunately it is hard to find any good SEC teams this year outside of Tuscaloosa. However if these Tigers can beat Arkansas and Ole Miss back-to-back that will show something. Win those two and then Auburn might even get Nick $aban's attention...
Speaking of the evil empire, I am sure glad I did not waste a bit of time on another one of their "games of the century". What a bunch of garbage. I have never heard more ridiculous hype than this week for this stupid game with Tennessee. The voters first got in line by not dropping Tennessee out of the top ten even though they lost thus ensuring this game would still be a "top ten" matchup. Next you heard all these people waxing nostalgic about a series that is literally all long streaks of one team dominating. Starting in 1982 (after a 10 year streak by Bama), the Vols won four in a row then Bama won eight and tied one and then Tennessee won seven in a row and ten of twelve. After that last Tennessee win in 2006, Bama has won every single year.
It is hard to find a time in the modern history of the series where both teams were actually legitimately good at same time. The only year I see is 1999 and Tennessee won a ho-hum 21-7 game. The games in the 80s that Tennessee won were close games but the Vols were unranked. I heard somebody actually trying to say Bama's 9-6 win in 1990 was a classic (???). There was a 5OT game in 2003 but Bama was terrible. There was that epic 6-3 Bama win in 2005 (which they have since vacated due to NCAA sanctions). The series since then has been all blowouts except for inferior Vol teams making it close last season and in 2009. The bottom line in my opinion is that this game is the most overrated rivalry in the conference.
OK, I have covered current events and now I thought I would put out one of my personal lists of best games. I also hope to get one out on best plays and worst losses as well in the future. There have been a lot of great games in Auburn history so it is hard to rank them. It also makes a difference on whether you were at the game or watching it on TV therefore right now I am making my "best wins" list from games I attended in person. I would also like to add a bit more context. A great game to me has to be one between two very good teams that is hard fought and well played not just Auburn winning at the end. Two great examples are the 1997 Iron Bowl and the 1989 Florida game. These games had two of the biggest game-winning plays in Auburn history but Auburn did not play great in those games. There are of course exceptions but I just wanted to get that out there, so lets get started...
MY TOP TEN AUBURN WINS I HAVE SEEN IN PERSON:
Honorable mention: 1990 Florida State, 1993 Florida, 1994 LSU, 2000 Georgia and 2001 Florida.
10. "The Nightmare at Jordan Hare" (1987, #6 Auburn 29 #10 Florida 6). Auburn went undefeated in conference in 1987 winning the SEC title outright. This was their biggest home game and biggest game overall other than beating 8th ranked Georgia in Athens. Also Auburn was on a three game losing streak to Florida. Great Florida teams that were later convicted by the NCAA beat Auburn in 1984 and 85. The year before in 1986 Auburn had lost a heartbreaker in Gainesville. In that game Auburn blew a 17-0 lead and Florida won 18-17 on a last second two-point conversion. The Gators returned to Jordan Hare on October 31, 1987 for a top ten conference battle.
I was a freshman at Auburn and did not get to the game early enough to get the good student seats so I was at the top of the end zone. It was crazy that night. Everywhere you looked in the student section there was another Jason Voorhees or Michael Myers walking around. All of that combined to make it an absolutely electric night. There was just something in the air, you could just feel it. My family and I still talk about it. I wonder if the Florida Gators knew what they were walking into.
Well if they did not then they found out real soon they were walking into a buzzsaw that night. Offense, defense, special teams... Auburn had everything clicking on all cylinders. This game featured great leaders like quarterback Jeff Burger and linebacker Kurt Crain. The Tigers shredded the Gators like it was a horror movie 29-6. It was payback time that night and this win would be a big part of winning an outright conference title. It truly was the "Nightmare at Jordan Hare" for the Florida Gators.
9. "The End of an Era" (1988, #9 Auburn 20 #17 Georgia 10). "The Deep South's Oldest Rivalry" between Auburn and Georgia used to be very special. The younger generation do not know the history and the ties each of these schools used to have. First it is the oldest and arguably one of the greatest rivalries in college football. Auburn's first game was against Georgia and they will play for the 120th time this season. The series is so close that just last year it was dead even at 55 wins apiece with eight ties. Heck the total points in the series were even a few years ago as well! It dwarfs the so-called "Third Saturday in October".
Auburn's great coach Shug Jordan coached at Georgia before returning to Auburn. One of his players at Auburn, Vince Dooley, became Georgia's greatest coach and athletic director. Auburn coach Pat Dye was an All-American player at Georgia. Auburn's greatest basketball coach Joel Eaves left Auburn in 1963 to become Georgia's athletic director and hired Vince Dooley. There is a ton more history between the two schools. The last game in this special rivalry came to an end on November 12, 1988. This was Vince Dooley's last game against Auburn.
Both teams were very good and the winner would share in the SEC Championship with LSU. The weather was perfect as I watched this from the student section. It was one more hard hitting game between the two oldest rivals in the South. The 1988 Auburn defense was the best in the country and one of the best all time. They dominated the game holding Georgia under 100 yards rushing. The hit Auburn linebacker put on Georgia running back Tim Worley is the most famous moment from this game.
Auburn running back Stacy Danley had maybe his finest game going for 172 yards while Reggie Slack went 20 of 34 for 263 yards and two touchdowns. Auburn won a hard fought battle and at midfield two living legends shook hands for the last time. The SEC would split into divisions and Pat Dye would leave as well four years later. This game would slowly turn into just another hate fest and not the special rivalry it used to be. It is still a special game but it is definitely not the same as it used to be when these two men were coaching and before the SEC went to divisions. This game truly was the end of an era.
8. "The Greatest Fifteen Minutes" (2005, #11 Auburn 28 #7 Bama 18). Auburn in 2005 was one of the very few teams in SEC history to go 7-1 in conference and not get to Atlanta. Auburn's only loss was to LSU in overtime and LSU went 7-1 also. Bama was undefeated till losing to LSU the week before this game. LSU had a loss and had not clinched yet at the time of the game so both Auburn and Bama were fighting for an SEC West title.
It had been almost a decade since both teams had been good at the same time. Everyone prepared for another tight battle... and for the first time in a very long time Auburn came out and took it to the Tide. I watched this one with my parents and brother and it was the greatest fifteen minutes of football I have ever seen. Auburn scored every time they got the ball in the first quarter. Brandon Cox picked the Tide apart early and he finished 14 of 21 for 118 yards and two touchdowns while Kenny Irons had 100 yards rushing and a touchdown as well.
This was one game though that the defensive fireworks outweighed the offensive fireworks as the Auburn defense sacked Brodie Croyle a record eleven times in the game (WATCH THIS CLIP!). I have never seen an Auburn defensive line dominate a Bama offensive line like that. They were pretty much all over Croyle before he could even look downfield. Unfortunately after the first quarter Auburn spent the rest of the game running the clock out and Bama made it look closer than it was. However the first quarter was maybe the finest in Auburn history.
7. "Clash of the Titans" (1983, #4 Auburn 28 #5 Florida 21). This was the first really big game I attended at Jordan Hare Stadium. The biggest home game in a year full of big games. I watched this one with my parents and brother. Bo Jackson played in a lot of big games and maybe made more big plays than any player in Auburn history. This is arguably his greatest game outside the Bama game this season he won almost singlehandedly. Auburn also defeated #4 Georgia this season 13-7 in a defensive struggle where Lionel James had the only touchdown and Bo led the way when Auburn destroyed #4 Florida State 59-27 the next season but that was not a conference game.
This game against Florida is still historic because of the number of players on both teams who went on to play in the NFL. Florida also destroyed the so-called national champion Miami Hurricanes who stole the title from a more deserving Auburn later this season. This was an epic battle. Bo opened the game with a 55 yard touchdown run on the first drive and then Bo would go 80 yards in the third quarter for the clinching touchdown. Bo ran for 196 yards on 16 carries (!!!) for a ridiculous 12 yard average. This game was a true heavyweight bout and Auburn raised the belt that day.
6. "The Immaculate Deflection" (2013, #7 Auburn 43 #25 Georgia 38). Most people would call me crazy for this game not being higher. I had to take a few points off due to the fact Georgia was just not that good. All the other games on this list are top ten or fifteen matchups. However this was one of the greatest games I have ever seen and it is really hard to rank these games. I watched this one with my youngest son and my parents.
As everyone remembers, Auburn came out in the first half and took it to Georgia. It was 27-10 at half. The lead then ballooned to 37-17 with ten minutes left in the third quarter. It was over... till Georgia stormed back with three stops and three touchdowns to take the lead 38-37. I was sitting there with my head in my hands despondent that Auburn was going to lose this game. The Tigers got the ball back but stalled out at their own 27 yard line with a 4th and 18. It was OVER. I was gathering my stuff to get out of there after this last play...
Marshall dropped back and instead of going for the first down went long... I saw the pass leave his hand and thought no way, I can't believe we lost this game... I saw the ball get tipped up... I saw Louis juggle it and then run right into the end zone into history. All you could do was just yell and look on in utter disbelief at what you just saw. You can just not watch that play enough times. Georgia of course almost came back till Auburn defensive end leveled Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray to end the game. It truly was a "Miracle at Jordan Hare".
5. "The Run" (2010, #5 Auburn 24 #6 LSU17). Auburn and Cam Newton were on everyone's radar after some good wins but the team and Newton himself had not yet had that signature game and then undefeated LSU came to town. Big bad LSU with a ton of NFL talent on their team. I watched this game with my youngest son and my parents. The game was the battle everyone expected. It was 10-10 at the half. It all set the stage for early in the third quarter.
Auburn had the ball at midfield and Cam Newton would make one of the greatest runs I have ever seen. On this run Cam "escaped two tackles, corrected himself with his arm, eluded two additional tackles, and dragged a defender into the endzone for the touchdown". On this play he would break the SEC quarterback rushing yards in a season record (held by Auburn's Jimmy Sidle for over 40 years) and Pat Sullivan's team record for touchdowns in a season. It is also remembered as Cam's Heisman moment. LSU would come back and tie the game but then Ontarrio McCalebb would seal it with another great run. Nick Fairley also had maybe the greatest game by a defensive tackle I have ever seen in this game. Auburn would go to #1 in the BCS the next week.
4. "The Catch" (1993, #6 Auburn 22 #11 Bama 17). A year before Bama was on top of the world and Auburn had lost maybe their greatest coach and was buried under NCAA sanctions. The 1993 Auburn team never played a game on television. They were the greatest underdogs in Auburn history. Somehow someway they had beaten #4 Florida and were undefeated coming in to face Bama who they had not beaten since 1989. None of it would matter without a win in the Iron Bowl.
I watched this one with my parents and brother. On paper Bama like Florida was just better. Auburn was down 14-5 halfway through third quarter and then the starting quarterback, senior Stan White, went down. It was 4th and 15 at the Bama 35 when sophomore Pat Nix jogged on the field. Nix would then go deep to Frank Sanders and he would make maybe the greatest catch in Auburn history and get in the end zone.
Auburn would get a field goal and then James Bostic would seal it on an epic 70 yard run to seal the win and a perfect season for Auburn. This team simply had no business beating Florida or Bama. They were the toughest, grittiest bunch of underdogs in the long history of Auburn football. They simply would not quit and completed one of the most special seasons in Auburn history as well. As the late Jim Fyffe put it... "Eleven and oh! Eleven and oh! ELEVEN AND OH!!!".
3. "The First Time" (1989, #11 Auburn 30 #2 Bama 20). They said it would never happen. Bear Bryant said it. Ray Perkins said it. Bama and Birmingham did everything they could to stop it but they could not. Pat Dye's lasting legacy is Auburn playing Bama at Jordan Hare and 1989 was... the first time. I was there. I was a student. The RVs started coming two weeks before the game. We lined up eight hours before kickoff to get into student section. It was an atmosphere that will never be equaled.
It was not only the first time but it was two very good teams facing off. Bama fought hard but Auburn would not be denied this day. Reggie Slack to Ace Wright who made a patented Terry Beasley over the head catch. James Joseph going over the top for that first touchdown. There was Quentin Riggins leading the defense. There was "Lectron" Williams scoring another touchdown and kicker Win Lyle sealing it. One for the ages.
2. "The Reverse" (1986, #14 Auburn 21 #7 Bama 17). A top 15 match up at Legion Field in Birmingham. My first two Iron Bowls I saw in person were the two years before (1984 "Wrong Way Bo" and 1985 "The Kick"). I watched this game with my parents and brother. This was a hard fought game but Auburn had made a lot of mistakes. I sat with my head in my hands as the rain came down and the third quarter ended with Auburn down 17-7...
The great plays then started... Brent Fullwood takes it to the house on the first player of the fourth quarter. Jeff Burger hits Trey Gainous on 4th and 3, one of the greatest clutch throws and catches I have ever seen. Lawyer Tillman gets the ball on the reverse (after trying to call timeout), makes that juke and sails into the end zone. Sheer pandemonium. We were crying, hugging, laughing and singing "Louie, Louie" till we were hoarse.
1. "The Kick Six" (2013, #4 Auburn 34 #1 Bama 28). A rare top five match up of #4 Auburn vs. #1 Bama with star players on both sides. Everything was on the line. A great back and forth game with great offensive and defensive plays. Auburn hits last second touchdown pass to tie game. It looks like overtime till... the greatest play in college football history that beats a #1 team in the country in the last game of the season. Auburn wins the West, Auburn wins the SEC and Auburn should have won the whole thing. I got to watch the game with my oldest son along with my parents. We got to go on the field after the game!!! We then went to Toomers!!! Pure joy. The greatest ever.
BONUS: THE BEST AUBURN WIN AWAY I HAVE SEEN IN PERSON:
"Return to Knoxville" (2004, #8 Auburn 34 #10 Tennessee 10). This was my second trip to Knoxville. The first time was in 1991 with my dad and my brother and Auburn got killed and the whole Eric Ramsey officially started. It is not a fond memory. I would return thirteen years later to watch the biggest road win for maybe the greatest Auburn team.
My wife and I came up on Friday and spent the night in Gatlinburg. We ate dinner at the famous "Peddler" restaurant and even there you could feel the electricity in the air. It was a top ten matchup with ESPN's College Gameday in town and the hype was churning for Tennessee's two young star quarterbacks, Erik Ainge and Brent Schaeffer. Auburn had won a close game over #5 LSU at home earlier in the season but had not really put it all together or won that big one on the road. They would do both this night.
My wife had gotten our tickets from a Tennessee season ticket holder and they were sweet. They were right on the first row of the upper deck and provided a great view with nobody in front of you. Auburn set the tone on the first drive as Ronnie Brown provided a legendary moment bowling over Tennessee safety Jonathan Allen and knocking his helmet off on a nine yard touchdown run. Auburn would kick a field goal and then Jason Campbell would hit a short pass to Ben Obomanu for Auburn's second touchdown.
Cadillac Williams then took it in to make it 24-3 with five minutes left in half. Auburn was not finished as Campbell hit Courtney Taylor for a 31 yard touchdown after a Tennessee interception. The Auburn defense forced the Vols into five interceptions, four of them snagged by senior safety Junior Rosegreen. Auburn went into the half up 31-3 and won 34-10. It might have been the finest half of football I have seen and definitely the greatest game I have seen Auburn play on the road in person. WAR EAGLE!!!
There you have it, a little trip down memory lane to get everyone through the bye week... The Auburn Tigers return to action next weekend against Arkansas in maybe the biggest game remaining in the season till Bama.
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