The name for this blog comes from the book “Saturdays To Remember” written by David Housel in the 1970s. In my opinion it is the definitive work on the greatest games of the Shug Jordan era at Auburn. Also while Housel tells the story of these games he also weaves in all the history of that season, info on other teams and much more. I read the book over and over in junior high and high school. I loved reading it and still do. Just about all of my knowledge of that era comes from that book. If you can get a copy of this classic I wholeheartedly recommend it. Though David Housel made some mistakes when he was AD at Auburn there is no doubt he is an Auburn man through-and-through.
The other mandatory parts of an Auburn collection in my opinion after “Saturdays To Remember” (Coach Jordan) is “The Decade of the 80s” video (Coach Dye) along with the 1993 and 2004 season videos (Bowden and Tuberville’s best seasons). With that said though it is the offseason and it is the time for lists and trips down memory lane. So… I have decided to take one of those strolls and talk about some of the “Saturdays to Remember” from my almost 30 years of watching Auburn football. This installment will cover the first half of the 80s. I will also have to talk about some “Saturdays to Forget” because there are a few of those as well.
The book “Saturdays to Remember” ends with the 1972 “Punt Bama Punt” game. While Coach Jordan had a couple more good seasons, that game really marked the final great point of his career. There is simply not much good to say about the Doug Barfield era except for the "ABC" of great Auburn running backs in William Andrews, James Brooks and Joe Cribbs. They were great but the teams were not. It is the low point of modern Auburn football history. Auburn had several mediocre seasons including NCAA probation before completely bottoming out in 1980 going 0-6 in the SEC. Meanwhile Auburn’s two biggest rivals, Georgia and Alabama, won SEC and mythical national championships in 1978 (Bama), 1979 (Bama) and 1980 (Georgia).
One good memory from the Doug Barfield era for me was I attended my first Auburn football game. My first game was the 1978 Auburn vs. Georgia game. This game was also memorable for several other reasons. First, we came out in orange jerseys. I remember thinking we look like Tennessee. Second, the game ended in a tie, 22-22. My first game ever was a tie between Auburn and Georgia. Finally, I remember by dad being upset because I got him to take me to the concession stand and we missed a Joe Cribbs touchdown run. So I learned the golden rule of watching football games at the stadium right off and that rule is if you have to get up and miss some of the game, do it while we are on defense.
The situation when Coach Dye took over in 1980 was dire indeed. Auburn had seemingly nothing going for it at that time. Those who poke fun and disrespect Coach Dye now as an older man would do good to watch Coach Dye then. He was one tough SOB. As told in the “Decade of the 80s” video, the spring and fall workouts for Dye’s first team were legendary tough. He talked about building a foundation and he was obviously right. The results were seen in the years to follow.
At the exact time Coach Dye took over, my life as an Auburn fan really started. I turned 12 years old and started junior high school in the fall of 1981, Coach Dye’s first season. I had of course grown up listening to Auburn football on the radio with my Dad. College football was not on TV near as much in the 1970s and Auburn was on much less. Even in the 1980s college football on television was nothing like it is now. However our family started buying season tickets in 1983. That started an 18 year run for me where the amount of home games I missed I could count on two hands and I travelled to every campus in the SEC except for Arkansas and Florida. During that time I also graduated high school and college, started my career and got married. All while being completely obsessed with Auburn football…
1981
A Saturday to Remember…
I may have gone down for a game this season but I cannot remember. It was only one if I did. I do not remember a whole lot about this season except what I have seen in the “Decade of the 80s” video. With that said the game that sticks out to me is the Tennessee game where Pat Dye gave his first legendary speech. Auburn lost 10-7 to Tennessee in Knoxville but nearly won it driving down to the Tennessee goal line in the closing seconds. This is probably the only “Saturday To Remember” I will list that is a loss. However it signaled that this team and any team fielded by Coach Dye was going to fight and scratch and claw and get back up “again and again and again”. Auburn then did prove it again the next week hanging with a highly ranked Nebraska team in Lincoln. A Saturday to Forget…
This was the year Bear Bryant broke the all-time coaching victories record against Auburn, 28-17. I remember watching this game on TV. It was definitely a Saturday to forget.
The Players
First of all, 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 two players make All-SEC in seniors Danny Skutack LB and Keith Uecker OG. Keith Uecker was also an All-American and would play in the NFL for almost a decade.
Departures...
There were not too many memorable departures this season with the talent level being so low but there were a few. There was: Alan Bollinger P, Ken Hobby QB, Edmund Nelson DT, George Peoples RB, Danny Skutack LB, Joe Sullivan QB, Charles Thomas S, and Keith Uecker OG.
I remember running back George Peoples and his big run against Bama the most. I remember quarterback Ken Hobby, #13, in the Tennessee game, he did not last long after that unfortunately. I remember Joe Sullivan who also played some quarterback this year. Finally, I remember big Edmund Nelson, mostly from his interviews on the Decade of the 80s video talking about the first spring under Coach Dye.
Arrivals...
Coach Dye's first recruiting haul included: Pat Arrington OT, Clayton Beauford QB/WR, Randy Campbell QB, Gregg Carr LB, Lionel James RB, David King CB, Ron O'Neal FB, and Ben Thomas DT.
Inherited...
This is an extra section just for this season listing some of the good players that Pat Dye inherited from Doug Barfield. They are: Dowe Aughtman DT, Dennis Collier S, Al Del Greco K, Mark Dorminey S, Mike Edwards WR, Bob Harris S, Donnie Humphrey DT, David Jordan OT, Chris Martin LB, Edmund Nelson DT, George Peoples RB, Danny Skutack LB, Joe Sullivan QB, Charles Thomas S, Keith Uecker OT, Ed West TE, Quency Williams DE, and Chris Woods WR.
1982
A Saturday to Remember…
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 16-12 as of 2010. 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.
1983
A Saturday to Remember…
There were a lot of Saturdays to remember this season and I was at many of them . Auburn went 11-1, won the SEC outright and should have won the mythical national championship. They played the hardest schedule in the nation and possibly one of the hardest schedules of all time. Auburn played EIGHT BOWL TEAMS out of 11 games in 1983 and that was when there was only 16 bowl games (!!!). There were some incredible games that year. Auburn crushed Tennessee in Knoxville. They beat Florida St in the closing seconds taking the lead on an absolutely epic drive. I remember I had a soccer game that day and my dad and I were listening to the game driving back from it. They had to play 7th ranked Maryland for HOMECOMING and won that game as well.
It is just not possible to single out one game this magical season so I will go with three. The best Saturdays to remember this season were the “Amen Corner” games. I believe it was around this time that Coach Dye used the term “Amen Corner” for Auburn’s former traditional last 3 conference games of Florida, Georgia and Bama. Auburn swept “Amen Corner” this season when TWO of the teams were ranked in the top FIVE and the other was ranked in the top 20 (!!!). It is a nearly impossible task to accomplish each season and one of the reasons Auburn did not have more success before the SEC went to divisions in my opinion. If Alabama had had to play Florida and Georgia plus Auburn to end every season I guarantee they would have a lot less SEC championships and missed out on some of those mythical national championships.
The Auburn vs. Florida game was the biggest SEC game that year at Jordan Hare and one of the biggest games ever played at Jordan Hare period. Auburn was ranked 4th in the nation and Florida was ranked 5th. It was an epic showdown. I remember that an unbelievable amount of players that played in this game played in the NFL. It was a game between two heavyweights that Auburn won 28-21. I remember the awesome runs by Bo Jackson and Florida fumbling the ball just as they were about to go in for a touchdown. It was the biggest game I had ever seen in person.
Auburn then had to go on the road to beat 4th ranked Georgia 13-7 to claim the SEC championship. The images of Bo and Lionel James with some hedge and Coach Dye licking the sugar off the football are absolutely classic. It had been a long time coming. However no season would be complete without a victory over the Tide. Auburn beat 19th ranked Bama 23-20 and everyone got to see one of the greatest performances by a running back in SEC history. Bo Jackson rushed for 256 yards and nearly single-handedly won the game for Auburn. It was Bo's greatest game in my opinion.
It was also the last Iron Bowl I ever watched with Bama fans. I remember Ricky Moore going up-the-middle to put the Tide ahead and all the Bama fans I was with going crazy and yelling “Roll Tide” over and over. I sat there stewing. Luckily I did not have to stew long. On the first or second play of the next series, Bo went 80 yards to put Auburn ahead for good. I went absolutely crazy yelling “War Eagle!”. Another interesting fact about this game was that part of the second half was played during a tornado warning.
The 1983 team went on to beat Michigan in the Sugar Bowl 9-7 on Al Del Greco’s famous game winning kick. They were then robbed of the mythical national championship. Auburn was #3 and won their game. Texas at #2, the only team that had beaten Auburn, lost to Georgia (a team Auburn had beaten) and #1 Nebraska lost to #5 Miami. The pollsters then went with Miami simply because of NBC hyping the game to be for the “national championship” and the fact that it was a classic game. Miami’s schedule was not even remotely close to Auburn’s schedule. They went 10-1 just like Auburn but were smoked by Florida (a team Auburn beat) and played an easier schedule.
A Saturday to Forget…
There was only one this season as I mentioned earlier and that was the Texas game. Auburn lost 20-7. I was at this game and other than losing all I remember was how hot it was. This was either the hottest or second hottest game I have ever been to. It was just miserable. I think the hottest game I have ever been to was a game we played against Ole Miss in Jackson, Mississippi that was in 1990. I remember the concession areas running out of drinks at both games and people having to be carted out.
The Players
Award Winners...
We had eight players make All-SEC this season. They were: Dowe Aughtman NG, Pat Arrington OT, Gregg Carr LB, Donnie Humphrey DT, David King CB, Bo Jackson HB, David Jordan OG, and Doug Smith DT. Dowe Aughtman, Bo Jackson and Doug Smith were All-SEC for the second straight year while Donnie Humphrey also made the All-American team.
Departures...
Pat Arrington OT, Dowe Aughtman DT, Randy Campbell QB, Al Del Greco K, Alan Evans RB, Donnie Humphrey DT, Jay Jacobs OT, Lionel James RB, David Jordan OG, Doug Smith DT, Ed West TE, Quency Williams DE, and Chris Woods WR.
A lot of leaders in this senior class. Aughtman was a four year letterman at noseguard and the rock of Coach Dye's defensive line for those first three seasons. Aughtman was the rock but Donnie Humphrey was the heart of the line with his big personality and even bigger play especially this season. He is also from my hometown of Huntsville. Just about everyone who saw Auburn play during this time remembers Donnie Humphrey. Big Doug Smith transferred from East Carolina where he had played for Coach Dye and turned in two huge All-SEC seasons. These big three along with seniors Jeff Jackson and Quency Williams plus younger guys like Kevin Greene, Harold Hallman, Gerald Robinson, Ben Thomas and Gerald Williams made this one of the best defensive lines in Auburn history.
On the offense the first guy you have to mention is fullback Greg Pratt who collapsed and died during workouts at the start of fall practice. It was a true tragedy and deeply affected the team and Coach Dye. However the team dedicated the season to Pratt and the tragedy seemed to pull this team closer together.
Senior Randy Campbell played well in 1982 but played great in 1983. He was one of the best wishbone quarterbacks I have ever seen and played great under pressure. Of course it helps when you have a backfield composed of Bo Jackson, Lionel James and Tommie Agee running behind a line of Pat Arrington, David Jordan, Jay Jacobs, Steve Wallace and Ed West and you are throwing to a clutch wide receiver like senior Chris Woods.
On top of all that you had maybe the greatest kicker in Auburn history in senior Al Del Greco who would go on to play more than 15 years in the NFL. You put all that together and you have one of the best teams in Auburn history. They would definitely be in my top five greatest Auburn football teams (along with the 1957, 1988, 2004 and 2010 teams).
Arrivals...
Tommie Agee FB, Alvin Briggs CB, Collis Campbell RB, Kyle Collins RB, Yann Cowart OG, Brent Fullwood RB, Trey Gainous WR, Kevin Greene DE, Harold Hallman DT, Arthur Johnson S, Tommie Powell S, Ben Tamurello C, Pat Washington QB, and CHETTE WILLIAMS LB and Chaplain.
1984
A Saturday to Remember…
Auburn opened the season ranked #1 in the nation. However we were starting a brand new quarterback and opened the season with two very tough games on the road. First Auburn played 10th ranked Miami in the old Kickoff Classic and then travelled to Texas to play the 4th ranked Longhorns. Auburn ended up losing two close games and losing Bo Jackson for most of the season.
Auburn rebounded to win 8 out of their next 9 games losing only to Florida. The most obvious Saturday to remember from this season was the unbelievable shootout between Auburn and Florida St in Tallahassee that Auburn won 42-41. It is arguably the most exciting crazy win in Auburn history. However the game was not on TV. I remember listening to it with my family. My dad was trying to install a new microwave oven and having trouble. He finally gave up as the back-and-forth game was just too much. It was an awesome game.
However, for me, my Saturday to remember was the Tennessee game. It was my first Tennessee game to watch in person. Tennessee was always one of my favorite rivals and that made it tough when we lost them as a regular rival when the SEC went to divisions. The Tennessee game was nearly always the third game of the season and always showed whether Auburn was a contender or a pretender. By the third game of the season it is time to find out. Some of Auburn’s teams recovered from a Tennessee loss to win a championship but it was usually a big indicator. The LSU game neatly replaced it and became the exact same indicator till they recently moved the game to later in the season. But back to the past…
Auburn came in still down from those opening two losses and without Bo Jackson. However the Tigers played great defense and a little used running back named Kyle Collins had his best game ever and Auburn won 29-10.
A Saturday to Forget…
I would definitely like to forget this Saturday. I still have to shake my head when I remember this game. This was the infamous “Wrong Way Bo” game where Auburn lost to Bama 17-15. However that play is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to this game. First, not only was Auburn playing for another Iron Bowl win but a win would also clinch another SEC title and a trip to the Sugar Bowl. Second, this was the worst Bama team since the 1950s. They were 4-6 coming into the game and had just lost to Southern Miss at home.
This was also my first Iron Bowl in person. It was a beautiful day. I remember wearing my brand new Auburn satin jacket to the stadium but then it being too warm to keep it on. I remember being so excited walking to Legion Field. Of course as soon as we got seated I heard the Bama band playing a cheer and the fans chanting something after it. As a young guy at my first Iron Bowl I was at that time not familiar with any of Bama’s traditions. I soon figured out that the cheer was “Rammer Jammer” and they were chanting “we’re going to beat the hell out of you”. It is still to this day the most obnoxious classless cheer. Congrats Bama.
There was simply no way Auburn should have lost this game. It was one of the few times that Auburn was way more talented than Bama but Bama came out and played more physical. However even with their great effort Auburn was inside the Bama five yard line in the 4th quarter poised to take the lead. It was 4th and 1 and Auburn was down 17-15. A field goal is basically extra point length and it would give Auburn the lead. It was not like Bama had a great offense. Kicking the field goal is the only call at this point in the game in my opinion. IT GIVES YOU THE LEAD. Pat Dye did not see it that way and then went and made one of the most controversial calls of his career at Auburn and maybe in Auburn history and went for it. I still think the “Wrong Way Bo” play should have never happened. We should have kicked the field goal. We didn’t and the rest is history. I had to walk out of my first ever Iron Bowl after that mess. Little did I know it would get ever worse the next year.
The Players
Award Winners...
We had five players make All-SEC this season. They were: Gregg Carr LB, David King CB, Jeff Lott OG, Gerald Robinson DE, and Ben Thomas DT. Gregg Carr was also an All-American and is one of the best linebackers in Auburn history. Carr still remains second on the list of career tackles made at Auburn.
Departures...
Victor Beasley S, Clayton Beauford WR, Gregg Carr LB, Kevin Greene DE, David King CB, Robert McGinty K, Ben Thomas DT, Chette Williams LB and Chaplain.
The most memorable player in this bunch is probably Kevin Greene. This wild man was good at Auburn but became a monster in the NFL as he made it to five Pro Bowls and was the 1996 NFL Defensive Player of Year. Gregg Carr as stated above was one of the most consistent players I have ever seen and along with David King turned in four great years for Auburn.
Kicker Robert McGinty makes the all-time most infamous lists at Auburn as he missed a last minute field goal to beat Bama this year and then kicked a critical field goal against us as a Florida Gator a year or two later. I have a one strong memory of Ben Thomas. It is at the end of the famous 1982 Iron Bowl. It was on Bama's last drive after Bo had gone over the top to make it 23-22. I remember Ben Thomas literally vaulting the Bama lineman in a desperate attempt to get to the quarterback. You could just see how much he wanted it.
Finally this season or last was when a player named Chette Williams, in his words, a "mad, upset, mean person" who was also doing drugs and fixing to flunk out of Auburn was touched by God through that little used running back Kyle Collins. Williams would eventually become one of the most positive influences in Auburn history as a long time Auburn chaplain.
Arrivals...
Scott Bolton WR, Aundray Bruce LB, Jeff Burger QB, Russ Carreker LB, Rodney Garner NG, Nate Hill DT, Edward Phillips LB, Kevin Porter CB, Chip Powell CB, Stacy Searels OT, Reggie Ware FB, Freddy Weygand WR, and Steve Wilson OG.
1985
A Saturday to Remember…
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 15 years later wondering how in the heck we lost this game??? Auburn scored to take the lead 23-22 and Bama got the ball back deep in their territory (the 14 yard line I think) with only 37 SECONDS left in the game. They strike out on first and second down I believe and are in 3rd and long still deep in their territory with even less time left (!!!). Auburn then goes into the super loose prevent defense and allows Mike Shula to complete a long pass over the middle and then allows the Bama wide receiver to run all the way across the field and 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.
