What are your most memorable Auburn games?
by Jay Coulter
on Mar 18, 2008 7:49 PM CDT
in News
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| Was the 1994 Auburn-Florida game the best ever? |
By Jay Coulter
jccoulter@gmail.com
I hope everyone had a great weekend. Sorry for the sporadic posts the last few days. Things have been busy at home and work. I know. It’s no excuse. Please accept my apologies.
The following questions were posed in the comment section on Friday and a lot of people have weighted in. The answers have brought back a lot of good memories - some that I had forgotten. I thought I would move it to the front page and let more of you weight in.
Here are my answers...
Best game ever seen in person...
That’s an easy one for me. It was the 1984 Auburn-Florida State game in Tallahassee. It was the weirdest, most exciting game I’ve ever witnessed. Auburn came into the game ranked 16th and was a sizable underdog to the ninth-ranked Seminoles.
Pat Dye was nearly thrown out of the game for protesting a bad call. Auburn pulled it out in the end 42-41. I can still hear Jim Fyffe screaming, "Fullwood dives for the pylon, he’s in! He’s in."
It still gives me chill bumps today.
Best game I’ve ever seen period...
My vote would be for the 1994 Auburn-Florida game in Gainesville. Auburn was riding a 17 game winning streak. I turned down a ticket because I believed playing the top-ranked team in the country on the road was a death wish.
Instead, I went to my college roommates place in South Carolina and had one of the best Saturday’s of my life watching it on television. It was one of the most improbable wins in Auburn history.
Damnedest Finish of an Auburn game...
I know a lot of you have already said it, but has there ever been a better finish than the 1994 Auburn-LSU game? Curley Hallman called perhaps the worst fourth quarter in NCAA history.
That man was going to throw the ball no matter what. Chris Shelling was a man-child that day. Four Auburn interceptions lead to a 30-26 win for the orange and blue Tigers.
Runner-up: 1997 Auburn-Alabama game.
Best game that was a loss or tie...
I have to say the 1990 Auburn-Tennessee game. Auburn came into the game ranked third nationally, while the Volunteers came in ranked fifth.
A heralded freshman named Stan White played lights out and led Auburn back from the dead. The final score was 26-26. It felt more like a win than a tie.
How about your favorites?
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Jay is back!
Glad you could participate in our little side-bar discussion, Jay.
Through out my Auburn career, I've always heard great things about that 1984 FSU game and what a wild one it was. Unfortunately for me, I didn't really follow college football until I set foot on campus a year later. I remember arriving at CDV extention and seeing painted on the windows, "Go Bo, Go!" I was wondering who Bo was... Clueless!!!
The 1994 Florida game is definitely the best in my mind, too. I still have that one on tape and need to dig it back out and watch it again. I saw it a few years ago on ESPN classic.
What a great back-drop for that game. Auburn riding a 17 game winning streak into Florida Field, the nation's longest, and Florida ranked #1 in the nation, with Heisman hopeful QB Terry Dean ready for Spurrier. The network promo showed scenes of Gainesville, including a business with a sign out front that said: "Baby Bowden: The Streak Stops Here!"
Never have you seen such a slug-fest. Spurrier ends up pulling Dean and putting in Wuerfell, who gets the Gators back on track. After that game, there never was any more mention of poor Terry Dean, who was scolded constantly by Spurrier on the sideline. The 4th quarter was especially exciting, as each team traded possessions and scores. Finally, Pat Nix and the Tigers couldn't be denied, with Frank Sanders climbing the ladder and hauling in the winning TD in the end zone with seconds remaining. (BTW: Sanders gets my nod as best receiver to ever wear the Blue and Orange, at least in my era)
The interception game? Well, I could write volumes on that. Perhaps I'll wait until it appears as a Nostalgia Friday pick. Poor Jamie Howard. That game not only killed his football career, but probably ended his baseball career as well. It was also the death knell for Curly Hallman, whose welcome was finally worn out on the bayou after parlaying his Brett Favre success at Southern Miss into a brief stint with the Cajuns.
There's an interesting article about the aftermath for Howard that's still on the net from the Sporting News, circa 1995 or 1996. Real interesting reading:
by War Eagle Atlanta on Mar 19, 2008 11:02 AM CDT 0 recs
Florida 2007... i know, i know there have
been better games. But this was more about vindication after my wife, friends and myself were absolutely ABUSED for 7 hours prior to kick off. I was disgusted and am glad we do not have kids to take to the game yet. This quote after the game from a Florida fan should sum it up. "F&*# you, F&*# you, F&*# you!!! f&*# Auburn...Roll tide... Gators are number one!!!" Really? uh...didn’t we just win?
I have been to the swamp in the past but have never received such poor treatment. Note that my Dad and Grandfather are both Bull Gators and I have a lot of fond memories of watching Florida prior to becoming a tiger in 92' and still have a soft spot in my heart for them when it doesn't affect us.
Being from Florida It's nice to be on top of the Gators with no shot (bar playing Florida in the SEC championship) of being knocked off for 4 years.
p.s. this was not an attempt to start a "who has the best fans argument" I know there are bad apples in every bunch (including Auburn).... maybe the stars just aligned that day and we ran into all of Florida’s.
by pmikler on Mar 19, 2008 12:43 PM CDT 0 recs
Here goes.....
Best in person: 1993 Iron Bowl Patrick Nix saves the day with a pass to Frank Sanders to get the win after Stan White is sidelined with the injury.
Best Ever seen period: Bo over the top of course.
Damnedest finish: yup gotta be the interception game.
Best loss or tie? 2007 loss to LSU in Baton Rouge or is it still just that fresh in my mind?
Sorry War Eagle Atlanta meant to respond days ago but it's been hectic lately.
by Todd92 on Mar 19, 2008 4:42 PM CDT 0 recs
1993 Iron Bowl
.....That was an interesting game, for sure, one of only two in the last 30 years I've not watched. It wasn't on TV, so I was in the yard raking leaves, while listening on my earbuds. It had turned sharply colder, too. The game did not go well, at all, really, for much of it. We were all full of our bad 10-0 selves, but Bama wasn't impressed. They dominated, defensively, for much of the first three quarters.
.....I remember the 3rd quarter well. We were going nowhere, and Bama kept driving into our end, threatening to make the 14-5 lead insurmountable. Somehow, they managed to get penalized or sacked every time, and got no points. A touchdown might have sparked a rout. I was pretty disgusted. I was amazed that the offense that had put up 42 on UGA the week before, was totally stalled in the most important game of the year.
.....So, late in the 3rd quarter, Auburn started eeeeking it down the field. No big plays, just little ones, like a 6 yard pass to Reid McMillon on 3rd and 5, or a short Bostic run. Slowly, we made progress. Finally, 3rd and 9 at the Bama 29. I was thinking, "What's Etheridge's range, anyway? Will 14-8 matter, if we can't move the ball?" Then: Stan White sacked. Not getting up. Oh, not good! White went out with a knee, the year before, too, and we were toast offensively, at that point.
.....So, time for a coffin-corner job from all-American Terry Daniel, right? No, on 4th and 15, we lined up Pat Nix, who was late on the field because he couldn't find his helmet, in the shotgun. I thought, "Bowden's lost it. This is the act of a desperate man." Of course, we all know what happened next. Nix to Sanders, touchdown, Auburn!
.....I'm sure my neighbors thought I was nuts. I threw the rake, and dived into a leaf-pile, screaming and screaming. My wife came outside to see if I'd hurt myself. She was not amused, to find out that it was football-related...
.....I spent the rest of the game pacing on the lawn, as the sun was going down. Bama was still ahead by two, but Jay Barker tossed one Brian Robinson's way, and we converted it into an early 4th quarter Scott Etheridge field goal, and a one-point lead. It was TENSE! We stuffed Bama on a 4th and 1 from their own 29. (See? Terry Bowden wasn't the only coach capable of making idiot decisions!) They stuffed us on the goal line. David Palmer caught a desperation pass lying flat on his back. The clock ran. Bama desperation got worse, as Stallings decided to go for it on 4th and 10, and 2 minutes left. Dell McGhee picked it off for us, then Bostic rumbled through the entire Bama team for a 70-yard TD.
.....Of course, that prompted more hysteria and wild antics from me, but by that time, it was too cold and dark outside for any sane folk to venture out. Bama had some time left, but Jay Barker got his knee hurt, and Brian Burgdorf couldn't get Bama past the Auburn 41, and the clock ticked down. I screamed "War Eagle" till my throat was raw.
by Acid Reign on
Mar 20, 2008 10:55 AM CDT
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most memorable games
best game i ever saw live was the opening game of the 1987 season between Texas and Auburn. i was 9 years old and it was my first ever Auburn game and it didn't hurt that the Tigers crushed the Longhorns 31-3.
best game ever, period is probably the 2005 Georgia game. i live in Athens and was watching it with a bunch of my obnoxious Georgia fan friends. it was high scoring, back and forth all night and when Cox connected on that 4th and forever play to put the Tigers ahead for good i was going crazy and dancing around like a fool. it's every reason why i love college football.
damndest finish, the 49-56 triple overtime barn burner between UGA in 96. Auburn had the game and then choked it away. it still hurts more than any loss ever. and it was made even worse by Auburn turing around and losing to the Tide the next week.
best game that ended in a loss, it's difficult to pick one...right now i might have to give a nod to this years LSU game. the Tigers had no business beating LSU and yet it took a miracle last second play for LSU to pull out a victory. i haven't been that crushed by a game in years.
by jrsuicide on Mar 21, 2008 3:35 PM CDT 0 recs
87 Texas Game
You probably don't remember this part, but some of the Horns fans had painted 'Hook 'Em, Horns' on the aspahlt of the exit ramp to the main exit (that becomes College st.) that literally was on there for years before they finally paved over it. I'm so glad we beat their asses that day!
by War Eagle Atlanta on
Mar 22, 2008 11:17 AM CDT
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You are all too young.
Best games by far? I'm not proud I'll pick the obvious.
17-16..Punt Bama Punt. That was a miracle, equate it to the USA beating the Russians in Olympic Hockey it was THAT good. And it was by far the most amazing game I've ever seen. Two punts, two blocks by the same player and two runbacks by the same player for touchdowns...you couldn't write an ending like that game had if you tried. Plus it was against Alabama!
AU/UAT 1982...Bo Over the Top...the end of the long winless drought against the team from across the state. I like to call it the beginning of the end of the dark ages in Auburn Football or the game that killed Bear.
Unfortunately, if you weren't there, you will never experience counting down the final seconds and then swarming Legion Field to celebrate a victory like that...heck we took down the goalpost (can't do that anymore). It was unlike any celebration for an Auburn win to happen since I assure you. Though there have been some since that have probably come close. But there was a certain beauty to the feeling of breaking that curse that can't be recaptured. I was a senior at AU that year, and wrote a column for the Plainsman about how sweet it was. And I have remembered that feeling every time we have beaten Alabama since then.
Ask your parents or your older relatives about it if you're too young to remember. And enjoy all the wins...they're all great, and count yourself blessed that you didn't have to experience the Barfield era.
by borntru2au on Mar 21, 2008 4:16 PM CDT 0 recs
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