Four of the six entries in the 4th day of the countdown occurred in games against Florida. Growing up, they were always at the top, and always seemed unbeatable. However, Auburn always seemed to beat them. For some reason, the internet police hates Auburn/Florida football videos so the quality of a few of these is pretty bad. I’m working on getting the actual broadcast footage of a few.
Today is all football, but I promise some baseball and basketball tomorrow in the final day of the countdown (and my 30th birthday). If you missed them, go ahead and check out numbers 13-18, 19-24, and 25-30.
12. Go Crazy Cadillac – Alabama (2003, 21 years old)
On a national level, this game didn’t mean as much as normal Iron Bowls, but to Auburn fans who were wondering what was going to come out of Jetgate, this opening play of the game definitely helped calm their nerves. Ben Obomanu’s almost identical run after catch a little while later helped as well. I witnessed this play from the student section, and I fell down a few rows of bleachers due to my celebration.
11. Jason Campbell to Courtney Taylor against LSU (2004, 22 years old)
You could argue that the 4th down pass prior to this touchdown pass was the bigger play of the game, but we still needed to score to win. This win was just the beginning and showed everybody that Auburn was going to be for real that year.
I witnessed this play from the Auburn student section on the closest side to the 50-yard line. In fact, I was crammed up against the chain link fence that separates the students from the old people, which gave me a little extra leverage while jumping up and down. I remember being hoarse for a week after this one.
10. Tre Smith punt block recovery/flip/TD against Florida (2006, 24 years old)
I’ve said it many times: this was the loudest game that I have heard in Jordan-Hare, and this play was the loudest of the game. At halftime, Tuberville challenged the defense, and called them out. In the 2nd half, they turned it on and held Florida to no points the rest of the way. This play gave Auburn the lead, which they never gave up.
I witnessed this play from some awesome seats on the 50-yard line on the visitors’ side. In fact, I was sitting with one of the original founders of WarBlogle.com.
9. Damon Duval’s game-winning 44-yd field goal against Florida (2001, 19 years old)
This game could be one of the best cases of an Auburn team overachieving when absolutely nobody gave them a chance. Florida was ranked #1 and double-digit favorites. The score was close, but Auburn dominated the game. Florida had a total of -36 rushing yards (yes, that’s negative) for the entire game. The domination was complete when Damon Duval kicked the ball at the perfect angle to catch the wind and go straight through the middle of the uprights.
Following the game, the students rushed the field (the only time I remember that happening in my lifetime). The hedges that outline the field were completely gone in front of the student section, which is where I witnessed this play.
9. Wes Byrum beats Florida twice (2007, 25 years old)
Like 2001, Auburn was given absolutely no chance to beat Florida. None. But also like 2001, Auburn dominated the Gators for the most part, but still needed a last second field goal to get the win. This one is slightly above Duval’s kick because it was on the road, Byrum made the kick twice, and it involved beating Urban Meyer. I witnessed this play standing behind my recliner. When the kick went through, I ran down the hall, out the front door, and ran circles in my street’s cul-de-sac. I’m not kidding.
7. Nix to Sanders beats Florida (1994, 12 years old)
I was a little young during this play, but I do vividly remember it happening. In the early 1990’s, I pictured Florida as the kings of college football. They sorta were, but I thought that if Auburn beat them, then it was the greatest thing to ever happen. For the second year in a row, Auburn beat the Gators by 3, when they were picked to lose, and in this case they extended their two-year winning streak to 18 games.
I witnessed this play from my parent’s living room, and I remember hanging up the newspaper that showed Frank Sanders’s catch for many years after it happened.
Check back tomorrow for numbers 1-6. Oh, and you know, if you wanted to send me a birthday present, you could donate to the ‘Blogle, or email me and I’ll give you an address of where you can not send a bomb.
12 comments
I’ve been to over 100 games in Jordan-Hare in my lifetime. There is no doubt in my mind that 2006 Florida was as loud as it has ever been.
Also, to my knowledge, there have only been two instances of fans rushing the field in JHS history: the win over Florida in 2001, and the “hose-them-dawgs” incident in 1986.
As a side note to the above, in 2001 (my senior yr) as an athletic dept Event Staff worker, my job was to keep the fans off the field. How’d that go? After the first wave I said the hell with it and quit trying to stop people. I witnessed people running over cops, people getting tackled by cops. It was pandamonium. And I loved every minute of it. I witnessed the game winning kick from the end zone right below the band. One of my greatest memories at Auburn…and I got paid to do it all!
I rushed the field after the 2001 UF game. The cops grabbed the guy in front of me and the guy behind me as we came over the fence. Somehow I made it through and joined the crowd, helped pull down the goalpost, ran to the AU on the 50 and did snow angels on it. One of my most vivid and favorite memories of my time at Auburn.
I love the clip from 2007 of Wes!!! I was screarming when this went through. Growing up in the panhandle of FL UF was HUGE! So anytime we could be them that was a huge victory!!! I could watch the “CHOMP by Wes” all day!!! WAR EAGLE!
I don’t know how many games I have been to at Jordan-Hare, but it’s a lot. I have also been to most all SEC and ACC stadiums and went to Lou Holtz’ last home game as Head Coach of Notre Dame.
The 2006 Florida game was the loudest game I have ever been to in any stadium. The series of plays leading up to that blocked punt were filled with sacks and tackles for loss. The stadium was so loud on that 4th down, the punter probably couldn’t even hold up his hands to receive the snap. The Block/Flip/TD put us into a frenzy. I’ll never forget it. I’ve witnessed a lot of great games, but this is the one I’ll tell my kids about.
As I have said before on this forum, Wes Byrum’s incredible kicks to thwart Cheaterpants Urban Meyer are in my Top 5 greatest moments in Auburn football history and I’ve seen a lot of great moments! His calm, his skill, his joy afterwards are all a tonic on any bad day. I often pull up this footage to give a foul mood a lift. His gator-chomping may be considered bad form but is completely justified by the action of Cheaterpants calling that timeout to try to screw with him. Wes was incredible and he was only a freshman! I am glad he was still with Auburn to assist in giving us our National Championship.
These are all spot on, Blogle. And, btw, we must’ve had to bump into each other at the 2004 LSU game; I got to the stadium hours before kick off, or even before they opened the gates; waited in the oppressive heat (and got a wicked sunburn) for that game. Watched the whole thing from about the 40 yrd line, about 10′ from the fence… Would have been nice to have something to help me jump and not fall…
And watching Tre block that kick, return it/flip into the endzone from the student section was PRICELESS. It only got better when that January Florida was playing for the NC and we were watching the game with Florida fan. When Auburn won the game changing performance of the year at the half; we all exploded. People were on their balconies screaming. AUsome.
I was also at #8 (I think the ‘Blogle has a typo). That was an incredible game. We got tickets to sit up in the nosebleeds, but it was still quite a view. Easily one of the greatest games I’ve been to at JHS.
I also remember the “CHOMP by Wes” getting a lot of stink. If I remember correctly there was a flag thrown after the play. Some few days later after the game, some friends of mine asked Wes to take a picture with them and they asked him if he could do the chomp. He said he couldn’t do that because he got in so much trouble. I’ve always wondered what Tubs said to him for doing that.
Whatever trouble he got in, I like to assume he knows it was worth it.
War Eagle!
I personally credit #9 for ending the Spurrier-Florida dynasty. And, give or take, we’ve owned them ever since. Florida’s only peak since then was the Tebow years and which SEC team did Tebow have no wins against?…
So I’ve read the blogle for a long time and always enjoyed it. When I started the byrum kick video today and it started playing dream on, I realized you must have picked up the one video I made and posted to youtube when I was messing around with my first video editing software years ago. I lol’ed. Sorry you couldn’t find a better video. WDE.
I witnessed the Byrum kick from the top row of the end zone at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Still one of my all time favorite AU road wins (topped only by the 2010 Iron Bowl).
Ahhhh. Great memories on the ’94 Florida game Blogle. I witnessed it from a trailer in Ridgewood Village. One of the guys with us kept being a real downer the whole game. He kept saying “we’re going to blow it, we’re going to blow it.” When Nix hit Sanders, everbody in the place started screaming and piled on top of our friend. Ahhhh, to go back in time and be a student at Auburn just one more year.