Notable games Auburn–Florida football rivalry

1 notable games

1.1 1939: auburn s new stadium
1.2 1957: first meeting of ranked teams
1.3 1958: baseball score?
1.4 1962: #5 auburn loses
1.5 1966: heisman trophy field goal
1.6 1973: breaking auburn jinx
1.7 1976: attack of war eagle
1.8 1982: gainey wins gators
1.9 1985: bo knows defense
1.10 1986: bell leads fourth-quarter comeback
1.11 1990: spurrier s offense makes statement
1.12 1993: auburn upsets no. 4 florida
1.13 1994: auburn upsets no. 1 florida
1.14 2000: sec championship game
1.15 2001: auburn upsets no. 1 florida again
1.16 2002: not in our house
1.17 2006: auburn upsets no. 2 florida
1.18 2007: auburn upsets no. 4 florida again

notable games

most great rivalries marked frequent close games, unexpected upsets, , memorable moments; evenly matched auburn–florida rivalry has provided many. thirty-three of eighty-two games in series have been decided 7 points or fewer. among sec rivalries, auburn–florida series (43–38–2) third-most evenly matched after georgia-auburn series (55–55–8) , florida–tennessee series (26–19). auburn has claimed 2 national football championships, , 7 sec championships; florida has won 3 national championships, , 8 sec titles. in terms of all-time winning percentage, less half percentage point separates tigers (.634) , gators (.631). several of notable games in 99-year history of rivalry described below.

1939: auburn s new stadium

in first varsity football game played @ tigers new auburn stadium, coach josh cody s 1939 gators , coach jack meagher s tigers played 7–7 tie. in second quarter, florida fullback charlie tate scored touchdown of day gators, kicked point; tigers dick mcgowen threw touchdown pass end babe mcgehee tie game in fourth quarter. after 1939 dedication of auburn stadium, gators not win (or tie) game on auburn campus thirty-four years.

1957: first meeting of ranked teams

when coach bob woodruff s nineteenth-ranked 1957 florida gators , coach shug jordan s auburn tigers met in cliff hare stadium in auburn, first game between rivals in both teams ranked in top twenty of ap poll. woodruff s gators featured usual strong defense, tigers defense better , held gators scoreless in 13–0 victory. @ end of season, gators finished in top twenty of final ap poll second time in history, tigers earned 1957 ap poll national championship.

1958: baseball score?

coach bob woodruff s gators , coach shug jordan s tigers played 9 games against each other between 1951 , 1959, 3 of decided more ten points. however, none closer game between unranked 1958 florida gators , defending national champions , fourth-ranked auburn tigers, game in neither team scored more 6 points. late in fourth quarter, tigers leading 6–3 on strength of single touchdown , missed point, stingy gators defense pinned tigers offense behind own three-yard-line. rather risk turnover, jordan ordered tigers quarterback johnny kern kneel in own end zone, intentionally scoring safety gators, earning free punt tigers. tigers kicked away, , defense held on win 6–5.

1962: #5 auburn loses

auburn came gainesville ranked #5 , left 22–3 defeat. gators intercepted 2 passes, , recovered 3 fumbles.

1966: heisman trophy field goal

larry smith running vs. auburn.

coach ray graves 1966 florida gators , coach shug jordan s auburn tigers repeatedly traded lead battled , forth day. in fourth quarter game tied @ 27, gators quarterback steve spurrier engineering late drive win, stopped @ auburn s 39-yard-line following intentional grounding penalty. distance outside usual range of gators regular placekicker, spurrier had kicked 40-yard field goals in practice. 2:12 left in game, kicked 40-yard field goal give gators 30–27 lead, , gators defense held on win. completed twenty-seven passes on forty attempts 259 yards, 1 touchdown pass , no interceptions, , rushed touchdown. gators standout, tailback larry smith, finished day 102 rushing yards , touchdown on twenty-two carries, including 53-yard run. @ conclusion of 1966 season, spurrier awarded heisman trophy.

1973: breaking auburn jinx

led first-time starting quarterback don gaffney, 1973 gators broke tigers; home-field winning streak after thirty-four years. gators linebacker ralph ortega tackled tigers tailback chris linderman inside gators 5 yard-line , forced fumble shortly before halftime. gators linebacker sammy green forced critical fumble auburn tigers tailback sullivan walker, led touchdown , gators margin of victory in 12–8 upset of tigers @ home give gators first-ever win @ jordan–hare stadium. auburn scored points in final play of game. after game, gators players carried head coach doug dickey field, , gators athletic director ray graves described victory 1 of greatest moments in university of florida football history.

1976: attack of war eagle

coach doug dickey s 1976 gators , coach doug barfield s tigers played strong defensive game, gators winning margin coming on 2 pass plays—with auburn s mascot. decisive score came late in game when gators quarterback jimmy fisher tossed short pass wide receiver wes chandler, caught it, reversed direction twice, , weaved way through entire auburn defense 64-yard touchdown reception , run. after chandler ran out of end zone, auburn s mascot, war eagle, jumped off perch , started clawing @ chandler s shoulder pads. referees marked off 15-yard penalty against mascot on ensuing kickoff. florida won 24−19.

1982: gainey wins gators

auburn led 17–13 2:51 remaining in game. jim gainey s field goal cut one, , after onside kick, gainey added win.

1985: bo knows defense

coach galen hall s second-ranked 1985 florida gators on ncaa probation when met coach pat dye s sixth-ranked auburn tigers @ jordan−hare stadium. tigers tailback bo jackson started game leading contender win heisman trophy. jackson s heisman hopes took serious blow when ran ferocious gators defense held him forty-seven yards rushing, , gators stuffed tigers 14–10 in yet defensive struggle. on strength of win on tigers, gators vaulted no. 1 spot in ap poll first time in school history. notwithstanding tigers loss gators, jackson won heisman @ conclusion of 1985 season.

1986: bell leads fourth-quarter comeback

for of game, coach pat dye s fifth-ranked 1986 auburn tigers dominated coach galen hall s unranked florida gators @ florida field. tigers defense stifling, , forced gators substitute quarterback rodney brewer commit 4 turnovers in first 2 quarters. hall replaced brewer starting quarterback kerwin bell, had missed 2 games knee injury. tigers tailback brent fullwood gained 166 yards on ground, including second-quarter touchdown, give auburn 17–0 lead in fourth quarter. bell led gators on 2 scoring drives, gators placekicker robert mcginty—a transfer auburn—booting 51-yard field goal close tigers advantage 17−10 7:10 play. after webbie burnett recovered fumble @ florida 34 1:41 remaining in game, bell directed 1 final drive capped five-yard touchdown pass 0:36 remaining wide receiver ricky nattiel, playing separated shoulder. limping bell surprised tigers defense running in two-point conversion , completing comeback, gators winning 18–17.

1990: spurrier s offense makes statement

coach pat dye s 1990 auburn tigers defending three-time sec champions, had built undefeated 6−0−1 record, , ranked fourth in nation in ap poll. notwithstanding fact first-year coach steve spurrier s fifteenth-ranked florida gators three-point favorites, dye had been publicly dismissive of spurrier s pass-oriented offense before game. gators , tigers tied 7–7 after first quarter, spurrier s gators exploded twenty-seven points in second quarter, resulting in 34–7 halftime lead , 48–7 victory gators, gators biggest margin of victory in series, , worst loss of dye s career.

1993: auburn upsets no. 4 florida

on cold, drizzling, dreary day in auburn, coach steve spurrier s fourth-ranked 1993 gators amassed 560 yards of total offense, including 386 yards passing quarterback danny wuerffel , 196 yards rushing tailback errict rhett. gators offensive fireworks not enough win, auburn s defense sacked wuerffel 4 times , made 2 key interceptions. 2 teams tied @ 35 1:21 left in game, when tigers placekicker scott etheridge booted 41-yard field beat gators, 38–35.

1994: auburn upsets no. 1 florida

coach terry bowden s sixth-ranked 1994 auburn tigers entered swamp 17-point underdogs coach steve spurrier s top-ranked florida gators, but, year before, tigers offense kept pace gators defense forced key turnovers gators. gators starting quarterback, terry dean, threw 4 interceptions in first half, , replaced danny wuerffel, threw 3 touchdown passes intercepted tigers defensive brian robinson 1:20 left. tigers quarterback patrick nix engineered quick drive, , threw eight-yard touchdown pass frank sanders, winning game auburn, 36–33.

2000: sec championship game

florida defeated auburn in 2000 regular season in gainesville 38-7. first time in series history, both teams meet second time in season in sec championship game in atlanta, ga. florida defeated auburn in similar fashion, 28-6, claim sec championship.

2001: auburn upsets no. 1 florida again

coach tommy tuberville s unranked 2001 auburn tigers 21-point underdogs when met coach steve spurrier s no. 1 florida gators @ jordan–hare stadium. gators quarterback rex grossman completed twenty-five of forty-two passes 364 yards , 2 touchdowns, threw 4 interceptions. gators dominated statistically, tigers bend-but-don t-break defense held gators rushing game negative yardage. tigers back-up quarterback daniel cobb not flashy, played mistake-free football, , game tied @ 20 late in fourth quarter. 10 seconds left, tigers placekicker damon duval nailed 44-yard field goal , tigers upset top-ranked gators 23–20.

2002: not in our house

first-year coach ron zook led unranked florida gators against coach tommy tuberville s auburn tigers in gainesville. rex grossman quarterbacked gators pair of scores, , florida led 23–7. tigers starting tailback, carnell williams, left game broken leg, backup ronnie brown amassed 162 yards , 3 touchdowns, tigers came roaring tie score @ 23 in fourth quarter. 1 final chance win game in regulation, tigers placekicker damon duval lined game-winning kick had in 2001, gators defensive end bobby mccray blocked kick time expired. in overtime, grossman threw 25-yard touchdown pass receiver taylor jacobs, gators defense held tigers on downs, , florida won 30–23.

2006: auburn upsets no. 2 florida

in battle of top-15 teams, #2 florida gators faced off against #11 auburn tigers in plains. florida jumped out 17–8 lead midway through second quarter on gators freshman backup quarterback tim tebow s rushing touchdown, settled slim 17–11 halftime lead. in second half, however, auburn returned blocked florida punt touchdown give tigers first lead of game, 18–17. momentum shifted in auburn s favor, shutting out gators rest of way , recovering 2 florida fumbles, 1 of returned touchdown time expired, cap off 27–17 upset. florida s loss season, gators go on win bcs national championship.

2007: auburn upsets no. 4 florida again

coach urban meyer s fourth-ranked 2007 florida gators played host coach tommy tuberville s unranked auburn tigers. tigers quarterback brandon cox led tigers 17–3 lead, gators quarterback (and eventual heisman trophy winner) tim tebow , all-purpose , receiver percy harvin led comeback tie @ 17. tigers had 1 chance win in regulation, kicker wes byrum attempted potentially game winning 45-yard field goal 4 seconds left , nailed it. meyer had called timeout @ last possible moment ice kicker before snap had taken place. so, after timeout, byrum had try again. after making field goal again time expired upset florida 20–17, taunted florida head coach , crowd few mock gator chomps.