Outback Bowl: Auburn Football vs Wisconsin Preview and Prediction
By Nathan Deal
Nov 22, 2014; Iowa City, IA, USA; Wisconsin Badgers safety Michael Caputo (7) and Marcus Trotter (59) carry the Heartland traveling trophy of the field at Kinnick Stadium. Wisconsin beat Iowa 26-24. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-USA TODAY Sports
Interesting Facts
Six of Auburn’s last 8 bowl appearances have been decided by exactly 3 points. Auburn won the 2005 Sugar Bowl against Virginia Tech 16-13, the 2007 Cotton Bowl against Nebraska 17-14, the 2007 Chick-Fil-A Bowl against Clemson 23-20, the 2010 Outback Bowl against Northwestern 38-35 and the 2011 BCS Championship against Oregon 22-19. The Tigers lost the 2014 BCS Championship to Florida State 34-31.
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The only Auburn bowl games since the 2004 season not decided by 3 points were the 2006 Citrus Bowl (Wisconsin 24, Auburn 10) and the 2011 Chick-Fil-A Bowl (Auburn 43, Virginia 24).
Auburn and Wisconsin are tied 1-1-1. The teams tied 7-7 in 1931. Auburn won by 14 in 2003 and Wisconsin won by 14 in 2006.
Melvin Gordon ran for 2,336 yards this season. That’s good for 4th in FBS history, behind Barry Sanders (1988, Oklahoma State), Kevin Smith (2007, Central Florida) and Marcus Allen (1981, USC).
Auburn is 2-1 in the Outback Bowl. The Tigers beat Ohio State and Northwestern in 1990 and 2010, respectively, and lost to Penn State in 1996.
This is Auburn’s third bowl game against Wisconsin. The Badgers are now Auburn’s most frequently-played bowl opponent. The Tigers have faced Florida State, Ole Miss, Clemson, Michigan, Nebraska and Penn State twice.
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