In the last 20 years, Auburn has been a part of many memorable games that fans will remember for a long time. With that in mind, I have put together my list of the Top 20 Auburn football games in the past 20 years, with a backstory to each of them. We start with a few honorable mentions:
Honorable Mentions (In chronological order)
1997 No. 16 Auburn at Virginia
Date: September 4, 1997
Location: Scott Stadium – Charlottesville, VA
Final Score: Auburn 28 – Virginia 17
Quick Note: I loved the 1997 team, especially Dameyune Craig. He carried that team to 10 wins on his back basically alone. In this game, he made two long throws that still seem impossible. Scott Field was a dangerous place to play back then, and it is always good to get a win on the road to start the season.
1999 Auburn at LSU
Date: September 18, 1999
Location: Tiger Stadium – Baton Rouge, LA
Final Score: Auburn 41 – LSU 7
Quick note: Known as the “Cigar Game”, this was a monumental victory in Tommy Tuberville’s first year. Who can forget the fake field goal/pass over the shoulder to Damon Duval for the touchdown? LSU has been known to use that since.
1999 Auburn at No. 14 Georgia
Date: November 13, 1999
Location: Sanford Stadium – Athens, GA
Final Score: Auburn 38 – Georgia 21
Quick Note: BEN LEARD TO RONNIE DANIELS!!! That was a deadly combination that night.
2000 Iron Bowl – Auburn at Alabama
Date: November 18, 2000
Location: Bryant-Denny Stadium – Tuscaloosa, AL
Final Score: Auburn 9 – Alabama 0
Quick Note: It was Auburn’s first ever visit to Bryant-Denny and first trip to Tuscaloosa since 1901. It was cold, rainy and Damon Duval scored all the points Auburn needed in the shutout.
2001 No. 24 Auburn at No. 19 Georgia
Date: November 10, 2001
Location: Sanford Stadium, Athens, GA
Final Score: Auburn 24 – Georgia 17
Quick Note: STUFFED at the goal line! Mark Richt, making his debut in the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry, mismanaged the clock as the Dawgs had the ball on the one-yard line with seconds left. Jasper Sanks was stopped for no gain, and the clock ran out, giving Auburn the win.
2003 Capital One Bowl – No. 20 Auburn vs. No. 10 Penn State
Date: January 1, 2003
Location: Florida Citrus Bowl – Orlando, FL
Final Score: Auburn 13 – Penn State 9
Quick Note: Leading up to the game, everyone was talking about Penn State’s Larry Johnson and how awesome he was. Well, Ronnie Brown showed him who was boss! Brown rushed for 184 yards and two touchdowns. Johnson finished with just 72 yards on 20 carries.
2004 No. 8 Auburn at No. 10 Tennessee
Date: October 2, 2004
Location: Neyland Stadium – Knoxville, TN
Final Score: Auburn 34 – Tennessee 10
Quick Note: It was over by halftime. The No. 8 Tigers emasculated the No. 10 Volunteers for a 31-3 halftime lead. Junior Rosegreen had an Auburn record four interceptions, and we finally saw how good Jason Campbell could be.
2006 No. 11 Auburn vs. No. 2 Florida
Date: October 14, 2006
Location: Jordan-Hare Stadium – Auburn, AL
Final Score: Auburn 27 – Florida 17
Quick Note: A tough one to omit from the list. Florida came in ranked No. 2 in the country, but Auburn shut out the Gators in the second half. A blocked punt returned by Tre Smith was the momentum changer.
2010 No. 16 Auburn vs. Clemson
Date: September 18, 2010
Location: Jordan-Hare Stadium – Auburn, AL
Final Score: Auburn 27 – Clemson 24
Quick Note: It was early in the season, and Auburn still didn’t know what they had with Cam Newton at quarterback. Clemson jumped out to a 17-0 lead, but just as they did all year long, Auburn came back, eventually winning in overtime as Clemson’s Chandler Catanzaro missed a field goal attempt to try and send it to a second overtime.
TOMORROW: Ending A Perfect Season The Right Way