When Georgia hosts Auburn this Saturday, it will be the 118th meeting between the two schools. After all that time, they are separated by just one win (Auburn leads the series 55-54-8).
The series is filled with great memories for both sides. One of the recent trends of the series is fantastic (depending on which side you root for) finishes.
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1996: Georgia 56, Auburn 49 – 4OT
This was the first SEC game to go to overtime and it was a doozy. Auburn led by 21 points in the first half but Georgia came back: Then-quarterback and current offensive coordinator Mike Bobo threw a touchdown pass as time expired to send the game into overtime. In the fourth overtime, Torin Kirsey’s one-yard run would be the difference in the game.
Here’s a look at Bobo’s pass that vaulted the Dawgs into overtime:
This was also the game in which the infamous picture was taken of Georgia’s mascot UGA trying to bite Auburn’s Robert Baker.
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2002: Georgia 24, Auburn 21
Led by Ronnie Brown and Jason Campbell, the Tigers led late in the game, but it was Georgia and David Greene who would have the final say. With just over a minute left in the game and on fourth down, Greene sent one to the back of the end zone and Michael Johnson (who caught 13 passes on the day) jumped over Auburn defender Horace Willis to haul in the game-winning TD.
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2005: Auburn 31, Georgia 30
This one went back and forth and the Dawgs took a two-point lead after a 41-yard field goal with just over three minutes left to go in the game. The play of the game came with 2:05 left and Auburn facing a fourth and 10.
Here’s what happened:
Due to the fumble by Devin Aromashodu, the touchdown didn’t count, but because Courtney Taylor of Auburn recovered in the end zone it was still Auburn’s ball. John Vaughn kicked a field goal with six seconds left to give the Tigers the win.
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2013: Auburn 43, Georgia 38
No. 7 Auburn jumped all over Georgia in this one and had a 27-7 lead with just a minute left in the first half. Aaron Murray brought Georgia back and led the Dawgs to three straight fourth-quarter touchdowns to erase Auburn’s 37-17 lead and put Georgia up 38-37 with just under two minutes left.
Auburn had its back against the wall. The Tigers were faced with a fourth and 18 on their own 27 with just 36 seconds left in the game. It looked bleaker than bleak for the Tigers.
Former Georgia Bulldogs defensive back and current Auburn quarterback Nick Marshall dropped back and winged it downfield towards Ricardo Louis, who was covered by two Georgia players, Josh Harvey-Clemons and Tray Matthews (who now plays for Auburn). Harvey-Clemons and Matthews then collided, and the ball deflected from them into the arms of Louis (five yards downfield), who bobbled the ball but somehow corralled it and cruised into the end zone. Call it luck, call it bad defense, call it divine intervention… it was one of the craziest plays you will ever see in college football:
These were just a few examples of the passion and competition that have taken place in the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry.
When these two teams meet, chances are you are going to want to watch, and this year’s game should be no different.
