Deep South's Oldest Rivalry

Deep South's Oldest Rivalry

Auburn Tigers Georgia Bulldogs
First meeting	February 20, 1892 Auburn 10, Georgia 0
Latest meeting	November 14, 2015 Georgia 20, Auburn 13
Next meeting	November 12, 2016
Statistics
Meetings total	119
All-time series	Georgia leads 56–55–8
Largest victory	Auburn, 44-0 (1900)
Longest win streak	Georgia, 9 (1923–1931)
Current win streak	Georgia, 2 (2014-present)

The Auburn–Georgia football rivalry is a college football rivalry between the Auburn Tigers and Georgia Bulldogs. The two teams first played each other in 1892 and have met nearly every year since, for a total of 119 games as of 2015. Because it is the oldest rivalry still contested between teams in the Deep South, the series is referred to by both schools as the "Deep South's Oldest Rivalry".^[1][2][3]

Series history

The first college football game between Auburn University and the University of Georgia was played on February 20, 1892 in Piedmont Park in Atlanta, Georgia.^[4] The game was the brainchild of Charles Herty of Georgia - the University's first football coach and George Petrie, Auburn's Trainer. The two had met as graduate school classmates at The Johns Hopkins University.^[4] The game was also, according to legend, when Auburn's team cheer, "War Eagle", originated. Auburn won the game 10–0.

The Tigers and Bulldogs have played each other nearly every year since. There have only been three exceptions since 1898, when World War I and World War II interrupted the series. Through the 2015 season, the rivalry is tied for the fifth most played college football series at 119 games, and is led by Georgia 56–55–8. When the Southeastern Conference split into its Eastern Division and Western Division in 1992, with Auburn placed in the west and Georgia in the east, the game was designated as the teams' annual cross-divisional rivalry game.

Game results

Auburn victories

Georgia victories

Ties

# Date Location Winner Score 1 February 20, 1892 Atlanta, GA Auburn 10–0 2 November 24, 1894 Atlanta, GA Georgia 10–8 3 November 28, 1895 Atlanta, GA Auburn 16–6 4 November 26, 1896 Atlanta, GA Georgia 12–6 5 November 24, 1898 Atlanta, GA Auburn 18–17 6 November 18, 1899 Atlanta, GA Tie 0–0 7 November 30, 1900 Atlanta, GA Auburn 44–0 8 November 27, 1901 Atlanta, GA Tie 0–0 9 November 27, 1902 Atlanta, GA Georgia 12–5 10 November 26, 1903 Atlanta, GA Georgia 22–13 11 November 24, 1904 Macon, GA Auburn 17–6 12 November 30, 1905 Macon, GA Auburn 20–0 13 November 29, 1906 Macon, GA Georgia 4–0 14 November 30, 1907 Macon, GA Georgia 6–0 15 November 27, 1908 Montgomery, AL Auburn 23–0 16 November 25, 1909 Montgomery, AL Auburn 17–5 17 November 24, 1910 Savannah, GA Auburn 26–0 18 November 29, 1911 Savannah, GA Tie 0–0 19 November 28, 1912 Athens, GA Georgia 12–6 20 November 22, 1913 Atlanta, GA Auburn 21–7 21 November 21, 1914 Atlanta, GA Tie 0–0 22 October 30, 1915 Atlanta, GA Auburn 12–0 23 November 4, 1916 Atlanta, GA Auburn 3–0 24 November 1, 1919 Atlanta, GA Auburn 7–0 25 October 30, 1920 Columbus, GA Georgia 7–0 26 October 29, 1921 Columbus, GA Georgia 7–0 27 November 4, 1922 Columbus, GA Auburn 7–3 28 November 3, 1923 Columbus, GA Georgia 7–0 29 November 15, 1924 Columbus, GA Georgia 6–0 30 November 7, 1925 Columbus, GA Georgia 34–0 31 November 6, 1926 Columbus, GA Georgia 16–0 32 October 22, 1927 Columbus, GA Georgia 33–3 33 November 3, 1928 Columbus, GA Georgia 13–0 34 November 15, 1929 Athens, GA Georgia 24–0 35 November 25, 1930 Columbus, GA Georgia 39–7 36 November 21, 1931 Columbus, GA Georgia 12–6 37 November 19, 1932 Columbus, GA Auburn 14–7 38 November 18, 1933 Columbus, GA Auburn 14–6 39 November 24, 1934 Columbus, GA Georgia 18–0 40 November 23, 1935 Columbus, GA Auburn 19–7 41 October 24, 1936 Columbus, GA Auburn 20–13 42 November 20, 1937 Columbus, GA Tie 0–0 43 November 19, 1938 Columbus, GA Auburn 23–14 44 November 25, 1939 Columbus, GA Auburn 7–0 45 November 2, 1940 Columbus, GA Georgia 14–13 46 November 1, 1941 Columbus, GA Georgia 7–0 47 November 21, 1942 Columbus, GA Auburn 27–13 48 November 18, 1944 Columbus, GA Georgia 49–13 49 November 17, 1945 Columbus, GA Georgia 35–0 50 November 16, 1946 Columbus, GA Georgia 41–0 51 November 15, 1947 Columbus, GA Georgia 28–6 52 November 13, 1948 Columbus, GA Georgia 42–14 53 November 12, 1949 Columbus, GA Tie 20–20 54 November 18, 1950 Columbus, GA Georgia 12–10 55 November 21, 1951 Columbus, GA Georgia 46–14 56 November 15, 1952 Columbus, GA Georgia 13–7 57 November 14, 1953 Columbus, GA Auburn 39–18 58 November 13, 1954 Columbus, GA Auburn 35–0 59 November 12, 1955 Columbus, GA Auburn 16–13 60 November 17, 1956 Columbus, GA Auburn 20–0 # Date Location Winner Score 61 November 16, 1957 Columbus, GA Auburn 6–0 62 November 15, 1958 Columbus, GA Auburn 21–6 63 November 14, 1959 Athens, GA Georgia 14–13 64 November 12, 1960 Auburn, AL Auburn 9–6 65 November 18, 1961 Athens, GA Auburn 10–7 66 November 17, 1962 Auburn, AL Georgia 30–21 67 November 16, 1963 Athens, GA Auburn 14–0 68 November 14, 1964 Auburn, AL Auburn 14–7 69 November 13, 1965 Athens, GA Auburn 21–9 70 November 16, 1966 Auburn, AL Georgia 21–13 71 November 18, 1967 Athens, GA Georgia 17–0 72 November 16, 1968 Auburn, AL Georgia 17–3 73 November 15, 1969 Athens, GA Auburn 16–3 74 November 14, 1970 Auburn, AL Georgia 31–17 75 November 13, 1971 Athens, GA Auburn 35–20 76 November 18, 1972 Auburn, AL Auburn 27–10 77 November 17, 1973 Athens, GA Georgia 28–14 78 November 16, 1974 Auburn, AL Auburn 17–13 79 November 15, 1975 Athens, GA Georgia 28–13 80 November 13, 1976 Auburn, AL Georgia 28–0 81 November 12, 1977 Athens, GA Auburn 33–14 82 November 18, 1978 Auburn, AL Tie 22–22 83 November 17, 1979 Athens, GA Auburn 33–13 84 November 15, 1980 Auburn, AL Georgia 31–21 85 November 14, 1981 Athens, GA Georgia 24–13 86 November 13, 1982 Auburn, AL Georgia 19–14 87 November 12, 1983 Athens, GA Auburn 13–7 88 November 17, 1984 Auburn, AL Auburn 21–12 89 November 13, 1985 Athens, GA Auburn 24–10 90 November 15, 1986 Auburn, AL Georgia 20–16 91 November 13, 1987 Athens, GA Auburn 27–11 92 November 12, 1988 Auburn, AL Auburn 20–10 93 November 18, 1989 Athens, GA Auburn 20–3 94 November 17, 1990 Auburn, AL Auburn 33–10 95 November 18, 1991 Athens, GA Georgia 37–27 96 November 14, 1992 Auburn, AL Georgia 14–10 97 November 13, 1993 Athens, GA Auburn 42–28 98 November 12, 1994 Auburn, AL Tie 23–23 99 November 11, 1995 Athens, GA Auburn 37–31 100 November 16, 1996 Auburn, AL Georgia 56–49 101 November 15, 1997 Athens, GA Auburn 45–34 102 November 14, 1998 Auburn, AL Georgia 28–17 103 November 13, 1999 Athens, GA Auburn 38–21 104 November 11, 2000 Auburn, AL Auburn 29–26 105 November 10, 2001 Athens, GA Auburn 24–17 106 November 16, 2002 Auburn, AL Georgia 24–21 107 November 15, 2003 Athens, GA Georgia 26–7 108 November 13, 2004 Auburn, AL Auburn 24–6 109 November 12, 2005 Athens, GA Auburn 31–30 110 November 11, 2006 Auburn, AL Georgia 37–15 111 November 10, 2007 Athens, GA Georgia 45–20 112 November 15, 2008 Auburn, AL Georgia 17–13 113 November 14, 2009 Athens, GA Georgia 31–24 114 November 13, 2010 Auburn, AL Auburn 49–31 115 November 12, 2011 Athens, GA Georgia 45–7 116 November 10, 2012 Auburn, AL Georgia 38–0 117 November 16, 2013 Auburn, AL Auburn 43–38 118 November 15, 2014 Athens, GA Georgia 34–7 119 November 14, 2015 Auburn, AL Georgia 20–13 Series: Georgia leads 56–55–8

Series record sources: 2011 Auburn Football Media Guide,^[5] 2011 Georgia Football Media Guide,^[6] College Football Data Warehouse,^[7]

Notable games

1895 Auburn-Georgia game at Piedmont Park.

In 1892, The two schools met in the first meeting in what is now the South’s oldest college football rivalry. Auburn would win 10-0. One Atlanta newspaper called it the “social event of the year.”

In 1896, Georgia won by a 12 to 6 score to finish its first undefeated season under Pop Warner. For Auburn, the game featured Reynolds Tichenor's brilliant punt returns.^[8]

In 1899, by all accounts Auburn was leading Georgia by a score of 11-6 when the game was called due to darkness, lighting not being available at that time, resulting in an official 0-0 tie.^[9][10] As noted by sideline reporters for The Atlanta Constitution "The conditions that appeared to make the ruling of Referee Rowbotham a necessity were such as should never have occurred on any gridiron that has the advantage of police protection. As darkness came on it was impossible in the bleachers and grand stand to distinguish the play and with no obstacle in the way the crowd surged into the field mingled with the players and made further progress a matter of impossibility.^[11]" Fifteen minutes prior to the decision, Auburn coach, John Heisman, made an official request to call the game for the same reason.^[11] The decision was backed by Umpire Taylor. "In the decision that made the game a tie the referee was backed up by Umpire Taylor of Birmingham who, although a Just official has always been regarded by many as a friend of Auburn.^[11]"

In 1902, Rufus Nalley dies in Atlanta after a short, serious illness.^[12] According to some, the last thing that he heard before losing consciousness on November 27, was that Georgia had beaten Auburn earlier that day, news that caused him to smile. It was the first victory for Georgia in the rivalry since the 1896 team for which Nalley played.^[13]

In 1916, Auburn wins 3 to 0 in the mud on a 40-yard field goal in the fourth quarter by Moon Ducote kicked off of teammate Legare Hairston's leather helmet, in Columbus's McClung Stadium.^[14] This precipitated the rule which states the ball must be kicked directly off the ground.^[15]

In 1942, Georgia won the national championship with an 11-1 record, beating UCLA in the 1943 Rose Bowl, Georgia lone loss came to Auburn, falling 27-13 at Columbus's Memorial Stadium.

On November 14, 1959, at Sanford Stadium in Athens, as time ran short, Georgia player and future Auburn head-coach Pat Dye recovered a fumble by Auburn quarterback Bryant Harvard. Georgia quarterback Fran Tarkenton's touchdown pass in the final seconds gave Georgia a 14-13 victory and cost Auburn a Southeastern Conference championship. Georgia went on to claim the 1959 SEC Championship and the 1960 Orange Bowl Championship with a victory over Missouri in Miami.

The AU-UGA game has been held in many different cities - Atlanta, Athens, Macon, Columbus, Savannah, Montgomery - but on November 12, 1960, the Bulldogs made their first trip to the Auburn; a game which the Tigers won 9-6. This marked a huge change for the Tigers, as Auburn's biggest rivals - Tennessee, Georgia Tech, Alabama and Georgia - previously would not travel to Auburn. Georgia Tech's first visit came in 1970, while Tennessee eventually came in 1974. It would take Auburn's biggest rival, Alabama, almost 30 years after UGA to make the trip.

In 1983, again at Sanford Stadium, Pat Dye celebrated his first SEC championship as Auburn's coach after the Tigers beat Georgia 13-7 on November 12. Georgia coach Vince Dooley, a former star Auburn quarterback, was there too on that day in 1959 as an assistant on Shug Jordan's staff.

In 1986, the Bulldogs visited Auburn as three-touchdown underdogs. Auburn was two wins away from the SEC Championship, with only one blemish on their record, an 18-17 setback at Florida. Georgia, playing its backup quarterback, escaped with a 20-16 victory. When Georgia fans stormed the field of Jordan-Hare Stadium and started tearing the turf from midfield and refused to leave, they were doused by sprinkler system and fire hoses.

In 1994, a Georgia team that had lost to Vanderbilt and had been blown out 52-14 by Florida, ended Auburn and former coach Terry Bowden's 20-game winning streak with a 23-23 tie at Jordan-Hare. The Sunday morning headline in nearby Columbus, Ga read "UGA beats Auburn 23-23".

In 1996, the two teams played in the first Southeastern Conference football game to go into overtime. First-year head coach Jim Donnan's team, which finished 5-6, was down 28-7 at halftime, before rallying to tie it at 28 on a 30-yard touchdown as time expired from Mike Bobo to Cory Allen, and Georgia went on to win 56-49 in four overtimes. This game, known to Georgia fans as the "Miracle on the Plains," was also famous for the incident in which Uga V lunged at Auburn wide receiver Robert Baker after a first-quarter touchdown.

In 1999, Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville got his first signature win, as the underdog Tigers, losers of five of their previous six games, led 31-0 at halftime and cruised to a 38-21 victory.

In 2002, #7 Georgia traveled to #22 Auburn with a spot in the SEC Championship game and an outside chance at the national title on the line. Auburn led 14-3 at halftime, thanks to a 53-yard touchdown run from Ronnie Brown. Georgia rallied to make it 21-17 Tigers with 1:25 remaining when they faced a 4th and 15 from the Auburn 19. QB David Greene threw up a prayer, and Michael Johnson outjumped Auburn CB Horace Willis to come away with the improbable touchdown. Georgia defeated Auburn 24-21 to secure a spot in their first SEC Championship Game. The Bulldogs defeated Arkansas 30-3 to win their first SEC Championship since 1982. The Bulldogs finished the season 13-1 with a victory over Florida State in the Sugar Bowl, and a #3 final ranking.

In 2004, #8 Georgia traveled to undefeated and #3Auburn in 2004. The Tigers were eyeing their first SEC Championship since splitting the title in 1989 (note: Auburn was on probation in 1993 and ineligible for the championship), as well as a spot in the BCS National Championship Game. The Tigers won 24-6 on their way to a 13-0 season, ending with a 16-13 victory over Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl and a No. 2 national ranking.

In 2006, Georgia visited Auburn having lost four of their previous five games and being unranked for the first time since 2002, while fifth-ranked Auburn had national title hopes. Georgia had lost to Vanderbilt and Kentucky in the same season for the first time since 1973, when they rebounded to defeat Auburn. History repeated itself as the Bulldogs defeated the Tigers 37-15 and ended Auburn's chances at a national title.

In 2007, the game marked the first time in the modern era that Georgia wore black jerseys. It also marked the first time that Georgia defeated Florida and Auburn in the same season since 1982 , and the first time that Georgia scored more than 40 points in three straight games since 1942.

In 2013, #7 Auburn hosted #25 Georgia in Auburn. Through the first 50 minutes of the game, Auburn had scored on seven of nine possessions with 29 first downs building a 37–17 lead. In contrast, when Georgia began their first possession of the fourth quarter they had only reached the end zone once on their previous six drives.^[16] Auburn maintained that 20-point lead until 9:35 left in the game when the momentum suddenly shifted. At that moment, Aaron Murray threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to senior Rantavious Wooten to cut the deficit to 13 points. In fact Murray would lead his team to three touchdowns in the span of 7:46, the final touchdown giving Georgia their first lead of the game with 1:49 remaining.^[16] With 36 seconds remaining and faced with 4th and 18 from the Tiger 26-yardline, Auburn quarterback Nick Marshall, a former defensive back for the Bulldogs during the 2011 season, threw a Hail Mary pass, which was tipped by Georgia safety Josh Harvey-Clemons right into the hands of Auburn sophomore wide receiver Ricardo Louis. What has become known as "The Prayer at Jordan–Hare,"^{[17][18][19][20][21]} the fortuitous play resulted in a game-winning touchdown for the Tigers with 25 seconds to spare, of which Auburn managed to hold off Georgia for and emerge victorious 43–38

Family rivalry

It's a unique thing. It's like playing against your brother. I don't think anybody who plays in that game can ever forget it. It just doesn't matter much where it's played or what somebody's record is. It's so intense and tough, but at the same time, it's family.

— Pat Dye, UGA '60 - Auburn head coach, 1981–92

Beyond the length of the rivalry, the schools' football histories are quite interconnected. Georgia's long-time head coach and athletic director, Vince Dooley, earned both his bachelor's and master's degree at Auburn while playing football and subsequently beginning his coaching career under legendary Auburn head coach Shug Jordan. Jordan himself was an assistant football coach and head basketball coach at Georgia before returning to his alma mater.

Former Auburn head coach Pat Dye was a three-year letterman and All-American offensive lineman at Georgia under head coach Wally Butts. Current Auburn defensive line coach Rodney Garner (who coached at Georgia for fifteen years), and former Georgia offensive line coach Stacy Searels both played at Auburn under Dye. Current Auburn defensive coordinator Will Muschamp and offensive line coach Hugh Nall are former Georgia players. Former Georgia offensive coordinator Neil Callaway was Auburn's offensive line coach for all of Dye's 12 seasons. In the coaching search that brought Dye to Auburn, Vince Dooley was first contacted about the position but decided to remain at Georgia. Tracy Rocker, a College Football Hall of Fame inductee and 2x All-American at Auburn as a defensive lineman, is the current defensive line coach at Georgia.^[22]

Both programs, in my opinion, have cut their teeth on the same values. The leadership in this program and at Georgia has been very similar.

— Will Muschamp, UGA '94, AU '96, Auburn defensive coordinator, 2006–07, 2015

I think this is what you would call a friendly rivalry. Both places are good schools, good places. Both of them have good people. That's what makes it special.

— Neil Callaway, Georgia offensive coordinator, 2000–06

See also

• Most-played rivalries in NCAA Division I FBS

References

1. "Georgia and Auburn renew Deep South's Oldest Rivalry". University of Georgia Sports Communications. November 8, 2010. Retrieved December 5, 2012.
2. "The Deep South's Oldest Rivalry". Auburn University Sports Communications. Retrieved December 5, 2012.
3. Loran Smith (November 13, 2010). "Smith: Rivalry has long, grand history". Athens Banner-Herald. Retrieved December 19, 2011.
4. Stegeman, John F. (2007). The Ghosts of Herty Field: Early Days on a Southern Gridiron. Athens, Georgia: University of Georgia Press. pp. 8–14. ISBN 0-8203-1959-7.
5. 2011 Auburn Tigers Football Media Guide, Auburn University Athletic Department, Auburn, Alabama, pp. 178–189, 191 (2011). Retrieved November 27, 2011.
6. 2011 Georgia Football Media Guide, University of Georgia Athletic Department, Athens, Georgia, pp. 157–168 (2011). Retrieved November 27, 2011.
7. College Football Data Warehouse, Auburn vs Georgia. Retrieved November 27, 2011.
8. Triumph Books (2006). Echoes of Georgia Football: The Greatest Stories Ever Told.
9. "Auburn Football previous seasons, 1890s". AuburnTigers.com. Retrieved 19 November 2013.
10. Georgia Football schedule/results http://www.georgiadogs.com/sports/m-footbl/sched/geo-m-footbl-sched.html. Retrieved 19 November 2013. Missing or empty |title= (help)
11. The Atlanta Constitution https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/34207777/. Retrieved 19 November 2013. Missing or empty |title= (help)
12. "Ben Nalley Goes to Rest". The Atlanta Constitution. November 29, 1902. p. 8.
13. "Brown Calls Vanderbilt '06 Best Eleven South Ever Had". Atlanta Constitution. February 19, 1911. p. 52. Retrieved March 8, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
14. "Prominent Sport Writer Selects Football Heroes". Columbus Daily Enquirer. December 10, 1916.
15. Loyola Director, Dick Ducote, Dies, The Milwaukee Journal, March 26, 1937.
16. "Auburn-Georgia 2013". ESPN. November 16, 2013. Retrieved November 23, 2013.
17. Crepea, James (November 21, 2013). "Auburn notebook: Prayer at Jordan-Hare a play from Malzahn’s past". Montgomery Advertiser. Retrieved November 23, 2013.
18. Wolken, Dan (November 17, 2013). "Auburn Defeats Georgia on Miracle Play 43-38". USA Today. Retrieved November 24, 2013.
19. Crowe, J.D. (November 18, 2013). "War Eagle Wings and the Prayer at Jordan-Hare". AL.com. Retrieved November 24, 2013.
20. Huskey, Jonathan (November 20, 2013). "A look inside the "Prayer at Jordan-Hare"". WRBL News3. Retrieved November 24, 2013.
21. Mitrosilis, Teddy (November 17, 2013). "A prayer at Jordan-Hare that saved Auburn, Iron Bowl from deflating". Fox Sports. Retrieved November 24, 2013.
22. http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/2014/01/25/2917574_tracy-rocker-hired-to-coach-georgias.html?rh=1