Auburn LSU rivalry
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The Auburn LSU rivalry refers to the football series between the Auburn University Tigers and the Louisiana State University Tigers, both members of the Southeastern Conference. The rivalry dates back to 1901, however, the two teams did not play each other between 1943 and 1968, and only occasionally until 1992. Although the series does not have an official name, many of the individual games since then have been given nicknames, such as the Earthquake Game, due to the notoriety of those contests.
Between 2000 and 2005, Auburn or LSU won or tied for the SEC Western Division championship every season. In 2002, the Arkansas Razorbacks won a three-way tie; in 2003, Ole Miss tied LSU for the title, but the Bayou Tigers won the tie-breaker based on a head-to-head victory. The 2006 season marks the first time since 1999 that neither team won or shared the title, as the University of Arkansas won it out-right.
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[edit] All-Time Results
| Date | Year | Location | AU Rank | LSU Rank | Winner | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov. 20 | 1901 | Baton Rouge, Louisiana | Auburn | 28-0 | ||
| Oct. 27 | 1902 | Baton Rouge, Louisiana | LSU | 5-0 | ||
| Nov. 11 | 1903 | Auburn, Alabama | Auburn | 12-0 | ||
| Oct. 31 | 1908 | Auburn, Alabama | LSU | 10-2 | ||
| Nov. 9 | 1912 | Mobile, Alabama | Auburn | 7-0 | ||
| Nov. 1 | 1913 | Mobile, Alabama | Auburn | 7-2 | ||
| Oct. 25 | 1924 | Birmingham, Alabama | Auburn | 3-0 | ||
| Oct. 16 | 1926 | Montgomery, Alabama | LSU | 10-0 | ||
| Oct. 15 | 1927 | Montgomery, Alabama | LSU | 9-0 | ||
| Oct. 13 | 1934 | Baton Rouge, Louisiana | LSU | 20-6 | ||
| Nov. 2 | 1935 | Baton Rouge, Louisiana | LSU | 6-0 | ||
| Nov. 14 | 1936 | Birmingham, Alabama | 7 | LSU | 19-6 | |
| Nov. 13 | 1937 | Baton Rouge, Louisiana | 14 | 12 | LSU | 9-7 |
| Nov. 12 | 1938 | Birmingham, Alabama | Auburn | 28-6 | ||
| Nov. 18 | 1939 | Baton Rouge, Louisiana | Auburn | 21-7 | ||
| Nov. 16 | 1940 | Birmingham, Alabama | LSU | 21-13 | ||
| Nov. 15 | 1941 | Baton Rouge, Louisiana | Tie Game | 7-7 | ||
| Nov. 14 | 1942 | Birmingham, Alabama | Auburn | 25-7 | ||
| Oct. 25 | 1969 | Baton Rouge, Louisiana | 14 | 9 | LSU | 21-20 |
| Oct. 24 | 1970 | Auburn, Alabama | 6 | 14 | LSU | 17-9 |
| Oct. 14 | 1972 | Baton Rouge, Louisiana | 9 | 8 | LSU | 35-7 |
| Oct. 13 | 1973 | Auburn, Alabama | LSU | 20-6 | ||
| Oct. 11 | 1980 | Baton Rouge, Louisiana | LSU | 21-17 | ||
| Oct. 11 | 1981 | Auburn, Alabama | Auburn | 19-7 | ||
| Oct. 8 | 1988 | Baton Rouge, Louisiana | 4 | LSU | 7-6 | |
| Oct. 14 | 1989 | Auburn, Alabama | 12 | Auburn | 19-7 | |
| Sept. 19 | 1992 | Auburn, Alabama | Auburn | 30-28 | ||
| Sept. 18 | 1993 | Baton Rouge, Louisiana | Auburn | 34-10 | ||
| Sept. 17 | 1994 | Auburn, Alabama | 11 | Auburn | 30-26 | |
| Sept. 16 | 1995 | Baton Rouge, Louisiana | 5 | LSU | 12-6 | |
| Sept. 21 | 1996 | Auburn, Alabama | 13 | 21 | LSU | 19-15 |
| Sept. 20 | 1997 | Baton Rouge, Louisiana | 12 | 10 | Auburn | 31-28 |
| Sept. 29 | 1998 | Auburn, Alabama | 7 | LSU | 31-19 | |
| Sept. 18 | 1999 | Baton Rouge, Louisiana | Auburn | 41-7 | ||
| Sept. 16 | 2000 | Auburn, Alabama | 24 | Auburn | 34-17 | |
| Dec. 1 | 2001 | Baton Rouge, Louisiana | 22 | 25 | LSU | 27-15 |
| Oct. 26 | 2002 | Auburn, Alabama | 10 | Auburn | 31-7 | |
| Oct. 25 | 2003 | Baton Rouge, Louisiana | 17 | 9 | LSU | 31-7 |
| Sept. 18 | 2004 | Auburn, Alabama | 14 | 5 | Auburn | 10-9 |
| Oct. 22 | 2005 | Baton Rouge, Louisiana | 16 | 7 | LSU | 20-17 |
| Sept. 16 | 2006 | Auburn, Alabama | 4 | 7 | Auburn | 7-3 |
[edit] Notable Games
In recent history, the Auburn-LSU game has decided the SEC West champion, and with historically classic contests, individual games began acquiring names.
[edit] The Earthquake Game (1988)
In 1988, #4 ranked Auburn traveled to Tiger Stadium with one of its best teams in years. The AU Tigers were held to just two field goals but had kept LSU scoreless through 58 minutes before Tommy Hodson found Eddie Fuller for a touchdown. The eruption of the crowd registered as an earthquake on the seismograph located in LSU’s Howe-Russell Geoscience Complex.
[edit] The Interception Game (1994)
Auburn was on a 14-game winning streak when LSU traveled to Auburn in 1994 and ranked #11 in Nation, but it was the Bengal Tigers who led 23-9 entering the fourth quarter. LSU quarterback Jaime Howard threw five fourth quarter interceptions - three returned for touchdowns - as Auburn extended their winning streak to 15 games with a 30-26 win. Auburn, with star running back Stephen Davis, was held to a mere 165 total yards.
[edit] Bring Back the Magic / The Whistle Game (1995)
LSU donned its white jerseys for a home game for the first time in 15 years, inspiring the Bengal Tigers, behind the play of QB Jaime Howard, to a 12-6 victory over fifth-ranked Auburn. LSU cornerback Troy Twillie intercepted a Nix pass in the end zone on the final play of the game. This game is also referred to by Auburn fans as the Whistle Game, because Auburn quarterback Patrick Nix was sacked for a safety when he stopped play after a fan in the stands blew a whistle.[1] However, the Sporting News reported that the LSU crowd "was so loud that Auburn quarterback Patrick Nix, standing in his end zone, thought he heard a whistle and mistakenly thought the play was dead. He was sacked for a safety."[2]
[edit] The Night the Barn Burned (1996)
LSU defeated Auburn 19-15 in 1996 while the old Auburn Sports Arena, affectionately called "the Barn," burned to the ground across the street from the stadium. After scoring a touchdown, Auburn trailed 17-15 and attempted the two-point conversion. LSU intercepted the pass and returned it for a 19-15 win. The fire began when a tailgater placed a barbecue grill too close to the building. Scenes of the fire were captured by ESPN during the national broadcast as flames were seen as high as the Jordan-Hare west upper-deck. The game was never delayed, and the Auburn public address announcer continually advised fans not to worry: "the stadium [was] not on fire; the flames [were] outside the stadium."
[edit] The Cigar Game / Smoke 'Em if You Got 'Em (1999)
On coach Tommy Tuberville's birthday, an undermanned Auburn squad handed LSU a crushing 41-7 loss during a rare day game in Baton Rouge. In celebration, Auburn players and coaches smoked cigars on the field at Tiger Stadium, much to the chagrin of LSU players and fans. This is cited among LSU faithful as the day the rivalry officially began, and it was used as motivation in 2001 when LSU defeated Auburn 27-14 on the way to their first SEC Championship since splitting it in 1988. Auburn would finish Tuberville's first season at 5-6, while LSU ended the season 3-8 and with the resignation of coach Gerry DiNardo. As of 2006, this game marks Auburn's final victory in Baton Rouge.
[edit] The Extra Point(s) Game (2004)
Defending national champion and fourth ranked LSU visited Auburn just days after Hurricane Ivan. The Bengal Tigers took a 9-3 lead but couldn't convert the extra point. Auburn tied the game with 1:14 to play when Jason Campbell threw a 16-yard TD pass to Courtney Taylor. Entering the game, Auburn had successfully converted on 190 points after touchdown; however AU kicker John Vaughn missed the extra point. A rare personal foul penalty was called on Ronnie Prude, and Vaughn connected on the second chance. Auburn would go on to win the SEC Championship, finish 13-0 and No. 2 in the final AP poll.
[edit] The Doink Game (2005)
The hero of the 2004 game, John Vaughn quickly became the scapegoat in Baton Rouge, as the normally reliable kicker missed five field goals - his final kick bouncing off the right upright in overtime. Auburn and LSU tied for the SEC West championship, but the win allowed LSU to play in the SEC Championsip Game. Kenny Irons, who was caught by ESPN cameras guaranteeing a 200-yard game, provided a dominating 218-yard performance and cemented himself as AU starter.
[edit] The Interference Game (2006)
The two Tigers entered the 2006 with their highest head-to-head ranking ever. Both early-season national title contenders, LSU managed a last second field goal to take a 3-0 halftime lead. Auburn scored a third quarter touchdown and had two fourth quarter stops to win 7-3 in the lowest scoring game since a LSU 6-0 victory in 1935. During their first stop, AU defensive back Eric Brock deflected a JaMarcus Russell fourth down pass as Zach Gilbert tackled Early Doucet. Initially calling pass interference, the officials waved off the flag, giving Auburn the ball. In the final moments, Brock delivered a jarring hit on Craig Davis at the four yard-line to seal the victory.
[edit] Miscellaneous
The 2006 game was the lowest scoring contest between the two schools since 1935, when LSU defeated Auburn 6-0 in Baton Rouge.
The winning squad pitched a shutout 11 of the first 13 games to start the series. Since then, neither team has been shutout.
LSU leads the overall series 21–19–1. LSU leads the series in games played in Baton Rouge and Montgomery, Alabama, with a 12–5–1 and 2–0 record, respectively. Auburn leads for games played at Jordan-Hare Stadium (9–5) and Birmingham, Alabama (3–2). Since the re-alignment of the SEC in 1992, Auburn leads LSU 9–6.
The rivalry between Auburn and LSU has developed only since the expansion of the SEC in 1992. Prior to then, the two teams played each other irregularly. When the SEC expanded, Auburn and LSU were placed in the Western Division conference, along with Alabama, Ole Miss, Mississippi State and new conference member Arkansas. As part of the conference’s realignment, division members now play all five opponents within their division every season, thus beginning the annual match-ups between Auburn and LSU. While Auburn lost annual rivalries with Tennessee and later Florida due to the SEC’s expansion and realignment, the LSU game has quickly become a heated and highly anticipated rivalry for both teams. For Auburn, the intensity of the LSU rivalry is surpassed by only the Deep South's Oldest Rivalry with Georgia and the Iron Bowl rivalry with Alabama.
Due to the 2001 terrorist attacks, the game was moved to Dec. 1. This marked the first time since 1947 - when the Alabama legislature forced a game between the two - that Auburn played a team after Alabama in the Iron Bowl during the regular season. For LSU, the game marked the first time since 1992 that the Tigers played a team other than Arkansas as the final game of the regular season.
Since becoming permanent SEC opponents in 1992, the majority of the series has been played in September. Only three times have games been scheduled in October (2002, 2003, 2005), with LSU winning two. (Note: The 2001 game was moved to Dec. 1 due to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, and the 2007 meeting is tentatively scheduled to be played October 20 in Baton Rouge.)
[edit] References
- ^ Eddie Pelz, "Auburn, LSU vie in other headliner", The Sun Herald, September 17, 1997, p. D5.
- ^ Booty's Bounty. The Sporting News, Feb 24, 1997. Retrieved on November 22, 2007.
