From last second catches to a footrace between future Top-5 picks, the Auburn-LSU rivalry has produced more than its fair share of dramatics in the last decade.
There’s never a shortage of talent when these two teams meet. 67 former Tigers currently taking the field on Sundays (43 Bayou Bengals and 24 Tigers).
With another potential classic on the horizon this Saturday night in Jordan-Hare Stadium, let’s take a look back at some of the rivalry’s most memorable moments from the last decade.
Cam Newton vs. Patrick Peterson
The talent of Cam Newton certainly wasn’t a secret when the Bayou Bengals rolled into Jordan-Hare Stadium on one October afternoon in 2010.
Heading into this top 10 matchup, Newton had rushed for over 175 yards in three of his last four games, reaching the end zone 10 times on the ground in that span.
Meanwhile Peterson was in the midst of a quest to become the first defensive player since Charles Woodson in 1997 to win the Heisman Trophy.
So what does a one-on-one matchup between two Heisman hopefuls look like exactly? Well this, actually:
Newton’s 49-yard run saw the junior quarterback weave his way through a litany of LSU defenders, before bursting past the speedy Peterson and carrying the Thorpe award winner into the end zone.
Newton rushed for 217 yards and two touchdowns that afternoon on the way to a 24-17 victory. This highlight reel run firmly put Newton on the national stage on the way to his eventual Heisman Trophy and BCS National Championship.
Les Miles and Demetrius Byrd – 2007
You can call it luck. You can call it a mistake by Les Miles. You can even call it a mistake by Tommy Tuberville for not using one of his two timeouts.
But there’s little denying the drama that ensued in the final moments of this thriller in Death Valley.
Brandon Cox gave No. 17 Auburn a 24-23 lead with just over three minutes remaining when he found Rod Smith in the side of the end zone.
No. 4 LSU quickly moved into field goal range however, and was in perfect position for a Colt David winner with 30 seconds left and the clock running.
Tuberville chose not to use either of his timeouts, allowing Miles to drain the clock inside ten seconds.
But the Bayou Bengals didn’t settle for a field goal. Instead, Matt Flynn threw a deep fade to Demetrius Byrd, who came down with the winning catch with just one second remaining in the game.
While it’s hard to argue considering the result of the play, a mere tip of the pass by Jerraud Powers would’ve run the clock out on LSU, likely ending their run to an SEC and BCS Championship.
The uncatchable pass interference – 2006
Just one year before, Auburn and LSU were involved in yet another thriller, this time in Jordan-Hare with both teams ranked in the Top 10.
In stark contrast to the current state of the SEC, these two teams battled in a historic defensive slugfest that left Auburn hanging on 7-3 late in the game.
Future No.1 draft pick Jamarcus Russell drove the Bayou Bengals on a late charge with no timeouts remaining, but his fourth-down pass was acrobatically knocked down by a diving Eric Brock.
Brock’s outstanding play was overshadowed, however, by an apparent pass interference on Zach Gilbert.
Then as the LSU offense lined up for a potential go-ahead touchdown, the referees reversed their decision, giving Auburn the ball and producing “Bedlam in Jordan-Hare” as Rod Bramblett called it.
If you haven’t seen the play, it’s a dicey call. On one hand, Brock’s play from the safety position is outstanding. On the other, Gilbert makes contact with LSU receiver Craig Davis long before Brock broke up the pass.
The lingering question in the days after the game surrounded whether Gilbert prevented Davis from making a play on the ball. The SEC came out in support of the referee team’s decision, but images such as this one certainly leave a sour taste in the mouth of any LSU fan.
John Vaughn gets a second chance – 2004
With Hurricane Ivan looming in the Gulf, reigning BCS National Champion LSU was once again undefeated heading into this matchup of Top 25 squads.
A sellout crowd on the Plains was treated to a defensive stalemate, a surprise after LSU opened the game with a touchdown drive.
Jason Campbell and the running back duo of Cadillac Williams and Ronnie Brown were held in check until a final 12-play, 59-yard drive allowed Auburn to tie the game at nine.
Starting placekicker John Vaughn, who was Auburn’s all-time leading point scorer until 2010, stepped up for the potential game-winning extra point, only to have his kick sail wide-left with the help of a bad snap.
But a new rule change would doom LSU and their head coach Nick Saban.
On the missed extra point, Ronnie Prude vaulted himself off one of his own players, a move that had been banned in the offseason.
Auburn Sam Rives saved another bad snap on the rekick, and Vaughn drilled through his next attempt.
Auburn would go on to finish 13-0, controversially missing out on a berth in the BCS National Championship Game.
The John Vaughn Game – 2005
There was no second chance for Vaughn in 2005.
One year after hitting the game-winning extra point against LSU, Vaughn missed five field goals against LSU, including a 39-yarder in overtime that would’ve tied the game for Auburn.
This came after a miss at the very end of regulation that could’ve given the Tigers an upset in Death Valley in front of a record crowd of 92,664.
In fairness to Vaughn, three of the misses would’ve been career longs, but this historically poor performance from an otherwise reliable kicker ultimately sunk the No. 16 Tigers.
Auburn fans widely consider this game to be one of the most painful losses in recent memory, although something tells me last year’s BCS National Championship Game may have taken that claim.
Follow Eric on Twitter @EWall14
