Auburn Tigers Football: 7 Best Victories of the Last 7 Years

The past seven years have left some of the most memorable games stamped in the Auburn history books. With two undefeated seasons, there have been numerous memorable games that have come and gone. There was “The Comeback” that happened in Tuscaloosa just last year. In 2009, the student section showed what it meant to be a part of their University and team as they stood through a torrential downpour awaiting the game against West Virginia.

No matter what year you look to there is a memorable game that occurred. Even during the 5-7 season there were games that will never be forgotten despite our honest efforts. The best victories of the last seven years may be difficult to narrow down but thinking back to days past these are the picks for the best Auburn victories in the past seven years.

2004 Auburn vs. LSU

This game was when it first appeared that an undefeated season was possible. The final pass to Courtney Taylor across the middle for the touchdown will forever be etched in time as one of the best moments in Auburn history.

This game saw the defending national champion LSU Tigers visit Jordan Hare Stadium looking for the victory. With 1:14 left to play in the game Jason Campbell found Taylor in the end zone for the win.

 To make the game even more interesting Auburn kicker John Vaughn missed the initial extra point but due to a recently changed rule that season aimed at protecting long snappers there was a re-kick. The re-kick resulted in Auburn taking the lead and holding on for the victory.

2004 Auburn vs. Tennessee

The Tigers faced the Volunteers twice in the 2004 season, once during the regular season and finally in the SEC championship game. The Tigers won both games on their march to an undefeated season.

The first contest was a big win for the Tigers in Knoxville with a final score of 34-10. At the time, Tennessee was ranked number 10 in the nation which made the loss all the more painful for the Vols as they had high hopes for the national stage in 2004.

The second meeting between the two teams was in the Georgia Dome in the SEC championship game which slated the number 15 Volunteers against the number three Auburn Tigers. Auburn won this game as well with a final score of 38-28. Carnell Williams and Ronnie Brown both made highlights by scoring touchdowns through All-American Safety Jason Allen.

2007 Auburn vs. Clemson

The 2007 bowl season was a disappointing one for Auburn. The one bright spot that seemed to be shining through was the new hire at offensive coordinator for the Tigers, Tony Franklin. Tony Franklin was being looked upon to bring a major new change for the Auburn offense.

The 2007 season was a down year for the Tigers offensively as was ’06 so a change was apparently needed. Despite how Franklin finished his tenure at Auburn, in the bowl game against Clemson he looked genius.

Franklin was able to use a mix of Brandon Cox and Kodi Burns as the Tigers marched to an overtime victory over Clemson. In just eight practices it appeared that Franklin had turned the Auburn offense into a dangerous foe. Needless to say things changed.

2009 Auburn vs. West Virginia

In 2009 expectations were modest with the new coaching staff that Gene Chizik had assembled as the Tigers fans did not know what to expect. Winning big in the first two games began the chatter about how good this coaching staff could be and the hopes for the season began to rise.

The third game of the season the West Virginia Moutaineers came to town. Before kickoff a major storm system moved in and began a torrential downpour over the field and the fans. The fans were asked to evacuate for safety but the students remained in the rain.

For roughly an hour the rains poured as the students went through cheer after cheer waiting on the rain to stop and the game to begin. This was the first true test of adversity as the Tigers trailed in the majority of the game but later used the momentum from the crowd to pull out a victory to go 3-0 in Chizik’s first season.

2010 Auburn vs. Arkansas

The Arkansas Razorbacks were marching into the mid-October contest last season looking for a victory. Arkansas was bringing a number 12 record to the game and one of the most dangerous passing attacks in the country. Despite being ranked seventh, the Tigers were not favored heavily if at all in the contest.

Early in the game Ryan Mallett fell to injury but to much chagrin for Auburn fans his backup seemed almost more potent. Auburn and Arkansas battled back and forth and even weathered a controversial call or two on the way to a historic game.

The game finished with a final score of 65-43 earning the record for the highest scoring regulation game in the history of the conference. This game was the point where most began to realize that no one would outscore Auburn in 2010 it was just a matter of if you could slow them down and force turnovers.

2010 Auburn vs. Alabama

This is the Iron Bowl that will forever be remembered as “The Comeback”. This single game broke two records for both teams. For Auburn, it was their largest return from deficit win since the Tigers have begun playing football in 1892. For Alabama, it was the largest lead ever lost.

After falling to an unbelievable 24-0 deficit, Auburn meticulously clawed their way back into the game. A few big plays scattered around a steady rushing attack led Auburn to victory. This game not only put Auburn as the number one team in the state but it launched the Tigers to the top of the college football world.

There are points in this game that seemed as if only divine intervention could have allowed, like the Mark Ingram fumble that traveled nearly 25 yards along the sideline. It also was the game that saw the invention of the “Lutzie”, the latest and greatest of dance moves.

One thing is for sure, this game will be one of the best ever in the history of this great rivalry and one of the greatest victories in Tigers history.

2010 Auburn vs. South Carolina (SEC Championship)

Auburn faced South Carolina in the regular season and squeaked out a win with an interception in the end zone in the fourth quarter. By the time that the two teams met again, the difference was amazing. When the Tigers walked into the Georgia Dome for the championship game it was as if they knew it was their turn, they would win this game and earn their way to the championship.

Auburn struggled early as the Tigers and Gamecocks battled back in forth in the first half but the battle ended with the final throw of the first half. Cam Newton rolled to his right and threw a bomb to the end zone. 60 yards later, Darvin Adams snags the Hail Mary throw from the sky and comes down with the touchdown.

The Hail Mary deflated the Gamecocks and after halftime they never seemed to return to form. The Tigers walloped the Gamecocks 56-17 on their way to the title.

The Future Will Bring More Big Wins

There are numerous games that weren’t mentioned in the top seven. Games like Northwestern in 2009 and the BCS Championship game in 2010 fall short of the cut but by just a hair. The past seven years have seen ups and downs for the Tigers and in the ups there have been some amazing wins. Going forward Tiger fans hope that the new season brings more memorable victories.