November 28, 1987

Because we are having such a good week enjoying the sweetness of another Iron Bowl victory, I thought I would take you down memory lane for a few moments.

Tomorrow is the twentieth anniversary of the 1987 Iron Bowl which determined the champion of the SEC. These were the days prior to the SEC Championship game. If Auburn beat Alabama, the Tigers would be the outright SEC Champion. If Alabama beat Auburn, then Bama would share the title with LSU.

There were 75,808 people at Legion Field on November 28, 1987. The tangled significance of the game was an indication of the infighting in a conference with (at that time) 10 schools that would send six teams to a bowl. That was unprecedented for the SEC up until that point. Auburn, ranked #7, was 8-1-1 while Alabama, ranked #18 under first year Alabama Head Coach Bill Curry was 7-4.

The story of the game could be summed up in the first half, when Derrick Thomas of Alabama blocked an Auburn punt out of bounds at the Tiger 9-yard line. Three Alabama plays moved the ball to the 1 yard line, and Bill Curry decided to go for the touchdown. On fourth down, Alabama attempted a pass that fell incomplete and Auburn took over.

With Jeff Burger at the helm, Auburn drove the ball 99 yards for the game’s only touchdown, which came on Harry Mose’s 5-yard run around left end with 58 seconds remaining in the first half. During the drive, Burger threw a 44 yard pass to Lawyer Tillman and Stacy Danley had an 18 yard run. The drive was aided by two 15 yard penalties against the Tide.

Late in the game, Auburn drove 69 yards to the Alabama 9 and Wyn Lyle kicked a 23 yard field goal. Bama got one last chance to score, but lost the ball when Clay Whitehurst caught a pass and fumbled at the Alabama 45.

Like many Iron Bowls to come, the game was dominated by the defenses, with Auburn linebacker Kurt Crain halting Alabama with an interception and Alabama’s Mike Smith picking off a Burger pass at the Alabama 25. In the final quarter, both teams missed field goals when Phillip Doyle of the Tide missed a 53 yarder, hitting the left upright, and Wyn Lyle of Auburn missing a 47 yarder.

The Tigers defeated the Tide that day, winning the Iron Bowl 10-0, and winning the Southeastern Conference Title outright while securing a Sugar Bowl Berth to play the undefeated Syracuse Orangemen.

War Eagle!

WJLaneSr