The Jet

It was a cool, crisp day that November 11th at Jordan-Hare Stadium. A breeze was blowing toward the south endzone; just enough to make the flags above the stands gesticulate. The Pat Dye led Auburn Tigers scored on their first four possessions, but each of those were field goals by Jim Von Wyl. Auburn, ranked number 15 in the country, took at 12- 7 lead going into the fourth quarter, and seemed to have the game in hand. Scouts from six bowls were on hand that day to determine which New Years Day Bowl the Tigers would play in. But the heralded Tigers inability to get the ball into the endzone proved costly. With only 46 seconds left, Anthony Harris caught a 10 yard touchdown pass as Southern Mississippi shocked Auburn, 13-12. The quarterback who orchestrated that tremendous comeback was “Brett-the-Jet” Favre. It was the Tigers first home defeat since the 1987 season, and Pat Dye to this day says it is arguably the biggest upset loss at home while Auburn was under his guidance.

The legendary John Cox, voice of the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles from 1977 to 2007, said this of Brett Favre: “People often ask me, "Did you know that Brett Favre would be as good as he turned out to be?" And tell them that anyone that says that they did is lying, but what I did see while watching him play at Southern Miss was a player that had the drive, the passion, the heart and the ability to be the best and who would never ever give up.”

The Favre-led Golden Eagles not only beat Auburn in 1990, they also beat Alabama. After the capstone’s defeat at the hands of the Hattiesburg Golden Boy, Gene Stallings said "You can call it an upset, or a miracle, or whatever term you want to use. All I know is Brett Favre was larger than life."

This past Saturday I gave my son and my cousin’s son a “Brett-the-Jet” t-shirt showing him as a “new” New York Jet. But I remember well the day that he drove his Golden Eagles down the field….eighteen years ago….like a jet that couldn’t be stopped. Little did any of us know that while we were feeling our hearts get crushed, we were watching a star in the making.

Let’s get ready for Southern Mississippi as they come visiting again this Saturday.

War Eagle!

WJLaneSr