In Doug Barfield's fifth and final season as head coach in 1980, Auburn finished 5-6, with all six losses coming against conference opponents.
The number of wins Auburn had against the SEC that season? Zero.
Through six games this season, the Tigers have been skinned by all four conference opponents and aren't relishing the opportunity to accomplish what hasn't happened on the Plains in 32 years.
On Saturday, Oct. 20, Auburn (1-5, 0-4 SEC) will have its best chance of the season to avoid laying an egg in the SEC win column.
Saturday, the team will take on Vanderbilt, a perennial SEC door mat that has mustered only 10 wins the past three seasons.
This year, the Commodores (2-4, 1-3 SEC) have been stepped on by No. 3 Florida, No. 9 South Carolina and No. 13 Georgia, and lost to Northwestern, 23-13.
Still, Vanderbilt's energetic style of play has impressed Auburn head coach Gene Chizik.
"Vanderbilt is a team that plays extremely hard," Chizik said. "Offensively, they've got a tailback (Zac Stacy) that is extremely, extremely talented; they have a couple of different wideouts that are very, very good; and the quarterback (Jordan Rodgers) is a guy that can really manage the offense."
Both offenses have the fastbreak ability to score from any range, but inconsistency and errors have left them looking up from the bottom of the league thus far.
Rodgers has nowhere near the talent of his Superbowl MVP older brother Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers, but has shown he can manage the game efficiently and throw when needed.
When needed, wide receiver Jordan Matthews has been there to haul his passes in.
At 6 feet 3 inches and 205 pounds, Matthews has the size and speed to terrorize opposing secondaries and has been the recipient of all three of Rodgers' touchdowns this season.
The primary concern for the Tigers will be tapping their own dormant offensive potential against a spunky Commodore defense.
Auburn should have the upper hand on the ground Saturday when it pits the strength of the offense against the No. 108-ranked rushing defense.
The passing game is another story.
Auburn has used all three quarterbacks available this season, but no changes have yielded any positive results.
Starters Kiehl Frazier and Clint Moseley have combined for three touchdowns, two fumbles lost and 11 interceptions on the season.
Wallace was useful in the wildcat role when his number was unexpectedly called against LSU, and the freshman earned some key first downs on the ground.
That talent is being squandered.
Offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler's aversion to calling pass plays for Wallace has allowed opponents to take the field prepared for yet another predictable element of Auburn's offense, the fifth worst in the nation.
Whomever enters the huddle as quarterback this weekend, Vanderbilt's No. 7 pass defense will try to make Auburn's offense one-dimensional and stymie any comeback opportunities the Tigers have, when the Commodores take the lead.
"Defensively, the thing that is most impressive about them is it's really been difficult for people to throw the ball on them," Chizik said. "And then just how hard they play defensively is very, very impressive."
While Auburn understands the impact and importance of a dominant rushing attack, sacks, turnovers and miscues have robbed the team of points, and a running game is of no use when playing from behind.
Despite these limitations, Auburn must overcome the criticism, betting lines and recent failures to have any chance of recording a conference win this season.
The last three SEC opponents on the schedule include No. 1 Alabama, No. 13 Georgia and Texas A&M, a team averaging 47 points per game this season.
Barring a miraculous upset of Appalachian State-Michigan proportions, the Tigers head into Nashville with nothing to lose and nothing tangible to play for.
Fans no longer expect victory, and rolls of toilet paper remain conspicuously unpurchased on supermarket shelves.
The team has fumbled away any chance at even a lesser bowl game, and can now only hope to tackle the infamy that accompanies a historically awful season.
Saturday, Chizik and the Tigers must find a sense of urgency and pounce on their best chance to record an SEC win this season, or they will risk being trampled by the rest of the pack.
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
