Little did he know, when Wes Byrum nailed a 35-yard field goal in the second quarter of Auburn's 2008 SEC season opener, it was an all-time great Auburn moment in the making.
It was the moment that delivered then-No. 9 Auburn a 3-2 win a mere 15 years ago in Starkville, Mississippi. Flash forward a decade and a half, and two more struggling offenses are getting ready to go head-to-head in the 96th edition of Auburn versus Mississippi State.
As the clock churned under eight minutes in the fourth quarter of that 2008 contest, the Auburn defense was shutting out the Bulldogs and had forced nine punts along with a missed field goal. Head coach Tommy Tuberville's Auburn already pitched a shutout in week one against Louisiana-Monroe, and it only allowed 13 points the prior week against Southern Mississippi – making Auburn 2-0 heading into its week three battle.
The early-season defensive slugfest turned out to be no fluke. Auburn only allowed 18 points a game that year, but just like this 2023 matchup is set up to be, Auburn and Mississippi State was a battle of two underproducing offenses.
Auburn, who ended up going 5-7 in 2008, scored its fewest points per game this century that year, averaging 17.33 points per game. Oppositely, the Bulldogs went on to score 15.25 points per game while going 4-8 on the year.
In that 2008 matchup, there wasn't as much as a touchdown. All it took was one good swipe of Byrum's right leg to silence the cowbells, but the Auburn offense made the second scoring play of the game in the fourth quarter – for the other team. This came after another clutch kick put Auburn with its backs against the wall.
Mississippi State's Blake McAdams lined up to punt for the 10th time from the Bulldog's 45-yard line with 7:49 on the clock. It was a beauty, and the Bulldogs hustled downfield to down the ball at the Auburn 3-yard line.
After a 1-yard run by Auburn running back Ben Tate and an incomplete pass from quarterback Chris Todd, Auburn faced a third-and-9 from its own 4-yard line. Todd took the snap, rolled out to his right and delivered another incomplete pass. He hustled off the field, and punter Clinton Durst prepared to punt for the eighth time in the game – this time, out of his own end zone. But Durst never got the opportunity.
Instead, a flag was thrown for holding against Auburn's offensive line. The holding took place in the Auburn end zone – therefore giving Mississippi State a safety and two points.
It was a 3-2 game, and that's how it fizzled out. The only two highlights from the game were a field goal and a safety. Auburn missed two additional field goal attempts, and Mississippi State missed one.
From there, Auburn's Tate fumbled twice, making it three lost fumbles in the game for Auburn, and Mississippi State answered with a turnover on downs and an interception. Tate redeemed himself on the final drive with a 39-yard third-down run to seal the win for Auburn. Todd kneeled three times, and Auburn escaped with a win for the ages to stay undefeated for the time being.
This year might be a similar low scoring duel, as both offenses have proved scrappy at best.
Last week, Mississippi State edged out a 7-3 victory over Arkansas with a sole second quarter TD. The Bulldogs rank 11th in the SEC with 26.86 points per game and 11th with 351.86 yards per contest.
On the other hand, the 2023 Tigers come in 12th in the conference in the category with 26.71 points a game. The Tigers also rank 13th in the SEC in total yards per game, while they are last in the conference and 121st in the FBS with 151 passing yards a game.
Although the teams are further into the season this time around and this game is taking place in Jordan-Hare Stadium, the circumstances are all too familiar for this year's matchup between the two division foes. Fifteen years ago doesn't seem so foreign with this game up on deck for the Tigers.
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