I’m convinced that there was no greater stresser in my college years than the second half of an Auburn football game. Not even Spanish presentations, public speaking or comprehensive final exams ever had me as pressed as the Auburn Tigers.
As a senior at Auburn, I have weathered the storms of Coaches Harsin, Cadillac and Freeze. I grew up a fan, so the highs and lows of Auburn football were familiar to me; but nothing could have prepared me for the madness of the 2021–2024 seasons.
My first Iron Bowl ended in shocking disappointment after quadruple overtime; the Georgia game wasn’t even close. The next year, we played both Georgia and Alabama away and lost. It was a great moment to experience the A&M win under Coach Cadillac, but the season was not victorious.
We lost to Georgia in Jordan-Hare within the last three minutes of the game in 2023. Then we all had our hearts broken in the final minute of the Iron Bowl. Another losing season.
I believe the statistic was that the Tigers had not beaten a ranked opponent since Oct. 2021, and many people were calling it the most abysmal four years of Auburn Football ever — a great time to be a student (I hope my sarcasm is obvious).
Enter: the final home game of my undergraduate experience. The air was frigid and tense. The speakers felt a little louder that night. There was something magical in Jordan-Hare.
The Tigers started off pretty strong against the No. 15 Aggies, but then little by little, I watched our lead decline in the second half.
Everyone was on the tips of their toes and edges of their seats when regulation ended in a tie. One overtime. Two overtimes. Three overtimes. Four.
When KeAndre Lambert-Smith caught that ball in the end zone, the sound of screams was so overwhelming, and tears of joy welled up in my eyes. I could hardly see when A&M’s receiver dropped the ball, but I just knew in my heart that we had won.
Suddenly, I felt shoving all around me, and before I knew it I was shoulder-to-shoulder with fans on Pat Dye Field. We were swag surfing, cheering and taking pictures. I remember just looking up and seeing the Jumbotron full of fans and feeling such a sense of completion.
Even though the Tigers had few victories during my four years, the last one was as meaningful as anything. We lingered on the field as long as authorities would allow before racing to Toomer’s Corner — the perfect bookend to the craziest four seasons.
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Sami Grace Donnelly, senior in English literature, began writing for the Plainsman in the fall of 2021. She has served as a columnist, writer abroad, Opinion Editor, managing editor and is now Editor-in-Chief of the Plainsman.
