Auburn football is a staple of the university culture, providing traditions, memories and entertainment for students and families alike. Looking back over the years, our sports editorial staff ranked the ten most memorable moments Auburn football has delivered since its founding in 1892.
1. Kick Six (2013)
The Kick Six is definitely the most iconic moment in all of Auburn football. In the 2013 Iron Bowl, when Auburn and Alabama were tied at 28-28 with one second left on the clock, Alabama set up for a game-winning field goal. Auburn's Chris Davis stood in his own end zone in hopes of the kick being short. Alabama missed, and Davis fielded it, running a miraculous 109 yards for the touchdown and winning the game for Auburn.
2. Championship winning field goal (2010)
The championship winning field goal in 2010 is a kick that will be remembered forever on the Plains. Set up by an impossible run by Michael Dyer, kicker Wes Byrum drilled a 19-yard field goal to help Cam Newton and company capture the 2010 BCS National Championship over Oregon.
3. Bo over the top (1982)
In the 1982 Iron Bowl, Alabama was riding the longest winning streak in the history of the rivalry, with nine straight wins over the Tigers. It was fourth and goal on the one-yard line, and Auburn was down 22-17 with under three minutes remaining, meaning they had to go for it. The Tigers opted to give the ball to their true freshman and eventual Heisman winner Bo Jackson, who jumped over the pile of players to score the game-winning touchdown.
4. The Camback (2010)
Affectionately named after Auburn's former quarterback Cam Newton, the Camback is one of the most legendary comebacks in all of college football history. Auburn trailed 24-0 in the 2010 Iron Bowl on the road, and then the unthinkable happened: Newton led the Tigers all the way back to a 28-27 victory, capped off by Philip Lutzenkirchen’s game-winning touchdown in the fourth quarter.
5. Prayer in Jordan-Hare (2013)
The Prayer in Jordan-Hare is one of the luckiest plays in all of college football and was part of an iconic win over the Georgia Bulldogs in 2013. Down 36-38 on a fourth-and-18, Nick Marshall heaved a Hail Mary pass way down the field in search of receiver Ricardo Louis. Instead, the pass bounced off the Georgia defenders' hands and facemask, and Louis grabbed the deflected ball, scoring a 73-yard touchdown and winning the game for Auburn.
6. Punt Bama Punt (1972)
In the 1972 Iron Bowl, Alabama had taken a commanding 16-0 lead going into the fourth quarter. The Tigers would come back from the deficit with back-to-back blocked punts on consecutive drives. Both were returned for touchdowns by the same player, David Langner, resulting in a stunning 17-16 victory over the Bear Bryant-led Tide.
7. War Eagle invented and 10-0 win over Georgia (1892)
In Auburn's first game against Georgia in 1892, Auburn was tied with the Bulldogs at zero. An Auburn faculty member, who was a Civil War veteran, was in the crowd, and with him was his eagle named Anvre that he had adopted and nursed back to health after a battle. The aged eagle suddenly flew across the stadium, and the crowd chanted "War Eagle," which ultimately helped cheer their team to a 10-0 victory.
8. First Iron Bowl (1893)
One of college football’s most iconic rivalries began in 1893 at Lakeview Park in front of a very small crowd. Auburn took down Alabama 32-22 in what the Crimson Tide considers its final game of the 1892 season. However, the Tigers consider it as the first game of the 1893 season, so the two schools were in disagreement from the beginning.
9. Pat Sullivan wins Auburn's first Heisman (1971)
In 1971, Auburn quarterback Pat Sullivan became the school’s first recipient of the legendary Heisman Trophy. Sullivan led the Tigers to a 9-2 record and a Sugar Bowl appearance during his senior season. In his three-year tenure, the quarterback totaled 73 touchdowns, tying the all-time NCAA mark. The Birmingham, Ala. native was the first Heisman winner from a school coached by John Heisman, the trophy’s namesake.
10. Wreck Tech (1896)
This legendary prank by the Auburn student body is the embodiment of what makes college football so great. Back in 1896, Auburn students greased the train tracks, causing Georgia Tech’s football team to slide past the station and forcing the opposing players to walk back about five miles to Auburn before the game. The Tigers pulled off a 45-0 victory, forever cementing this prank in college football lore.
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Rory is a sophomore majoring in journalism sports production. He started with The Plainsman in the spring of 2025.
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Jackie is a senior majoring in Psychology. She started with The Plainsman in fall 2024.
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Reid is a sophomore majoring in accounting. He joined the Plainsman in the fall of 2024.
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