Deep South's Oldest Rivalry

Not to be confused with the South's Oldest Rivalry between North Carolina and Virginia.

Deep South's Oldest Rivalry
Auburn Tigers	Georgia Bulldogs
First played	February 20, 1892
Played annually since	November 18, 1944
Games played	115 (through 2011)
Series record	Auburn leads 54–53–8
Largest margin of victory	Auburn 44–0 (November 30, 1900)
Highest scoring game	Georgia 56–49 (November 16, 1996)
Lowest scoring game	Tied 0–0 six times (1899, 1901, 1911, 1914, 1937, 1949)
Most recent game	Georgia 45–7 (November 12, 2011)
Next scheduled game	2012 (Auburn, AL)
Current winning streak	Georgia 1

The Deep South's Oldest Rivalry is the name given to the American college football rivalry game played by the Auburn Tigers football team of Auburn University and the Georgia Bulldogs football team of the University of Georgia. The football teams of the two universities first played each other on February 20, 1892 at Piedmont Park in Atlanta, Georgia, with Auburn winning 10–0. The Tigers and Bulldogs have played each other every year since 1898 with only three exceptions when World War I and World War II interrupted the series.

Through the 2011 season, the rivalry is tied for the seventh most played college football series at 115 games, and is among the most evenly matched, with Auburn holding a 54–53–8 overall lead in the series. When the Southeastern Conference (SEC) split into its Eastern Division and Western Division in 1992, with Auburn placed in the west and Georgia in the east, the game was designated as the teams' annual cross-divisional rivalry game.

First game

The first Auburn–Georgia football game was played on February 20, 1892 in Piedmont Park in Atlanta, Georgia.^[1] The game was the brainchild of Charles Herty of Georgia and George Petrie of Auburn, both trainers at their respective schools and graduate school classmates at The Johns Hopkins University.^[1] The game was also, according to legend, when Auburn's team cheer, "War Eagle," originated.

Game results

Auburn victories shaded in ██ navy blue. Georgia victories are shaded ██ red.

#	Date	Site	Auburn		Georgia		Series
1	February 20, 1892	Atlanta, GA	Auburn	10	Georgia	0	AU	1-0-0
2	November 24, 1894	Atlanta, GA	Auburn	8	Georgia	10	-	1-1-0
3	November 28, 1895	Atlanta, GA	Auburn	16	Georgia	6	AU	2-1-0
4	November 26, 1896	Atlanta, GA	Auburn	6	Georgia	12	-	2-2-0
5	November 24, 1898	Atlanta, GA	Auburn	18	Georgia	17	AU	3-2-0
6	November 18, 1899	Atlanta, GA	Auburn	0	Georgia	0	AU	3-2-1
7	November 30, 1900	Atlanta, GA	Auburn	44	Georgia	0	AU	4-2-1
8	November 27, 1901	Atlanta, GA	Auburn	0	Georgia	0	AU	4-2-2
9	November 27, 1902	Atlanta, GA	Auburn	5	Georgia	12	AU	4-3-2
10	November 26, 1903	Atlanta, GA	Auburn	13	Georgia	22	-	4-4-2
11	November 24, 1904	Macon, GA	Auburn	17	Georgia	6	AU	5-4-2
12	November 30, 1905	Macon, GA	Auburn	20	Georgia	0	AU	6-4-2
13	November 29, 1906	Macon, GA	Auburn	0	Georgia	4	AU	6-5-2
14	November 30, 1907	Macon, GA	Auburn	0	Georgia	6	-	6-6-2
15	November 27, 1908	Montgomery, AL	Auburn	23	Georgia	0	AU	7-6-2
16	November 25, 1909	Montgomery, AL	Auburn	17	Georgia	5	AU	8-6-2
17	November 24, 1910	Savannah, GA	Auburn	26	Georgia	0	AU	9-6-2
18	November 29, 1911	Savannah, GA	Auburn	0	Georgia	0	AU	9-6-3
19	November 28, 1912	Athens, GA	Auburn	6	Georgia	12	AU	9-7-3
20	November 22, 1913	Atlanta, GA	Auburn	21	Georgia	7	AU	10-7-3
21	November 21, 1914	Atlanta, GA	Auburn	0	Georgia	0	AU	10-7-4
22	October 30, 1915	Atlanta, GA	Auburn	12	Georgia	0	AU	11-7-4
23	November 4, 1916	Atlanta, GA	Auburn	3	Georgia	0	AU	12-7-4
24	November 1, 1919	Atlanta, GA	Auburn	7	Georgia	0	AU	13-7-4
25	October 30, 1920	Columbus, GA	Auburn	0	Georgia	7	AU	13-8-4
26	October 29, 1921	Columbus, GA	Auburn	0	Georgia	7	AU	13-9-4
27	November 4, 1922	Columbus, GA	Auburn	7	Georgia	3	AU	14-9-4
28	November 3, 1923	Columbus, GA	Auburn	0	Georgia	7	AU	14-10-4
29	November 15, 1924	Columbus, GA	Auburn	0	Georgia	6	AU	14-11-4
30	November 7, 1925	Columbus, GA	Auburn	0	Georgia	34	AU	14-12-4
31	November 6, 1926	Columbus, GA	Auburn	6	Georgia	16	AU	14-13-4
32	October 22, 1927	Columbus, GA	Auburn	3	Georgia	33	-	14-14-4
33	November 3, 1928	Columbus, GA	Auburn	0	Georgia	13	UGA	15-14-4
34	November 15, 1929	Athens, GA	Auburn	0	Georgia	24	UGA	16-14-4
35	November 25, 1930	Columbus, GA	Auburn	7	Georgia	39	UGA	17-14-4
36	November 21, 1931	Columbus, GA	Auburn	6	Georgia	12	UGA	18-14-4
37	November 19, 1932	Columbus, GA	Auburn	14	Georgia	7	UGA	18-15-4
38	November 18, 1933	Columbus, GA	Auburn	14	Georgia	6	UGA	18-16-4
39	November 24, 1934	Columbus, GA	Auburn	0	Georgia	18	UGA	19-16-4
40	November 23, 1935	Columbus, GA	Auburn	19	Georgia	7	UGA	19-17-4
41	October 24, 1936	Columbus, GA	Auburn	20	Georgia	13	UGA	19-18-4
42	November 20, 1937	Columbus, GA	Auburn	0	Georgia	0	UGA	19-18-5
43	November 19, 1938	Columbus, GA	Auburn	23	Georgia	14	-	19-19-5
44	November 25, 1939	Columbus, GA	Auburn	7	Georgia	0	AU	20-19-5
45	November 2, 1940	Columbus, GA	Auburn	13	Georgia	14	-	20-20-5
46	November 1, 1941	Columbus, GA	Auburn	0	Georgia	7	UGA	21-20-5
47	November 21, 1942	Columbus, GA	Auburn	27	Georgia	13	-	21-21-5
48	November 18, 1944	Columbus, GA	Auburn	13	Georgia	49	UGA	22-21-5
49	November 17, 1945	Columbus, GA	Auburn	0	Georgia	35	UGA	23-21-5
50	November 16, 1946	Columbus, GA	Auburn	0	Georgia	41	UGA	24-21-5
51	November 15, 1947	Columbus, GA	Auburn	6	Georgia	28	UGA	25-21-5
52	November 13, 1948	Columbus, GA	Auburn	14	Georgia	42	UGA	26-21-5
53	November 12, 1949	Columbus, GA	Auburn	20	Georgia	20	UGA	26-21-6
54	November 18, 1950	Columbus, GA	Auburn	10	Georgia	12	UGA	27-21-6
55	November 21, 1951	Columbus, GA	Auburn	14	Georgia	46	UGA	28-21-6
56	November 15, 1952	Columbus, GA	Auburn	7	Georgia	13	UGA	29-21-6
57	November 14, 1953	Columbus, GA	Auburn	39	Georgia	18	UGA	29-22-6
58	November 13, 1954	Columbus, GA	Auburn	35	Georgia	0	UGA	29-23-6
59	November 12, 1955	Columbus, GA	Auburn	16	Georgia	13	UGA	29-24-6
60	November 17, 1956	Columbus, GA	Auburn	20	Georgia	0	UGA	29-25-6
61	November 16, 1957	Columbus, GA	Auburn	6	Georgia	0	UGA	29-26-6
62	November 15, 1958	Columbus, GA	Auburn	21	Georgia	6	UGA	29-27-6
63	November 14, 1959	Athens, GA	Auburn	13	Georgia	14	UGA	30-27-6
64	November 12, 1960	Auburn, AL	Auburn	9	Georgia	6	UGA	30-28-6
65	November 18, 1961	Athens, GA	Auburn	10	Georgia	7	UGA	30-29-6
66	November 17, 1962	Auburn, AL	Auburn	21	Georgia	30	UGA	31-29-6
67	November 16, 1963	Athens, GA	Auburn	14	Georgia	0	UGA	31-30-6
68	November 14, 1964	Auburn, AL	Auburn	14	Georgia	7	-	31-31-6
69	November 13, 1965	Athens, GA	Auburn	21	Georgia	19	AU	32-31-6
70	November 16, 1966	Auburn, AL	Auburn	13	Georgia	21	-	32-32-6
71	November 18, 1967	Athens, GA	Auburn	0	Georgia	17	UGA	33-32-6
72	November 16, 1968	Auburn, AL	Auburn	3	Georgia	17	UGA	34-32-6
73	November 15, 1969	Athens, GA	Auburn	16	Georgia	3	UGA	34-33-6
74	November 14, 1970	Auburn, AL	Auburn	17	Georgia	31	UGA	35-33-6
75	November 13, 1971	Athens, GA	Auburn	35	Georgia	20	UGA	35-34-6
76	November 18, 1972	Auburn, AL	Auburn	27	Georgia	10	-	35-35-6
77	November 17, 1973	Athens, GA	Auburn	14	Georgia	28	UGA	36-35-6
78	November 16, 1974	Auburn, AL	Auburn	17	Georgia	13	-	36-36-6
79	November 15, 1975	Athens, GA	Auburn	13	Georgia	28	UGA	37-36-6
80	November 13, 1976	Auburn, AL	Auburn	0	Georgia	28	UGA	38-36-6
81	November 12, 1977	Athens, GA	Auburn	33	Georgia	14	UGA	38-37-6
82	November 18, 1978	Auburn, AL	Auburn	22	Georgia	22	UGA	38-37-7
83	November 17, 1979	Athens, GA	Auburn	33	Georgia	13	-	38-38-7
84	November 15, 1980	Auburn, AL	Auburn	21	Georgia	31	UGA	39-38-7
85	November 14, 1981	Athens, GA	Auburn	13	Georgia	24	UGA	40-38-7
86	November 13, 1982	Auburn, AL	Auburn	14	Georgia	19	UGA	41-38-7
87	November 12, 1983	Athens, GA	Auburn	13	Georgia	7	UGA	41-39-7
88	November 17, 1984	Auburn, AL	Auburn	21	Georgia	12	UGA	41-40-7
89	November 13, 1985	Athens, GA	Auburn	24	Georgia	10	-	41-41-7
90	November 15, 1986	Auburn, AL	Auburn	16	Georgia	20	UGA	42-41-7
91	November 13, 1987	Athens, GA	Auburn	27	Georgia	11	-	42-42-7
92	November 12, 1988	Auburn, AL	Auburn	20	Georgia	10	AU	43-42-7
93	November 18, 1989	Athens, GA	Auburn	20	Georgia	3	AU	44-42-7
94	November 17, 1990	Auburn, AL	Auburn	33	Georgia	10	AU	45-42-7
95	November 18, 1991	Athens, GA	Auburn	27	Georgia	37	AU	45-43-7
96	November 14, 1992	Auburn, AL	Auburn	10	Georgia	14	AU	45-44-7
97	November 13, 1993	Athens, GA	Auburn	42	Georgia	28	AU	46-44-7
98	November 12, 1994	Auburn, AL	Auburn	23	Georgia	23	AU	46-44-8
99	November 11, 1995	Athens, GA	Auburn	37	Georgia	31	AU	47-44-8
100	November 16, 1996	Auburn, AL	Auburn	49	Georgia	56	AU	47-45-8
101	November 15, 1997	Athens, GA	Auburn	45	Georgia	34	AU	48-45-8
102	November 14, 1998	Auburn, AL	Auburn	17	Georgia	28	AU	48-46-8
103	November 13, 1999	Athens, GA	Auburn	38	Georgia	21	AU	49-46-8
104	November 11, 2000	Auburn, AL	Auburn	29	Georgia	26	AU	50-46-8
105	November 10, 2001	Athens, GA	Auburn	24	Georgia	17	AU	51-46-8
106	November 16, 2002	Auburn, AL	Auburn	21	Georgia	24	AU	51-47-8
107	November 15, 2003	Athens, GA	Auburn	7	Georgia	26	AU	51-48-8
108	November 13, 2004	Auburn, AL	Auburn	24	Georgia	6	AU	52-48-8
109	November 12, 2005	Athens, GA	Auburn	31	Georgia	30	AU	53-48-8
110	November 11, 2006	Auburn, AL	Auburn	15	Georgia	37	AU	53-49-8
111	November 10, 2007	Athens, GA	Auburn	20	Georgia	45	AU	53-50-8
112	November 15, 2008	Auburn, AL	Auburn	13	Georgia	17	AU	53-51-8
113	November 14, 2009	Athens, GA	Auburn	24	Georgia	31	AU	53-52-8
114	November 13, 2010	Auburn, AL	Auburn	49	Georgia	31	AU	54-52-8
115	November 12, 2011	Athens, GA	Auburn	7	Georgia	45	AU	54-53-8
			Auburn	1,778	Georgia	1,854	AU	54-53-8

Notable games

In 1942, Georgia won the national championship with an 11-1 record, beating UCLA in the 1943 Rose Bowl. But Georgia didn't beat Auburn, falling 27-13 at Columbus's Memorial Stadium.

On November 14, 1959, at Sanford Stadium in Athens, as time ran short, Georgia player and future Auburn head-coach Pat Dye recovered a fumble by Auburn quarterback Bryant Harvard. Georgia quarterback Fran Tarkenton's touchdown pass in the final seconds gave Georgia a 14-13 victory and cost Auburn a Southeastern Conference championship. Georgia went on to claim the 1959 SEC Championship and the 1960 Orange Bowl Championship with a victory over Missouri in Miami.

The AU-UGA game has been held in many different cities - Atlanta, Athens, Macon, Columbus, Savannah, Montgomery - but on November 12, 1960, the Bulldogs made their first trip to the Loveliest Village on the Plains; a game which the Tigers won 9-6. This marked a huge change for the Tigers, as Auburn's biggest rivals - Tennessee, Georgia Tech, Alabama and Georgia - previously would not travel to Auburn. Georgia Tech's first visit came in 1970, while Tennessee eventually came in 1974. It would take Auburn's biggest rival, Alabama, almost 30 years after UGA to make the trip.

In 1983, again at Sanford Stadium, Pat Dye celebrated his first SEC championship as Auburn's coach after the Tigers beat Georgia 13-7 on November 12. Georgia coach Vince Dooley, a former star Auburn quarterback, was there too on that day in 1959 as an assistant on Shug Jordan's staff.

In 1986, the Bulldogs visited Auburn as three-touchdown underdogs. Auburn was two wins away from the SEC Championship, with only one blemish on their record, an 18-17 setback at Florida. Georgia, playing its backup quarterback, escaped with a 20-16 victory. When Georgia fans stormed the field of Jordan-Hare Stadium and refused to leave, they were doused by sprinkler system and fire hoses. Auburn received a hefty bill from UGA for water damage to band instruments.^{[citation needed]}

In 1994, a Georgia team that had lost to Vanderbilt and had been blown out 52-14 by Florida, ended Auburn and former coach Terry Bowden's 20-game winning streak with a 23-23 tie at Jordan-Hare. The Sunday morning headline in nearby Columbus, Ga read "UGA beats Auburn 23-23".

In 1996, the two teams played in the first Southeastern Conference football game to go into overtime. First-year head coach Jim Donnan's team, which finished 5-6, was down 28-7 at halftime, before rallying to tie it at 28-28 on a 30 yard touchdown as time expired from Mike Bobo to Cory Allen, and Georgia went on to win 56-49 in four overtimes. This game, known to Georgia fans as the "Miracle on the Plains," was also famous for the incident in which Uga V lunged at Auburn wide receiver Robert Baker after a first quarter touchdown.

In 1999, Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville got his first signature win, as the underdog Tigers, losers of five of their previous six games, led 31-0 at halftime and cruised to a 38-21 victory.

Ronnie Brown at the 2004 AU-UGA game

In 2002, #7 Georgia traveled to #22 Auburn with a spot in the SEC Championship game and an outside chance at the national title on the line. Auburn led 14-3 at halftime, thanks to a 53 yard touchdown run from Ronnie Brown. Georgia rallied to make it 21-17 Tigers with 1:25 remaining when they faced a 4th and 15 from the Auburn 19. QB David Greene threw up a prayer, and Michael Johnson outjumped Auburn CB Horace Willis to come away with the improbable touchdown. Georgia defeated Auburn 24-21 to secure a spot in their first SEC Championship Game. The Bulldogs defeated Arkansas 30-3 to win their first SEC Championship since 1982. The Bulldogs finished the season 13-1 with a victory over Florida State in the Sugar Bowl, and a #3 final ranking.

Eighth-ranked Georgia traveled to undefeated and third-ranked Auburn in 2004. The Tigers were eyeing their first SEC Championship since splitting the title in 1989 (note: Auburn was on probation in 1993 and ineligible for the championship), as well as a spot in the BCS National Championship Game. The Tigers won 24-6 on their way to a 13-0 season, ending with a 16-13 victory over Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl and a No. 2 national ranking.

In 2006, Georgia visited Auburn having lost four of their previous five games and being unranked for the first time since 2002, while fifth-ranked Auburn had national title hopes. Georgia had lost to Vanderbilt and Kentucky in the same season for the first time since 1973, when they rebounded to defeat Auburn. History repeated itself as the Bulldogs defeated the Tigers 37-15 and ended Auburn's chances at a national title.

2007 marked the first time in the modern era that Georgia wore black jerseys. It also marked the first time that Georgia defeated Florida and Auburn in the same season since 1982[1], and the first time that Georgia scored more than 40 points in three straight games since 1942.

Family rivalry

It's a unique thing. It's like playing against your brother. I don't think anybody who plays in that game can ever forget it. It just doesn't matter much where it's played or what somebody's record is. It's so intense and tough, but at the same time, it's family.

— Pat Dye, UGA '60 - Auburn head coach, 1981-1992

Beyond the length of the rivalry, the schools' football histories are quite interconnected. Georgia's long-time head coach and athletic director, Vince Dooley, earned both his bachelor's and master's degree at Auburn while playing football and subsequently beginning his coaching career under legendary Auburn head coach Shug Jordan. Jordan himself was an assistant football coach and head basketball coach at Georgia before returning to his alma mater.

Former Auburn head coach Pat Dye was a three-year letterman and All-American offensive lineman at Georgia under head coach Wally Butts. Both, current Georgia defensive line coach Rodney Garner and former offensive line coach Stacy Searels, played at Auburn under Dye. Former Auburn defensive coordinator Will Muschamp and offensive line coach Hugh Nall are former Georgia players. Former Georgia offensive coordinator Neil Callaway was Auburn's offensive line coach for all of Dye's 12 seasons. In the coaching search that brought Dye to Auburn, Vince Dooley was first contacted about the position but decided to remain at Georgia.

Both programs, in my opinion, have cut their teeth on the same values. The leadership in this program and at Georgia has been very similar.

— Will Muschamp, UGA '94, AU '96, Auburn defensive coordinator, 2006-2007

I think this is what you would call a friendly rivalry. Both places are good schools, good places. Both of them have good people. That's what makes it special.

— Neil Callaway, Georgia offensive coordinator, 2000-2006

See also

• Most-played rivalries in NCAA Division I FBS

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Stegeman, John F. (2007). The Ghosts of Herty Field:Early Days on a Southern Gridiron. Athens, Georgia: University of Georgia Press. pp. 8–14. ISBN 0820319597.