October 8, 1988. Auburn traveled to Baton Rouge at 4-0 as one of the best teams in the country. LSU, led by [autotag]Tommy Hodson[/autotag] and [autotag]Tony Moss[/autotag], was 2-2 coming off two consecutive losses.
Down by six in the final minutes, Hodson found [autotag]Eddie Fuller[/autotag] in the back of the endzone to tie the game. As the story goes, Tiger Stadium lost its mind. The noise was so loud, that it registered on a nearby seismograph.
LSU won 7-6, and that has since become known as the “Earthquake Game.”
Almost a decade later in Jordan-Hare Stadium, there was “The Night The Barn Burned.” As a fire raged across the street, LSU beat No. 13 Auburn, 19-15.
Then there was 2005. LSU was ranked in the top 10 and hosting an Auburn team that was undefeated in conference play. Auburn took the lead late in the fourth, only for LSU to come back and tie it with a [autotag]Colt David[/autotag] field goal. The game went to overtime, and [autotag]JaMarcus Russell[/autotag] and LSU came out on top.
What about 2007? Much like 2005, Auburn took the lead late in Baton Rouge and LSU would once again need some last second heroics.
As the clock wound down, [autotag]Matt Flynn[/autotag] found [autotag]Demetrius Byrd[/autotag] in the corner of the endzone. It would go on to be one of the most important plays on LSU’s run to a national title.
We’ve had our fare share of stunners in recent years, too.
A trip to Jordan-Hare in 2016 would be the last one [autotag]Les Miles[/autotag] would make with LSU. A last second touchdown was called off, and Miles was fired the next day.
The following year, it was Ed Orgeron’s turn to take a stab at this rivalry. Auburn rolled into Tiger Stadium on a four game win streak.
LSU stumbled out of the gates, but a comeback highlighted by D.J. Chark’s punt return for a touchdown and Connor Culp’s go-ahead field goal gave Orgeron his first signature win.
The following year, now led by [autotag]Joe Burrow[/autotag], LSU went into Jordan-Hare and pulled off another comeback, capped off by [autotag]Cole Tracy[/autotag] putting one through the uprights as time expired.
When these teams get together, crazy things happen. The rules of logic don’t apply. The ground shakes, buildings burn, and coaches get fired.
No lead is ever safe, and the only certainty is chaos.
LSU isn’t Auburn’s biggest rival and Auburn isn’t LSU’s, but there’s been too many good games for this to not be one of the SEC’s best rivalries. It represents why we love this sport. Whether you’re at the stadium or watching on TV, you just might see something you’ve never seen before.
For better or worse, on and off the field, LSU and Auburn both never fail to entertain. The teams are slated to meet again this weekend. Bryan Harsin is fighting for his job on the plains as [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] is just getting started in Baton Rouge.
LSU looks like it’s heading in the right direction, and Auburn looks like its going all the wrong ways.
LSU should win this game. It’s almost a double-digit favorite and it’s hard to remember the last time Auburn was this bad. On Saturday, none of that matters, because nothing about this rivalry is normal.
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