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1973 Auburn Tigers football team

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1973 Auburn Tigers football
Sun Bowl, L 17–34 vs. Missouri
ConferenceSoutheastern Conference
Record6–6 (2–5 SEC)
Head coach
Home stadiumJordan–Hare Stadium
Legion Field
Seasons
← 1972
1974 →
1973 Southeastern Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 4 Alabama $ 8 0 0 11 1 0
No. 13 LSU 5 1 0 9 3 0
Ole Miss 4 3 0 6 5 0
No. 19 Tennessee 3 3 0 8 4 0
Georgia 3 4 0 7 4 1
Florida 3 4 0 7 5 0
Kentucky 3 4 0 5 6 0
Auburn 2 5 0 6 6 0
Mississippi State 2 5 0 4 5 2
Vanderbilt 1 5 0 5 6 0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1973 Auburn Tigers football team achieved an overall record of 6–6 and 2–5 in the SEC under head coach Ralph "Shug" Jordan.[1] They were invited to the 1973 Sun Bowl where they lost to Missouri 17–34.

On September 13, 1973, the Thursday before Auburn's first home game of the season, Auburn's home stadium, known up to that time as Cliff Hare Stadium, was renamed in honor of the Ralph Jordan, marking the first time a stadium has been renamed for an active coach. Harry Philpott, President of Auburn University at that time, said "Renaming the stadium is really in keeping with the outstanding job Coach Jordan has done during his outstanding career", adding that, "It also brings together two great eras of athletic achievement."[2]

Four players were named to the All-SEC first team for 1973: Benny Sivley (DT), Steve Taylor (C), Mike Fuller (DB), and David Langner (DB).[3]

On December 1, Alabama avenged their stunning loss the previous year in the Iron Bowl game that became known as "Punt Bama Punt" by shutting out Auburn 35–0.

Schedule

[edit]
DateOpponentRankSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 15Oregon State*No. 12W 18–945,000[4]
September 22Chattanooga*W 31–046,500[5]
September 29at No. 9 TennesseeNo. 11L 0–2171,656[6]
October 6Ole Miss
  • Jordan–Hare Stadium
  • Auburn, AL (rivalry)
W 14–756,500[7]
October 13LSU
  • Jordan–Hare Stadium
  • Auburn, AL (rivalry)
L 6–2064,331[8]
October 20at Georgia Tech*W 24–1059,123[9]
October 27No. 12 Houston*dagger
  • Jordan–Hare Stadium
  • Auburn, AL
W 7–058,426[10]
November 3FloridaNo. 19
  • Jordan–Hare Stadium
  • Auburn, AL (rivalry)
L 8–1263,429[11]
November 10Mississippi State
  • Jordan–Hare Stadium
  • Auburn, AL
W 31–1748,427[12]
November 17at No. 20 GeorgiaL 14–2859,700[13]
December 1vs. No. 1 Alabama
L 0–3569,418[14]
December 29vs. Missouri*L 17–3430,127[15]
  • *Non-conference game
  • daggerHomecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

[3]

Roster

[edit]
1973 Auburn Tigers football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos. # Name Class
WR Tom Gossom Jr
C 55 Lee Gross Jr
RB Mitzi Jackson
  29 Chris Linderman Jr
TE 80 Dan Nugent Jr
C Steve Taylor Sr
QB Randy Walls
Defense
Pos. # Name Class
LB Ken Bernich Jr
DB 42 Mike Fuller Jr
DB Gary Grantham Jr
LB Carl Hubbard
DB David Langner Sr
LB Bill Newton
Special teams
Pos. # Name Class
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Injured Injured
  • Redshirt Redshirt

References

[edit]
  1. ^ 2011 Auburn Tigers Football Media Guide, Auburn University Athletic Department, Auburn, Alabama, pp. 182–184,150–151 (2011). Retrieved August 19, 2011
  2. ^ "Stadium Renamed To Honor Jordan" Tuscaloosa News, August 24, 1973. Retrieved August 22, 2011.
  3. ^ a b 2005 Auburn Tigers Football Media Guide, Auburn University Athletic Department, Auburn, Alabama, pp. 142–142, 180 (2005). Retrieved August 19, 2011
  4. ^ "Auburn survives White-led rally". The Oregon Statesman. September 16, 1973. Retrieved October 24, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Auburn rolls over Chattanooga". The Selma Times-Journal. September 23, 1973. Retrieved September 14, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Tennessee stifles Auburn offense for 21–0 win". The Selma Times-Journal. September 30, 1973. Retrieved May 8, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Auburn finds a runner, defeats Ole Miss, 14–7". The Atlanta Journal & Constitution. October 7, 1973. Retrieved October 24, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Miley propels LSU past Auburn 20–6". The Courier-Journal. October 14, 1973. Retrieved October 24, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Sophomores spark Auburn past Georgia Tech 24–10". Winston-Salem Journal & Sentinel. October 21, 1973. Retrieved October 24, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Auburn dumps Houston". The Odessa American. October 21, 1973. Retrieved October 24, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Gaffney leads underdog Gators past Auburn". Pensacola News Journal. November 4, 1973. Retrieved October 24, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Bulldogs' leash is too short to trip Auburn". The Commercial Appeal. November 11, 1973. Retrieved October 24, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "'Weird' Bulldogs tackle Tigers". The Macon Telegraph & News. November 18, 1973. Retrieved October 24, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "Bryant 'directs Tide traffic' in 35–0 win". The Miami Herald. December 2, 1973. Retrieved October 24, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ "Mizzou line paves way against Auburn inside". The Kansas City Star. December 30, 1973. Retrieved October 24, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.