I found this posted on another Dawg board and felt compelled to crosspost here.
Posted by: Dawg151
Playing Auburn is like playing your brother.
We've known each other for all our lives and grew up fighting with
each other. When one had a chance to do something good, the other
would come in and ruin everything, and that went both ways. While I
truly loathe Auburn, I do respect them for being the other
participant in this historical rivalry for so many years. It really
is like playing your own brother. I've heard several Auburn fans
over the years claim to have the exact same respect for Georgia,
even though they hate our guts just as much as we hate theirs. They
respect us for being one of the only "big" schools to consistently
play them in Auburn without making a huge fuss over it and they also
recognize the history involved when our two teams meet on the
football field. It’s the south’s oldest rivalry…and you can bet
there’s always something riding on this game.
Not only is Georgia-Auburn a great, important rivalry, but it is one
of the closest rivalries anywhere in any sport. When two teams can
play 108 times and only be separated by a grand total of one single
point scored in the series, it certainly takes the cake as far as
being one of the closest rivalries...as I mentioned, in any sport at
any level.
Many things have been at stake when Georgia and Auburn have played
each other over the years. Some games have been more important than
others. In so many games, this particular rivalry has decided SEC
Championships, successful seasons, winning streak stoppers and even
sometimes has had national championship implications. There may be
seven older rivalries than Georgia-Auburn, but there is no rivalry
out there in college football played as many times with so much
being on the line. The Georgia-Auburn rivalry is what started our
lifeblood known as college football in Dixie, and it is strong as
ever, even here in 2005. As has been the case so many times before,
there will be a lot on the line come Saturday night.
For Auburn, this game is vital. They are in the thick of the SEC
West division race, trying to defend not only their SEC West title,
but the SEC title they won last year after going 13-0. They have
had a couple of setbacks this season. The loss to Georgia Tech on
opening day not only snapped the Tigers’ win streak, but it dealt
them a rude wake-up call. Auburn fans were well aware after that
game that they no longer had two NFL-caliber running backs or a
veteran QB leading their team like they did last season. However,
that opening loss and the realization that they had lost some of
their best playmakers has not crushed their hopes for a successful
season. Like all good programs, Auburn has adapted and other
players have stepped up. Brandon Cox matures more each week at
quarterback and their running game has come on strong. As always at
Auburn, their defense is playing tough and not surrendering easy
points to the opponent. Despite a lapse in special team play
against LSU, Auburn still holds out hope for a division title and a
chance to defend their conference crown. Not only have that, but
they once again have a chance to ruin the championship dreams of
their old, brotherly rival Georgia. No team has ruined more dream
seasons for Georgia than Auburn. It is an integral part of this
rivalry...and it does indeed weigh heavily on the minds of Georgia
fans everywhere. Auburn has played the spoiler role more often than
many Dawg fans care to think about. Beyond that, Auburn has the
impressive record against Georgia in Sanford Stadium. Auburn is 8-2
in the last 10 games against Georgia played in Athens. In recent
history, the road team in this series has definitely been victorious
more often than not. So, Auburn comes into this game with Georgia
with a lot on the line. Their own championship hopes are on the
line as well as bragging rights for the next 365 days. There is a
lot on the line for Auburn on Saturday.
Georgia plays to stay alive in an SEC Eastern division race on
Saturday. It goes without saying that this game is, like a few
before it, one of the biggest games Georgia has been a part of since
the "Glory Days" of the early 80's. Georgia won the division title
in 2002 for the first time since the SEC split in 1992. That win
came against these Auburn Tigers. In 2002, Georgia finally broke
through the barrier and once again established itself as a
champion. The following year, Georgia won the division with a win
over the Auburn Tigers. In 2004, the Dawgs faced a very good,
undefeated Auburn team and despite the fact the Georgia wasn’t in
control of its own destiny as far as the SEC race went, the loss to
Auburn in 2004 eliminated them from contention all together. This
year, a new challenge is before Georgia. After dropping the game to
the Gators, Georgia faces a near “must win” type of game with
Auburn. A win over Auburn won't win the division for Georgia, but
it will certainly help in getting them back to the SEC championship
game; the game that is a nationally televised event. The game that
will determine the best team in this storied conference. The game
that could see Georgia win two conference titles in a span of four
years. It's in our own backyard, but for many years, it has seemed
like the Georgia Dome was a million miles away. The Dawgs welcomed
back that championship feeling in 2002. They returned in 2003, but
came up short against LSU. Now, it’s 2005. Georgia missed out on
an opportunity to compete for the SEC championship last season and
you can bet that the Dawgs are itching to get back to the title
game.
Over the past three seasons, the road to the Georgia Dome has gone
through Athens for those teams in the SEC East. However, even the
team that calls Athens "home" finds an obstacle on that road...and
once again, like so many times before, that obstacle is Auburn. In
1982, Larry Munson begged and pleaded the Georgia Bulldogs
to "Hunker down one more time" and was drenched with a bourbon and
Coke thrown by an Auburn fan in the booth next to Georgia radio
booth:
“Georgia leading 19-14, needing a play of some kind, a break of
some kind. Hunker Down you guys! Dawgs are in a 6... actually only
4 standing, they're in a 6-4. They pitch it to Bo Jackson, one man
knocked him off balance, and we came up and got him…Ball back on the
21, and it's 2nd down now and 17, with 2:05 to go, Auburn trying to
break our hearts. 19-14 and the Dawgs lead. Again you guys, Hunker
Down! Auburn up to the line... Carver got him from behind! Back on
the 30! ... Oh man! 2 big plays, 84 seconds ... 3rd down and 21.
Auburn back on the 30. Watch this now. I hate to keep saying it, but
Hunker Down! You didn't hear me you guys. Hunker Down! ... Pass
complete to the 21... Timeout Auburn. Timeout 49 seconds left ...
4th and 17, I know I'm asking alot you guys, but Hunker it down one
more time! ... Pass into the endzone... and the Dawgs broke it up!
They broke it up! They broke it up! … The Dawgs with 42 seconds...
I won't ask you to do that again you guys…32 seconds, Lastinger up
to the line... Lastinger falls back on the 16 ... Georgia students
and fans standing and roaring 23, 22, 21 clock running, running… Oh,
look at the sugar falling out of the sky! Look at the sugar falling
out of the sky! Here comes a Georgia fan running out across the
field. And now everybody roars…3…2…1…and they're carrying Vince
Dooley off the field. Dawgs have won it. Somebody threw something on
us. Dawgs have won it 19-14. The defense hunkered this thing...we
saved ourselves…we saved ourselves…there won’t be many of us in
Opelika tonight, but I’ll tell you one thing, we’re going do
something to Opelika. Dawgs a winner, 19-14.”
After the Dawgs had clinched that victory over Auburn 19-14 to win
the SEC and send them to the Sugar Bowl, Munson told the Dawgs that
he wouldn't ask them to do it again...but 23 long years have passed
and we find ourselves facing the same opponent with a championship
possibility on the line. We need one more thing and it's the exact
same thing we needed way back in 1982. Even though Larry said he
wouldn't ask them to do it again, we all need the Dawgs to "Hunker
it down one more time!" against the Auburn Tigers.
As has happened so often throughout the history of these two proud,
storied and elder southern colleges, one team stands in the way of
the other's hopes and dreams and goals. As a matter of fact, we
stand in each other's way. Auburn needs to beat Georgia. Georgia
needs to beat Auburn.
Somehow, that's the only way it should be in the south’s oldest
rivalry.
GO DAWGS!
GATAA!
"My advice to you is to start drinking heavily." - Bluto
