Dye Era (1981-1992)

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  • Patrick “Pat” Fain Dye was hired as Auburn’s Football Coach and Athletics Director prior to the 1981 season
  • During Dye’s interview for the head coaching job at Auburn, he was asked by a member of the search committee, “How long will it take you to beat Alabama?”  Dye’s reply was “60 minutes.”
  • At Auburn, Dye achieved a record of 99–39–4 (71.1% win rate) over twelve seasons.  His 99 wins are behind only Mike Donahue and Ralph Jordan for the most in school history.
  • Under Dye’s leadership, the Tigers won four Southeastern Conference championships (1983, 1987–1989) and Dye became only the fourth coach in SEC history to win three straight (1987–1989). He received SEC Coach of the Year honors in 1983, 1987, and 1988. Dye was also Auburn’s athletic director from 1981 to 1991.
  • Dye coached 1985 Heisman Trophy winner Bo Jackson, as well as Tracy Rocker, winner of both the Outland Trophy and the Lombardi Award in 1988.
  • The 1983 team, led by quarterback Randy Campbell and a stifling defense, is generally considered Dye’s best squad. That bounced back from a season-opening loss to Texas to win 11 consecutive games, including five over bowl teams. Auburn was ranked #1 in the nation by the New York Times at the end of the 1983 season, but had to settle for #3 in the AP and UPI polls behind Miami and Nebraska.
  • Dye’s tenure on the plains ended when Auburn was penalized for payments by boosters and assistant coaches to a player, Eric Ramsey. Tape recordings were released that implicated a booster named “Corky” Frost, and future Troy University head coach Larry Blakeney, then an Auburn assistant. The controversy landed the Auburn program a spot on 60 Minutes and an eventual NCAA investigation. While the investigation did not find Dye personally responsible for rules violations, the NCAA determined that as head coach and athletic director, Dye should have known about and stopped the payments to Ramsey.  The fallout from the NCAA probation against the football team pushed Dye out as athletic director in 1991 and as head coach the following year.
  • On November 19, 2005, the playing surface at Jordan–Hare Stadium at Auburn was named Pat Dye Field in the former coach’s honor. The dedication ceremony was held immediately before the Iron Bowl, which Auburn went on to win 28–18. This was especially appropriate since Dye led the Tigers to a 30–20 victory over the Tide on December 2, 1989 in the first installment of the Iron Bowl to be played at Auburn after 41 consecutive meetings at Legion Field in Birmingham. The permanent move of Auburn’s home games against Alabama to Jordan-Hare Stadium is considered one of Dye’s most important achievements as AU’s athletic director.
  • Dye’s tenure was also notable for the November 27, 1982 victory over arch-rival Alabama, when Dye’s team defeated Alabama 23–22 in Bryant’s last regular-season game. That game snapped a nine-game Tide winning streak and returned Auburn to competitive status in the rivalry.
  • Dye was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 2005
1992 | Record: 5-5-1
Date Opponent W/L, Score
9/5/1992 @ Mississippi L, 21-45
9/12/1992 Samford (AL) W, 55-0
9/19/1992 Louisiana St. W, 30-28
9/26/1992 Southern Mississippi W, 16-8
10/3/1992 Vanderbilt (TN) W, 31-7
10/10/1992 @ Mississippi St. L, 7-14
10/17/1992 @ Florida L, 9-24
10/24/1992 Louisiana-Lafayette W, 25-24
10/31/1992 Arkansas T, 24-24
11/14/1992 Georgia L, 10-14
11/26/1992 @ Alabama L, 0-17
1991 | Record: 5-6
Date Opponent W/L, Score
8/31/1991 Georgia Southern W, 32-17
9/14/1991 Mississippi W, 23-13
9/21/1991 @ Texas W, 14-10
9/28/1991 @ Tennessee L, 21-30
10/5/1991 Southern Mississippi L, 9-10
10/12/1991 @ Vanderbilt (TN) W, 24-22
10/26/1991 Mississippi St. L, 17-24
11/2/1991 Florida L, 10-31
11/9/1991 Louisiana-Lafayette W, 50-7
11/16/1991 @ Georgia L, 27-37
11/30/1991 Alabama L, 6-13
1990 | Record: 8-3-1
Date Opponent W/L, Score
9/8/1990 Cal St.-Fullerton W, 38-17
9/15/1990 @ Mississippi W, 24-10
9/29/1990 Tennessee T, 26-26
10/6/1990 Louisiana Tech W, 16-14
10/13/1990 Vanderbilt (TN) W, 56-6
10/20/1990 Florida St. W, 20-17
10/27/1990 @ Mississippi St. W, 17-16
11/3/1990 @ Florida L, 7-48
11/10/1990 Southern Mississippi L, 12-13
11/17/1990 Georgia W, 33-10
12/1/1990 @ Alabama L, 7-16
Peach Bowl
12/29/1990 Indiana W, 27-23
1989 | SEC Co-Champions | Record: 10-2
Date Opponent W/L, Score
9/9/1989 Pacific (CA) W, 55-0
9/16/1989 Southern Mississippi W, 24-3
9/30/1989 @ Tennessee L, 14-21
10/7/1989 @ Kentucky W, 24-12
10/14/1989 Louisiana St. W, 10-6
10/21/1989 @ Florida St. L, 14-22
10/28/1989 Mississippi St. W, 14-0
11/4/1989 Florida W, 10-7
11/11/1989 Louisiana Tech W, 38-23
11/18/1989 @ Georgia W, 20-3
12/2/1989 Alabama W, 30-20
Hall of Fame Bowl
1/1/1990 Ohio State W, 31-14
1988 | SEC Co-Champions | Record: 10-2
Date Opponent W/L, Score
9/10/1988 Kentucky W, 20-10
9/17/1988 Kansas W, 56-7
9/24/1988 Tennessee W, 38-6
10/1/1988 North Carolina W, 47-21
10/8/1988 @ Louisiana St. L, 6-7
10/15/1988 Akron (OH) W, 42-0
10/22/1988 Mississippi St. W, 33-0
10/29/1988 @ Florida W, 16-0
11/5/1988 Southern Mississippi W, 38-8
11/12/1988 Georgia W, 20-10
11/25/1988 @ Alabama W, 15-10
Sugar Bowl
1/2/1989 Florida St. L, 7-13
1987 | SEC Champions | Record: 9-1-2
Date Opponent W/L, Score
9/5/1987 Texas W, 31-3
9/12/1987 Kansas W, 49-0
9/26/1987 @ Tennessee T, 20-20
10/3/1987 @ North Carolina W, 20-10
10/10/1987 Vanderbilt (TN) W, 48-15
10/17/1987 @ Georgia Tech W, 20-10
10/24/1987 Mississippi St. W, 38-7
10/31/1987 Florida W, 29-6
11/7/1987 Florida St. L, 6-34
11/14/1987 @ Georgia W, 27-11
11/27/1987 Alabama W, 10-0
Sugar Bowl
1/2/1989 Syracuse (NY) T, 16-16
1986 | Record: 10-2
Date Opponent W/L, Score
9/6/1986 Tennessee-Chattanooga W, 42-14
9/20/1986 East Carolina (NC) W, 45-0
9/27/1986 Tennessee W, 34-8
10/4/1986 Western Carolina (NC) W, 55-6
10/11/1986 @ Vanderbilt (TN) W, 31-9
10/18/1986 Georgia Tech W, 31-10
10/25/1986 @ Mississippi St. W, 35-6
11/1/1986 @ Florida L, 17-18
11/8/1986 Cincinnati (OH) W, 52-7
11/15/1986 Georgia L, 16-20
11/29/1986 @ Alabama W, 21-17
Florida Citrus Bowl
1/1/1987 Southern California W, 16-7
1985 | Record: 8-4
Date Opponent W/L, Score
9/7/1985 Louisiana-Lafayette W, 49-7
9/14/1985 Southern Mississippi W, 29-18
9/28/1985 @ Tennessee L, 20-38
10/5/1985 Mississippi W, 41-0
10/12/1985 Florida St. W, 59-27
10/19/1985 @ Georgia Tech W, 17-14
10/26/1985 Mississippi St. W, 21-9
11/2/1985 Florida L, 10-14
11/9/1985 East Carolina (NC) W, 35-10
11/16/1985 @ Georgia W, 24-10
11/30/1985 Alabama L, 23-25
Cotton Bowl
1/1/1986 Texas A&M L, 16-36
1984 | Record: 9-4
Date Opponent W/L, Score
8/27/1984 Miami (FL)
@ East Rutherford, NJ		 L, 18-20
9/15/1984 @ Texas L, 27-35
9/22/1984 Southern Mississippi W, 35-12
9/29/1984 Tennessee W, 29-10
10/6/1984 @ Mississippi W, 17-13
10/13/1984 @ Florida St. W, 42-41
10/20/1984 Georgia Tech W, 48-34
10/27/1984 @ Mississippi St. W, 24-21
11/3/1984 @ Florida L, 3-24
11/10/1984 Cincinnati (OH) W, 60-0
11/17/1984 Georgia W, 21-12
12/1/1984 @ Alabama L, 15-17
Liberty Bowl
12/27/1984 Arkansas W, 21-15
1983 | SEC Champions | Record: 11-1
Date Opponent W/L, Score
9/10/1983 Southern Mississippi W, 24-3
9/17/1983 Texas L, 7-20
9/24/1983 @ Tennessee W, 37-14
10/1/1983 Florida St. W, 27-24
10/8/1983 @ Kentucky W, 49-21
10/15/1983 @ Georgia Tech W, 31-13
10/22/1983 Mississippi St. W, 28-13
10/29/1983 Florida W, 28-21
11/5/1983 Maryland W, 35-23
11/12/1983 @ Georgia W, 13-7
12/3/1983 Alabama W, 23-20
Sugar Bowl
1/2/1984 Michigan W, 9-7
1982 | Record: 9-3
Date Opponent W/L, Score
9/11/1982 Wake Forest (NC) W, 28-10
9/18/1982 Southern Mississippi W, 21-19
9/25/1982 Tennessee W, 24-14
10/2/1982 Nebraska L, 7-41
10/9/1982 Kentucky W, 18-3
10/16/1982 Georgia Tech W, 24-0
10/23/1982 @ Mississippi St. W, 35-17
10/30/1982 @ Florida L, 17-19
11/6/1982 Rutgers (NJ) W, 30-7
11/13/1982 Georgia L, 14-19
11/27/1982 @ Alabama W, 23-22
Tangerine Bowl
12/18/1982 Boston College (MA) W, 33-26
1981 | Record: 5-6
Date Opponent W/L, Score
9/5/1981 Texas Christian W, 24-16
9/19/1981 Wake Forest (NC) L, 21-24
9/26/1981 @ Tennessee L, 7-10
10/3/1981 @ Nebraska L, 3-17
10/10/1981 Louisiana St. W, 19-7
10/17/1981 @ Georgia Tech W, 31-7
10/24/1981 Mississippi St. L, 17-21
10/31/1981 Florida W, 14-12
11/7/1981 North Texas W, 20-0
11/14/1981 @ Georgia L, 13-24
11/28/1981 Alabama L, 17-28