Auburn Football Highlights 1989

[aubiefifty 17,470]

 

[WarEagle1982 465]

The 1989 team was one that struggled to find an identity for the first half of the season.  The losses to Tennessee and FSU were close in score, but really not that close.  The last second win over Florida was the turning point.  By the end of the season that team could have played with and beaten most teams in the nation.  The game against Alabama was magical!  Bama had a really good team, but there was no way they were winning the first Iron Bowl in Auburn.

[JuscAUse! 1,523]

5 hours ago, WarEagle1982 said:

The 1989 team was one that struggled to find an identity for the first half of the season.  The losses to Tennessee and FSU were close in score, but really not that close.  The last second win over Florida was the turning point.  By the end of the season that team could have played with and beaten most teams in the nation.  The game against Alabama was magical!  Bama had a really good team, but there was no way they were winning the first Iron Bowl in Auburn.

They found their identity when Dye ran the ball 145 times against Miss St. And it was 145 degrees. I loved it, my wife and child left at halftime. I may have exaggerated a bit. But IRC Dye would run it on 3rd and 9. 

Edited June 20 by JuscAUse!

[ArgoEagle 1,890]

By the 8th game of that season, I'm not sure this was not our most dominating team ever.

Blow out against UGA, Dominating performances against Bama & Ohio State.

IMO Danley & Joseph were the best running back tandem we ever had with Bo & Little Train, Ronnie & Cadillac not far behind.

WR with blazing deep threat speed in Alexander Wright, awesome possession receiver with Wasden, and TE's that were legit offensive weapons.

Downright Nasty Oline & Dline, and outstanding LB's.

Loved that team, and that was our 4th straight win over the Turds!!

[ArgoEagle 1,890]

Great job on this one Fifty

[boisnumber1 2,843]

25 minutes ago, ArgoEagle said:

 

IMO Danley & Joseph were the best running back tandem we ever had with Bo & Little Train, Ronnie & Cadillac not far behind.

Agree with most of what you said, but this is downright lunacy.

[ArgoEagle 1,890]

1 hour ago, boisnumber1 said:

Agree with most of what you said, but this is downright lunacy.

What exactly is lunacy?

[boisnumber1 2,843]

4 minutes ago, ArgoEagle said:

What exactly is lunacy?

I don't think I could make it any clearer than what I said. I even quoted you, but no worries. I'm not gonna argue with you about it. If that's your stance, more power to you.

[ArgoEagle 1,890]

2 hours ago, boisnumber1 said:

I don't think I could make it any clearer than what I said. I even quoted you, but no worries. I'm not gonna argue with you about it. If that's your stance, more power to you.

You did, I missed that.   But if you look at the front of what I said (IMO) in that statement, that means I was merely giving my opinion; was not stating that as an absolute.

If you don't agree with my opinion that's your prerogative, but to say it's lunacy is a little stout.

Why don't you enlighten me on who your best tandem was?

[Viper 3,148]

1 hour ago, ArgoEagle said:

Why don't you enlighten me on who your best tandem was?

These are my rankings on what I witnessed. Sorry I did not witness Cribbs/Brooks, etc.
 

1. Bo / Fullwood (84-85)

2. Cadillac / Ronnie (01-04)

3. Mason / CAP (13)

4. Bostic / Stephen Davis (93)

5. Bo / Lionel James (82-83)

6. Dyer / McCalebb (10-11)

7. Tate / McCalebb (09)

8. Danley / Joseph (88-90)

9. Irons / Lester (05-06)

10. Barber / Robinson (15)

Side note: I would have listed Kerryon due to his awesome season in 17, but he didn’t have a “tandem” to make my list.

[WarEagle1982 465]

10 hours ago, ArgoEagle said:

By the 8th game of that season, I'm not sure this was not our most dominating team ever.

Blow out against UGA, Dominating performances against Bama & Ohio State.

IMO Danley & Joseph were the best running back tandem we ever had with Bo & Little Train, Ronnie & Cadillac not far behind.

WR with blazing deep threat speed in Alexander Wright, awesome possession receiver with Wasden, and TE's that were legit offensive weapons.

Downright Nasty Oline & Dline, and outstanding LB's.

Loved that team, and that was our 4th straight win over the Turds!!

I’m not sure they were our most dominating tandem ever, but Stacy Danley was TOUGH!!  Maybe the toughest back to ever play at Auburn.  No telling how many concussions he played through!

[SLAG-91 1,518]

On 6/20/2024 at 7:19 PM, WarEagle1982 said:

I’m not sure they were our most dominating tandem ever, but Stacy Danley was TOUGH!!  Maybe the toughest back to ever play at Auburn.  No telling how many concussions he played through!

Reggie Slack should buy Stacy Danley dinner every day for the rest of his life for floating a swing pass to Danley that nearly got him decapitated in the bowl game against Ohio State...I'm not sure I've seen an AU player take a harder lick than the one Stacy absorbed.  It did seem to wake the team up, as we were trailing 14-3 at the time. If he didn't get a concussion from that hit, I'd be shocked.

Went to most of our games in 1989...'82 was right on about the losses to Tennessee and Florida State.  I was amazed that we even had a chance to tie/win the game late against either of them.  Tennessee ran for what seemed like three miles, we had two bad punt snaps for safeties...played a sloppy game in a steady rain, but characteristic of this team, found a way to hang around and give themselves a chance to win, although I imagine if we had managed to score late, I bet CPD probably opts for the PAT and steals a tie, considering how much had gone wrong.  Florida State was similar...got down 22-3, fought back to 22-14 and had the ball inside their 20 at the end. I still think we got a timeout with :01 left that would have given us one more throw into the endzone, but it didn't get acknowledged. 

The Florida ending was the lightning bolt that propelled us the rest of the season. We had played a lackluster game against Mississippi State the week before (won 14-0, seemed like that game took maybe 2 hours because we ran the ball so many times), and were struggling all game against a good Florida defense. The 4th down TD pass to Wasden set off a reaction that I had not seen to that point in Jordan-Hare...souvenir cups (and some whiskey bottles) came raining down from the upper deck. It went from "looks really bad, no conference title for us this year" to "Holy Shat!" in seconds. I don't think I've ever seen as stunned a fan base in person as the Gator section was after that play (pretty sure UGA and Alabama 2013 were pretty shellshocked, but I was not present for those...).

From there, they played their best football of the year.  The Georgia game was defensive domination...UGA came in on a bit of a streak, but we shut that down real quick. Alabama in Jordan-Hare? Put together a tremendous offensive game plan...aggressive from the start. The bowl game against Ohio State was a microcosm of the season...slow start, big finish.

That was a team that, had there been the current 12-team playoff system, would have been a tough out. They were my favorite team of my time at Auburn, and not just because they won the first-ever home game against Alabama, which is a sporting event unlike any other I have ever attended. The '88 team probably had more talent, but the '89 team maximized what they had. 

[Auburn93 594]

Looking back that schedule was extremely tough. LSU one year removed from beating us. Florida one year before dominating with Spurrier.  UT and FSU top 5 teams, then and on into the 90's. Alabama and UGA strong. If Saban played that schedule, he would be 9-3 with a great team.

[aubiefifty 17,470]

On 6/20/2024 at 10:50 AM, boisnumber1 said:

I don't think I could make it any clearer than what I said. I even quoted you, but no worries. I'm not gonna argue with you about it. If that's your stance, more power to you.

just point at me and tell him i am lunacy or a lunatic if you will.......grins

[augolf1716 21,536]

On 6/23/2024 at 10:56 AM, SLAG-91 said:

Reggie Slack should buy Stacy Danley dinner every day for the rest of his life for floating a swing pass to Danley that nearly got him decapitated in the bowl game against Ohio State...I'm not sure I've seen an AU player take a harder lick than the one Stacy absorbed.  It did seem to wake the team up, as we were trailing 14-3 at the time. If he didn't get a concussion from that hit, I'd be shocked.

Stacy came back into the game if I remember correctly

 

 

[JuscAUse! 1,523]

He absolutely did come back in the game. 

[aubiefifty 17,470]

19 minutes ago, JuscAUse! said:

He absolutely did come back in the game. 

did he notpoint his finger at them after dye told him not to let them know he was hurt? epic...........

[WarEagle1982 465]

1 hour ago, JuscAUse! said:

He absolutely did come back in the game. 

He also got knocked unconscious in the 88 Iron Bowl.  The hit didn’t look as vicious, but he and Spencer Hammond went head-to-head.  I remember them having to bring the ammonia out on the field.  He also came back into that game.  He even ripped off a huge 25 yard run on Auburn’s only TD drive.  They won 15-10.  Tough, tough dude!

[japantiger 4,062]

What a great season that was.

At the end of the FL game, when it was 4th and 11, I turned to my wife and said 'well, we're beat" and reached down to get my stadium seat.  She's never let me forget it.  We made Emmit Smith wish he had gone to Auburn.

My Dad and I went to Athens for that game.  Quietest that stadium has ever been.  It was mostly empty during the 2nd half...we stayed for every moment.  It was great going to that game with him.  

Note that on our first TD against Alabama, we lined up in an illegal formation....we had 5 men in the backfield; Slack + full-house backfield + Wasden at wingback instead of up on the line.  We got away with one.  We got to Auburn at sunup for that one.  That place was wild!  My Dad might have been the most nervous and ultimately the happiest guy at the game.  He'd sent 3 boys to Auburn...he loved football and he loved that place.  

Thanks Fifty...nice walk down memory lane.  

 

[SaltyTiger 8,071]

2 hours ago, aubiefifty said:

did he notpoint his finger at them after dye told him not to let them know he was hurt? epic...........

Dye ran on the field. Observers thought he was checking Stacy’s well being. According to others huddled around Dye told him he had better get up and run his ass off that field.
 

[SaltyTiger 8,071]

On 6/19/2024 at 7:24 PM, JuscAUse! said:

They found their identity when Dye ran the ball 145 times against Miss St. And it was 145 degrees. I loved it, my wife and child left at halftime. I may have exaggerated a bit. But IRC Dye would run it on 3rd and 9. 

Loved that and attended the game. Did nothing other than power sweep left and right the entire game. Remember Dye saying afterward that he had to get this team to sink their teeth into something.

[SaltyTiger 8,071]

On 6/20/2024 at 9:15 AM, ArgoEagle said:

IMO Danley & Joseph were the best running back tandem we ever had with Bo & Little Train, Ronnie & Cadillac not far behind.

I will fight tooth and nail for Bo and Brent. Per Dye not a lot of “drop off” when Brent has the ball or in the game. Do get what you are saying. Danley and Joseph seemed to be used more as a package rather than either or.

[ArgoEagle 1,890]

11 hours ago, SaltyTiger said:

I will fight tooth and nail for Bo and Brent. Per Dye not a lot of “drop off” when Brent has the ball or in the game. Do get what you are saying. Danley and Joseph seemed to be used more as a package rather than either or.

Yeah, I forgot about Fullwood for some reason.   with today's style of offense (pass first) a lot of the time, not as many chances for carries for a tandem RB situation.   Back then it was run first & pass if needed.

[SaltyTiger 8,071]

4 minutes ago, ArgoEagle said:

Yeah, I forgot about Fullwood for some reason.   with today's style of offense (pass first) a lot of the time, not as many chances for carries for a tandem RB situation.   Back then it was run first & pass if needed.

Ashamed of you. How can anyone forget about Brent. Maybe my favorite all time RB next to Bo. Love to go back and watch 1986 vs Bammer at times. 

[ArgoEagle 1,890]

27 minutes ago, SaltyTiger said:

Ashamed of you. How can anyone forget about Brent. Maybe my favorite all time RB next to Bo. Love to go back and watch 1986 vs Bammer at times. 

I was a couple of years removed from High School in '86.  The Tillman Reverse in the Iron Bowl win. My mom bought me a shirt.  The shirt said "Pat ran the reverse, heard Ray curse, Tide just died, bring on the hearse."

That play nearly made me so excited that I almost ran through the wall from the adrenaline rush.😁

Edited 5 hours ago by ArgoEagle