Iron Bowl Facts And Figures

With some help from Google and Wikipedia, I've cobbled together some tidbits for Saturday's tilt. See below...

The Iron Bowl was played in Birmingham from the late 40's until the late 80's. Because Birmingham was known as a center for iron and steel in the South, the name Iron Bowl, was slapped on the game.

Legend has it the reason the game was on hiatus for over 40 years was due to a per diem squabble between the two schools in 1908. During the 1907 game, the hotel allowance for 17 men from each team was $2 per man, per day, including lodging and meals. On Jan. 23, 1908, Alabama coach J.W. Pollard received a proposed contract from Auburn football manager Thomas Bragg asking for $3.50 per day for 22 men from each team for two nights for a game to be played at Birmingham's Fair Grounds. Alabama offered $3 per day for 20 men for two nights. Even then, Auburn and Alabama fans had trouble agreeing on anything and apparently a discrepancy of $34 could not be resolved until 41 years later

Alabama has NEVER beaten Auburn in Tuscaloosa.

The most famous game (especially if you're an Auburn fan) was the 1973 Punt, Bama, Punt Game. The Tide were number 2 in the country and up 16-3 w/less than 10 minutes left. They had two punts blocked and both were returned for touchdowns. The loss knocked Bama out of the National Championship Game.

Freeloaders V: Cue the Rooster - Cocks Win

It was a glorious day in Columbia. Sunny skies, the air was crisp and the beer was cold. Despite poor clock management our crew scored a fabulous parking spot next to two "hunting widows" who felt like sharing their food.

A lot of energy in the air. USC had not beaten Florida since the 30's (no they did not play every year) and the Cocks we're on a bit of a win streak. At 6-3 a win over Florida would not only exoricse decades of defeats but it would be over Spurrier's former club.

As we stroll into the stadium situated on the South Carolina State Fairgrounds. Rowdy Cock fans were feeling it. So much so that we worried about what would happen if USC actually won. The consensus was the Stadium would need a facelift.

Entering the field to the sounds of 2001: A Space Odyssey, USC's defense came out smokin' and pulled ahead of UF early. The Gators mounted a comeback but USC's D and splendid Freshmen receiver Sydney Rice were enough to take out the Gators 30 - 20.

The only downer was the Cock crazy fans did not storm the field (the SEC has a strict penalty for schools who do that). But all the while the time at the tilt was awfully tough to beat. The sound of a rooster crowing everytime USC did something positive was something none of us will soon forget.