The Wildest Moments in LSU vs Auburn Rivalry History

Some rivalries have a signature trophy. LSU and Auburn have a seismograph reading.

They also have a burning arena, an avalanche of interceptions and a touchdown catch that left just enough time for everyone in Tiger Stadium to start breathing again.

For casual fans, it makes for an entertaining history lesson. For longtime LSU supporters, some of these games probably still require a moment to recover.

Here are five meetings that explain why this rivalry deserves its reputation.

1988: The night Death Valley shook

For most of the night, LSU’s offense gave Tiger Stadium little reason to celebrate. Auburn led 6-0, and the home team’s chances came down to fourth-and-10.

Tommy Hodson found Eddie Fuller in the end zone. LSU won 7-6. Then the celebration became part of the university’s geological record.

A seismograph at LSU’s Howe-Russell Geoscience Complex, roughly 1,000 feet from the stadium, recorded the vibrations associated with the crowd’s eruption. The Oct. 8 meeting became the Earthquake Game, giving LSU fans something more concrete than personal testimony when explaining how loud Death Valley can get.

The ending alone would have made it memorable: one last chance, one completion and an upset of fourth-ranked Auburn.

The earthquake, cemented it in LSU Football history.

1994: Auburn’s defense becomes its offense

LSU entered the fourth quarter at Auburn with a 23-9 lead. What followed on Sept. 17 remains one of the rivalry’s most difficult stretches to explain to anyone who missed it.

Jamie Howard threw five fourth-quarter interceptions. Auburn returned three for touchdowns and won 30-26.

Five interceptions would be disastrous spread across an entire game. Auburn collected all five in one quarter, turning a comfortable LSU advantage into a comeback that barely required its offense.

The game became known as the Interception Game, a name that gets straight to the point.

It also supplies a necessary reminder for any LSU-centered trip through this rivalry: the unbelievable endings have gone both ways. Sometimes the story is a purple-and-gold celebration. Sometimes it is a lead disappearing one pass at a time.

1996: A barn burner, literally

Calling a close football game a barn burner is usually harmless exaggeration.

During LSU’s Sept. 21 visit to Auburn, the old Auburn Sports Arena actually caught fire. Smoke rose above Jordan-Hare Stadium while the teams played, creating a scene strange enough to overshadow almost any football game.

This one had a finish capable of competing for attention.

LSU safety Raion Hill returned an interception 39 yards for a fourth-quarter touchdown. Auburn later scored with 38 seconds remaining, cutting LSU’s lead to 17-15 and setting up a two-point attempt to tie.

Hill intercepted that pass, too, and returned it for two LSU points. Instead of pulling even, Auburn fell behind 19-15, the eventual final score.

A defensive score on an opponent’s conversion attempt would ordinarily be the first thing anyone remembered.

In this rivalry, it had to shared with a horrifying blaze.

2001: An opening surprise and a ticket to Atlanta

The Dec. 1, 2001, meeting carried a reward bigger than bragging rights: a place in the SEC Championship Game.

Nick Saban’s LSU team began with an onside kick. Michael Clayton recovered it, and LSU turned the surprise into an opening touchdown.

The Tigers went on to win 27-14, securing their first SEC Championship Game appearance. Josh Reed added 186 receiving yards, giving LSU plenty of production to accompany the opening trick.

The payoff extended beyond that night in Baton Rouge.

LSU beat No. 2 Tennessee 31-20 in Atlanta the following week to win the conference championship. The Auburn victory had opened the door to that opportunity.

This entry needs no earthquake or burning building. An opening gamble and a division-clinching win provide enough drama.

2007: Flynn to Byrd, with one second to spare

LSU trailed Auburn 24-23 late on Oct. 20. A field goal could win it. The Tigers had a timeout available.

Then the clock kept moving.

With nine seconds remaining, Matt Flynn launched a pass toward Demetrius Byrd in the corner of the end zone. Byrd secured the 22-yard touchdown against cornerback Jerraud Powers, leaving one second on the clock.

LSU won 30-24. A possession that appeared headed toward a Colt David field-goal attempt instead produced one of the defining finishes of Les Miles’ tenure.

The victory also kept LSU moving through a season that ended with a national championship, secured against Ohio State in New Orleans.

Years later, the catch remains easy to picture. So does the clock.

That is the appeal of LSU-Auburn. The score tells you who won. It rarely tells you enough about what happened.

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