1973 Auburn Tigers football team

The 1973 Auburn Tigers football team achieved an overall record of 6–6 and 2–5 in the SEC under head coach Ralph "Shug" Jordan.[1] They were invited to the 1973 Sun Bowl where they lost to Missouri 17–34.

1973 Auburn Tigers football
Sun Bowl, L 17–34 vs. Missouri
Conference	Southeastern Conference
1973 record	6–6 (2–5 SEC)
Head coach	Ralph Jordan (23rd season)
Home stadium	Jordan–Hare Stadium

1973 Southeastern Conference football standings
	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
No. 4 Alabama $	8	–	0	–	0			11	–	1	–	0
No. 13 LSU	5	–	1	–	0			9	–	3	–	0
Ole Miss	4	–	3	–	0			6	–	5	–	0
No. 19 Tennessee	3	–	3	–	0			8	–	4	–	0
Georgia	3	–	4	–	0			7	–	4	–	1
Florida	3	–	4	–	0			7	–	5	–	0
Kentucky	3	–	4	–	0			5	–	6	–	0
Auburn	2	–	5	–	0			6	–	6	–	0
Mississippi State	2	–	5	–	0			4	–	5	–	2
Vanderbilt	1	–	5	–	0			5	–	6	–	0
$ – Conference champion Rankings from AP Poll

On September 13, 1973, the Thursday before Auburn's first home game of the season, Auburn's home stadium, known up to that time as Cliff Hare Stadium, was renamed in honor of the Ralph Jordan, marking the first time a stadium has been renamed for an active coach. Harry Philpott, President of Auburn University at that time, said "Renaming the stadium is really in keeping with the outstanding job Coach Jordan has done during his outstanding career", adding that, "It also brings together two great eras of athletic achievement."[2]

Four players were named to the All-SEC first team for 1973: Benny Sivley (DT), Steve Taylor (C), Mike Fuller (DB), and David Langner (DB).[3]

On December 1, Alabama avenged their stunning loss the previous year in the Iron Bowl game that became known as "Punt Bama Punt" by shutting out Auburn 35–0.

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Rank	Site	Result	Attendance
September 15	vs. Oregon State*	No. 12	Legion Field Birmingham, Alabama	W 18–9	45,000
September 22	Chattanooga*		Jordan–Hare Stadium Auburn, Alabama	W 31–0	46,500
September 29	at No. 9 Tennessee	No. 11	Neyland Stadium Knoxville, Tennessee	L 0–21	71,656
October 6	Ole Miss		Jordan–Hare Stadium Auburn, Alabama	W 14–7	56,500
October 13	LSU		Jordan–Hare Stadium Auburn, Alabama (Tiger Bowl)	L 6–20	64,331
October 20	at Georgia Tech*		Grant Field Atlanta, Georgia	W 24–10	59,123
October 27	No. 12 Houston*		Jordan–Hare Stadium Auburn, Alabama	W 7–0	58,426
November 3	Florida	No. 19	Jordan–Hare Stadium Auburn, Alabama	L 8–12	63,429
November 10	Mississippi State		Jordan–Hare Stadium Auburn, Alabama	W 31–17	48,427
November 17	at No. 20 Georgia		Sanford Stadium Athens, Georgia (Deep South's Oldest Rivalry)	L 14–28	59,700
December 1	vs. No. 1 Alabama		Legion Field Birmingham, Alabama (Iron Bowl)	L 0–35	69,418
December 19	vs. Missouri		Sun Bowl Stadium El Paso, Texas (1973 Sun Bowl)	L 17–34	30,127
*Non-conference game Rankings from Coaches' Poll released prior to the game

[3]

Roster

1973 Auburn Tigers football team roster
Players			Coaches
Offense Pos. # Name Class WR Tom Gossom Jr C 55 Lee Gross Jr RB Mitzi Jackson   Chris Linderman TE 80 Dan Nugent Jr C Steve Taylor Sr QB Randy Walls	Defense Pos. # Name Class LB Ken Bernich Jr DB 42 Mike Fuller Jr LB Carl Hubbard DB David Langner Sr LB Bill Newton	Special teams Pos. # Name Class	Head coach Shug Jordan Coordinators/assistant coaches Legend (C) Team captain (S) Suspended (I) Ineligible Injured Redshirt

References

1. 2011 Auburn Tigers Football Media Guide, Auburn University Athletic Department, Auburn, Alabama, pp. 182–184,150–151 (2011). Retrieved August 19, 2011
2. "Stadium Renamed To Honor Jordan" Tuscaloosa News, August 24, 1973. Retrieved August 22, 2011.
3. 2005 Auburn Tigers Football Media Guide, Auburn University Athletic Department, Auburn, Alabama, pp. 142–142, 180 (2005). Retrieved August 19, 2011