Auburn Football: Pat Dye’s 3 best seasons with the Tigers
By Dante Pryor
2. 1988 Auburn football season
Auburn great Reggie Slack took over at quarterback for the Tigers in 1988 and the men on the plains kept rolling. In addition to Slack, the 1988 Tigers were led by the 1-2 punch of Stacy Danley and James Joseph.
The defense was led by Shan Morris and Greg Staples who combined for nine interceptions. They anchored a defensive unit that allowed just 7.7 points per game. They allowed more than 10 points per game only five times in 12 games and North Carolina is the only team to get out of the teens in scoring.
Had it not been for a one-point loss to the LSU Tigers early in the season, the Tigers might have been in contention for a national title. However, Auburn fell short in a game famously known as “The Earthquake Game.”
This season, the Tigers defeated the Tennessee Volunteers handily getting revenge for the previous season’s tie. This season also featured three straight shutouts in the month of October. They promptly shut out Akron, Mississippi State and Florida.
The Tigers ended their regular season with a third consecutive defeat of the Alabama Crimson Tide in the Iron Bowl. Though they only gave up 13 points to the Seminoles in the Sugar Bowl, they still fell short.