Post by baldy1 on Jun 7, 2022 17:47:52 GMT -6
Auburn opened at home vs. Virginia ... Thursday night home game on ESPN ... we couldn't have looked more inept ... lost 19-0. As I recall, Ben Leard started but Terry Bowden inserted Gabe ... who wore No. 22 ... we hoped he was another Flutie ... turned it out he was an oboe.
We somehow beat Ole Miss 17-0 (coached by Tuberville and had been ID'd by the TPTB as the next coach) the following week. Then we lost four in a row to LSU, Tennesse, State and Florida (Spurrier didn't even run up the score). Three of the four were ranked in the top 10 at the time.
Before the La. Tech game -- and this where it gets a little "depending on your perspective" -- Terry went to see Housel to gain clarity on the future. Housel wouldn't give it to him and told him that he'd likely be fired at the end of the year. Bowden took it as being fired right then. Housel took it as a resignation.
Bill Oliver, the DC took over for the rest of the year, made Ben Leard the starter. Gabe quit to focus on baseball -- which he should have. Auburn beat La. Tech and got very fortunate to beat Central Florida, when Karsten Bailey took a 10-yard out about 70 yards for a TD.
In the final Iron Bowl at Bammerham, Auburn amazing took a 17-0 lead but uat scored 31 straight to win. Oliver thought he was was going to get the next coach -- said Housel had promised him. Auburn hired Tubs.
I still remember the “deer in headlights” Ben Leard had on his face after getting sacked before halftime in that UVA game. He was a statue. By the time he left, he was solid. But what a rough start that was. I thought the hype on him was overblown. He became a darn accurate qb later in his career. Had a few shoulder dislocations that derailed him.
If I’m not mistaken, didn’t we lose like 6 offensive linemen that season to similar foot injuries (thus the awful OL)?
