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<H1 ALIGN=CENTER><FONT COLOR="#3333FF">Tiger Flashback</FONT> </H1>

<H3 ALIGN=CENTER><FONT COLOR="#FF8000"><I>The Florida Game '89
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<p>November 4, 1989, marked a pivotal game for the Auburn Tigers in their quest for a third-consecutive Southeastern Conference Championship.
<P>The Florida Gators were coming to town ranked 19th nationally and were led by All-America tailback Emmitt Smith, who had carved his way through opposing defenses all season long.
<P>The Tigers entered the game with a 5-2 mark and, with one more loss, their chances would diminish for a third-consecutive SEC crown. They faced a tough challenge against a Florida squad that came into the game 6-1.
Florida's vaunted defense, ranked number-one in the country, held the Tigers on the opening drive. It would be a sign of things to come as Auburn could not move the ball in the first half.
<P>On Florida's opening possession, the Gators wasted no time in showing that their game plan involved running their prized tailback Smith plenty of times.
<P>Smith single-handedly marched the Gators from their own 34-yard line to the Auburn 18-yard line. Following a delay-of-game penalty, Auburn's Corey Barlow made what turned out to be one of the biggest defensive plays of the night. The Auburn cornerback tackled Smith in the Gator backfield for a 16-yard loss.
<P>The loss, accompanied with another delay-of-game penalty knocked the Gators out of field goal range, putting Florida at the Auburn 44-yard line.
<P>The Gators punted, pinning the Tigers deep in their own territory at the eight-yard line. Disaster struck on the Tiger's next possession. From their own six-yard line, quarterback Reggie Slack scrambled to avoid the oncoming rush, but fumbled the ball. Florida recovered the loose ball setting up the only score for either team of the first half. Smith scampered five yards for paydirt on the team's first play of the drive giving the Gator's a 7-0 advantage.
<P>Later in the game, Slack found tight end Victor Hall for a 16-yard reception. Tailback James Joseph then went around right end for a 14-yard gain to put the Tigers in Florida territory for the first time in the game at the UF 37-yard line.
<P>The Tigers could move the ball only seven more yards, setting up a long field goal attempt by placekicker Jim Von Wyl. Von Wyl's 47-yard field goal attempt went exactly 47 yards as it hit the crossbar bouncing through the goal post for three points.
<P>With the Gators leading 7-3, the breaks were starting to go the Tigers' way. Following the field goal, the Gators were forced to punt as the Tiger defense continued to shut down Smith and the Florida offense.
<P>With 14:10 to go in the fourth quarter, Auburn began a 16-play, 50-yard drive down to the Gators five-yard line. The drive was extended by a Gator illegal procedure penalty on an Auburn punt, enabling the Tigers to continue their drive down the field. With first and goal from the Florida eight-yard line, the Tigers could not put the ball in the endzone.
<P>On fourth and goal from the five-yard line and 5:53 left to play in the game, Auburn head coach Pat Dye decided to kick a field goal.
<P>The decision turned out to be a costly mistake, as the Gator defense blocked Von Wyl's 22-yard field goal attempt that would have cut the Gator lead to one at 7-6.
<P>Now the pressure was put back on the Tiger defense that had risen to the challenge all game long.
<P>Linebacker Quentin Riggins recorded a game-high 20 tackles during the contest, including a stop on third and six on Smith that forced the Gators to punt, setting up a dramatic finish with 3:56 left on the clock.
<P>With the ball on the their own 47-yard line, Slack rallied his offensive unit for one last-ditched effort to escape with a victory.
<P>After moving the ball down to the Florida 24-yard line, Florida defensive tackle Mark Murray sacked Slack for a 14-yard loss, forcing the Tigers into a second down and 24.
<P>Slack completed a 15-yard strike to wide receiver Greg Taylor leaving the Tigers with a third and nine. A pass to fullback Alex Strong lost two yards, making it fourth down and 11 from the Florida 25-yard line. With less than half a minute to go in the game, it was time for a miracle.
<P>The Auburn quarterback dropped back and saw the Florida defense fade to the middle and spotted wide receiver Shayne Wasden going toward the sideline of the endzone. Wasden hauled in the 25-yard reception for the game-winning score giving the Tigers a heart-fought victory and momentum to finish the year on a 5-game winning streak.
<P>"The defense played tough all night and gave us the chance to win it at the end," Wasden said. "We were just able to make the play when we needed to. It's a great feeling to win this game."
<P>Auburn's defense held Florida's Smith, who had tallied 316 yards the week before against New Mexico, to 86 yards rushing on the night, prompting Smith to say this was the best defense he had played against all year.
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	<H1 ALIGN=CENTER><FONT COLOR="#3333FF">Tiger Flashback</FONT> </H1>

	<H3 ALIGN=CENTER><FONT COLOR="#FF8000"><I>The Florida Game '89
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	<H3 ALIGN=CENTER><FONT COLOR="#FF8000"><I>By Ryan Powell</I></FONT></H3>
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	<p>November 4, 1989, marked a pivotal game for the Auburn Tigers in their quest for a third-consecutive Southeastern Conference Championship.
	<P>The Florida Gators were coming to town ranked 19th nationally and were led by All-America tailback Emmitt Smith, who had carved his way through opposing defenses all season long.
	<P>The Tigers entered the game with a 5-2 mark and, with one more loss, their chances would diminish for a third-consecutive SEC crown. They faced a tough challenge against a Florida squad that came into the game 6-1.
	Florida's vaunted defense, ranked number-one in the country, held the Tigers on the opening drive. It would be a sign of things to come as Auburn could not move the ball in the first half.
	<P>On Florida's opening possession, the Gators wasted no time in showing that their game plan involved running their prized tailback Smith plenty of times.
	<P>Smith single-handedly marched the Gators from their own 34-yard line to the Auburn 18-yard line. Following a delay-of-game penalty, Auburn's Corey Barlow made what turned out to be one of the biggest defensive plays of the night. The Auburn cornerback tackled Smith in the Gator backfield for a 16-yard loss.
	<P>The loss, accompanied with another delay-of-game penalty knocked the Gators out of field goal range, putting Florida at the Auburn 44-yard line.
	<P>The Gators punted, pinning the Tigers deep in their own territory at the eight-yard line. Disaster struck on the Tiger's next possession. From their own six-yard line, quarterback Reggie Slack scrambled to avoid the oncoming rush, but fumbled the ball. Florida recovered the loose ball setting up the only score for either team of the first half. Smith scampered five yards for paydirt on the team's first play of the drive giving the Gator's a 7-0 advantage.
	<P>Later in the game, Slack found tight end Victor Hall for a 16-yard reception. Tailback James Joseph then went around right end for a 14-yard gain to put the Tigers in Florida territory for the first time in the game at the UF 37-yard line.
	<P>The Tigers could move the ball only seven more yards, setting up a long field goal attempt by placekicker Jim Von Wyl. Von Wyl's 47-yard field goal attempt went exactly 47 yards as it hit the crossbar bouncing through the goal post for three points.
	<P>With the Gators leading 7-3, the breaks were starting to go the Tigers' way. Following the field goal, the Gators were forced to punt as the Tiger defense continued to shut down Smith and the Florida offense.
	<P>With 14:10 to go in the fourth quarter, Auburn began a 16-play, 50-yard drive down to the Gators five-yard line. The drive was extended by a Gator illegal procedure penalty on an Auburn punt, enabling the Tigers to continue their drive down the field. With first and goal from the Florida eight-yard line, the Tigers could not put the ball in the endzone.
	<P>On fourth and goal from the five-yard line and 5:53 left to play in the game, Auburn head coach Pat Dye decided to kick a field goal.
	<P>The decision turned out to be a costly mistake, as the Gator defense blocked Von Wyl's 22-yard field goal attempt that would have cut the Gator lead to one at 7-6.
	<P>Now the pressure was put back on the Tiger defense that had risen to the challenge all game long.
	<P>Linebacker Quentin Riggins recorded a game-high 20 tackles during the contest, including a stop on third and six on Smith that forced the Gators to punt, setting up a dramatic finish with 3:56 left on the clock.
	<P>With the ball on the their own 47-yard line, Slack rallied his offensive unit for one last-ditched effort to escape with a victory.
	<P>After moving the ball down to the Florida 24-yard line, Florida defensive tackle Mark Murray sacked Slack for a 14-yard loss, forcing the Tigers into a second down and 24.
	<P>Slack completed a 15-yard strike to wide receiver Greg Taylor leaving the Tigers with a third and nine. A pass to fullback Alex Strong lost two yards, making it fourth down and 11 from the Florida 25-yard line. With less than half a minute to go in the game, it was time for a miracle.
	<P>The Auburn quarterback dropped back and saw the Florida defense fade to the middle and spotted wide receiver Shayne Wasden going toward the sideline of the endzone. Wasden hauled in the 25-yard reception for the game-winning score giving the Tigers a heart-fought victory and momentum to finish the year on a 5-game winning streak.
	<P>"The defense played tough all night and gave us the chance to win it at the end," Wasden said. "We were just able to make the play when we needed to. It's a great feeling to win this game."
	<P>Auburn's defense held Florida's Smith, who had tallied 316 yards the week before against New Mexico, to 86 yards rushing on the night, prompting Smith to say this was the best defense he had played against all year.
	<P>
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