Top 10 rivalry moments from the last 10 years
Rivalry brings college football fans some of the best matchups of the entire season.
Not surprisingly, these great matchups between rivals produce a number of close games and a bevy of incredible moments.
We count down the top 10 best moments from these rivalry games from the last 10 seasons.
Editor’s note: These moments are only from rivalry games that are traditionally the final week of the regular season (i.e. the Iron Bowl, UF-FSU, etc.)
10. Tim Tebow’s performance against FSU — 2007
During Tebow’s 2007 Heisman season, FSU linebacker Geno Hayes spouted off some trash talk about the Florida quarterback, saying the Seminoles would shatter his dream of winning the Heisman Trophy. Tebow said he may use it as motivation, and judging by his performance, it appears he did. Tebow ran over Florida State in his first game as a starter in the rivalry. Tebow racked up 351 total yards and five touchdowns against FSU, including bowling over Hayes on a powerful run during the game. Tebow never lost to the Seminoles and beat them by an average of 30 points in three games as a starter.
9. Alabama’s GW drive in Iron Bowl — 2009
Alabama’s national championship run isn’t possible without an incredible fourth-quarter drive against Auburn in the 2009 Iron Bowl. Quarterback Greg McElroy led the Crimson Tide on a seven-minute, 15-play drive that started from their own 20-yard line. It culminated with a McElroy TD pass to Roy Upchurch with just over a minute left in the game to take the lead from Auburn.
8. Eric Gordon’s pick-six in OT vs Vanderbilt — 2010
Tennessee defensive back Eric Gordon made the biggest play for the Vols in overtime against Vanderbilt, picking off Jordan Rodgers. Initially, the play was ruled dead after the interception because Gordon stumbled and appeared to hit the ground, but replay showed that he never fell to the ground. The play was overturned and ruled an interception for touchdown and the Vols won 27-21 in overtime. Tennessee normally plays Kentucky to end its season, but this year the Vols draw the Commodores.
7. Succop’s 52-yard GW FG vs. Clemson — 2006
This year’s edition of South Carolina-Clemson featured a huge come-from-behind win for the Gamecocks, who stormed back from 14 points in the second half. USC scored the final 17 unanswered points, capped off by a mammoth field goal by Ryan Succop of 52 yards. Clemson’s kicker, Jad Dean, missed a subsequent 39-yard try on Clemson’s next possession as time expired and missed it. This was Steve Spurrier’s first of many wins in this rivalry and an ending many USC fans won’t soon forget.
6. Antoine Carter’s forced fumble in Iron Bowl — 2010
Alabama jumped out to a quick first-half lead of 21-0 over Auburn and with the Crimson Tide driving again, things looked bleak for the Tigers. Alabama running back Mark Ingram was poised to make it a 28-0 deficit for Auburn, but it was a heads up play by Auburn’s Antoine Carter that saved the Tigers. Carter forced a fumble as Ingram was approaching the end zone and it ended up being a touchback for Auburn. While it didn’t seem like an important moment at the time, it prevented Alabama from taking likely an insurmountable lead, and eventually, it sparked a 24-point comeback by the Tigers to win.
5. “Soak at Doak” — 2007
In the midst of a downpour, the Florida Gators and Tim Tebow marched into Doak Campbell Stadium and ran right over the Florida State Seminoles. The Gators were on their way to an eventual national championship, but the 2008 game provided some iconic images for this Sunshine State rivalry, including Tebow’s jersey covered in red paint from the field as he energizes the crowd. Florida won the game 45-15.
4. UGA’s comeback vs. GT — 2013
Georgia Tech quickly jumped out to a 20-0 lead on UGA in the 2013 edition of Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate and the prospects of the Bulldogs winning their fifth straight game in this series didn’t look good. However, thanks to Hutson Mason and Todd Gurley, UGA stormed back. The Bulldogs were forced to come back from double-digit deficits twice and eventually tied up the game on a field goal with a few minutes remaining. Both teams went back and forth in the overtime periods, but Gurley’s two TDs in OT was the difference maker in UGA’s 41-34 OT win.
3. Dak Prescott’s Egg Bowl performance — 2013
The would-be Heisman Trophy contender got an early start on his 2014 campaign with a monumental performance against Mississippi State’s biggest rival. The Bulldogs defeated Ole Miss 17-10 and Prescott, who had missed the prior few weeks due to a nerve injury on his non-throwing arm, came into the game in the fourth quarter. He finished with 115 passing yards on 11-for-20 passing and also scored a gutsy touchdown on a fourth-and-1 playcall from Ole Miss’ 3-yard line for the game-winning touchdown. A Bo Wallace fumble on the next possession sealed the victory for the Bulldogs.
The win also made MSU bowl eligible and was a huge step forward for the program, who used that momentum to propel it’s possible CFP run this season.
2. Arkansas’ 3OT win at No. 1 LSU —2007
Okay, this rivalry game isn’t on the last week of the season anymore, but it normally was a mainstay come Thanksgiving week. Perhaps one of the best games of the entire series came in 2007 when an unranked Arkansas team upset No. 1 LSU on the road in three overtimes. Darren McFadden was the hero in this game, rushing for 206 yards and three touchdowns. With the new rotation, Missouri is Arkansas’ permanent opponent at the end of the season and the Hogs are hoping similar memories are made with their newest rival.
1. Iron Bowl “Kick Six” — 2014
It shouldn’t be a shocker to anyone that this play is atop our list for top rivalry moments of the past five seasons. Auburn’s improbable run to the national championship included a few fortunate moments, but none more so than the “Kick Six” against Alabama. Arguably, the most intriguing part about this play is that Nick Saban, in fact, brought it upon himself by challenging the previous play to add one second on the clock for a potential game-winning FG.