Retracing the history and commonalities within Georgia, Auburn football rivalry

Nearly 200 miles separate Jordan-Hare Stadium on the plains of Auburn and Sanford Stadium in the heart of Georgia’s campus. A short three-hour drive down Interstate 85 through the heart of Atlanta and rural areas of Alabama connect the two iconic institutions.

In many ways, the stretch of road has exchanged history between the two schools. There have been many instances from the mid-1900s to present day that have written the bitter rivalry’s script. That’s because much between the two schools is the same.

Many of Georgia’s great athletic names have their place in Auburn lore. The same can be said for those who were once Tigers, but forever known as Bulldogs.

Ralph “Shug” Jordan, the namesake of Auburn’s football stadium and one of the program’s most-recognizable names, spent four years (1947-1950) as the offensive line coach at Georgia. Auburn, his alma mater called, and Jordan is known for 25 seasons leading the Tigers.

Erk Russell’s tenure molds a large part of college football history in the Peach State. But his passions for the sport began in Auburn. He was a three-sport athlete for the Tigers, then went on to be Vince Dooley’s right-hand man and a legendary coordinator at Georgia.

Joel Eaves spent a significant chunk of time as an Auburn coach and player at different times throughout 1940-60, including 15 seasons as the Tigers’ basketball coach. Eaves’ administrative career shifted to Georgia, where he laid the foundation for the Bulldogs’ longtime success. Some of Eaves’ principles are still practiced today in Athens.

Dooley coached alongside Eaves at Auburn, and also played basketball for him. Eaves is known for hiring Dooley at Georgia. The 88-year-old former coach and current walking SEC history book is the most-iconic name at Georgia, known for his 1980 UGA national championship and numerous hires across all sports as the Bulldogs’ athletic director.

Pat Dye, who died in May and is being remembered at Auburn this season, began at Georgia. The Blythe native played football for three seasons in Athens. His career ended at his alma mater’s arch rival, Auburn, where he spent over a decade as football head coach and athletic director.

“It has been kind of an Underground Railroad as some people call it,” Dooley said in a telephone interview with The Telegraph. “It’s better described as feuding cousins. There are a lot of similarities with this game.”

Vince Dooley has unique spot in Georgia-Auburn game

By nightfall on Saturday, Georgia and Auburn will meet for the 125th edition of the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry. It is one of the longest (dating back to 1892) and closest battles between two conference teams in college football.

The game is rich in history and tradition, and always promises for a tightly-contested game. Georgia has won six out of the last seven from 2013-19, however, and hosts the Tigers with a unique twist — an early-season matchup without the usual intensity of a November date.

This rivalry is known for classic games that are laden with elation on one side and heartbreak a couple hundred miles away. The connections within it, however, are easily identified with the numerous high-profile people who bounced between the two schools. There are many others, too, that went along with the biggest figures.

Of the five most-notable names, Dooley remains the lone Bulldog living to retrace the rivalry’s history. He didn’t fail to mention that the schools are common in more ways than athletics, too. No worry, the avid gardener specifically mentioned agriculture.

Nonetheless, Dooley’s perspective is unique. He sits in a tough place each season the Georgia-Auburn game is set to kickoff. He graduated from Auburn. He’ll never forget his years as a coach and player on The Plains.

Dooley stays in touch with his teammates and colleagues at Auburn who are still alive — former Alabama Gov. Fob James and Dooley’s old quarterback Lloyd Nicks. Dooley also recalled a 50-year anniversary of Auburn’s 1957 title-winning team, where he shared memories with many.

“Auburn is my alma mater and always will be,” Dooley said. “I’ll always have a love for it.”

Fifty-five years in Athens, however, carries a heavier weight for Dooley. The same could be said for the other legends who had longer tenures at either Georgia or Auburn. Dooley remembers those November thrillers, where he clinched five conference titles in Auburn and one inside Sanford Stadium. Those memories of raising his children in the Classic City are never forgotten by the old coach and his wife, Barbara Dooley.

Vince Dooley is a Georgia man through and through. But Auburn brought him there.

“Georgia means everything to me and my family,” Dooley said. “I guess I’ve got two loves.”

Decades later, the Georgia-Auburn rivalry continues to hold its weight as the sport evolves. It holds the same significance. An ultimate goal of each fan base is to beat their rival across the border. Each game is close, holds a lot of weight and comes down to a few possessions — including Georgia’s 21-14 win last season and a conference title-clinching victory over Auburn in 2017.

Kirby Smart and Gus Malzahn, the current head coaches of each team, took playful jabs at each other leading up to Saturday’s heavyweight bout of top-10 teams. Malzahn said Georgia had the best talent in the SEC, and Smart referred to it as “coach speak” in a Tuesday press conference. The exchange between the two schools has continued in recruiting. Georgia pulls in some of Auburn’s top targets, and the Tigers do the same.

“Any time you talk about Georgia-Auburn, you’re talking about rivalry,” said Smart, who admittedly didn’t follow the teams growing up, but instead focused on high-school football around his hometown of Bainbridge. Once arriving at Georgia, Smart played in classic games against the Tigers.

“I’m getting the sense that this is really important to them. I’m taking time for myself to appreciate the tradition behind these games,” said sophomore safety Lewis Cine, who will receive his first start against Auburn. “There is a lot of emotion behind the Georgia-Auburn game.”

A new edition of the rivalry can’t be played without remembering the rich history that came before it. The programs are similar in many ways, and those commonalities show each season.

The deep-rooted significance is a quality of the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry that’ll never change.

“The good times were when we clinched championships at Auburn,” Dooley said. “When Auburn won, those are not good memories.”