Auburn Tigers Have 3 of ESPN's Top 25 Plays this Century

The play almost did not happen, with Alabama running back T.J. Yeldon shown to have stepped out of bounds with one second left after video review. Senior kicker Cade Foster missed three field goals prior to the moment, giving freshman kicker Adam Griffith a chance to win the game, but he came up short from 57 yards out.

The miss then led to Chris Davis returning the kick 109 yards, breaking the 28-28 tie with no time remaining. 

The Prayer at Jordan-Hare came in at No. 7, and as Chris Low of ESPN points out, “The Kick-Six wouldn't have been nearly as memorable had it not been for the Prayer at Jordan-Hare two weeks earlier.”

The ‘Prayer in Jordan-Hare’ play featured quarterback Nick Marshall throwing up a desperation pass to wide receiver Ricardo Louis on fourth and 18 from 73 yards out with 25 seconds remaining. The score gave Auburn the win 43-38.

While more people remember the Kick Six, few people remember that the game was tied, and a freshman kicker making his first field goal attempt of 57 yards was in itself a desperation attempt.

The Prayer at Jordan-Hare, however, was truly a miracle. 

The third play featured on ESPN’s top-25 this century comes in at No. 24, and it was a signature moment for Cam Newton’s Superman season. Newton’s 49-yard run against LSU announced the Auburn Tigers as national championship contenders and launched Newton’s Heisman campaign. Newton avoided the tackles of five LSU defenders, including LSU safety Tyrann Mathieu 

The Auburn Tigers have lost seven games in each of the previous four seasons. Head coach Hugh Freeze has rebuilt the Auburn roster since his arrival, and the Tigers appear poised to force their way back to national relevance, setting the stage for more legendary plays.