Dye, Perkins Faced Off In Some Of The Most Legendary Iron Bowls

BIRMINGHAM, AL — Before the "Kick Six," there was "The Kick." Before "The Drive," there was "The Reverse." And before "The Camback," there was "The Monsoon Game." The long and rich tradition of the Alabama/Auburn football rivalry has included some legendary games, and for a short stretch when Ray Perkins and Pat Dye faced off in the annual Iron Bowl, every game was a nail-biter.

Former Auburn coach Pat Dye and former Alabama coach Ray Perkins both died in 2020, which has sparked some Iron Bowl nostalgia this year, and for good reason.

From 1983 to 1986, the largest margin of victory in the Iron Bowl was four points. Three of the four games between Dye and Perkins were decided in the final minute of the game.

1983: Auburn 23, Alabama 20

Perkins' first Iron Bowl was played in some of the worst weather the series has ever seen. "The Monsoon," as the game has been dubbed, saw tornado warnings ring out in surrounding counties, but the 9.2 inches of rain that fell on Birmingham that day did not keep the Tigers and Tide from a classic game at Legion Field.

Alabama took a 20-16 lead with just a few minutes left in the third quarter on a 54-yard touchdown run by Ricky Moore, but Auburn's superstar sophomore Bo Jackson answered with a 71-yard scamper of his own.

The rain started falling in sheets throughout the fourth quarter as Auburn hung on for the three-point win.

1984: Alabama 17, Auburn 15

Both Alabama and Auburn started the 1984 season in the top 5, but early losses by both teams saw the Tide and Tigers out of national championship contention before mid-season. In fact, Alabama suffered its first losing season since 1957 that year, which meant the Iron Bowl was the only way Alabama was going to salvage the season.

This game has been commonly dubbed the "Wrong Way Bo" game, and here is why: With 3:27 to play and Auburn trailing 17-15 on a 4th-and-goal from the 1-yard line, the ball went to Brent Fullwood. Jackson, who misheard the call, ran left while the play went right, with an unprotected Fullwood getting run out of bounds.

Auburn was in position for a potential game-winning field goal in the final seconds, but Robert McGinty's 42-yard field goal attempt sailed wide left, sealing the win for Alabama.

1985: Alabama, 25, Auburn 23

Perhaps one of the best games in the series, the 1985 Iron Bowl featured five lead changes (three in the fourth quarter). After Alabama took a 10-0 lead in the first half, Auburn battled back to go up 17-16 in the third quarter.

Jackson had another sensational game, as the Heisman winner racked up more than 200 all-purpose yards in the game. Alabama freshman running back Gene Jelks had a breakout game of his own, scampering for 192 yards in the game.

But the hero of the game ultimately became Alabama kicker Van Tiffin. Auburn took a 23-22 lead on a Reggie Ware touchdown with 50 seconds remaining in the game. Alabama, with no timeouts and inside its own 10 yard line, was able to get into field goal position after a run by Al Bell and a pass to Greg Richardson, who dragged an Auburn defender out of bounds with him at the 35-yard-line with six seconds to play.

Tiffin drilled "The Kick," — a 52 yard field goal as time expired — for the 25-23 win.

1986: Auburn 21, Alabama 17

Coming into the 1986 season, Alabama had been hyped as a national championship contender, and had reached as high as no. 2 in the polls. The Tide came into the game ranked 7th in the country, facing a 14th-ranked Auburn team that had lost just two games that season as well.

The game started out well for the Tide, as they built a 17-7 lead and took that lead into the fourth quarter. That's when Fullwood scored on a 26-yard touchdown as the final quarter began, cutting Alabama's lead to 17-14.

But Auburn's final drive of the game is what made this game legendary. On fourth-and-3 at the Alabama 49, wide receiver Trey Gainous made a diving catch of a Jeff Burger pass for 9 yards and a first down at the 40. Fullwood ran for 19 yards and Agee for 11 and a first down at the 10. Vincent Harris ran to the 7 as the clock moved inside the final minute.

On 2nd-and-goal, Auburn quarterback Jeff Burger pitched to running back Tim Jessie, who pitched to sophomore wide receiver Lawyer Tillman running to the left. Tillman cut upfield and into the end zone with 32 seconds left in the game.

"The Reverse" sealed Auburn's 21-17 victory.

After the 1986 season, Perkins was offered the head coaching job with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and was replaced by Bill Curry in Tuscaloosa. Sure, several exciting games have been played since then between the Tide and Tigers, but with all four games between the two teams during the Ray Perkins era at Alabama so close, the coaching match-up between the two is special, and makes the fact that both coaches passed away within months of one another significant.

Dye was hospitalized with liver damage in mid-May, and was then diagnosed with COVID-19. He remained in a Georgia hospital until his death June 1. Dye was 80. Perkins died Dec. 9 in Northport at age 79.