Kick 6 - now that we've seen it 1000 times...

[homersapien 11,352]

Had to correct a Bama friend of mine a week or so ago. He was telling someone else that they were only a miracle play away from playing in the NC game again.

My correction was: You were only a miracle play away from having to play overtime.

I think Auburn would have won the OT fairly easily. bama was out of gas and Auburn still had half a tank. They had, after all, just gone through bama's D for 70 yards and a TD as if nothing was trying to stop them.

That was my thought even as Saban lined them up for a last second field goal attempt. My exact thoughts: "As long as this redshirt freshman kicker who has almost no real-time game experience doesn't some how get lucky on an almost impossibly long 57-yard attempt, we'll win the overtime." I didn't expect him to make the FG, but certainly wasn't expecting a 109 yard return to avoid overtime!

But had it gone to overtime:

1. As you say, I think we had a lot more left in our tank that they did.

2. How often are overtimes decided by a field goal? It was pretty obviously their FG kicking was terrible all day. I had no doubts that Cody Parkey gave us a huge edge in overtime.

3. Overtime possessions start on a short field. Our running game had momentum and was not likely to slow down, and on a short field no one needs miraculous 99-yard pass receptions to score.

4. Just taking the game into overtime gave us a big advantage psychologically. Bama's natural arrogance, their belief in a sure "3-peat" BCS championship for their "Dynasty", and their pre-game #1 ranking meant it had to be something of a shock to them to be taken to overtime. I think there had to be some self-doubts and worries on their team when they couldn't put us away in regulation. Our guys, meanwhile, had overcome many close calls throughout the year, and probably looked at overtime as just business as usual which they would handle as usual.

I flatter myself by saying I was thinking the same thing. But a part of me was still dreading the the real possibility of another "Van Tiffen legend".

You just know they think they're due but Auburn has established miracle superiority and they just can't stand it.

[AUbritt 611]

I believe this has been posted here before but this is my favorite version of the run back. It has fan reactions and the music is great. Seeing all those fans on the field after the game is amazing. Play it full screen.

Football is Awesome.

I'm laughing and crying. Hadn't seen this one. Football is awesome!!!!

[AU Is Gold 410]

This video has some interesting video effects added to it during both "The Miracle at Jordan-Hare" and "The Kick Six" plays. The Georgia play starts around 8:25. The video effects make both plays seem really old school. At 10:27 it plays the "The Kick Six" one more time and you hear the crowd (me included) erupt.

[SECACC 0]

On 5/28/2014 at 8:15 PM, slot canyon said:

Tiger, I remember this and it does not show up in most of the video replays but in some of them you can see #79 for Alabama (Austin Shepherd) peel across the field about 30 or 40 yards behind the play to take out Auburn #98. Clearly a cheap shot. Not aware that he has a reputation for this sort of action but the AU player had basically cut back to half speed as it was clear that Davis was going to score.

Yeah I noticed that play too.  I know this is old and going back 7 years now (WOW time flies).  Auburn #98 Angelo Blackson got creamed on the last play.  I am surprised it didn't turn into a fight.  Lots of self-restraint from Blackson.  Far more than I would have had.

[tigerbrotha12 2,362]

On 5/28/2014 at 10:39 AM, WDavE said:

Had to correct a Bama friend of mine a week or so ago. He was telling someone else that they were only a miracle play away from playing in the NC game again.

My correction was: You were only a miracle play away from having to play overtime.

Yep. Auburn had all the momentum, and I believe would’ve won in OT.

[wde21 344]

Excited to go back and read this thread again! I still get chills every time I see the play with Rod’s call of “There goes Davis!”  It was probably the  most surreal play I have ever seen and I was at Legion Field for the punt bama punt game. My daughter and I were sitting in the end zone and Chris was running right towards us. When he crossed the 50 we knew he was going to score! That play will never get old!  The last time I had been on the field after a game was Bo over the top. We started down as soon as he crossed the goal line. We went downtown  afterwards and all of the replays on Sports Center were the kick six. Fun times!

[nixtosanders94 2,180]

I missed most of it live. Was at a buddies house with several folks, all Auburn folks and had to walk outside as he lined up to kick.  Couldn’t watch. Had visions of Van Tiffen in my head.  

Heard yelling, sounded like my buddy yelling “Go Les! Run!” I thought we had some guy named Les who picked up a blocked kick and took off. Got back in time to see CHRIS crossing the goal line and still thought we blocked it until my son told me what happened.  Couldn’t believe it. 

[meh130 1,043]

On 5/28/2014 at 10:11 AM, kickemintheB3 said:

Okay, I still go back and watch the kick six, but now that I've seen it 1000 times, I'm beginning to notice a lot of the little things that I hadn't noticed before:

Go back and watch and look for:

• Bama's kicker getting PANCAKED on the run back
• There is another block where a bama player gets flattened as the runback starts
• How close we came to roughing the kicker
• I never noticed that Ozzy's "Crazy Train" starts right as the kick begins

 

What are some of the little things you guys have noticed?

It was Gabe Wright that pancaked the kicker.

I missed that it was Crazy Train that was being played over the loudspeakers.

Don't forget A.J. McCarron immediately jogging off the field instead of shaking hands with the players.

[CodeRocket 410]

I observed that one key to the success of the runback was Davis running straight back up the field from the back of the end zone

to about the five yard line before breaking for the left sideline. This maneuver forced the Bama defenders to hesitate briefly because

of the possibility that Davis could have gone for the right sideline which was wide open. If you watch the replay carefully you can

see Brian Vogler (Bama #84) trying to make sure Davis does not get to the right sideline and in the process of doing this he is only able

to get a hand on Davis's shoulder. Vogler, a tight end that could run, was probably the only defender to touch Davis on the runback

and he made the only play he could make. It just wasn't enough thank goodness.

[wde21 344]

2 hours ago, meh130 said:

It was Gabe Wright that pancaked the kicker.

I missed that it was Crazy Train that was being played over the loudspeakers.

Don't forget A.J. McCarron immediately jogging off the field instead of shaking hands with the players.

McCarron was in a hurry to get over to Katherine Webb so they could be interviewed after the game. Didn’t quite work out as planned😂 

[gr82be 14,401]

1 hour ago, wde21 said:

McCarron was in a hurry to get over to Katherine Webb so they could be interviewed after the game. Didn’t quite work out as planned😂 

Can't say that I blame him one bit. 

[Piketiger1990 173]

One thing no one has mentioned that I noticed was Whitehead motioning for everyone to set the wall up on the left side before Davis ever catches the ball. That tells me it was schemed all along if it came up short they were going to return it in that direction 

[Piketiger1990 173]

I don’t know who made the decision, but we originally lined up with Ryan Smith as returner, but called timeout and put Davis back there. 

[Carnell 592]

I remember all the bama players just standing and watching the ball in awe as they seemed surprised they had a kicker that could kick an end over end kick instead of knuckle balls.  Forgot to cover.

[tigerchris 243]

I was on a cruise ship in the gulf during the game.  I went to the bars to watch it with what I hoped would be a great game atmosphere.  The place was 100% bama so I went to the room to watch.   After the kick 6 and lots of screaming I rushed back to the bars to celebrate.   It was so empty.  I went to the pool area and people watched the butt hurt crowds.  I still try to watch the replay at least every 2-3 weeks.

[Viper 3,120]

On 5/29/2020 at 9:04 PM, Piketiger1990 said:

I don’t know who made the decision, but we originally lined up with Ryan Smith as returner, but called timeout and put Davis back there. 

Ellis Johnson made the suggestion to Gus during the timeout.

[AUfan_UAgrad 230]

The Kick 6 and Rod's call of it will always go hand and hand.

[TigerHorn 1,351]

Has anyone seen the column written by Stanford's sports editor on it? They watched it on their stadium jumbotron as the Cardinal were about to start their own game. Then there was that post by a Wisconsin fan who had set out to watch all of the great CFB rivalries, and just happened to pick that Iron Bowl to go to. 

Would love to read both of those again. They used to be on the classics forum at TOS, but that forum died when it merged. 

[meh130 1,043]

A few more thoughts.

109 yards = 100 meters.

But Chris Davis did not run a straight line. He easily ran an extra 15 yards, probably more.

The time from catching the ball to crossing the goal line was about 14 seconds.

Usain Bolt's 100 meter dash world record is 9.58 seconds.

So Davis ran about 115 meters in full pads, starting by fielding ball (not in track starter blocks), weaving and dodging, tip-toeing down the sideline, etc., in 14 seconds.

Davis' NFL Combine 40 yard dash time was 4.54 seconds (no pads, out of a starting stance). To cover 125 yards in 14 seconds is in the 4.5 second range.

Davis was running very hard. Probably as hard as Davis had ever run in his life. At the end of an exhausting game.

[aubiefifty 16,676]

On 5/28/2014 at 9:11 AM, kickemintheB3 said:

Okay, I still go back and watch the kick six, but now that I've seen it 1000 times, I'm beginning to notice a lot of the little things that I hadn't noticed before:

Go back and watch and look for:

• Bama's kicker getting PANCAKED on the run back
• There is another block where a bama player gets flattened as the runback starts
• How close we came to roughing the kicker
• I never noticed that Ozzy's "Crazy Train" starts right as the kick begins

 

What are some of the little things you guys have noticed?

i love the crazy train part as well as pancaking bama boys.............

[aubiefifty 16,676]

i am bragging but they did a sports card of that play with davis auto on it and i got one for about six bucks on ebay or amazon. one of my favorite auburn cards.

[TexasTiger 12,800]

On 5/28/2014 at 10:39 AM, WDavE said:

Had to correct a Bama friend of mine a week or so ago. He was telling someone else that they were only a miracle play away from playing in the NC game again.

My correction was: You were only a miracle play away from having to play overtime.

With AU having momentum and the only competent kicker.

[boisnumber1 2,817]

Definitely the earliest in a return that I knew he was gone. He hit the corner at the 20 and I knew it was all over. I will also add that kicking the FG was idiotic by lil nicky.

[akillshot 294]

Glad someone decided to add a comment to this thread to bring it back to the top. Truly a great memory that never gets old.

[SaltyTiger 7,761]

On 6/2/2020 at 5:42 PM, TexasTiger said:

With AU having momentum and the only competent kicker.

No way Alabama wins that night in that stadium in OT. In my wildest dreams could not have imagined a better way to beat that bunch. Realized we had won when I saw my 5'-1" tall wife jump and almost hit her head on 10' ceiling.