The Montgomery Advertiser from Montgomery, Alabama • 45

1 Section THE MONTGOMERY ADVERTISER AND ALABAMA JOURNAL SATURDAY. NOVEMBER 28. 19K7 SftS rC i I I4 -ri't -J A JaI .11 I i i -j 'I V-V i Journal photo by Jay Sailors Auburn's Carlo Cheattom (35), guentin Riggins (41) celebrate as Kurt Crain intercepts a pass from Alabama's Jeff Dunn in the first quarter Friday afternoon led the way on defense as the Tigers shut out the Crimson Tide for the first time since 1 957 Tad PHILLIP MARSHALL Danley runs for 157 yards in 1 0-0 victory More on Iron Bowl, 6D-9D By PHILLIP MARSHALL Advertiser Sports Editor BIRMINGHAM Auburn's mighty defense slung aside every Alabama challenge here Friday. And, led by slashing tailback Stacy Danley, the Tiger offense returned to its hammering ways of old. When time ran out on the 52nd meeting between Auburn and Alabama, that added a o- 7 3 10 ALABAMA AUBURN Aub Mose run (Lyte kick) AubFG vie 23 'JU'W jpWilW-'W I.

mill. i I S. -A I s) Alabama 10 39-1 47 4 7-15-1 t-7 1-1 3-W 24:34 Auburn 20 59-185 128 10 14-11-1 4- 30 3-1 5- 34 35:24 First Downs Rushes-Yards Passing Yards Return Yards Passes Punts Fumbles-Lost Penalties-Yards Possession Time Auburn climbs final mountain BIRMINGHAM The road was not an easy one. Auburn's football team went into this season surrounded by pain and controversy, but it found glory at Birmingham's Legion Field on Friday. The Tigers won the Southeastern Conference championship with the things Head Coach Pat Dye loves with dominating, overpowering defense and a running game that finally wore down Alabama's proud Crimson Tide.

In the unmatched drama and emotion of the game that has come to be known as the Iron Bowl, Auburn absorbed Alabama's best shot and marched away with a 10-0 victory. It was just more than three months ago when Auburn's football team was tested by controversy and adversity. THE SHOCKING news that quarterback Jeff Burger had been accused of academic dishonesty and that it had been recommended that he be suspended from school for three quarters hit like a bombshell. Burger finally overcame that, but he also had to endure twice being ruled ineligible and took far more abuse than he ever deserved. And there were low points on the field.

A Tennessee team that really shouldn't have been good enough stormed from 10 points behind in the fourth quarter to earn a 20-20 tie. And Florida State administered an embarrassing 34-6 licking at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Key people were injured. Four different players have started at tailback; All-America offensive tackle Stacy Searels played hurt much of the year; All-America defensive tackle Tracy Rocker was injured on the last play of the Florida State game and lost for the year. But through it all, Auburn's football players fought on.

Friday afternoon, as the sun was finally breaking through the clouds, they climbed the final mountain. SEC champions. The best team in the best conference in America. "I can't believe it. I can't believe it," Aundray Bruce screamed as he carried a sign he'd torn off the fence.

The opportunity is there now for this team to go down as one of the best ever at Auburn. A victory over Syracuse in the Sugar Bowl would mean a lofty national ranking. And if enough things happen, who knows what else? AUBURN DID it the old-fashioned way Friday. When the game was on the line in the second half, it went back to the tried-and-true ways that Head Coach Pat Dye has preached all of his career. It was hard-nosed football run, run and play defense.

Blood-and-guts, powerful, whip-me-if-you-can defense. Alabama's offense wasn't strong enough to get it done when Bobby Humphrey, an AU-American if there is one, was bottled up. And there was redshirt freshman Stacy Danley, looking like the great ones that came before him, slashing his way to 157 yards on the ground. Danley epitomized this Auburn football team, one that bears little resemblance offensively to Dye's pre-, ''s six. Please see DANLEY, 11D up to Auburn's third Southeastern Conference championship and second in the last five years.

Auburn got its touchdown after a bizarre turn of events late in the second quarter, and got a field goal out of a hard-nosed drive as time ran short to defeat the Crimson Tide 10-0 before a sellout crowd of 75,808 at Legion Field. IT WAS the first Auburn shutout of of Alabama since 1957, and the first time the Crimson Tide had been shut out since losing to Notre Dame 7-0 here in 1980. Auburn has defeated Alabama two consecutive times and four times in the past six seasons. Seventh-ranked Auburn, 9-1-1, will play fourth-ranked and unbeaten Syracuse in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1.

Alabama, 7-4, accepted a bid to play Michigan in the Jan. 2 Hall of Fame Bowl in Tampa, Fla. Auburn's defense found itself in some precarious situations not of its own making, but it was in control of the west Birmingham battleground all day. Please see AUBURN, 11D Advertiser photo by Jamie Sturtevant Stacy Danley fights for yardage against Alabama defense Friday him up for the Tide are Derrick Thomas (55) and Robert Stewart (34) Hilar By RAGAN INGRAM Advertiser Sports Writer BIRMINGHAM Auburn made the Sugar Bowl's job easy here Friday. With their 10-0 victory over Alabama, the seventh-ranked Tigers won their third Southeastern Conference championship outright and the automatic bid to play fourth-ranked Syracuse in the Sugar Bowl on Jan.

1. Auburn will take a 9-1-1 overall and 5-0-1 SEC record into the game. Syracuse is 11-0. Immediately after the game, Alabama accepted a bid to play Michigan in the Hall of Fame Bowl in Tampa, on Jan. 2.

The Tigers, 9-1-1 overall and 5-0-1 in the SEC, will 1981. The other Dye-era championship came in 1983. Auburn's only other title came in 1957 when it also won the national championship, finishing first in the Associated Press' final poll. Dye said he was eager to take his team back to the New Orleans Superdome. "We're excited about going back to the Sugar Bowl," Dye said.

Syracuse is one of the top teams in the country." Dye pointed out a bit of irony about Syracuse as the Tigers' bowl opponent. "Syracuse's staff came down here in the winter to visit us and spent about a week," Dye said, smiling. Please see ALABAMA, 11D meet Syracuse, 11-0, at the Louisiana Superdome on New Year's Day in New Orleans. Anything other than an Auburn victory would have left the Sugar Bowl with a decision to make. Had Alabama won, the Crimson Tide would have shared the title with LSU.

Had there been a tie, Auburn would have shared the title with LSU. The Sugar Bowl has the right to take the team of its choice in case of a tie. AUBURN'S VICTORY sends 9-1-1 LSU, which was in the running for the SEC title, to the Gator Bowl to play the University of South Carolina, 8-2, Dec. 31 in Jacksonville, Fla. Friday marked the Tigers' second conference championship since Head Coach Pat Dye came to Auburn in 1.