Punt Bama Punt

(8–1)

(10–0)

Head coach:
Ralph Jordan

Head coach:
Bear Bryant

AP	Coaches
9	9

AP	Coaches
2	2

	1	2	3	4	Total
Auburn	0	0	0	17	17
Alabama	0	9	7	0	16

Date

December 2, 1972

Season

Stadium

Location

Alabama favored by 14^[1]

Punt Bama Punt is the nickname given to one of the most famous games between the Auburn Tigers and Alabama Crimson Tide.

The game was played on December 2, 1972 at Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama. The 2nd-ranked and undefeated (10–0) Alabama team led by head coach Bear Bryant came into the game as a 14-point favorite^[1] over the Ralph Jordan-coached Tigers, who entered the game 8–1. For the first three and a half quarters the Tide seemed to have the game well in hand.

Alabama led 16–0 with ten minutes left in the game. With less than 10 minutes left, an Auburn drive stalled and managed only a field goal, which made it 16–3. Jordan later joked that his decision was derided by all the faithful in attendance: Auburn fans booed for the appearance of giving up, while Alabama fans joined in because the field goal ruined the point spread.^[2] On the ensuing possession Alabama was forced to punt. Auburn's Bill Newton blocked Greg Gantt's punt and his teammate David Langner ran the ball back 25 yards for an Auburn touchdown, narrowing the score to 16–10. Several minutes later, Alabama was forced to punt again. Like last time, Newton blocked the punt and Langner returned it for a touchdown. Gardner Jett kicked the extra point to give Auburn a 17–16 lead.

With the clock winding down, Langner intercepted an Alabama pass to stop their attempted comeback. When Langner reached the sideline, he found Coach Jordan upset. Langner reportedly said, "But coach, I intercepted the pass", to which Coach Jordan said, "Yeah, but our plan was to make them punt."

In June 2007, Punt Bama Punt was ranked #55 by ESPN.com in its list of the 100 defining moments of college football.^[3] In July 2007, CollegeFootballNews.com ranked the game #85 on its list of the 100 Greatest Finishes.^[4] In August 2010, ESPN.com ranked the game as the 8th most painful outcome in college history.^[5]

Radio broadcast

Gary Sanders was the radio play-by-play announcer for Auburn football in the early 1970s, and his call of the blocked punts, particularly the last one, is familiar to many Auburn fans and has been available on several audio tapes and CDs sold in Auburn University bookstores through the years. The call of the first blocked punt was rather subdued, possibly because Alabama had dominated the game to that point. The call went as follows:

“

Greg Gantt is in to punt, Johnny Simmons is going back as a single safety, Mitchell and Langner on the...uh...line of scrimmage coming from either side to try to block the kick. Auburn trying to go after it, here's the snap, they got it! Blocked kick! Ball's back to the 25, picked up on the bounce at the 25-yard-line, and in for a touchdown is David Langner!

”

The call of the second blocked punt is heard more often, and was delivered with much more enthusiasm from Sanders. Additionally, others in the broadcast booth and press box can be heard screaming and yelling over Sanders call. Sanders, possibly due to being caught up in the moment, identified Roger Mitchell as the player who blocked the kick, when it was Bill Newton (who had also blocked the first one) who had blocked it:

“

Greg Gantt standing on his own 30, Auburn will try to block it. Auburn going after it, here's the good snap...it is blocked!!! It is blocked!!! It's caught on the run!!! It's caught on the run and he's gonna score!!! David Langner!!! David Langner has scored and Auburn has tied the game!!! Roger Mitchell blocked the kick! Roger Mitchell blocked the kick! And it's 16 to 16!

”

References

1 2 "Iron Bowl turns mortals into heroes". ESPN. 2004-11-19. Retrieved 2012-08-15.
↑ "Ready, set, celebrate SEC's 75th: Today's No. 1". The Times Free Press. 2007-08-25. Retrieved 2012-08-15.
↑ Maisel, Ivan (2007-06-25). "Iconic moments for college football's time capsule". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2007-07-02.
↑ Fiutak, Pete (2007-07-09). "100 Greatest Finishes - No. 81 to 90". CollegeFootballNews.com. Retrieved 2007-07-17.
↑ http://espn.go.com/college-football/features/houseofpain/_/n/8

Additional sources

War Eagle: A Story of Auburn Football, by Clyde Bolton; copyright 1973 by Clyde Bolton and published by The Strode Publishers, Huntsville, Alabama

Auburn Tigers football

Venues	Drill Field (1892–1910) Drake Field (1911–1939) Legion Field (alternate, 1926–1991) Jordan–Hare Stadium (1939–present)

Bowls & rivalries	Bowl games Alabama: Iron Bowl (James E. Foy, V-ODK Sportsmanship Trophy) Arkansas Clemson Florida Georgia: Deep South's Oldest Rivalry Georgia Tech LSU Tennessee Tulane

Culture & lore	History Traditions Aubie "War Eagle" Marching band Toomer's Corner Punt Bama Punt Bo Over the Top Earthquake Game Prayer at Jordan–Hare Kick Six (Kick Bama Kick)

People	Head coaches Starting quarterbacks Statistical leaders NFL draftees

Seasons	1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

National championship seasons in bold

Alabama Crimson Tide football

Venues	University of Alabama Quad (1893–1914) Denny Field (1915–1928) Bryant–Denny Stadium (1929–present) Rickwood Field (alternate, 1912–1927) Cramton Bowl (alternate, 1922–1954) Ernest F. Ladd Stadium (alternate, 1948–1968) Legion Field (alternate, 1927–2003)

Bowls & rivalries	Bowl games Auburn: Iron Bowl (James E. Foy, V-ODK Sportsmanship Trophy) LSU Mississippi State Ole Miss Penn State Tennessee: Third Saturday in October

Culture & lore	History Saban era Traditions Big Al "Yea Alabama" A-Day 1922 Penn game Million Dollar Band Walk of Fame Paul W. Bryant Museum The Bear The Bear Bryant Show Porter Cup 1943 Informals

People	Head coaches All-Americans College Football Hall of Fame inductees NFL draftees Starting quarterbacks Statistical leaders Champ Pickens

Seasons	1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

National championship seasons in bold

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