Bo Jackson’s Final Auburn Chapter That Still Echoes Today
It’s almost impossible to talk about the 1985 Auburn Tigers without talking about Bo Jackson—because that entire season, from start to finish, felt like one long story orbiting around him. And even now, decades later, the memories of that year still feel alive, still feel raw, and still feel like a reminder of how close Auburn came to something unforgettable.
Looking back, everything really began a year earlier, in 1984, when a simple misheard play call became part of Auburn lore. On a fourth-and-goal chance to win the Iron Bowl, Brent Fullwood was supposed to run right, but Bo, the lead blocker, went left. The whole thing unraveled in a split second, and Alabama escaped with the win. That moment stuck with Auburn—coaches, players, fans—because it felt like a stolen opportunity, one that would quietly follow them into 1985.
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Now jump to the start of that ’85 season. Auburn entered ranked No. 1 in the country, expected to be an unstoppable force. But despite the talent—Bo, Tommie Agee, Fullwood—the Tigers switched from the wishbone to the I-formation, and their quarterbacks never truly settled. Even after two convincing wins, something felt off, and it all unraveled in Knoxville when Tennessee ran Auburn off the field. Bo got hurt, the offense sputtered, and suddenly that No. 1 ranking was long gone.
Everything built toward the 1985 Iron Bowl, Bo’s final one. And just to raise the stakes even higher, it was later revealed he had fractured two ribs the game before. Still, he went out and delivered—scored a touchdown, anchored long drives, and kept Auburn in a game that felt destined to become a classic. And of course, it did. Lead changes, tension rising, the crowd barely breathing—and then Alabama’s Van Tiffin stepped up and drilled a 52-yard field goal as time expired. “The Kick.” The moment that shattered Auburn’s hopes and sealed one of the most dramatic endings in college football history.
Auburn players walked off that field like their souls had been taken. The season that began at No. 1 ended at 8-4, their only real trophy being Bo’s Heisman.
But even now, players and coaches look back and say the same thing: that year was about resilience. About a team fighting through chaos. And about Bo Jackson—injured, doubted, unstoppable—creating a legacy that still feels almost mythical today.
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