Auburn Daily

Nick Saban's Premonition of Auburn Win Over Texas A&M: 'That Place is Haunted'

Former Alabama coach Nick Saban warned Texas A&M ahead of their game with Auburn that stranger things happen at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
Daniel Locke|
Former Alabama Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban saw his share of improbable games at Auburn's Jordan-Hare Stadium.
Former Alabama Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban saw his share of improbable games at Auburn's Jordan-Hare Stadium. | Sara Diggins/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

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From the Kick Six, to The Prayer, to 4th-and-31, the Auburn Tigers have benefitted from the impact of its home field while also being hurt by it.

Former Alabama head coach and ESPN analyst Nick Saban, who went 5-4 in his career when playing at Jordan-Hare Stadium, issued a warning to Texas A&M about what to expect when taking the field against Auburn on the road.

“I would be alerting Texas A&M,” Saban said. “In my opinion, in 17 years of playing in Jordan-Hare, that place is haunted. The way we lost games there, the way we won games, it’s unbelievable. The Kick Six, and then ‘Gravedigger’ last year, I’m telling you, the place is haunted.”

The warning could have been useful for the Aggies earlier in the week, particularly when head coach Mike Elko seemingly snubbed the Tigers.

“Our focus is single-handedly on Texas, I mean on Auburn right now,” Elko said.

It appears that Elko’s original thought was correct and Texas A&M had their eyes on its matchup with Texas. In a matchup that had “trap game” written all over it, Auburn pulled off the upset and likely spoiled the Aggies’ chances of competing in the College Football Playoff this season.

Texas A&M was down 21-0 in the second quarter before taking a 31-28 lead with 4:01 left in the fourth quarter. Auburn drove down the field for walk-on kicker Ian Vachon to hit a game-tying field goal to force overtime.

Payton Thorne connected with KeAndre Lambert-Smith, who made a spectacular catch, in the fourth overtime period to put the Tigers in front 43-41. A drop by Texas A&M’s Amari Daniels sealed the deal.

Haunted, indeed, Coach Saban. Texas A&M should have listened to the warning given by one of the game’s all-time greats.

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Daniel Locke
DANIEL LOCKE

Daniel is a staff writer for four Sports Illustrated/FanNation sites: Auburn Daily, Braves Today, Inside the Marlins and Wildcats Today. Additionally, he serves as the Auburn Athletics beat reporter for 1819 News. He is a junior at Auburn University majoring in journalism.

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