Great Games: 1982 Auburn
Thursday, October 12, 2006 | Football
As part of the celebration of the 100th season of Florida football, gatorzone.com will run a series of historical features throughout the preseason and the 2006 campaign. The series will give Gator fans an appreciation and understanding of the past teams and players that helped build the Gator football program.
During preseason practice, readers can learn about ground-breaking Florida teams of the past on Tuesdays and Thursdays with the “Great Teams and Eras” series. In addition to those stories, each Friday from the beginning of preseason practice until the season's first game will feature a look at one of Florida's legendary players as part of the “Gator Greats” series.
Once the season is underway, the look back in time will continue on Tuesdays and Thursdays with “Rivalries and Series” and “Great Games” entries relevant to the week's opponent. Occasionally, additional stories will be unveiled on Wednesday of game weeks when the opportunity arises.
Each of the features is being reprinted in a way that mirrors the original as much as possible. While records, figures and statistics have been updated, all references to people who helped shape Florida football's history reflect the time period in which the feature was written.
As the 2006 football season approaches, take some time to sit back and reflect on the teams, players and moments that all lead up to this, the 100th season of Florida Gator football.
By Norm Carlson
Jim Gainey and Brian Clark, a pair of Gator place-kickers in the early 1980s, will never forget the 1982 last-second victory over Auburn, but the memories last for different reasons.
Gainey, now an attorney in South Florida, can recall that game as the highlight of his Gator career. Clark can remember it as a payback for the lowest point during his illustrious Florida days as an All-SEC performer.
Florida had bowed at Auburn in 1981, 14-12, when Clark's 40-yard field goal attempt with seconds remaining was ruled inches wide. Clark, and several reporters standing directly behind the uprights, thought the kick had easily made it within the standards and was good.
Gainey booted a 42-yard field goal with one second remaining in 1982 for a 19-17 victory over the Tigers, and he dedicated the kick to his buddy Clark.
“I held on Brian's attempt in 1981 and there was no question it was good,” he said. “He got a raw deal. We talked about it the week of the '82 Auburn game and I told him if I got a chance to kick one it would be dedicated to him.”
Actually, Gainey kicked four field goals against Auburn that year, the same number Clark had booted the year before giving the Gators all 12 of their points.
The talented Tigers of '82 came into Gainesville with a 6-1 record, 3-0 in the SEC and ranked 18th in the nation. Their defensive team was among the national leaders and on offense they had Bo Jackson, college football's latest superstar.
Florida was 5-2 overall and only 1-2 in the conference.
The Gators dominated the game early, holding the Tigers to only two first downs until their final possession of the first half, and moving to a 10-0 lead on a nine-yard TD run by James Jones and Gainey's first field goal.
Auburn cut it to 10-7 right before halftime and Coach Pat Dye said later, “I told the team at halftime we were lucky as hell to be only three points down.”
The Tigers went up 14-10 after a 63-yard punt return by Lionel James set up a seven-yard scoring run by Jackson. Gainey brought Florida back to 14-13 with a 32-yard field goal in the third quarter and Auburn countered with a field goal early in the final period to move the margin to 17-13.
Then the Gators struck back with a long drive which resulted in Gainey's third field goal of the game, a 31-yarder with only 2:51 remaining, cutting the score to 17-16.
It set up one of the most dramatic finishes in Gator history.
Florida elected to attempt an on-side kick on the kickoff. Auburn had their top receivers up to catch the ball, including James, their star runner-kick returner who later played in the NFL for years with the San Diego Chargers.
The kickoff went to James, who was bumped by the Gators' Jimbo Pratt and the ball appeared to come loose. After the scramble it was awarded to Florida's Leon Pennington at the Auburn 45-yard line.
Pennington thought he had it. James thought he had it, but “the call could have gone either way, I guess.”
From that point, the Gators offense carefully worked the ball into position for Gainey's last-second heroics behind the running of Jones and John L. Williams.
With one second remaining it was field goal time for Gainey; however, Auburn called time out to make him think about it. What did he do on the sideline?
“I talked to Bobby Joe Green, the kicking coach, about frog-gigging,” he said. “I was going to do some after the game. Bob Hewko was going to be the holder. He was so nervous I told Bobby Joe to talk to him.
It all worked out for Gainey, as he booted the game-winning field goal in a dramatic 19-17 Florida win.
