Is the ‘Jordan-Hare Voodoo’ real? Here’s some evidence

I asked a friend of mine — a former SEC placekicker — to tell me the hardest away game to play in the Southeastern Conference, and without hesitation he said, “Auburn. No doubt.”

Indeed, Auburn University’s Jordan-Hare Stadium is one of the hardest places to play for any opposing team. It could be the majestic flight of the eagle before each game, or the high-decibel roar of the home crowd, the intense passion of the fans or perhaps something more supernatural: some kind of Jordan-Hare voodoo.

After Saturday’s Iron Bowl, I am not ruling out the legend of “Jordan-Hare Voodoo.” Let me explain:

Something crazy tends to happen during the Iron Bowl at Jordan-Hare

Saturday, Alabama and Auburn faced off in the annual Iron Bowl, of course, and what ensued was one of the wackiest games in the series’ history, with the Crimson Tide winning 27-24 on an improbable touchdown pass by Alabama’s Jalen Milroe with a little more than 30 seconds left in the game.

The craziness of Saturday’s game carries some significance, because this season is the 10th anniversary of perhaps one of the wildest, most dramatic finishes in any college football game ever — much less in Iron Bowl history — when Auburn won the game on the now-legendary “Kick Six.”

So it seemed fitting that this year’s game would provide some drama. But was Alabama’s wacky win Saturday an “exorcism” of sorts of a supernatural power within Jordan-Hare Stadium? Auburn has always been able to pull out some strange and improbable wins at their home stadium, especially in the Iron Bowl.

Take these three games as examples:

The “Kick Six” – 2013

Alabama came into Jordan-Hare undefeated and looking to win their third straight national championship. Auburn, with one loss earlier in the season, had been quietly and steadily climbing the polls themselves, and the two teams met for a clash of top 10 teams.

The lead changed half a dozen times (oddly, Alabama had already missed 4 field goals in the game) and the game stood all tied up 28-28 with 0:01 left on the clock. Bama attempts a 57-yard field goal — which comes up short — but as we all know by now, the kick was returned 100 yards for a touchdown by Auburn’s Chris Davis for an Auburn win.

This moment in Iron Bowl history has become an iconic moment in all of sports history due to its drama, its championship significance and the incredible improbability of that ever happening in a game.

The Scissum fumble – 1997

Alabama came into the 1997 Iron Bowl with nothing to lose. The team was already guaranteed a losing season (just the Tide’s second losing season in more than three decades) so the Iron Bowl was the Tide’s de facto bowl game. With Auburn vying for a trip to the SEC Championship game, the Tigers found themselves down 17-6 heading in to the fourth quarter.

That’s when the voodoo stepped in. Auburn trimmed the lead to 17-15 with a touchdown (failed 2-point conversion) and a field goal. But Alabama had control, and with under two minutes left in the game, all the Tide had to do was control the clock. In fact, one first down would have sealed the win.

However, the Football Gods had other ideas. On third down with 1:36 left to play, Bama QB Freddie Kitchens threw a pass to fullback Ed Scissum for what appeared to be a game-clenching first down. However, Scissum was hit by Auburn DB Montavius Houston and fumbled the ball. Auburn recovered, and eventually kicked a game-winning field goal to take an 18-17 win.

First Iron Bowl at Jordan-Hare – 1989

Up until the 1989 season, the Iron Bowl was played at Legion Field in Birmingham. After some intense lobbying, Auburn was able to get their home game moved to their home stadium (makes sense) and the first trip the Crimson Tide would make to Jordan-Hare had national championship implications.

Alabama came into the game with a 10-0 record and ranked no. 2 in the country. The 8-2 Tigers were looking to keep the Tide out of the national championship hunt with an upset, but went into halftime down 10-7. The high-scoring machine that was the 1989 Crimson Tide offense wound up getting outscored 23-10 in the second half as Auburn secured a 30-20 victory and a share of the SEC title.

The first Iron Bowl in Auburn proved to be a foreshadowing of the mystique of Jordan-Hare. And in fact, it wasn’t until 1999 that Alabama was able to leave the Plains with a win.

Exorcising the demon?

The last two Iron Bowl games at Jordan-Hare may actually be evidence that the voodoo surrounding the stadium might be exorcised. Alabama has pulled off comebacks with under a minute to play in each of those games, utilizing perhaps some of that supernatural power on the host team.

The Overtime Game – 2021

Amazingly, until 2021, every Iron Bowl had been decided in regulation. And when Auburn took a 10-0 lead into the fourth quarter of the 2021 game at Jordan-Hare, it looked like that trend would continue.

Alabama trimmed the lead to 10-3 midway through the final quarter, but the bounces were all going in Auburn’s favor that day. Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young was sacked by Auburn a whopping seven times and the Tide had no answer for the Tigers’ pass rush.

And when Auburn (for the second time in the quarter) pinned Bama inside the 5-yard line on a punt with 0:53 left in the game, it looked like Auburn would complete the upset of the 3rd-ranked Tide.

But let’s back up for just a few seconds. Leading up to the Auburn punt that was recovered at the Alabama 3, AU runner Tank Bigsby made a rare and eventually crucial mistake. He went out of bounds on a second down run which stopped the clock and gave Alabama time to set up their defense, which led to a sack the next play and the eventual punt. Had Bigsby stayed in bounds, Auburn would have likely been able to run out the clock and win the game.

What ended up happening was a freakishly improbable 97-yard drive that led to a Jacory Brooks touchdown to send the game into overtime. Bama’s John Metchie ended up scoring in the 4th OT to secure the win for the Tide.

The Milroe Miracle – 2023

And that brings me to this year’s game. Similar to the 2021 game, Alabama faced improbable odds in the fourth quarter to win this game. In fact, ESPN analysts had the Tide at a 0.1 percent probability to win right before Alabama’s game-winning TD pass.

But let’s refer back to the voodoo. Alabama came into this game favored by more than two TDs. But Auburn handled the Tide all day long, and rushed for more than 300 yards against one of the best defenses in country. This, mind you, happening one week after the Tigers lost at home to heavy underdog New Mexico State.

But the voodoo seemed alive and well and working in Auburn’s favor most of the game. Two Alabama TDs were called back for penalties, as well as a crucial first down that would have set up a 1st-and-goal for the Tide, and two uncharacteristically absent-minded passes over the line of scrimmage inside the red zone hurt the Tide’s chances big time.

And when Alabama’s 2nd-and-goal snap flew behind Milroe back to the 26 yard line, it appeared to most that the voodoo was going to will the Tigers to a win.

But, on 4th-and goal from the 31, Milroe connected with Isaiah Bond for a touchdown with 0:36 left in the game. And the Tide would sneak out of Jordan-Hare with a 27-24 win.

Some other notable ‘voodoo games’ at Jordan-Hare

Alabama is not the only team to feel the negative effects of the Jordan-Hare Voodoo. The University of Georgia is well aware of the magic. One week before the famous “Kick Six” was the “Prayer at Jordan-Hare.”

Auburn was trailing UGA 38–37 with 0:37 left to play and faced 4th-and-18 inside their own 30. That when quarterback Nick Marshall threw a 73-yard touchdown pass to Ricardo Louis — a pass that should have clearly been intercepted but bounced off the hands of two UGA defenders and landed in the hands of Louis who streaked into the end zone for a 43-38 Auburn win.

The win was doubly sweet for Auburn, as a loss to UGA would have meant Alabama would automatically play in the SEC Championship game. So beating one of your biggest rivals while spoiling your other rival’s season makes for some pretty tasty victory soup.

We also shouldn’t forget just last season when Auburn found themselves facing a certain defeat at the hands of Missouri, who had run the clock down while inside the AU 5-yard line to set up a chip shot field goal during a 14-14 tie.

You can guess what happened next. As time expired, the 26-yard field goal attempt by Missouri kicker Harrison Mevis (who, incidentally, hit a 61-yard field goal to beat Kansas State) was no good, so the game went into overtime, where the Jordan-Hare Voodoo really took control.

Auburn kicker Anders Carlson missed a field goal attempt in overtime, but Mizzou was called for a penalty (the second time this happened in this game) and Carlson got to kick again. This time he made it.

Mizzou had a chance to win the game, but running back Nathaniel Peat fumbled a potential game-winning touchdown inches away from crossing the goal line in overtime. As he extended the ball across for the win, it slipped out of his hand and rolled into the end zone, where Auburn fell on top of it to survive.

These types of scenarios are what make Jordan-Hare an absolutely terrifying place to play if you are an opposing team. And it’s what is meant by “home field advantage.”

Do you have a favorite Jordan-Hare memory? Share it with us!

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