to adequately describe my experience Saturday at the Auburn-UGA game, but I will do my best to convey them.

I am not, nor have I ever been, one of those 365 day a year-my college is great and your's sucks guys. I'm just not. But I love Auburn. I love the town, the school and the people.

That said, I can't tell you why I haven't been back since the UGA game in 1994. Molly and I just seemed busy. We talked about going, but there was always something. While our friends were still in school or just out of school and still going back for all of the home games, we were busy trying to make it, working hard and playing hard here when time and funds allowed.

And like many other interests that fall by the wayside over the years, we just never seemed to have (or to make) time to do it. By the time we'd start thinking of football season, it would usually BE football season. If any of you have ever tried to get big game tickets before a big game, you know how tough and expensive that can be.

But I never lost my love for Auburn football in particular or Auburn in general. I often catch myself thinking back fondly of our time at Auburn and, during games, I usually wind up thinking back to big games we attended at Jordan-Hare.

One sidebar comment here. Why is it that so many people still mispronounce Jordan-Hare Stadium? I mean, you don't hear people say Samford Stadium or Stanford Stadium or Nayland Stadium or Ben Hill Griffiths Stadium. So why in Christ's name can people not say Jer-dun Hair Stay-dee-yum? Okay, back to my trip down memory lane...

I must first say thank you to my wife for giving up a Saturday of team parenting so I could go to the game. Combined with the fact that we would not be doing one of our favorite things (watching Auburn football games together), that was a pretty big sacrifice on her part. Lauren also chose not to take a nap that day which makes the task infinitely tougher. Thanks baby.

I would also like to thank my neighbor and friend Pete, who invited me to the game. Expect something in your stocking for Christmas, Pete.

Thanks also to young Pete, whose conflicting schedule allowed me to go.

Man, what a day it was.

We hit the road a little after 9am est for sides at WalMart and some gas and coffee. Let it be known that THIS was the day that my chronic over-packing might actually have cost us. I didn't know the story of the folks we were to be tailgating with, so I took extra stuff: extra brats and sausages, I packed a case of water, a case of sodas and two cases of beer. The cooler weighed about 100ish pounds. Since we had to park about 3/4 of a mile from the tailgate site, this could end up being a problem.

We had a great ride, sharing stupid college stories and talking football. There is seldom a more enjoyable car ride than the one taking you to a game. The day is still full of hope and promise, there's food to be eaten and drink to be drunk and all is right with the world.

We hit campus in time to drop off our stuff at the site next door to the library. We got parked (more than a little illegally considering I was in some trees on a sewer cap on the corner of a one way street and possibly pointing the wrong way) and headed into town for a little shopping.

Heading into J&M we passed a short line for autographs with Bill Newton and Coach Pat Dye. Newton (for those of you NOT from SEC country or the state of Alabama, Newton was the guy that blocked two punts that were returned for TD's in the 1974 Punt Bama Punt game).

Anyway, the folks we tailgated with were very kind and very prepared, right down to the two flat screen displays hooked up to satellite dishes and mixing boards so we could keep up with all of the early games around the country.

It's been 15 years since I was in college and 11 10 since I was at a game on campus at Auburn, but I just don't ever remember a game where all the surrounding activity was so big. Not even the 1989 Alabama game where the Tide came to Auburn for the first time ever. It was just so big and so loud and so alive that it's quite simply tough to accurately describe.

We headed for the stadium about an hour before kickoff. The atmosphere was absolutely electric. Walking to our seats I was literally having flashbacks from past games: The Florida game in Emmitt Smith's last season at Florida where they lost here and he left the field under an ESPN banner that said:

Emmitt
Smith
Prefers
Nylons

The Alabama game in 1989 where they came in number two in the country and 10-0, only to lose 30-20, the UGA game with the fire hoses, the LSU game with the four interceptions for touchdowns, the Tennessee game where Quentin Riggins knocked an entire weekend of memories out of Reggie Cobb, and all of the memories that came with those games.

As the timer on the scoreboard ticked down until gametime, the adrenaline was absolutely shooting through my body. The whole thing was astounding. The band, the flight of Tiger, the AU formation with the players taking the field, all of it.

By the time kickoff came, I was ready to throw up. Really.

Then the ball fell off the tee, I gathered myself, and suddenly was overcome with a sense of calm.

UGA drove the length of the field, then stalled, and the result was a field goal attempt that an 8-year-old boy would laugh at. No good. Auburn ball.

Auburn drove the length of the field and finished the job by scoring on a nifty option pitch by Jason Campbell to Carnell Williams. 7-0 Auburn.

From that point on, UGA had nothing to offer. They looked tired, like a team playing seven consecutive games does. But they also looked outcoached, which surprised me.

Auburn is usually the team making mental mistakes and taking dumb penalties, but UGA did that this time. The had several 6 man on the line penalties, dumb personal fouls, and procedural penalties that they usually don't incur.

They also never challenged Auburn by throwing downfield, which I think was their downfall.

Conversely, Auburn looked sharp, relaxed and focused, but as intense as I'd ever seen. Every play meant the game to them, and they won most of them.

I was pleasantly surprised to see Mark Bellhorn (Red Sox 2nd baseman) introduced as a former Auburn student. I have made the "if the Sox can win, why can't we" analogy for weeks, and that made my point for me.

Besides the first drive and the last one (which resulted in a meaningless touchdown with just over two minutes to go), Auburn owned Georgia this day. If they played 10 games, UGA'd probably still win six. But on this day, Auburn was not to be denied.

Final score: Auburn 24 - Georgia 6.

First joke of the week:

When it's 4:34 in Auburn, what time is it in Athens?

24 to 6.

I sat around some great folks who spent the entire day being very kind to an overwhelmed former student. They particularly enjoyed the following dialog:

Me (at our tailgate site): Where are we peeing?
Them: At the library next door.
Me: Where is the head in there?
Them: You know, halfway back on the left.
Me: To be honest, I don't know. This'll be my second time in that building, and the first time I was looking for someone.

I was awfully surprised that everyone brought beer into the library with them. I mean, yes it's game day but this IS a college library. You'll be happy to know that I poured mine out before entering.

With our post-coital smiles glued on our faces, we headed back to get more beer, food and head up to Toomer's Corner. For those of you that don't know, this is where folks gather after a win to roll the trees. In all of my years, I had only rolled Toomer's once, and that was after the hoops team beat Kentucky AT Kentucky after a game winning three-point shot by John Caylor.

We headed up there, and it was packed. Hell, the band had walked up from the stadium and was playing. Folks were throwing their Auburn toilet paper (purchased outside of the stadium for a buck a roll) and covering everything in site.

After a while, we headed back, had another hot dog or three, got the car, loaded up and headed for home. We had a nice ride, it only took us 20 minutes to get to the highway and a little under two hours to get home from there.

Upon arrival, I was pleased to learn that young Pete had irritated his UGA neighbors immensely by playing War Eagle in the driveway ON HIS TRUMPET every time Auburn scored or made a big play. Pete, your dad was proud.

When I got home, I watched the game on tape, and it was still great.

I told Molly on Sunday that next year, even if it's for a Northeast Louisiana State game, we HAVE to go back to Auburn for a game. I miss that feeling of being on campus with your friends and family. That school and that time were integral parts of of our lives, and being there again felt great.

I will write more about this and other stuff later. I told you this would be an odd post.

However, I will leave you with this:

War Eagle baby!!