1980 Auburn Tigers football team

The 1980 Auburn Tigers football team achieved an overall 5–6 record in their fifth year under head coach Doug Barfield and failed to win a single game in the SEC, losing all six games.^[1] The team was also serving its second year of probation.

1980 Auburn Tigers football
Conference	Southeastern Conference
Record	5–6 (0–6 SEC)
Head coach	Doug Barfield (5th season)
Defensive coordinator	P. W. Underwood (5th season)
Home stadium	Jordan-Hare Stadium
Seasons ← 1979 1981 →

1980 Southeastern Conference football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
No. 1 Georgia $	6	–	0	–	0			12	–	0	–	0
No. 19 Mississippi State	5	–	1	–	0			9	–	3	–	0
No. 6 Alabama	5	–	1	–	0			10	–	2	–	0
LSU	4	–	2	–	0			7	–	4	–	0
Florida	4	–	2	–	0			8	–	4	–	0
Tennessee	3	–	3	–	0			5	–	6	–	0
Ole Miss	2	–	4	–	0			3	–	8	–	0
Kentucky	1	–	5	–	0			3	–	8	–	0
Auburn	0	–	6	–	0			5	–	6	–	0
Vanderbilt	0	–	6	–	0			2	–	9	–	0
$ – Conference champion Rankings from AP Poll

A deep pall was cast over the season when legendary coach Ralph "Shug" Jordan died on July 17. Jordan coached the Tigers to a 176-83-6 record from 1951 to 1975, highlighted by the Associated Press national championship in 1957. Jordan's name was added to Auburn's stadium in 1973, the first coach to be honored while still active.

Auburn extended Doug Barfield's contract for the 1980 season. However, no head coach lasts very long at Auburn without beating arch-rival Alabama, which he failed to do in five attempts; he was dismissed as head coach following the 1980 season. During his tenure as head coach, Auburn "won 29 games in five seasons and produced 14 All-SEC and three All-American players."^[2] Doug Barfield compiled an overall record of 29–25–1 (.536)^[1] as head coach of the Auburn Tigers.

Three players were named to the All-SEC first team for 1980: running back James Brooks, defensive tackle Frank Warren, and offensive tackle George Stephenson.^[1]

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Rank	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 13	at TCU*	No. 18	Amon G. Carter Stadium Fort Worth, TX	W 10–7	22,812	[3]
September 20	Duke*	No. 19	Jordan-Hare Stadium Auburn, AL	W 35–28	57,742	[4]
September 27	Tennessee	No. 18	Jordan-Hare Stadium Auburn, AL (rivalry)	L 0–42	75,942	[5]
October 4	Richmond*		Jordan-Hare Stadium Auburn, AL	W 55–16	47,226	[6]
October 11	at LSU		Tiger Stadium Baton Rouge, LA (rivalry)	L 17–21	76,094	[7]
October 18	Georgia Tech*		Jordan-Hare Stadium Auburn, AL (rivalry)	W 17–14	57,950	[8]
October 25	at Mississippi State		Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium Jackson, MS	L 21–24	40,822	[9]
November 1	at Florida		Florida Field Gainesville, FL (rivalry)	L 10–21	63,274	[10]
November 8	Southern Miss*		Jordan-Hare Stadium Auburn, AL	W 31–0	56,800	[11]
November 15	No. 1 Georgia		Jordan-Hare Stadium Auburn, AL (rivalry)	L 21–31	74,900	[12]
November 29	vs. No. 9 Alabama		Legion Field Birmingham, AL (Iron Bowl)	L 18–34	78,549	[13]
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

^[2]

Roster

1980 Auburn Tigers football team roster
Players			Coaches
Offense Pos. # Name Class QB 5 Joe Sullivan So RB 21 James Brooks Sr FB 22 George Peoples Jr OT 78 Keith Uecker Jr WR 82 Byron Franklin Sr	Defense Pos. # Name Class DT 66 Frank Warren Sr DE 99 Edmund Nelson Jr	Special teams Pos. # Name Class	Head coach Doug Barfield Coordinators/assistant coaches Legend (C) Team captain (S) Suspended (I) Ineligible Injured Redshirt Roster

References

1. 2011 Auburn Tigers Football Media Guide, Auburn University Athletic Department, Auburn, Alabama, pp. 182–4,150–151 (2011). Retrieved August 19, 2011
2. 2005 Auburn Tigers Football Media Guide, Auburn University Athletic Department, Auburn, Alabama, p. 143 (2005). Retrieved August 19, 2011
3. "Auburn escapes with 10–7 win". The Abilene Reporter-News. September 14, 1980. Retrieved October 31, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
4. "Auburn holds off possessed Devils". The News and Observer. September 21, 1980. Retrieved October 31, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
5. "Tennessee bombs Auburn 42–0". The Montgomery Advertiser. September 28, 1980. Retrieved May 9, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
6. "Tigers rip Spiders". The Montgomery Advertiser. October 5, 1980. Retrieved October 28, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
7. "Soph fires LSU by Auburn, 21–17". The Knoxville News-Sentinel. October 12, 1980. Retrieved October 31, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
8. "Auburn one up on Tech". The Dothan Eagle. October 19, 1980. Retrieved October 31, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
9. "24–21, State's goal-line stand saved a MSU victory and may have cost Auburn's Doug Barfield his job". The Clarion-Ledger. October 26, 1980. Retrieved October 31, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
10. "Auburn fumbles to 21–10 loss". The Atlanta Journal & Constitution. November 2, 1980. Retrieved October 31, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
11. "Tigers dominate USM in homecoming victory". The Montgomery Advertiser. November 9, 1980. Retrieved March 25, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
12. "Georgia gets by Auburn". The Tampa Tribune-Times. November 16, 1980. Retrieved October 31, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
13. "Unlikely heroes lead Bama win". The Montgomery Advertiser. November 30, 1980. Retrieved February 19, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.