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Auburn Tigers © |
Miami Hurricanes |
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The Kickoff Classic Played August 27, 1984 at Giants Stadium East Rutherford, New Jersey |
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Teams' Belt Records
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Team |
Belt Reigns |
Overall Record |
Home Record |
Away Record |
Neutral Record |
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W |
L |
T |
PCT |
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
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| Auburn © | 1 | 5 | 1 | 0 | .833 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 2 | 1 | 0 | .667 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 |
| Miami, FLA | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 | ||||
Previous Belt Meetings: None
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1st |
2nd |
3rd |
4th |
Final |
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Auburn |
0 |
12 |
3 |
3 |
18 |
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Miami, FLA |
7 |
7 |
0 |
6 |
20 |
The top-ranked Auburn Tigers & coach Pat Dye met the 10th ranked Miami Hurricanes with first-year coach Jimmy Johnson in the 1984 Kick-Off Classic. The match-up was made after 5th ranked Miami won the 1983 National Championship by jumping over 3rd ranked Auburn in the final poll even though both had won their bowl games – Miami defeated top-ranked Nebraska while Auburn beat 8th ranked Michigan. The 1984 Auburn Tigers were very talented featuring All-SEC performers LB Gregg Carr, CB David King, OG Jeff Lott, DE Gerald Robinson, & DT Gerald Williams as well as RB Bo Jackson. Miami had a star-studded line-up featuring All-American WR Eddie Brown & QB Bernie Kosar. Kosar threw 2 touchdowns & PK Greg Cox hit two 4th quarter field goals as the Hurricanes defeated their second consecutive top-ranked team to claim The Belt with a 20-18 victory over the Tigers. Miami took the lead in the 1st quarter when Kosar hit WR Stanley Shakespeare on a 17-yard touchdown pass just 4:41 into the game. The Tigers tied the game at 7-7 in the 2nd quarter when QB Pat Washington threw a 31-yard touchdown pass to WR Clay Beauford but Kosar & Shakespeare connected again, this time on an 8-yard touchdown pass as the Hurricanes took the lead again at 14-7. The Tigers got a 42-yard field goal from PK Robert McGinty after Miami's RB Alonzo Highsmith fumbled but the Hurricanes still led 14-10. A bad snap on a punt attempt by Miami's P Rick Tuten was turned into an Auburn safety when Tuten fell on the ball in the end zone & Tigers’ S Tommie Powell fell on him but Miami still held a 14-12 halftime lead. McGinty’s 36-yard field goal accounted for the only points of the 3rd quarter giving Auburn a 15-14 lead. The 4th quarter saw McGinty & Cox trade 45-yard field goals so the Tigers still led 18-17. Cox's kick came after Hurricanes' LB Bruce Fleming hit Jackson causing a fumble. Cox 25-yard field goal came with 6:08 left in the game giving Miami the margin of victory. Auburn had a last chance as they got the ball back at their own 37-yard line with 3:25 left in the game but Washington pitched the ball over the head of RB Brent Fullwood & Miami's DE Julio Cortes fell on the ball allowing the Hurricanes to run out the clock. Kosar finished with 329 yards passing with 2 touchdowns while Highsmith rushed for 140 yards & All-American WR Eddie Brown had 8 catches for 157 yards. For Auburn, Washington threw for 124 yards with a touchdown & Jackson was held to 96 yards rushing. The Tigers finished the season 9-4; ranked 14th nationally while the Hurricanes finished 8-5 & ranked 18th nationally. Auburn would play for The Belt again in 1989.
