1971 Gator Bowl (January)
The 1971 Gator Bowl was a college football postseason bowl game between the unranked Ole Miss Rebels and the 10th-ranked Auburn Tigers, both of the Southeastern Conference. It was played in Jacksonville, Florida, on January 2, 1971, the day after the major bowl games.
Background
This was a matchup of two SEC teams, fourth-place Ole Miss and second-place Auburn, that rarely played each other. Although in the same conference, they had met only once since 1953, in the Liberty Bowl in December 1965.The Rebels made their fourteenth straight bowl appearance in Johnny Vaught's final full season as head coach, but it was their first Gator Bowl since 1958. This was Archie Manning's final game as Rebel quarterback. This was Auburn's third straight bowl game and first Gator Bowl since 1955. Auburn quarterback Pat Sullivan won the Heisman Trophy the following season.
Neither head coach was on the sidelines for medical reasons: from a mild heart attack and Auburn's Ralph Jordan was recovering from an appendectomy.
Scoring
First quarter- Auburn – Terry Beasley 8 pass from Pat Sullivan
- Auburn – Alvin Bresler 7 pass from Sullivan
- Auburn – Sullivan 37 run
- Ole Miss – Archie Manning 2 run
- Ole Miss – Floyd Franks 34 pass from Manning
- Auburn – Mickey Zofko 6 run
- Ole Miss – Jim Poole 23 pass from Shug Chumbler
- Auburn – Larry Willingham 55 punt return
- Ole Miss – Chumbler 1 run