Nick Saban reaffirms Jordan-Hare stadium 'haunted' ahead of Auburn vs Georgia

The ghosts of Jordan-Hare Stadium appear to still haunt Nick Saban two years after his retirement. On an October night in Auburn, they could be back out in full force against Georgia on Saturday night.

This isn’t the first time the former Alabama head coach has declared the home of the Auburn Tigers “haunted.” He has since doubled down on his feelings toward the venue ahead of Georgia‘s road trip to Jordan-Hare during Week 7.

“You’ve got the tip-six, which I watched, because Auburn was basically out of the SEC race. They win that game on that,” Saban said. “Two weeks later, they beat us on the kick-six, knock us out, get themselves in (the SEC title game). But this place, I told you this before, it’s haunted. I mean, it absolutely is haunted.

“I mean, we lost games there in overtime, we won games in overtime. We went out on the grave-digger on 4th & 31 and then they’ve come back and beat us. Got 12 guys on the field when they have a quarterback in on the punt. I mean, there’s been some of the craziest stuff that has happened, and this may be the only stadium in the country where I have a losing record.”

Saban is a little off on the record — as during his tenure at Alabama he compiled a 5-4 record against his program’s bitter rival in Jordan-Hare. Still, it’s clear that some of those all-time great Iron Bowl moments have been seared into his memory, just like it has for many fans on both sides of the aisle.

The one moment Saban mentioned that didn’t happen in the Iron Bowl — the tip-six. Georgia fans will remember that moment all too well.

In 2013, Auburn defeated Georgia 43-38 following a tipped pass thrown by QB Nick Marshall and caught by WR Ricardo Louis. The pass appeared to be broken up by a pair of Georgia defenders, but Louis tracked it and it fell right into his hands for the 73-yard go-ahead score in the final minute of the game.

Since them, Georgia is 4-1 against Auburn on the road. The Tigers bested the Bulldogs 40-17 during the 2017 season. However, Georgia earned its win back in the SEC Championship game later that year.

The Bulldogs will return to the Plains for a 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff against the Tigers in their home stadium. ABC will air the national broadcast.