Georgia Quarterback’s Family History Revisits Infamous 1972 Auburn Game
AUBURN, Ala. – As Gunner Stockton prepares to lead the University of Georgia Bulldogs against the Auburn Tigers this Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium, a decades-old rivalry incident involving his grandfather, Allyn Stockton, resurfaces, adding a unique layer to the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry. The 1972 game, remembered as the “Game Between the Hoses,” saw a chaotic scene unfold after Georgia’s victory, fueled by a perceived slight from Auburn fans.
The incident began after georgia secured a 28-21 win, prompting Bulldog fans to rush the field. According to accounts, Auburn fans began tearing up the hedges surrounding the field, a tradition fiercely protected by the university. Allyn stockton, then a Georgia student, was among those who joined the party, and was briefly detained by Auburn police. “They took me in and put me in front of the judge and the judge says, ‘What was Mr.stockton charged wiht?’ They say, ‘We didn’t charge him with anything.’ Really? Yeah, so that was that. They didn’t charge him with anything,” Stockton recalled.
The aftermath saw Auburn officials prepare for potential retaliation, stationing campus police with water hoses around the hedges. “The reason they had the water hoses there was because they were anticipating retribution, that’s what that was all about. I guess they thought we were going to be Harvey Updyke and poison the oaks at Toomer’s Corner,” allyn Stockton explained, referencing a later incident at Auburn involving the poisoning of the iconic Toomer’s Corner oaks.
Frederickson, a family friend who accompanied Stockton in 1972, stated, “I’ll be honest with you: We were never going back. I have not been back yet.Whether I go this time or not, it’s still up in the air. We were never coming back to that town. I stopped at Buc-ee’s there in Auburn. That’s about as close as I’ve gotten to the university of Auburn.”
Despite the past tension, Allyn Stockton views the incident with a degree of nostalgia. “It’s kind of like John Riggins at Sandra Day O’Connor’s reception, you know? At the time, it’s very embarrassing and you wanted to keep it quiet. but as time goes on, it’s just kind of part of the legend.”
Gunner Stockton, now a starting quarterback for the Bulldogs, has a connection to another Georgia legend through his relationship with Julianna Dooley, granddaughter of the late Vince Dooley. He learned about his grandfather’s 1972 experience “probably like two years ago when [his] dad didn’t really talk much about it,” finding it a ”pretty funny story” and “cool to share that memory with him.” As the current generation of Stocktons prepares to compete in the rivalry, the echoes of the “Game Between the Hoses” serve as a reminder of the enduring passion and history that define the Georgia-Auburn matchup.
