We tracked down Mike Bugar, a junior defensive lineman for the Noles in 1967. Mike went on to be an assistant coach on the college level, but says he's never forgotten the 37 - 37 tie with Bama -- even if it was 40 years ago:
"The game in '65 we felt kind of tentative. But the one in '67, we felt good about ourselves. We really felt that we should have won that game. But Alabama kinda woke up and got pissed off.
"One of the things I remember about that game is we
returned a
punt for a touchdown (or a long gain). And it was run to Alabama's sideline. As I was going by I remember Bear Bryant taking off his hat and throwing it on the ground and asking 'Do we have our best in the there!?'
"I remember missing a tackle on Ken Stabler on an option play on Alabama's two-point conversion that made it a tie. I remember feeling bad after the game because I missed that tackle.
"We felt like we were going to spring a surprise on Alabama. Danny Ford played in that game, he was an offensive tackle. I later worked for Danny at Clemson. He never would say much about that game except that we were lucky."
Photos courtesy of the Paul W. Bryant Museum, Tuscaloosa.
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