coach doug dickey's 1976 gators and coach doug barfield's tigers played a strong defensive game, with the gators' winning margin coming on two pass plays—with some help from auburn's mascot. the decisive score came late in the game when gators quarterback jimmy fisher tossed a short pass to wide receiver wes chandler, who caught it, reversed direction twice, and weaved his way through the entire auburn defense for a 64-yard touchdown reception and run. after chandler ran out of the end zone, auburn's war eagle, tiger, jumped off its perch to avoid a collision, her talons grazing chandler's shoulder pads, an encounter chandler later described as an attack. for decades, a coincidental 15-yard penalty assessed on the ensuing kickoff against auburn for a late hit on chandler has been mistakenly reported as an infraction stemming from interference by a mascot. florida won 24−19.