AP photo by Chris O’Meara Auburn freshman Wes Byrum had to kick the 43-yard field goal twice, but he was good on both in the final seconds of Auburn’s 20-17 win over No. 4 Florida in Gainesville, Fla., on Saturday night.

No dull moments in countdown to kickoff

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — I have a bad memory. A really bad one.

The only way to preserve the fantastic 24 hours I spent in Gainesville — from my landing Friday night at the airport (on a plane much too small for my tastes) to the kickoff of Auburn’s game against Florida in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Saturday night — would be to document it in this column. It’s one of the truly great ideas I have ever had.

I hope you enjoy.

Here is 24 hours I will never forget ... well, maybe.

Friday, 7:32 p.m.: My U.S. Airways plane lands on the Tarmac at Gainesville International Airport. It doesn’t take me long to bolt out of the rather small aircraft. I’m not a big lover of flying, especially when the plane runs into 25 mph cross winds during the landing.

7:50: I hop into my rental car — a brand spanking new Nissan Sentra that hums like a baby. But before they give me the keys, I have to give the rental car host general information.

Let me warn you, this is an embarrassing two minutes for me.

I proceed to give this nice host my wrong address and my wrong phone number. I gave him my old address from Jackson, Miss., and my old Mississippi cell number. I sheepishly ask if we can do this all over again.

As his Florida Gator tie bounces against his chest, he says, “Do you even know where you are?”

Yeah, it was as bad as it sounds.

8: I head to my hotel in Alachua, Fla. — about 10 minutes northwest of Gainesville. But it doesn’t take me 10 minutes ... more like 20. I took a wrong turn.

8:15: I head back into to Gainesville for a some food and drink with a fellow writer.

9:08: We stumble upon what looks like a pretty cool place — some kind of pizza joint across the street from campus and nearly in the shadows of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. The place is fairly quiet. Not a whole lot of people.

9:30: We’re done eating and begin to sip on some drinks. Still not a whole lot of people. There are a few tables open. I begin watching the South Florida-West Virginia game on ESPN. South Florida is dominating. I think, “Well maybe Auburn isn’t so bad.”

10: More people begin to file in.

10:25: The open seats fill with crazed Florida students.

10:45: The entire bar is now jammed with UF students. And all of them are having their fair share of alcohol. Some are rooting for South Florida, while other are pulling for the Mountaineers.

11:10: Wow. It’s packed. Students are throwing themselves over the bar for drinks, and you can’t move in the place. But my fellow scribe and I have great seats at the bar as we watch South Florida students storm the field after the big win. Dang, I think, “Is South Florida really that good?”

11:50: People are still piling in. I mean, really. No one else can fit. Go find another dang bar.

Saturday, 12:30 a.m.: OK, now things are starting to roll as some Auburn fans find themselves a table right in the middle of the bar, surrounded by the crew of diehard Gator fans.

12:45: Another Auburn fan walks into the bar. When he sees the other Tiger fans he says, “War Eagle.” Not a good move. To make matters worse, the Auburn gang, in unison, chants Waaaaaar Eagle, Hey!” Another bad — but bold — move.

12:46: Here begins the profanity-laced comments from the Florida students along with a few “Go Gators” cheers. The Auburn group is heavily outnumbered, so it smartly quiets down.

1:30: Last call for alcohol. For the next 10, 15, maybe even 20 minutes there is a mad rush to the bar for booze before everyone is cut off. Always fun.

2:15: My fellow writer and I venture to a local Gainesville restaurant, where we get verbally harassed by a waitress for the next 70 minutes.

3:25: After waiting almost 90 minutes for our food, we leave some cash for our drinks and split without eating.

3:55: Bedtime back in Alachua.

(fast forwarding 12 hours for space constraints)

3:55 p.m.: It’s off to the game. Yes, I know it’s four hours early, but I like to get a head start.

4:10: I hit some serious traffic on University Drive leading into the Florida campus.

On either side of the road, there are tailgators living it up — barbecuing, drinking and giving Auburn fans the Gator Chomp.

4:20: Still sitting in traffic, I see a woman dressed in Florida garb holding a drink in one hand and a sign in the other. It read, “You honk, we drink.” I honked .... she drank. Fun stuff.

4:30: Yep, still in traffic. It’s absolutely ridiculous.

4:32: Two probably underage Florida students are toting a keg down the road.

4:45: Finally, traffic thins and I find a spot to park 17 miles away from the stadium. Well, not exactly, but it’s nowhere close.

4:55: Walking through campus, I am accused of being an Auburn fan.

“Are you an Auburn fan?” an obviously intoxicated Auburn student yells from underneath a tent.

“No,” I respond.

“Well, then stop dressing like one,” he yells back. I was dressed like a typical professional reporter — khaki pants, dress shoes and a long sleeve striped, colored shirt. Apparently, he thinks that’s what all Auburn fans dress like.

I keep on walking, ignoring his idiotic comment as the tailgating crew laughs it up, pointing at me.

5:05: I meet a friend at a tailgate spot for a short chat and to see No. 3 Oklahoma fall to Colorado. Geeez. More parity in college football.

5:15: I continue the march to the stadium.

5:20: I get into the stadium, find the press box and head straight for the pregame press meal.

5:25: As I am standing in the buffet line, I spot good ol’ Terry Bowden, grabbing a soda.

5:30: I sit and eat some lasagna, corn and strawberry shortcake. Mmmm ... good.

5:40: A representative from the Capital One Bowl sits down beside me. Scott Rose is his name. I question him about his job.

He says it’s a voluntary position.

“It’s a great way to see college football game,” he says.

I whole heartedly agree and say, “Yeah, so is my job.”

5:45: Rose says that he also went to the Miami-Florida State game last week to scout it. I ask him more about the job and what he actually does.

He says that he travels to games Saturdays and then gives reports at a meeting the following Monday about the crowd turnout, atmosphere, etc.

6:15: I begin hacking this masterpiece.

7: It’s an hour before gametime, and the stadium is less than an eighth full. I’m going to assume alcohol has something to do with that.

7:45: As Auburn finishes warmups, the team trots off the field to a volley of boos and Gator Chomps. The stands are still not entirely full, about 60 percent.

7:56: The Florida band takes the field to a now packed stadium’s ovation and cheer. The band formed the letter “F” and then took the shape of Florida. It was cool.

8:03: I can’t even hear the band playing. It’s loud in here.

8:11: The game begins with the opening kick.