Part of the 1987–88 bowl game season, it featured sixth-ranked Auburn Tigers of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and the undefeated No.
[7] The Tigers (9–1–1) tied Tennessee on the road in September and lost 34–6 to independent Florida State at home in early November.
Unranked at the start of the season, the Orangemen won all eleven games and were unbeaten for the first time since winning the national championship in 1959.
[12] Auburn cracked the scoreboard first, following a 17-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Jeff Burger to wide receiver Lawyer Tillman, who had six receptions for 125 yards.
In the second quarter, Syracuse tied the game at seven on a twelve-yard touchdown pass from Don McPherson to wideout Deval Glover.