Auburn Takes Down Alabama In Wild 48-45 Iron Bowl: ‘The Craziest Game I’ve Ever Played In’

After another wild Iron Bowl ended, the 16th-ranked Auburn Tigers came out on top defeating the fifth-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide by a final of 48-45. As Auburn’s field turned into a sea of orange and blue, players and coaches alike were beyond words as the nail-biter of a game came to a close. Auburn running back Shaun Shivers said, “That’s the craziest game I’ve ever played in.”

Fans were reminded of the 2013 Kick-Six game where Tigers’ Chris Davis returned a missed Alabama field goal for a 109-yard touchdown run. “When we play at home and we play them, we get to the fourth quarter, we find a way to win – 2013, 2017,”  said Auburn coach Gus Malzahn.

Despite being down star quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama held their own and led 31-27 at halftime. Mac Jones faced a difficult task against a mighty Auburn defense, but threw four touchdowns, three of which were to Kaylen Waddle. He also threw two pick-sixes, which proved to be disastrous for the Tide. In the end, Jones totaled 335 yards and went 26 of 39.

Auburn’s Bo Nix was not as flashy as normal, but was 15 for 30 in passes, with one for a touchdown and helped by adding zero turnovers. He also ran for a score.

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With a game as sought after as the Iron Bowl, tempers are sure to rise and that they did. The third quarter saw action when Auburn’s JaTarvious Whitlow and Alabama were flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct due to an altercation. A second came on Auburn’s side as receiver Seth Williams was flagged for a push to the head of Alabama linebacker Terrell Lewis, which forced Auburn to settle for a field goal.

Alabama came in needing help in order to make the playoffs, but after losing multiple regular-season games for the first time since 2010, their chances for a title shot are over. They still await a bowl invitation.

As for Auburn, the defense was fairly vulnerable this game, something that is uncharacteristic of this squad, but did manage to deliver some big plays. Whitlow ran for 115 yards, a promising sign from the sophomore running back. They now await a possibly better bowl destination than expected with this win after falling short to other top teams throughout the regular season.

Article by Austin Letorney