Prayer at Jordan-Hare, Bama Style
Isaiah Bond celebrates after making the game winning catch against Auburn.
At last, Alabama has an emphatic answer to the Kick Six.
Ten years after the legendary Chris Davis field goal return for a winning touchdown toppled the Tide and ended its quest for three straight national championships, Jalen Milroe connected in the corner of the endzone with sophomore Isaiah Bond on a 4th and 31 with 26 seconds to play and 8th ranked Alabama won its fourth straight against rival Auburn, 27-24. It was an improbable, spectacular end to a back and forth contest that saw the home team Tigers take a four point lead well into the fourth quarter only to experience immense heartbreak at the hands of a Tide team that refused to fall. Bama’s playoff hopes remain fully intact as they set their sights on top ranked and unbeaten Georgia next Saturday in the SEC title game in Atlanta.
The drama was thick throughout the context as Auburn, fresh off a stunning upset loss to New Mexico State, once again pushed the Tide to the brink, very similar to what they did two years ago when Bryce Young and 3rd ranked Alabama needed 4 overtimes to dispatch the Bryan Harson led Tigers on the Plains. Yet, the Crimson Tide snatched victory from the jaws of defeat in dramatic fashion, one that will go down in Bama lore forever. Forgotten will be the fact that the Tide did not play particularly well, especially on defense where they surrendered 244 yards on the ground to the Hugh Freeze led one-dimensional Tigers. Alabama struggled mightily with stopping quarterback keepers as Tiger signal caller Payton Thorne would only throw for 91 yards, but picked up an additional 57 yards on 15 carries. In addition, the Bama offense was plagued for the first time in weeks by penalties, committing 8 for 72 yards, including several in key situations. Two touchdowns were called back due to penalties while a third cost the Tide a first down deep in Auburn territory late in the third quarter. Instead, MIlroe and Bond will be added to the list of Bama legends Hunter, Stabler, Tiffin, Zoe, Mcelroy, Upchurch, and Young that slew the beast known as the Auburn Tigers. In addition, Jordan-Hare Stadium had been known as a house of horrors for the Tide, yet due to the last two dramatic Alabama victories on the Plains, Bama fans have to be looking at it with a sense of pure joy.
The game could not have started better for the Crimson Tide, as Auburn received the opening kick-off and managed to march 9 yards backwards in three plays. The Tide then marched 69 yards on 8 plays, capped off by a Rydell Williams 2 yard run that put the Tide ahead early, 7-0. Another three and out by Auburn gave Bama the ball on the Auburn 49 and on 3rd and 3, it looked like Bama would go up 14-0 as Kendrick Law took an end around untouched from 40 yards out, yet a holding call negated the touchdown and Bama punted a play later. Auburn’s big day on the ground began to hit stride as Auburn drove 68 yards in 5 plays, all on the ground, to even the score at 7. The big play came from junior taliback Jarquez Hunter, who ripped off a 42 yarder to the Tide 15 to set up Damari Alston’s two yard plunge into the endzone. On the day, Hunter would gain 93 yards on 14 carries while Alston picked up 85 yards on 10 carries to frustrate the Tide defense.
Bama would respond with a solid 12 play, 56 yard drive that stalled at the Auburn 14. Will Reichard split the uprights from 32 yards out to give Alabama a 10-7 lead at the 14:09 point of the second quarter. After the teams traded punts, Auburn struck again, this time in just three plays that covered 88 yards. Alston broke open a 56 yard run and Ja’Varrius Johnson’s first run of the season went over from 12 yards to give the Tigers a 14-10 lead. It was, however, short lived, as Milroe hit Jermaine Burton with a 68 yard pass to conclude their own three play drive and put the Tide up 17-14 at the half.
The third quarter opened with the Tide marching 71 yards in 12 plays, yet the drive stalled at the Auburn 4 and Bama had to settle for another Reichard field goal, this time from 22 yards out to put the Tide up, 20-14. On the strength of two nice Peyton Thorne completions, Auburn regained the lead at the 6:36 mark of the third quarter, as the transfer quarterback hit a wide open Johnson for his second touchdown of the day from 27 yards out to give the Tigers a 21-20 advantage. After the ensuing kickoff, Bama put together a nice drive, yet on a 3rd and 3 from the Tiger 15, Milroe scrambled to the 10 but a blindside block personal foul penalty negated the first down and pushed the Tide back to the 24. Two plays later, Reichard was wide right from 42 yards out. Auburn responded by driving to the Tide 4 before settling for a 21 yard Alex McPherson field goal that put the Tigers ahead 24-20 with 10:15 to play. The teams once again traded punts and after the Tide’s second three and out in a row, the fireworks began.
Bama faced a 4th and 3 at their own 25 with 4:48 left in the game. James Burnip has had a terrific season punting for the Tide, and his 45 yard blast was mishandled by Auburn’s Koy Moore and was recovered by Bama’s Jihaad Campbell at the Auburn 30. After a Milroe scramble for 11 yards and a one yard loss from Jase McClellan, Milroe was sacked by Marcus Harris, setting up a 3rd and 20 from the Auburn 29. Milroe escaped the pocket and gained 19 yards, setting up a 4th and 1 with just under 2:00 remaining. Bama looked like they would do the new “tush push”, yet instead pitched it out to tailback Roydell Williams who gained 3 yards for a first down at the Tiger 8 with 1:43 remaining. On first and goal, Williams would lose a yard. Bama’s early season struggles with exchanges out of the shotgun resurfaced at the worst possible time, as center Seth McLaughlin’s snap sailed past a surprised Milroe, who recovered the ball at the Auburn 26. On third down, Milroe scrambled out of the pocket but could not find an open receiver. He passed the line of scrimmage, then took several steps back and fired an incomplete pass down field. Bama was hit with an illegal forward pass penalty, which set up the play of the year (maybe decade). Facing 4th and goal from the Auburn 31 with 32 seconds to play and after an Auburn time out that left them with zero remaining, Bama went empty in the backfield with five wide receivers. Auburn chose to rush two with a spy on Milroe and dropped eight into coverage, double teaming the three inside receivers, yet leaving the Tide’s two outside receivers in single coverage. Milroe calmly maneuvered the pocket for 6 full seconds before unleashing a dime to fellow sophomore Isaiah Bond in the corner of the endzone, who made a perfect catch well in bounds for the stunning touchdown.
Auburn would return the ensuing kickoff to their own 15 and with 26 seconds left, Throne was hit and fumbled the ball into the endzone, which was picked up by an Auburn lineman and returned to the one yard line. The clock continued to tick, and with no timeouts remaining, Auburn was able to get off one last play, a Thorne pass that was picked off by Bama’s Terrion Arnold who returned it to the Auburn three as time ran out. Tide players and coaches rushed the field as Tiger players collapsed or stared in disbelief.
Alabama would outgain Auburn 451 to 337, with Milroe continuing his brilliant campaign by completing 16 of 24 passes for 259 yards and two touchdowns. He also would rush for a team high 107 yards on 18 carries. Burton led the way for the Tide with 107 receiving yards on 4 catches followed by hero Bonds hauled in 5 passes for 75 yards, including the winning 3 yard snag. A win over a rival, although not pretty, could be a catalyst for the Tide to play its best game next week against Georgia, and they are going to need it as the two-time defending national champions are on an SEC record streak of 29 straight wins. Their last loss? A 41-24 setback to the Crimson Tide in the 2021 SEC title game where Bryce Young essentially locked up the Heisman Trophy with his performance against the Bulldogs. Similar heroics will be needed by many in Bama uniforms if they are to dethrone the champions from Athens. Yet, without question, the Saban led Tide will enter next week’s contest with everything on the line, and with momentum that could only come from a victory for the ages over the Auburn Tigers.
