AUBURN, Alabama — The Iron Bowl makes players into legends.
Moments are magnified. Games garner monikers.
For Auburn, facing Alabama is different than for other programs around the country. That’s what seventh-year Auburn coach Gus Malzahn believes, particularly after beating the Tide for the third time in his seven seasons as head coach. He’s one of only two coaches in history to accomplish that feat against Nick Saban, the man considered the best coach in modern college football history.
“You know, he's a great coach,” Malzahn said. “Everybody knows that, but this is Auburn and they're Alabama. This is the best rivalry in college football. It's not about me. It's about our players. Our players believe they can beat them. All the other teams, for the most part, hope.”
Can anyone argue against Malzahn’s stance? Programs hope to defeat the Tide, but Auburn believes it can actually roll them every season. Malzahn is responsible for nearly one-third (3) of Alabama’s losses (10) since he became head coach at Auburn in 2013. Only Les Miles has won as many games against Saban, and only one other coach in the SEC owns a victory against Saban: LSU coach Ed Orgeron, who picked up win No. 1 this season against the Tide.
“It’s just a culture thing,” Auburn quarterback Bo Nix said. “I feel like Auburn and just a few other teams, we’re the only ones that can consistently play with them. That’s something to be said for this school. It’s a mindset going in. It’s a rivalry. We just come to play every time we play them.”
Two of the three wins in the Malzahn era were instant classic, with one second proving to be the difference in both wins: the Kick Six in 2013 and the 48-45 victory Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Officials agreed with Malzahn’s plea to add 1 second to the clock at the end of the first half Saturday, allowing Anders Carlson to kick a 52-yard field goal before halftime. The kick proved to be the difference as Alabama attempted to tie the game with 2 minutes remaining in the game, but watched as Joseph Bulovas’ 30-yard field goal ricochet off the left upright.
“Fifteen-round fight, man,” Auburn linebacker K.J. Britt said. “You’re either going to give in, in the fight — you’re going to give up — or you’re going to give it all you’ve got. … We was cornered. Just like in a boxing match, sometimes you get cornered, man, and you’ve got to swing your way out of there, swing your way out the corner, get it back to the middle of the ring. That’s the only thing that we kept talking about. ‘Hey, 15-round fight. 15-round fight.’ Kudos to them. Like I said, they fought hard and they played good. But we had to get the job done.”
The game featured 10 lead changes, three ties and 48 points in the second quarter. Auburn returned two interceptions for touchdowns, including a ball ricocheting off the back of Tide running back Najee Harris in the end zone for a 100-yard return by linebacker Zakoby McClain, and Alabama speedster Jaylen Waddle scored four touchdowns, including a 98-yard kickoff return.
But what does it mean? Auburn earns bragging rights in the state for a year. The Tigers also knocked Alabama out of playoff contention.
But consider the bigger picture from a decade filled with amazing Iron Bowl moments. Auburn traded jabs with Alabama during one of the most dominating runs in college football history. Alabama won four national championships in the 2010s, but Auburn managed a 4-6 record against the Tide. Auburn also managed to win a national title and two SEC championships, and appear in two national championship games during the same stretch.
Seven of Alabama’s 10 losses since 2013 have come against Malzahn (3), Dabo Swinney (2) and Hugh Freeze (2). Half of Alabama's six regular-season losses since 2013 are against Malzahn. The Auburn coach has also won two of the last three Iron Bowls.
“I beat ‘Bama twice,” senior safety Jeremiah Dinson said. “[In] 2017 I was going buck crazy, but this one, I just sat there and just soaked in the moment. I cried a little bit, shed a few tears because, man, it’s crazy. This is the one I wanted. I’ve been ready for this game a long time, just thinking about it, thinking about the whole year. Man, we got the win, and I’m just so happy.”
Why does Auburn expect to beat Alabama while others “hope,” as Malzahn explained?
“Oh, because we’re Auburn and they’re Alabama — and we’re better,” said Auburn running back Shaun Shivers, who scored a touchdown against the Tide last week.
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