Alabama returned to action for the Iron Bowl Saturday, showing flashes of dominance in a 28-14 victory over in-state rival Auburn.
“The biggest thing we did was embrace what this game means,” quarterback Jalen Milroe said. “It was important to get this win with so many things that are going on with our football team. I thought it was a good opportunity for us to go out there and compete.”
A stagnant Auburn offense and a pair of Alabama fumbles resulted in a lack of scoring early.
Milroe scored the first points of the game, rushing 19 yards to the end zone for a touchdown, putting the Crimson Tide up 7-0 with 3:18 left in the first quarter.
Milroe threw an interception on the team’s next drive, and the Tigers took advantage of a 72-yard drive that resulted in a 37-yard field goal. This brought the score to 7-3 in favor of Alabama halfway through the second quarter.
The Crimson Tide found a quick answer via a second Milroe rushing touchdown on a 75-yard drive where the team converted on multiple third downs.
After holding Auburn to a punt, Milroe fumbled the ball with 1:40 left in the second quarter, setting the Tigers up with great field position at the Alabama 34-yard line.
After the turnover, Auburn was forced to kick a chip-shot field goal despite having a first and goal at the Alabama 1-yard line. This made the score 14-6 heading into halftime.
The Crimson Tide came out of the break red-hot, driving 75 yards down the field to punch in a touchdown on a 2-yard run from running back Justice Haynes.
After a defensive stop that included a sack on Auburn quarterback Payton Thorne, Alabama put together a 60-yard drive that ended with Milroe’s third rushing touchdown of the evening. At this point, the Alabama lead had grown to 28-6.
Thorne and the Tigers answered by uncorking a 29-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Cam Coleman and converting on a 2-point conversion attempt to make the score 28-14.
Auburn continued to apply pressure, forcing a second Milroe fumble and setting up shop at the Alabama 49-yard line with 12:47 left to play in the fourth quarter.
The Tiger’s momentum suddenly vanished when a trick play turned into a disaster, resulting in an Alabama interception from defensive back Bray Hubbard.
“He’s been waiting for his opportunity,” head coach Kalen DeBoer said of Hubbard. “There’s a lesson that a lot of players that are young, guys that are waiting for their time, can take from what he did this year. He’s a guy that plays with passion.”
Both teams took turns with the football, but defensive back Zabien Brown’s interception with 2:29 left sealed the game for the Crimson Tide.
“Our focus was on the right things, focusing on this game and what we can control,” DeBoer said. “We did the things we needed to do.”
Despite multiple turnovers, Milroe performed much better this week than in Alabama’s blowout loss to Oklahoma last week. He ended the game with 3 rushing touchdowns and 104 rushing yards to go along with 256 passing yards.
“We talk about reliance on the team, and I think that’s a good word to use for him,” DeBoer said. “It’s hard being the quarterback of any football team, and I think it’s hard being the quarterback of a program that expects to win every game.”
Wide receiver Germie Bernard was the Crimson Tide’s top-performing receiver, hauling in 7 receptions for 111 yards.
“Germ came up with some big third-down catches,” DeBoer said. “He’s just steady and he’s been that way all year.”
On the ground, running backs Justice Haynes and Jam Miller each had solid games. Haynes rushed for 20 yards and a touchdown, while Miller ran for 84 yards.
The Crimson Tide got some outside help for its playoff chances from South Carolina, which beat No. 12 Clemson, and Syracuse, which beat No. 6 Miami. Alabama will see where it stands during the College Football Playoff rankings show on Tuesday evening, the last before the official selection show next Sunday.
