Alabama had a successful end to its regular season, winning 28-14 over Auburn in the Iron Bowl and finishing the season 7-0 at home. Here is how the two teams matched up positionally.
Quarterback
It was the bounceback Jalen Milroe needed after his rough performance against Oklahoma last week. Milroe completed 18 of 24 passes for 256 yards and added 104 rushing yards and three touchdowns on the ground. However, turnovers were a problem, as he lost a fumble twice and threw an interception.
“We talk about resiliency for our team. I think that’s a good word to use for him,” head coach Kalen DeBoer said. “He had some good conversions, and I know there’s always a play or two that you always want back, but he just continues to stay the course.”
Auburn quarterback Payton Thorne’s last-ever college game wasn’t bad, as he went 24/41 with 301 yards and a touchdown, but he did throw a crucial interception in the fourth quarter. He also did well on the ground throughout the game, evading sacks and rushing for 42 yards.
Running back
Jam Miller had a career-high 28 carries on the day but wasn’t highly productive, with only 84 yards and 3.0 yards per carry, but he ran hard through a tough Auburn defensive line. Justice Haynes added seven carries for 20 yards and a rushing touchdown.
Auburn running back Jarquez Hunter had a couple of big runs of 15 or more yards and overall ran 13 times for 56 yards. Hunter also threw a pass on a trick play, but it was intercepted.
Receiver
It was a career day for Alabama wide receiver Germie Bernard. He had seven catches for a career-high 111 yards and had four catches of at least 15 yards or more.
“Germ [came] up with some big third-down catches. He’s just steady in that way and been that way all year,” DeBoer said.
It wasn’t as good of a day for Ryan Williams, who caught three passes for 53 yards but also lost a fumble and dropped what would’ve been a 55-yard touchdown pass from Milroe.
The tight ends were also active for Alabama, as CJ Dippre, Josh Cuevas and Robbie Ouzts combined to have eight catches for 92 yards.
Auburn was led by wide receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith, who had eight receptions for 116 yards. Cam Coleman also had a good day, snagging seven passes for 78 yards, including a 29-yard touchdown catch.
Offensive line
The Alabama offensive line only allowed one sack during the game, but numbers don’t tell the whole story, as Milroe repeatedly had to flee the pocket due to pressure from the Auburn defense. However, the unit helped the team get 201 rushing yards on the day.
It was a very similar story for the Tigers offensive line. Thorne was only sacked once, and he continuously fled the pocket and barely escaped sack attempts. Auburn also had limited success on the ground, amassing 98 yards.
Defensive line
Alabama nose tackle Tim Keenan III recorded his first sack since Week 2 and registered a quarterback hit. LT Overton had success generating pressure with two quarterback hits.
Keldric Faulk made some noise on the Auburn defensive line, recording six tackles and two tackles for loss. He also forced a Milroe fumble, which Alabama ultimately recovered. However, he recovered another Milroe fumble later in the game.
Linebacker
Jihaad Campbell continued to anchor the defense, leading the team with nine tackles and recording a tackle for loss and two quarterback hits. Justin Jefferson filled in for the injured Deontae Lawson and had six tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss.
Auburn’s Jalen McLeod recorded nine tackles, a sack and two forced fumbles on Milroe, both of which were recovered by the Tigers. Dorian Mausi led the team in tackles with 10 and had 0.5 tackles for loss.
Defensive back
The Crimson Tide secondary made plays all night. Safety Malachi Moore, who finished his career 5-0 against Auburn, was active, recording 0.5 tackles for loss, a quarterback hit and three pass breakups, as well as a few resounding hits. Domani Jackson played well in his first Iron Bowl, breaking up two passes and having a quarterback hit.
“When you have your defensive backs laying big hits, that’s a massive tone-setter,” Keenan III said.
Zabien Brown had an interception late in the fourth quarter to seal the win for the Crimson Tide, and Bray Hubbard picked off Hunter on the attempted trick play, marking Hubbard’s third turnover forced in just five starts.
Auburn safety Kaleb Harris was the one who forced the fumble on Williams, and he had a busy day in general, racking up nine tackles. Cornerback Caleb Wooden had an interception off Milroe and had a tackle for loss.
