By Hannah Saad
In his first Iron Bowl, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa led Alabama to a 52-21 win against Auburn. He threw for five touchdowns, which ties the single-season mark in Alabama history, alongside 324 yards. He also ran for a score.
Play of the game: Junior running back Josh Jacobs ran up the seam, leaving two Auburn defenders chasing behind him while Tua Tagovailoa lofted a perfect pass to him. He hauled it in and made a defender miss en route to his team-leading 12th total touchdown of the year.
Offensive player of the game:
Cody Estremera: Tua Tagovailoa
James Ogletree: Tua Tagovailoa
Defensive player of the game:
Cody Estremera: Shyheim Carter
James Ogletree: Anfernee Jennings
Fan players of the game:
Offense: Tua Tagovailoa
Defense: Anfernee Jennings
Notes:
Sophomore wide receiver Jerry Jeudy broke into the top five all-time in single-season receiving yards on Alabama’s opening drive. He finished the game in third place with 1,079 yards.
For just the second time this season, the Crimson Tide did not score on its first possession.
Tua Tagovailoa scored his fifth rushing touchdown of the season on Alabama’s second drive with 6:38 left in the first quarter.
Auburn responded with a four-minute, 73-yard touchdown drive, including a conversion on third-and-13, to tie the game at seven points apiece.
Henry Ruggs III caught his ninth touchdown of the year early in the second quarter. He added a second early in the fourth quarter, putting his season total at 10.
Auburn blocked an Alabama punt with 4:57 left in the first half. On the second play of the drive, the Tigers ran a trick play with receiver Ryan Davis throwing the ball to wide-open running back Malik Miller, who ran in untouched. That got Auburn within three points.
Head coach Nick Saban told CBS at halftime that Auburn was doing a good job of limiting Alabama’s explosive pass plays. On the third play of the second half, Tagovailoa threw a perfectly-placed deep ball to Jeudy, who raced into the end zone for his 11th score of the year.
Four plays later Josh Jacobs ran up the seam and Tagovailoa lofted a pass over two defenders to him. Jacobs made a man miss just before the goal line and stretched the ball over for his team-leading 12th score of the year.
Safety Jared Mayden was ejected from the game (and the first half of next week’s SEC Championship) for targeting in the third quarter. Mayden is a backup safety whose only time with the first-team defense comes in Alabama’s dime package (six defensive backs).
DeVonta Smith scored his fourth touchdown of the year on a 40-yard catch-and-run. On the play Alabama set the team record for most passing yards in a season, per Ben Jones of The Tuscaloosa News.
Tagovailoa threw his career-high fifth touchdown pass of the night early in the fourth quarter, a 22-yard lob to Ruggs III in the back of the end zone.