Tag: Iron Bowl

DeVonta Smith shocks Cam Newton with response to Iron Bowl rivalry

While on Cam Newton’s podcast, former Alabama WR DeVonta Smith says that even without Saban it will never be Auburn’s time.

Former Alabama wide receiver DeVonta Smith let out a chuckle and a hilarious comeback when former Auburn football star quarterback Cam newton told Smith that now might be Auburn’s time

Newton stated “I think it’s our time now,” referring to Auburn being the leading football team in the state now that head coach Nick Saban has retired.

The former Heisman Trophy-winning wide receiver laughed and responded by saying, “Ain’t gonna never be y’all’s time.” Newton seemed rather surprised by Smith saying this, but it’s safe to say most Crimson Tide fans feel the same way.

New head coach Kalen DeBoer will now have to take over the Alabama program, which comes with dealing with the in-state rival. The first Iron Bowl for DeBoer should be a memorable one.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Alabama football as the 2024 offseason progresses.

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Everything Bruce Pearl, Auburn’s players said after rivalry win over Alabama

Following Wednesday’s dominant rivalry win over Alabama, here is what Bruce Pearl, Johni Broome and Jaylin Williams had to say on the game.

The No. 11 Auburn Tigers are finding their stride again and are feeling as hot as any team in the nation. They picked up a huge rivalry win on Wednesday night, defeating No. 16 Alabama, 99-81, in round two of the Iron Bowl. Now, they find themselves in a four-way tie for first place in the SEC.

After the game got off to a back-and-forth start, Auburn took firm control of the game heading into halftime, grasping a 14-point lead. With some halftime adjustments, the Tigers’ defense flustered the Crimson Tide and helped them hold onto that lead and expand it to win by 18.

Auburn’s inside game was a key factor like it has been all season. The front court, led by both [autotag]Johni Broome[/autotag] and [autotag]Jaylin Williams[/autotag], had electric nights, scoring 24 and 26 points, respectively.

Head coach [autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag] was highly impressed with how his team handled the game plan. He spoke on this along with Broome and Williams, and they had to say this.

Auburn, college football fans react to Nick Saban retiring

Auburn fans had plenty to say to the news that Nick Saban has retired

[autotag]Nick Sabam[/autotag], the greatest college football coach in the modern era, is retiring. The news was first reported by ESPN’s Chris Low on Wednesday.

Saban took over Alabama in 2007 and led the Crimson Tide on one of the greatest runs in college football history, winning six national championships in 17 seasons. He also won a title at LSU in 2003, giving him seven overall.

He spent time at Toledo and Michigan State before jumping to the SEC. He retires with a 292-71-1 record overall, including a 201-29 mark in Tuscaloosa.

Despite all of his success, the Tigers more than held their own against Saban in Jordan-Hare Stadium. Auburn won four of the teams’ nine meetings on the Plains during Saban’s tenure.

The announcement shocked the college football world and fans of the sport took to social media to react. Here are some of the best reactions:

Alabama football set to play at Oklahoma on Nov. 23, 2024

Alabama set to travel to Oklahoma the week before the Iron Bowl

With the additions of both Oklahoma and Texas to the SEC in 2024, the conference is doing away with the traditional East and West divisions. The Tide’s schedule next season will look much different than years past with five former SEC East opponents, two old West rivals and Oklahoma.

Alabama’s conference schedule for next season already has locked in dates of Georgia on Sept. 28, at Tennessee on Oct. 19, at LSU on Nov. 9 and Auburn on Nov. 30. On X, Alabama football just announced that the the trip to Norman to face the Sooners will be on Nov. 23, one week before the Iron Bowl. In the past, the SEC and Alabama have been known to schedule some “cupcake” games leading up to rivalry weekend, but that will not be the case as of 2024.

It is projected that Jalen Milroe and four out of five starting offensive linemen will return in 2024 giving the Tide a strong chance to compete for another SEC title and Playoff berth. A trip to Norman, OK is something new, but a very attractive blue blood matchup. The last time the two met the Tide handled the Sooners 45-34.

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Relive the legendary Auburn Kick Six on its 10th anniversary with these awesome photos

The legendary Auburn Kick Six over Alabama was 10 years ago today.

It’s been exactly 10 years since Auburn fans got the bragging of a lifetime over their archrival Alabama friends.

On Nov. 30, 2013, Alabama was tied with Auburn 28-28 with kicker Adam Griffith on to make the attempt.

There were just a handful of seconds left on the clock, which means that Griffith making the kick for the Crimson Tide would’ve won them the game.

As Griffith attempted the 57-yard kick, Auburn cornerback Chris Davis waited in the end zone to field the kick should it fall short of the goal posts.

You know how it ends: Griffin missed the attempt, and it fell right into the grasp of Davis, who ran it back 109 yards for the biggest touchdown in Auburn history to win the game.

Davis’ walk-off touchdown will forever be enshrined in Auburn history and will forever haunt the dreams of Alabama fans when they attempt a kick at Auburn’s Jordan-Hare Stadium.

As fate would have it, Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe commemorated the 10-year anniversary last weekend with a wild last-minute touchdown of his own to win the 2023 Iron Bowl for Alabama on the road.

The Auburn-Alabama rivalry will continue to loom large as one of college football’s fiercest, and Davis’ legendary Kick Six will always be the first things on a Tigers fan’s mind when they think about playing the Tide.

Let’s relive that fateful play with some of the great photos from that night.

Kadyn Proctor named SEC Freshman Player of the Week for Iron Bowl performance

SEC honors Alabama freshman Kadyn Proctor for outstanding Iron Bowl performance

Alabama quarterback [autotag]Jalen Milroe[/autotag] was the star of the Iron Bowl for the Crimson Tide as he accounted for 366 yards off offense by himself as well as throwing the game’s winning touchdown. For his heroic efforts, Milroe will receive all the applause and fame, but it was truly a total team effort. The unsung heroes of Alabama’s Iron Bowl victory was the offensive line.

Going into the year the O-Line was widely expected to be one of the best in the country, but struggled from very early on. As the year has gone on the group has gotten so much better, and especially Kadyn Proctor. Proctor was a five-star recruit and one of the most promising players Saban has had at the position. Proctor remarkably earned the starting left tackle job heading into Week 1 and has held the job since. There have been some major growing pains with Proctor such as two really poor games against Texas and USF, but he’s grown up a ton in the past 12 weeks.

Saban knew there would be some early growing pains with Proctor, but as he’s worked through them he is a crazy promising prospect. Proctor played his best game of the year on the biggest stage this past Saturday as he was a key piece in the Tide’s Iron Bowl victory over Auburn. For his efforts, the SEC recognized Proctor as the Freshman Player of the Week.

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Alabama labeled ‘winners’ heading into SEC championship

Alabama finished the regular season as ‘winners’ and will look to carry this momentum into the SEC championship.

Alabama finished the regular season with an 11-1 record ranked inside the top 10, with the only blemish being a Week 2 loss to Texas at home. A loss against Auburn in the Iron Bowl would have killed any chances of a College Football Playoff berth for the Tide, but Jalen Milroe’s late-game heroics kept the 2023 season alive.

Because the team avoided disaster and will enter the postseason with national championship aspirations, Alabama is labeled a “winner,” according to USA TODAY’s Paul Myerberg.

“With Alabama down 24-20 and facing fourth-and-goal from the Auburn 31-yard line with under a minute left, Jalen Milroe took a shotgun snap, stood in the middle of a clean pocket for seven seconds and then found wide receiver Isaiah Bond in the back left corner of the end zone to steal a 27-24 Iron Bowl win and keep the Crimson Tide’s playoff hopes alive entering the SEC championship game against Georgia. Milroe made another late-in-the-day Heisman statement with 366 yards of total offense, including a team-best 107 yards on the ground, and two touchdowns passes without an interception. The miraculous win sends the Tide into December with just the one non-conference loss to Texas, making this season one of the most impressive of coach Nick Saban’s career.”

Though Milroe is not likely going to be this season’s Heisman Trophy recipient and the team still needs a little bit of help to crack the top four in the College Football Playoff rankings, it’s safe to say that this season has already been somewhat of a success.

Many had counted out the Tide after the early-season loss to the Longhorns, Alabama fans included. Instead of spiraling in the wrong direction, the team steadily improved on both sides of the ball and worked its way back into the playoff conversation. For that, Alabama is a winner.

The season is far from over as there will certainly be two more games played: the SEC championship and then a bowl game of some sort. However, Nick Saban hopes to play in a third game: the national championship.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Alabama football as the race to make the College Football Playoff reaches its peak.

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Jalen Milroe named SEC Player of the Week after Iron Bowl

Jalen Milroe names SEC Offensive Player of the Week

It took an entire team effort and one of the best games that Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe has played during his time at the University to get past a reeling 6-6 Auburn team. However, a win is a win in the Iron Bowl and nobody should never upset with a victory no matter how ugly in this rivalry.

Outside of committing two of the most bizarre illegal forward pass penalties you’ve ever seen, Milroe was phenomenal against the Tigers. On the ground, Milroe couldn’t be stopped as he carried the ball 18 times for 107 yards. For comparison, the runningback’s together combined for 25 carries and 103 yards. He was also outstanding through the air as he completed 16/24 passes for 259 yards and two touchdowns, one being the crucial late game winner.

Every time there was a crucial third down or it felt like the Alabama’s offense had their back against the wall, Milroe was able to generate some sort of spark to get the offense going. It is hard to believe that this is the same player that took the field against Texas 10 weeks ago because his growth has been astronomical.

The Southeastern Conference recognized Milroe’s outstanding Iron Bowl performance by naming him as the SEC Offensive Player of the Week. Jayden Daniels will likely take home the majority of the quarterback awards in the SEC this season, but in 2024 I think Jalen Milroe has a chance to be a leading Heisman Trophy contender.

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Paul Finebaum is optimistic about Auburn’s future under Hugh Freeze

It was a brutal loss but Paul Finebaum likes where Auburn is headed under Hugh Freeze after the Iron Bowl.

Auburn was unable to win the Iron Bowl, falling 27-24 to Alabama in heartbreaking fashion, but Paul Finebaum is optimistic about what [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] is building on the Plains.

He joined the “McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning,” show with Greg McElroy and Cole Cubelic Monday morning to discuss the Iron Bowl and Auburn’s future.

“I feel great about the future under Hugh Freeze,” Finebaum said. “New Mexico State game didn’t phase me, as you all know because we talked about it privately. I just felt like it was just something that happens in the first year, and I think talking to Hugh on Friday afternoon, he was embarrassed by it, but he also knew not to dwell on it.”

Finebaum admitted that Auburn did not play a perfect game and made several big mistakes, but he thinks that the program is trending in the right direction and that the rebuild could be a short one.

“It felt like Auburn’s program had advanced and I know what they’re doing in recruiting, and I also know people on the on the other side of the state (that) are concerned because Auburn really has things rolling right now under Hugh Freeze. And I think the road back is going to be a lot faster than maybe some of the skeptics predicted a year ago.”

While this Iron Bowl had a similar ending to the last one inside Jordan-Hare Stadium, the recruiting is what has filled many with hope that Freeze will be able to turn the program around.

The Tigers currently have the No. 17 ranked class in the 2024 cycle according to 247Sports. The group is headlined by five-star wide receiver [autotag]Perry Thompson[/autotag] and they are in the mix for several other elite prospects, including five-star wideout [autotag]Cam Coleman[/autotag].

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Finebaum: The Iron Bowl is ‘something that cannot be put into common sense or words’

Auburn lost the 2023 Iron Bowl in stunning fashion, but the finish was not surprising says SEC Network’s Paul Finebaum.

There are three things in life that are certain: death, taxes, and stressful Iron Bowls at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

The 2023 Iron Bowl was no exception, as No. 8 Alabama avoided an upset loss to Auburn by throwing a long touchdown pass on 4th down with less than a minute to go to win, 27-24.

The game was exciting, but was expected says an SEC Network college football analyst.

Paul Finebaum, college football expert and host of the Paul Finebaum Show on SEC Network and radio stations across the southeast, joined ESPN’s Sportscenter on Sunday morning to break down Saturday’s action, including the Iron Bowl.

Finebaum says that the vibe of Saturday’s Iron Bowl was similar to many others in recent memory.

“I know what the analytics said, but I wasn’t that surprised, because I saw something very similar two years ago and we all saw the Kick Six ten years ago,” Finebaum said Sunday. “I’ve covered that game throughout my entire career and it always has something that cannot be put into common sense or words. So you do come to expect it.”

The “4th-and-31″ connection between Jalen Milroe and Isaiah Bond will forever be etched into the memories of both Alabama and Auburn fans alike, but was it the most memorable play in the rivalry’s history? Finebaum says no, citing the stakes entering the game.

“The difference I think yesterday vs. ten years ago with the famous Kick Six, there wasn’t quite as much on the line,” Finebaum said. “That game in 2013, that was the No. 1 team in the country going for a three-peat vs. the No. 4 team, and by Auburn winning that, they ended up playing for the national championship. Auburn, fortunate to be going to a bowl game. Alabama still has work to do.”

The Crimson Tide kept their College Football Playoff hopes alive by defeating Auburn on Saturday and will have a chance to crash the party next Saturday by facing Georgia in the SEC Championship Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Auburn will now await its bowl fate.

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