Alabama vs. Auburn: Tigers, Jordan-Hare too much for Tide in Iron Bowl

Zac Al-Khateeb

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Alabama vs. Auburn: Tigers, Jordan-Hare too much for Tide in Iron Bowl image

No. 1 no more.

Alabama fell to No. 6 Auburn at Jordan-Hare on Saturday, ending the Tide's undefeated streak, hopes of a fourth consecutive SEC championship — and perhaps a fourth straight College Football Playoff berth.

MORE: Week 13 highlights, scores

Auburn won by 12, but it was clearly the better team on the field. Jarrett Stidham completed 21 of 28 passes for 237 yards and rushed 12 times for 51 yards and a touchdown. More importantly, he made big throw after big throw, especially on third downs, on which Auburn went 9 of 18.

Here's how Auburn beat the Tide and earned its rematch against Georgia for the SEC championship. ( all times Eastern) :

Fourth quarter:

7 p.m.:  And Auburn fans are now storming the field. Well-deserved for sure — Georgia is up next for the Tigers.

6:58 p.m.:  Alabama throws a desparation heave to end the game, and Cam Sims falls just short of the goal line, but it doesn't matter. Auburn wins 26-14 as the better team and gets the right to a rematch against Georgia.

6:51 p.m.:  That should do it. Jalen Hurts' pass on fourth-and-22 falls incomplete — even if it hadn't, Hurts passed the line of scrimmage when he threw. And, even if the pass had connected with no penalty, Alabama would have neede another score with no timeouts. That should just about do it.

6:47 p.m.:  Jalen Hurts is sacked — Alabama's offensive line is sucking wind.

6:45 p.m.:  Bama driving at the Auburn 30. Two minutes already off this drive but not much urgency from the Tide.

6:43 p.m.:  That's rough for Auburn.

6:39 p.m.:  Kerryon Johnson now walking off the field with a towel on his head. Looks like he's done for the game but the severity of thiis injury is still to be determined.

6:34 p.m.:  Scary moment for Auburn: Kerryon Johnson hurt on the play. He just stopped in the backfield and went down.

6:34 p.m.:  More issues from Alabama. The Tide defense gets the stop, but Damien Harris is caught offsides on the ensuing punt. Auburn gets a fresh set of downs with less than half a quarter remaining.

6:30 p.m.:  Alabama gets the ball back for one more fourth-down try (Auburn had 12 men on the field) but Jalen Hurts' underneath route to Robert Foster doesn't get the necessary yardage. Turnover on downs.

6:23 p.m.:  Alabama has self-destructed. Two times the center snaps the ball before Jalen Hurts is ready — the second on fourth down. Auburn has the ball in Tide territory and that could very well end the game.

6:19 p.m.:  Alabama finally gets a third-down conversion — two, actually. They're driving near midfield.

6:15 p.m.:  The 2-point conversion fails but this is still Auburn's game to lose. Alabama will need a score here.

6:12 p.m.:  And now Auburn's looking like it'll got for a 2-point conversion. Their 12-point lead, by the way, is the biggest any team has had on Alabama this season.

6:10 p.m.:  Jarrett Stidham's phenomenal 16-yard run gives the Tigers a 26-14 win and puts a TON of pressure on the Tide, who just can't seem to slow down this offense. Auburn has had three possessions: a field goal and back-to-back touchdowns. 

Third quarter: Auburn 20, Alabama 14

6:06 p.m.:  That'll do it for the third quarter. Alabama has played from behind pretty much the entire game and will likely need some big plays on both sides of the ball to win this one. Auburn just needs to keep doing what it's doing.

6:02 p.m.:  Meanwhile, Kerryon Johnson is back in the game with no noticeable issues.

6:01 p.m.: Alabama's JK Scott screws up the hold and Andy Pappanastos never gets the field goal attempt. Auburn takes over and Alabama gets nothing.

Not the first field goal that didn't go as planned for Alabama in the #IronBowl pic.twitter.com/oIhyzz2NWh

— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) November 25, 2017

5:59 p.m.:  Alabama nearly re-took the lead with a wild catch from Hale Hentges, but it looks like review will overturn the touchdown. Alabama's kicking team coming on.

5:57 p.m.:  Another Alabama penalty puts the Tide behind the 8-ball. It's now third-and-8 from the Auburn 17.

5:55 p.m.:  Carlton Davis is called for draping himself on Calvin Ridley against Alabama on the long throw. He had to, or he would have got beat for a touchdown. Alabama driving now at Auburn's 29.

5:53 p.m.:  Trevon Diggs gets a nice 51-yard return to get to Auburn's 39-yard line. Great starting position for Alabama — potentially making it four-down ball.

5:52 p.m.:  Alabama is 0 for 5 on third downs in this game. That will need to change here shortly if the Tide want to win.

5:50 p.m.:  There is bad news for the Tigers, however: Kerryon Johnson seems to be favoring his left shoulder. Hes heading to the Auburn medical tent.

5:49 p.m.:  Auburn back on top with a 1-yard run! He looks like he may have tweaked his shoulder on one of the last two plays, however. Regardless, Auburn re-takes the lead, 20-14.

5:48 p.m.:  Two very big plays from Jarrett Stidham have Auburn driving inside the Alabama-15.

5:46 p.m.:  Auburn is driving inside the Alabama 30, which is guaranteed points with Daniel Carlson as your kicker.

5:44 p.m.:  Another big play on third down for Auburn. Jarrett Stidham hits Ryan Davis, who goes 27 yards all the way to the Alabama 40.

5:39 p.m.:  Three straight plays to Bo Scarbrough (two runs, one pass) net 8 yards. After the Alabama punt, Auburn takes over at its 31.

5:35 p.m.:  Alabama had a lot of success running the ball on that drive to open the half. Look for offensive coordinator Brian Daboll to keep that going — and look for that Auburn front seven to try and do something about it.

5:33 p.m.:  Another bend-don't-break drive from Alabama's defense. They stymie Auburn's drive, but the Tigers still get three points with a 44-yard field goal from Daniel Carlson.

5:30 p.m.:  Rashaan Evans is called for an unsportsmanlike-like penalty after ripping Jarrett Stidham's helmet off after a sack. Replay doesn't show that but Auburn's driving at the Alabama 29.

5:27 p.m.:  Auburn takes it out to the 21, just like Bama. Will it score, just like Bama?

5:23 p.m.:  Alabama gets its first lead of the game with a 21-yard rumble from Bo Scarbrough! That drive covered a minute and 38 seconds and 89 yards — 67 of which came on the ground. Quite an impressive drive from the Tide.

5:22 p.m.:  Two big plays from Alabama's Damien Harris to start the game. He gets a swing pass for 12 yards and then takes an off-tackle run for 31 yards to the Auburn 36. 

Halftime:

5:11 p.m.: Something to consider: Auburn controlled the ball for 18 minutes of the first half. Alabama will need to make that work a little more in its favor, otherwise you're looking at a gassed Alabama defense facing against Jarrett Stidham and Co.

5:01 p.m.:  Some stats from the first half:

Total yards: Auburn 221; Alabama 128
Rushing yards: Auburn 66 yards, 21 attempts (3.1 yards per carry); Alabama 77 yards, 17 attempts (4.5 yards per carry)
Passing:  Auburn 17 of 21, 155 yards, one touchdown; Alabama 4 of 8, 51 yards
Third down:  Auburn 5 of 10; Alabama 0 of 4 (1 of 1 on fourth down)
Penalties:  Auburn 2 for 20; Alabama 1 for 15
Turnovers:  Auburn 1; Alabama 1

Second quarter: Auburn 10, Alabama 7

5 p.m.:  Daniel Carlson gets the field goal and gives Auburn the 10-7 halftime lead.

4:57 p.m.:  Auburn drives to the 20-yard line after the underneath third-down attempt is gobbled up by Ronnie Harrison. Daniel Carlson could give Auburn the halftime lead with a field goal here.

4:50 p.m.:  Another Bama punt upcoming. Calvin Ridley had a first down but couldn't pull it in. The Tigers take over near midfield.

4:45 p.m.:  Alabama gives a little but stops Auburn near midfield. Nick Marshall's punt is downed at the 1-yard line. Nice, nice punt.

4:40 p.m.:  Jalen Hurts hasn't been perfect but he accounted for 51 yards of Alabama's 58-yard scoring drive. That's big.

4:37 p.m.:  And now Alabama gets on the board! The Tide fake the perimeter run with Jalen Hurts, the Auburn defense sells out and Hurts hits freshman Jerry Jeudy beats his man in a one-on-one situation for a 36-yard touchdown.

4:36 p.m.:  Alabama doesn't get the third-down conversion. It's 0-for-3 today. Fourth down conversion upcoming ... and they get it. Alabama is 13 for 13 this year on fourth-down conversions. It's driving at the Auburn 36.

4:34 p.m.:  Jalen Hurts with the off-tackle run goes for a first down after running into a would-be tackler. Lots of perimeter runs for Alabama, which probably doesn't want to test that front seven.

4:29 p.m.:  Alabama's defense got pressure on Jarrett Stidham twice on that drive. It'll need to do more of that if it wants to win this.

4:28 p.m.:  No words.

4:25 p.m.:  Also: Starting Alabama guard J.C. Hassenauer has left the field with an injury. The player he replaced, Ross Pierschbacher, is now in after warming up with the second team.

4:24 p.m.:  Alabama can't make anything of the opportunity. It will punt from its own 14 and Auburn takes over from its 22.

4:20 p.m.:  After one quarter of play: Auburn has 150 yards of offense to Alabama's 57. 

4:19 p.m.:  Apart from that fumble, Jarrett Stidham has been near-perfect, completing 12 of 14 passes to six different receivers.

First quarter: Auburn 7, Alabama 0

4:17 p.m.:  Jarrett Stidham commits the Tigers' first mistake of the game. He fails to jump on the low snap, and it's recovered by Da'Ron Payne. What makes it worse is that it came from third-and-goal at 4-yard line. Bama takes over and Auburn walks away with no points to end the half.

4:12 p.m.:  And now Auburn's defense makes the big play. A Jalen Hurts fumble (his first of the year) is recovered by Auburn's Tre' Williams. Auburn now has the ball at the Alabama 44 and is in complete control of this game.

4:04 p.m.:  That Auburn drive goes 94 yards. Jarrett Stidham went 6 of 7 for 78 yards. Kerryon Johnson had 15 rushing yards, 10 receiving yards and 4 passing yards ... and a touchdown.

4:04 p.m.:  Auburn with the trick play on third down! Kerryon Johnson fakes the handoff, then hits the jump pass to a wide-open Nate Craig-Myers in the end zone. Auburn takes an earlt 7-0 lead.

3:59 p.m.:  Jarrett Stidham is making throws all over the field. His latest one is a screen to Kerryon Johnson that gets Auburn to the Alabama 11-yard line for a first down.

3:57 p.m.:  Stidham's second pass to Craig-Myers is a strike. Auburn's offense is rolling now deep into Alabama territory after consecutive completions of 25 and 23 yards.

3:56 p.m.:  Auburn gets great protection for Jarrett Stidham, who hits Nate Craig-Myers in the hands before Levi Wallace knocks it out. Good look for the Tigers though.

3:55 p.m.:  Kerryon Johnson gets his first big carry of the game with a 16-yard gain. Plays like that will be the difference-maker in this one.

3:54 p.m.:  One thing to note in the TIde's opening drive: Alabama kept its playcalling open and varied. Curious to see if that keeps up.

3:51 p.m.:  Auburn finally gets Alabama. Jalen Hurts gets 3 yards on fourth-and-4 at the Tigers 47. JK Scott's mile-high kick is downed at the Auburn 6. Tigers ofense coming back out.

3:49 p.m.:  A couple wide, short passes from Jalen Hurts gets a couple first downs. ALabama driving at its own 43.

3:48 p.m.:  Alabama fans will be happy to see this. 

3:44 p.m.:  Jarrett Stidham gets 9 yards on third-and-11. Bama back to receive the punt, and will take over at its 14-yard line.

3:42 p.m.:  Jarrett Stidham's second pass goes for 10 yards for a first down. Auburn's driving near the 40.

3:41 p.m.:  Alabama wins the toss and defers to the second half. JK Scott back to kick off.

Pregame:

3:36 p.m.:  What an atmosphere this is going to be.

3:27 p.m.:  Spirit the Eagle does what he wants.

3:21 p.m.:  He's pretty famous around these parts.

2:56 p.m.:  Potentially interesting roster move along the Alabama offensive line:

2:55 p.m.:  Jordan-Hare could play a huge role in the Iron Bowl.

2:54 p.m.:  Auburn has a few questionable players in as well.

2:52 p.m.:  Mack WIlson, Terrell Lewis and Christian Miller are dressed out on the field. Lewis and Miller suffered injuries in the season-opener. Wilson broke his foot against LSU. Must be something in the water in Tuscaloosa.

2:50 p.m.:  Minkah Fitzpatrick testing his hamstring. Alabama will definitely want him on the field.

 

Zac Al-Khateeb

Zac Al-Khateeb Photo

Zac Al-Khateeb has been part of The Sporting News team since 2015 after earning his Bachelor's (2013) and Master's (2014) degrees in journalism at the University of Alabama. Prior to joining TSN, he covered high school sports and general news in Alabama. A college sports specialist, Zac has been a voter for the Biletnikoff Award and Heisman Trophy since 2020.