The 82nd edition of the Iron Bowl, in which No.6 Auburn took down No. 1 Alabama in Jordan-Hare Stadium, is this years’ Plainsman Choice for Game of the Year.
There is no surprise here. Whenever Auburn beats Alabama in football, Tiger fans cherish it for 364 days until the two teams meet again.
After dominating the top-ranked Georgia Bulldogs 40-17 two weeks earlier, the Tigers entered the state’s most anticipated rivalry game with a chance to control their own destiny. One more win against their rivals and Auburn would be headed to Atlanta for the SEC Championship, and a shot at the College Football Playoff.
No miracle was needed this time. As Charles Barkley predicted, the “Kick Ass” was on full display.
No. 6 Auburn simply outplayed Alabama in every facet of the game. The Tigers held Jalen Hurts and No. 1 Alabama to 14 points while the Auburn offense racked up 408 total yards in a 26-14 upset-win.
The Tigers were carried by workhorse, and Offensive Player of the Year, Kerryon Johnson. Johnson showed his toughness rushing for 104 yards and a touchdown on 30 carries.
Quarterback Jarrett Stidham, who came into the year with high expectations, did not disappoint in the biggest game of his career. Stidham finished the game completing 75 percent of his passes (21-for-28) for 237 yards.
Most of his completions went to wideout Ryan Davis, who broke the Auburn single-season reception record with 11 catches in the win, surpassing an 8-year-old record set by Darwin Adams with 69 receptions. Davis finished the game with a game-high 139 receiving yards.
Auburn’s defense, which ranked as the No.10 in the country, held Alabama to just three third-down conversions on 11 attempts. The Crimson Tide’s first conversion did not come until the fourth quarter. And for the first time in the 2017 season, the top-ranked Crimson Tide trailed by more than a touchdown.
“The whole nation was watching tonight,” junior fullback Chandler Cox said after the win. “Everyone wants to see ‘Bama lose, and we did that for the nation.”
Auburn’s 26-14 win in the 82nd Iron Bowl was the Tigers’ first win against Alabama since 2013, capping off a perfect record for the 2017 season inside Jordan-Hare Stadium.
Honorable mentions:
- Football vs. UGA
- Men's basketball vs. Alabama
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