Auburn lost its 85th Iron Bowl 42-13, but for the first time after an Alabama loss, the Tigers don’t have to end the season on a negative note. 

Typically, the Iron Bowl falls on the last regularly scheduled game of the season, but the 2020 narrative has changed that. Auburn will still play two SEC games before heading into the postseason. 

“You gotta be big boys,” Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn said. “You’ve got to take it like a man. We’ve got two games left. This is an unusual season obviously. We’ll need to rebound like we did earlier in the season. It’s a grind, but that’s just part of it." 

Auburn's offense sputtered against Alabama and only scored one touchdown late in the fourth quarter. The Tigers relied on field goal scores to add to the board, but that wasn’t near enough to take down the Crimson Tide. 

The Tiger defense had a good start with stopping Alabama’s rushing game only allowing 2 yards in the first quarter. This was the same skill that allowed Auburn to have a big win over LSU earlier in the season, but Alabama couldn’t be beaten as easily.

“Everybody is trying to stay positive,” quarterback Bo Nix said. “I think it’s important to get back to work tomorrow and go to work on Texas A&M and put this game behind us. Of course, this one hurts but it is what it is. You never want to lose, especially to your rival. You just have to get back and get going and have a positive mentality going into this week.”

Auburn’s overall record is now 5-3, but the team has an opportunity to turn the page. Auburn faces currently-ranked No. 5 Texas A&M for its next game and will play at Mississippi State on November 12. The Tigers were scheduled to play the Bulldogs earlier in the season, but a COVID outbreak at both schools pushed the game back. 

“We’ve got a really good team next week at home,” Malzahn said. “It’ll be good to get back home and then try to get some of our guys healed up.”