Iron Bowl

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Iron Bowl
File:Auburn Football 3.png File:Alabama Football.png
Teams Alabama Crimson Tide
Auburn Tigers
Originated February 22, 1893
Series Alabama leads 40–34–1
First Game Auburn 32. Alabama 22
February 22, 1893
Largest Victory Alabama 55, Auburn 0
December 4, 1948
Highest Scoring Game Auburn 49, Alabama 26
November 29, 1969
Lowest Scoring Game Alabama 3, Auburn 0
November 26, 1960
Most Recent Game Auburn 28, Alabama 27
November 26, 2010
Longest Streak Alabama 9 (1973–1981)
Current Streak Auburn 1 (2010)
Alabama (40) Auburn (34)
1894 1903 1905 1906
1948 1950 1951 1952
1953 1959 1960 1961
1962 1964 1965 1966
1967 1968 1971 1973
1974 1975 1976 1977
1978 1979 1980 1981
1984 1985 1990 1991
1992 1994 1996 1998
1999 2001 2008 2009 		1893 (Feb. & Nov.)
1895 1900 1901 1902
1904 1949 1954 1955
1956 1957 1958 1963
1969 1970 1972 1982
1983 1986 1987 1988
1989 1993 1995 1997
2000 2002 2003 2004
2005 2006 2007 2010
Ties (1)
1907

The Iron Bowl is the common name for the college football game between the University of Alabama Crimson Tide and the Auburn University Tigers. The series is considered one of the best and most hard-fought rivalries in all of sports.[1][2] As the rivalry was mainly played in Birmingham, Alabama for many years, the name of the Iron Bowl comes from Birmingham's historic role in the steel industry.[3] Alabama leads the series with an overall record of 40–34–1.

The games are played at Jordan–Hare Stadium in Auburn every odd-numbered year, and in Bryant–Denny Stadium at Tuscaloosa every even-numbered year. For much of the 20th century the game was played every year at Legion Field in Birmingham. Alabama has a 32–15 record in games played at Legion Field, while Auburn has a 7–3 record in games played at Jordan–Hare Stadium and a 7–1 record in games played in Tuscaloosa (5-1 at Bryant-Denny Stadium). The game is traditionally played on Thanksgiving Day weekend. In 1993 to both school's agreed to move the game up to the week before Thanksgiving to give themselves a bye for a potential SEC Championship Game berth, however in 2007 the conference voted to ban any team from having a bye in its schedule before the league championship game, returning the game to its traditional Thanksgiving weekend spot.

History

Auburn and Alabama played their first football game in Lakeview Park in Birmingham, Alabama, on February 22, 1893. Auburn (then named the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Alabama) won 32–22, before an estimated crowd of 5,000. As if a signal of the future, disagreement between the schools began immediately as Alabama considered the game to be the final matchup of the 1892 season and Auburn recorded it as the first of 1893.

Tensions further built when, after both 1906 and 1907 contests, Auburn head coach Mike Donahue threatened to cancel the series if Alabama head coach "Doc" Pollard continued employing his elaborate formations and shifts.[4] The series was indeed suspended after the 1907 game when the schools could not come to agreement over the amount of expenses to be paid players, as well as from where officials for the game should be obtained.[5]

In 1947 the Alabama House of Representatives passed a resolution encouraging the schools to "make possible the inauguration of a full athletic program between the two schools".[6] Ralph B. Draughon, the president of Auburn (then named the Alabama Polytechnic Institute), and Alabama president John Gallalee decided during the winter and spring of 1948 to end the disagreement and renew the series. The games would be played in Birmingham because it had the largest stadium in the state, 44,000-seat Legion Field, and the tickets would be split evenly between the two schools. Alabama won the first game when the series renewed 55–0, the most lopsided victory of the series.[7][8]

By 1980 the series had come to be called the Iron Bowl, due to Birmingham's prominence as a center of iron and steel production. Throughout the 1980s, Auburn made additions to Jordan-Hare Stadium, and in 1987 it eclipsed Legion Field in size. Auburn desired to make the Iron Bowl a "home-and-home" series, and the schools reached an agreement where Auburn could play their home games for the Iron Bowl in Auburn starting in 1989 (except for the 1991 game, which was played at Legion Field), and Alabama would have a "home" ticket allocation for games in Legion Field. On December 2, 1989, Alabama came to Auburn's Jordan-Hare Stadium for the first time in the history of the rivalry. A sellout crowd would witness Auburn win its first true "home" game of the series, 30–20 over an Alabama team that entered the game unbeaten and ranked #2 in the country.

Alabama continued to hold their home game at Legion Field. In 1998, Alabama expanded Bryant-Denny Stadium to a capacity of 83,818, exceeding Legion Field by a few hundred. Alabama moved their home games in the series to Bryant-Denny Stadium in 2000. A new attendance record for the Iron Bowl was set in 2006 as the latest expansion to Bryant-Denny Stadium increased its capacity to 92,138. The record was reset again in 2010, after another expansion to Alabama's Bryant-Denny Stadium, when a crowd of 101,821 witnessed an Auburn victory with a score of 28-27.

In 2009 and 2010 CBS Sports arranged an agreement between the two universities to have the game played in an exclusive time slot on the Friday following Thanksgiving. The 2009 game was the sixth Iron Bowl to be played on a Friday and the first in 21 years.[9] CBS did not attempt to renew the agreement after 2010 due to criticism from within the state from both fan bases, returning the game to its traditional Saturday date.

Foy-ODK Sportsmanship Award

The trophy given to the winner of the game is the Foy-ODK Sportsmanship Award. It is named after James E. Foy, an Alabama graduate and former Auburn dean of students and Omicron Delta Kappa Honor Society – which was established on both campuses during the 1920s. The Foy Trophy is presented at halftime of the Auburn–Alabama basketball game later in the same academic year at the winner's coliseum. After the trophy presentation, the SGA President of the losing school must recite his or her adversary's fight song.

Notable games

1964: The Iron Bowl was first broadcast nationally on November 26, 1964. Quarterback Joe Namath led Alabama to a 21–14 victory over Auburn, and would go on to lead the Crimson Tide to a national championship.

1967: The Run in the Mud – On a night at Legion Field where thunderstorms caused the game to constantly be stopped to clear raincoats and other wet weather accessories from the field, Alabama quarterback Kenny Stabler ran for a 47–yard touchdown to give Bama a 7–3 win.[10]

1971: Both teams were playing for a shot at the national championship against Nebraska in the Orange Bowl. 10–0 Alabama (#4 AP) routed 9–0 Auburn (#5 AP), and eventual Heisman winner Pat Sullivan, 31–7.

1972: Punt Bama Punt – Trailing 16–3 with six minutes left, underdog Auburn blocked two Alabama punts—returning both for touchdowns—to win the game 17–16, handing Alabama its first loss of the year and ending their national championship hopes.

1981: 315 – Alabama coach Paul "Bear" Bryant earned his 315th career victory, passing Amos Alonzo Stagg to become the all-time winningest Division I-A coach (at the time) in a 28–17 win over Auburn.

1982: Bo Over the Top – Auburn drove the length of the field and scored with two minutes remaining when running back Bo Jackson lept over the top of the pile from the one yard line. Auburn won the game 23–22. The victory ended Alabama's 9-game win streak over Auburn, the longest in series history. It would also be coach Bear Bryant's last Iron Bowl.

1984: Wrong Way Bo – Late in the fourth quarter Auburn had a 4th-and-goal from the one yard line, trailing by two points. Coach Pat Dye decided to go for the touchdown instead of a field goal. Despite the success two years prior, the ball went to Brent Fullwood instead of Bo Jackson. Jackson ran the wrong direction on the block, causing Fullwood to be forced out of bounds by an Alabama defender Rory Turner, securing a 17–15 victory for Alabama and knocking Auburn out of the Sugar Bowl.

1985: The Kick – At their own 12-yard line and trailing by one point with 37 seconds remaining, Alabama quarterback Mike Shula led the offense down to the Auburn 35 yard line. Van Tiffin hit a 52-yard field goal with no time remaining to lift Alabama to a 25–23 victory.

1989: The First Time Ever – Auburn (#11 AP) defeats the undefeated Crimson Tide (#2 AP) 30–20 in the first ever Iron Bowl played in Jordan-Hare Stadium. The Auburn victory denied Alabama of the outright SEC Championship and gave the Tigers a share of the title. Alabama was still awarded a bid to the Sugar Bowl despite the upset.

1993: Unbeaten Auburn (#6 AP) came from behind to defeat 8–1–1 Alabama (#11 AP) in the second Iron Bowl ever played in Auburn, 22–14. The game was not televised due to Auburn's probation, but was shown on closed-circuit TV in Tuscaloosa, becoming the first college football game to ever sell out two stadiums at the same time.[11]

1994: 10–0 Alabama (#3 AP) defeated 9–0–1 Auburn (#6 AP) 21–14 in a matchup on undefeated teams, ending Auburn's 21–game unbeaten streak.

1996: In the second-to-last Iron Bowl played at Legion Field, Alabama came from behind to beat Auburn 24-23 in the final minutes of the game. It was also the final Iron Bowl for Alabama coach Gene Stallings, one of the winningest coaches in the rivalry's history with a 5-2 record.

1999: Alabama gets their first victory in Auburn, 28–17.

In 2010, Auburn rallied from a 24–point deficit to win 28–27.

2000: The Iron Bowl returned to Tuscaloosa for the first time in 99 years. Amidst miserable weather conditions of cold and sleet, Auburn clinched a spot in the SEC Championship game with a 9–0 shutout in Mike DuBose's final game as Alabama head coach.

2003: Auburn running back Carnell "Cadillac" Williams runs for 204 yards, led by an 80 yard run on the first play from scrimmage, in a 28–23 victory.

2004: Alabama came into the game unranked but led Auburn 6-0 during the first half, relying on two field goals kicked by Brian Bostick. The No. 2-ranked Tigers came back strong in the second half, starting with the combination of quarterback Jason Campbell and running back Carnell "Cadillac" Williams scoring a touchdown. Auburn scored a total of 21 points during the second half. The Crimson Tide's quarterback Spencer Pennington connected with D. J. Hall to score a touchdown in the final minutes of the game. Auburn won 21-13, and moved on to win the SEC Championship game.

2005: In Jordan-Hare Stadium, Auburn sets a new school record by sacking Alabama quarterbacks 11 times. Auburn records five sacks while holding Alabama to minus-17 yards of offense in the first quarter alone. Seven different Auburn players recorded at least half a sack in the game, led by 3.5 sacks from Stanley McClover. Auburn wins 28-18.

2007: Auburn wins a sixth straight Iron Bowl over Alabama 17-10. This is currently the longest winning streak in the rivalry for Auburn. Brandon Cox becomes only the second tiger, alongside Jason Campbell, to have never lost against the Crimson Tide.

2008: Alabama ends Auburn's six game win streak in the series with a 36–0 victory in Tommy Tuberville's last game as Auburn's head coach. It also marked the first series victory for Alabama in Tuscaloosa.

2009: The Drive - Trailing 21–20 with 8:27 remaining, unbeaten Alabama (#2 AP) marched down the field on a 15-play, 79 yard drive capped by a 3 yard touchdown pass from Greg McElroy to Roy Upchurch. Alabama took the lead 26–21 with 1:27 remaining and held on for the win. Alabama would go on to win both the SEC Championship and the BCS National Championship.

2010: Led by eventual Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Cam Newton, unbeaten Auburn (#2 AP) came back from a 24–0 second quarter deficit to win 28–27 over 9–2 Alabama (#9 AP) in Tuscaloosa. It was both the largest comeback in the history of Auburn football and the largest comeback ever allowed in Alabama football history. It was also the largest crowd to ever witness the rivalry game with 101,821 spectators in attendance. Auburn went on to win both the SEC Championship and the BCS National Championship.

Game results

Since 1893, the Crimson Tide and Tigers have played 75 times. Alabama leads the all-time series, with 40 wins to Auburn's 34, with one tie. The game has been played in four cities: Auburn, Birmingham, Montgomery, and Tuscaloosa. Alabama leads the series in Birmingham (34–18–1). Auburn leads the series in Tuscaloosa (7–1–0) and Auburn (7–3–0). The series is tied in Montgomery (2–2–0).

Auburn victories shaded ██ navy blue. Alabama victories are shaded ██ crimson.

Game Year Alabama Auburn Location Series
1 1893 (Feb.) Alabama 22 Auburn 32 Birmingham AUB 1–0–0
2 1893 (Nov.) Alabama 16 Auburn 40 Montgomery AUB 2–0–0
3 1894 Alabama 18 Auburn 0 Montgomery AUB 2–1–0
4 1895 Alabama 0 Auburn 48 Tuscaloosa AUB 3–1–0
5 1900 Alabama 5 Auburn 53 Montgomery AUB 4–1–0
6 1901 Alabama 0 Auburn 17 Tuscaloosa AUB 5–1–0
7 1902 Alabama 0 Auburn 23 Birmingham AUB 6–1–0
8 1903 Alabama 18 Auburn 6 Montgomery AUB 6–2–0
9 1904 Alabama 5 Auburn 29 Birmingham AUB 7–2–0
10 1905 Alabama 30 Auburn 0 Birmingham AUB 7–3–0
11 1906 Alabama 10 Auburn 0 Birmingham AUB 7–4–0
12 1907 Alabama 6 Auburn 6 Birmingham AUB 7–4–1
13 1948 Alabama 55 Auburn 0 Birmingham AUB 7–5–1
14 1949 Alabama 13 Auburn 14 Birmingham AUB 8–5–1
15 1950 Alabama 34 Auburn 0 Birmingham AUB 8–6–1
16 1951 Alabama 25 Auburn 7 Birmingham AUB 8–7–1
17 1952 Alabama 21 Auburn 0 Birmingham – 8–8–1
18 1953 Alabama 10 Auburn 7 Birmingham ALA 9–8–1
19 1954 Alabama 0 Auburn 28 Birmingham – 9–9–1
20 1955 Alabama 0 Auburn 26 Birmingham AUB 10–9–1
21 1956 Alabama 7 Auburn 34 Birmingham AUB 11–9–1
22 1957 Alabama 0 Auburn 40 Birmingham AUB 12–9–1
23 1958 Alabama 8 Auburn 14 Birmingham AUB 13–9–1
24 1959 Alabama 10 Auburn 0 Birmingham AUB 13–10–1
25 1960 Alabama 3 Auburn 0 Birmingham AUB 13–11–1
26 1961 Alabama 34 Auburn 0 Birmingham AUB 13–12–1
27 1962 Alabama 38 Auburn 0 Birmingham – 13–13–1
28 1963 Alabama 8 Auburn 10 Birmingham AUB 14–13–1
29 1964 Alabama 21 Auburn 14 Birmingham – 14–14–1
30 1965 Alabama 30 Auburn 3 Birmingham ALA 15–14–1
31 1966 Alabama 31 Auburn 0 Birmingham ALA 16–14–1
32 1967 Alabama 7 Auburn 3 Birmingham ALA 17–14–1
33 1968 Alabama 24 Auburn 16 Birmingham ALA 18–14–1
34 1969 Alabama 26 Auburn 49 Birmingham ALA 18–15–1
35 1970 Alabama 28 Auburn 33 Birmingham ALA 18–16–1
36 1971 Alabama 31 Auburn 7 Birmingham ALA 19–16–1
37 1972 Alabama 16 Auburn 17 Birmingham ALA 19–17–1
38 1973 Alabama 35 Auburn 0 Birmingham ALA 20–17–1
39 1974 Alabama 17 Auburn 13 Birmingham ALA 21–17–1
40 1975 Alabama 28 Auburn 0 Birmingham ALA 22–17–1
41 1976 Alabama 38 Auburn 7 Birmingham ALA 23–17–1
42 1977 Alabama 48 Auburn 21 Birmingham ALA 24–17–1
43 1978 Alabama 34 Auburn 16 Birmingham ALA 25–17–1
44 1979 Alabama 25 Auburn 18 Birmingham ALA 26–17–1
45 1980 Alabama 34 Auburn 18 Birmingham ALA 27–17–1
46 1981 Alabama 28 Auburn 17 Birmingham ALA 28–17–1
47 1982 Alabama 22 Auburn 23 Birmingham ALA 28–18–1
48 1983 Alabama 20 Auburn 23 Birmingham ALA 28–19–1
49 1984 Alabama 17 Auburn 15 Birmingham ALA 29–19–1
50 1985 Alabama 25 Auburn 23 Birmingham ALA 30–19–1
51 1986 Alabama 17 Auburn 21 Birmingham ALA 30–20–1
52 1987 Alabama 0 Auburn 10 Birmingham ALA 30–21–1
53 1988 Alabama 10 Auburn 15 Birmingham ALA 30–22–1
54 1989 Alabama 20 Auburn 30 Auburn ALA 30–23–1
55 1990 Alabama 16 Auburn 7 Birmingham ALA 31–23–1
56 1991 Alabama 13 Auburn 6 Birmingham ALA 32–23–1
57 1992 Alabama 17 Auburn 0 Birmingham ALA 33–23–1
58 1993 Alabama 14 Auburn 22 Auburn ALA 33–24–1
59 1994 Alabama 21 Auburn 14 Birmingham ALA 34–24–1
60 1995 Alabama 27 Auburn 31 Auburn ALA 34–25–1
61 1996 Alabama 24 Auburn 23 Birmingham ALA 35–25–1
62 1997 Alabama 17 Auburn 18 Auburn ALA 35–26–1
63 1998 Alabama 31 Auburn 17 Birmingham ALA 36–26–1
64 1999 Alabama 28 Auburn 17 Auburn ALA 37–26–1
65 2000 Alabama 0 Auburn 9 Tuscaloosa ALA 37–27–1
66 2001 Alabama 31 Auburn 7 Auburn ALA 38–27–1
67 2002 Alabama 7 Auburn 17 Tuscaloosa ALA 38–28–1
68 2003 Alabama 23 Auburn 28 Auburn ALA 38-29-1
69 2004 Alabama 13 Auburn 21 Tuscaloosa ALA 38-30-1
70 2005 Alabama 18 Auburn 28 Auburn ALA 38-31-1
71 2006 Alabama 15 Auburn 22 Tuscaloosa ALA 38-32-1
72 2007 Alabama 10 Auburn 17 Auburn ALA 38-33-1
73 2008 Alabama 36 Auburn 0 Tuscaloosa ALA 39-33-1
74 2009 Alabama 26 Auburn 21 Auburn ALA 40–33–1
75 2010 Alabama 27 Auburn 28 Tuscaloosa ALA 40-34-1

Sources

  • Groom, Winston. The Crimson Tide – An Illustrated History. Tuscaloosa: The University of Alabama Press, 2000. ISBN 978-0-8173-1051-6-.

See also

References

  1. ^ "The 10 greatest rivalries". ESPN. 2007-01-03. Retrieved 2008-10-12.
  2. ^ Rappoport, Ken (2007). "The Iron Bowl: Auburn-Alabama". Football Feuds: The Greatest College Football Rivalries. Globe Pequot. p. 77. ISBN 978-1-59921-014-8. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  3. ^ Hyland, Tim. "Alabama-Auburn Rivalry – The Iron Bowl". About.com. Retrieved 2008-10-12.
  4. ^ Groom, 2000, p. 16.
  5. ^ Football Feuds: 79
  6. ^ "The Auburn-Alabama Rivalry, "The Iron Bowl"". Rocky Mountain Auburn Club. 2006. Retrieved 2006-12-04.
  7. ^ "The University of Alabama Football Facts". 2000. Retrieved 2008-10-08.
  8. ^ "This is Alabama Football: Iron Bowl" (PDF). University of Alabama Athletics. p. 157. Retrieved 2008-10-08.
  9. ^ "Iron Bowl moves to Friday Rivalry game falls on day after Thanksgiving". Fox Sports. Retrieved 2009-04-17.
  10. ^ Groom, 2000, p. 128.
  11. ^ "Most Popular". CNN.

Further reading

External links

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