Alabama suffers heart-breaking defeat to Auburn in Iron Bowl

AUBURN, Ala. — One of the highest-scoring Iron Bowls in history came down to the closest of margins.

Trailing by three with 2:04 remaining, Alabama kicker Joseph Bulovas saw his 30-yard field goal attempt clang off the left upright in front of a roaring Auburn student section. The missed kick ultimately resulted in the No. 5 Crimson Tide suffering a 48-45 loss to the No. 15 Tigers as its playoff hopes came to a screeching halt.

Even without its usual starting quarterback, Alabama almost pulled off a memorable win in one of the most topsy-turvy Iron Bowls in recent memory.

With injured Tua Tagovailoa on the sidelines, Mac Jones made his first road start for the Crimson Tide. Jones failed to move the ball through the air early and saw both of his interceptions returned for touchdowns. However, the resilient redshirt sophomore battled back in a valiant effort.

After producing just 40 yards on his first 14 throws, Jones finished the afternoon with a career-best performance, completing 26 of 39 passes for 335 yards and four touchdowns with two interceptions.

Cruelly, those blunders proved too costly for the Crimson Tide to overcome.

Jones’ first mistake came on a floated pass in the second quarter which Auburn defensive back Smoke Monday intercepted and returned 29 yards for a touchdown. The quarterback’s second pick-six was even more back-breaking.

Facing a first-and-goal from the Auburn 2-yard line, Jones threw behind Najee Harris, hitting the running back in the back before the ball bounced into the hands of Tigers linebacker Zakoby McClain who took it 100 yards to the end zone.

McClain’s sprint down the left sidelines put Auburn up 37-31 with 6:31 remaining in the third quarter. The back-and-forth affair would only continue from there.

To Jones’ credit, he rebounded on the ensuing possession, completing 4 of 5 passes while capping off the drive with a 12-yard touchdown strike to receiver Jaylen Waddle to put Alabama back up 38-37.

Trailing 40-38 late in the third quarter, Jones once again kept his poise amidst a raucous atmosphere, driving Alabama down 90 yards down the field on six plays capped off by a 28-yard touchdown pass to Waddle.

Auburn answered back on its next possession as freshman quarterback Bo Nix drove Auburn down the field before an 11-yard run from Shaun Shivers put the Tigers back up. A successful two-point conversion gave Auburn a 48-45 lead with 5:32 remaining.

Still, Jones had a bit more heroics up his sleeve. Facing fourth-and-7 from the Auburn 37-yard line, he escaped pressure before tucking the ball for an 18-yard run. The drive-saving play ended up for naught as Bulovas was unable to capitalize with a game-tying field goal.

Waddle finished the day with four receptions for 98 yards and three touchdowns through the air while also adding a score on a 98-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. However, his final appearance on the field came on a penalty as Alabama was flagged for too many players on the field on a fourth-and-4 for Auburn at its own 26-yard line. The penalty resulted in a first down which allowed Auburn to run out the game.

Alabama committed 13 penalties resulting in 96 yards, while Auburn was flagged nine times for 60 yards.

Another crucial moment in the game on the final play of the half as Auburn kicked a last-second field goal to cut Alabama's lead to 31-27. The half was previously ruled to be over. However, after review the refs put one second back on the clock, allowing Tigers kicker Anders Carlson to connect from 52 yards out. Carlson finished the day 4-for-4 with makes from 43, 52, 43 and 44.

Alabama running back Najee Harris had a big day, carrying the ball 27 times for 146 yards and a touchdown while adding four receptions for 26 yards. Henry Ruggs had six receptions for 99 yards and a touchdown, while DeVonta Smith had 80 yards on five receptions. Alabama outgained Auburn 515-314 on the afternoon.

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