The catch brought Auburn to within six points, but the Tigers failed to score again, falling to Alabama, 29-13.
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“Our guys have had their backs against the wall ever since the Ole Miss game, and they responded every time”, Alabama coach Nick Saban told CBS after the game.
Alabama’s win also didn’t come without a fight against an Auburn team that had struggled all season. “Certainly, that play reminded me of the play they made against Georgia the same year they made the kick return against us, but it was a good play and it counts for seven”.
Kessler threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score, and USC clinched the Pac-12 South title with a 40-21 victory over No. 22 UCLA in the 85th edition of their crosstown showdown.
It didin’t help that Blake Countess dropped a clear pick-6 with attractive green grass in front of him right before Alabama’s final field goal of the half, either. Henry ran the ball 10 straight times for 56 yards. “I couldn’t hear anything, at first, until I got in the end zone. We know that. There is no doubt, and we will”, said Malzhan.
The Tigers (6-6, 2-6) responded 47 seconds later when wide receiver Jason Smith tipped quarterback Jeremy Johnson’s pass to himself twice with two Crimson Tide defenders in the area, secured it and took off for a 77-yard touchdown.
But then … Auburn’s rushing attack faded away, along with the Tigers’ chances to win the Iron Bowl. “I was just doing my job and trying to win games”, Grifftih said.
This game pits one of the nation’s best defenses against an Auburn offense that ranks 10th in the SEC in total yards and is still in search of stability at quarterback.
After Alabama got the ball back, and again faced a fourth-and-1, this time on the Auburn 25 with:33 to play, Henry went around right tackle virtually untouched for his first touchdown of the game, extending his streak of consecutive games with a rushing touchdown to 17.
Officially, Griffith is 5 of 6 in Jordan-Hare Stadium. He smashed through Trent Richardson’s single-season rushing record of 1,679 yards with 117 yards to spare.
“This was a tough game today and we expected it to be tough”, Saban said.
The Tide moved 55 yards in 5 plays to take the lead early in the second quarter, highlighted by a 46-yard pass from Coker to Ridley, who made an outstanding catch in double coverage at the Tiger 5.
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One Auburn running back didn’t think Alabama was any better than the Tigers as a team.
