After blowing a 17-0 first-half lead, Alabama found itself in a dogfight in the Iron Bowl at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
Tied at 20 with under 12 minutes to go, Ty Simpson and the Alabama offense engineered a 15-play 75-yard drive to take the lead back. But it all came down to a single play on 4th-and-2 from the Auburn six-yard line with under four minutes to play.
Alabama could have taken the lead on a Connor Talty field goal - the shaky Tide kicker had connected on his two previous attempts earlier in the game. But Kalen DeBoer chose to roll the dice and go for the touchdown. Simpson connected with Isaiah Horton for a third time for a touchdown to give the Crimson Tide a 27-20 lead.
Bray Hubbard forced a fumble on Auburn star WR Cam Coleman on the ensuing drive to practically seal it, though the Tigers had one more chance at it following a quick three-and-out.
It was a gutsy call by DeBoer, one that will forever live on in Iron Bowl history. If it didn't work, DeBoer may have gone down as an all-time Iron Bowl buffoon. Instead, it was a legendary play call that helped the Crimson Tide escape the Jordan-Hare house of horrors.
Right after the game, Holly Rowe asked DeBoer about the decision to go for it.
“I got a lot of confidence in our offense that we could make that play, and I got a lot of confidence in our defense that we’d get it back,” DeBoer said right after the game. “We’ve been through this a lot this year, and we’ve talked about being built for it - build for these moments. We’ve found ways to find these wins at the end of the game over and over. There’s a deep meaning, there’s not just a belief that we hope we can get it done. There’s a deep belief that we can make those plays, so again, great job by our guys. I’m proud of them.”
Kalen DeBoer's belief in his guys paid off in an Iron Bowl victory
Time and time again, DeBoer has shown his immense confidence in his football team. In critical situations, he has rolled the dice, betting on his guys. That allows Simpson and the offense to play with an unbridled sense of confidence because they know their coach has their back in the tensest of moments.
Alabama has been in that situation many times this year. They have a proven ability to win close games. They did it against Georgia, Missouri, and South Carolina before. They did it again against Auburn on Saturday night to win the Iron Bowl.
It would be nice for Alabama to develop the killer instinct to put teams away earlier in games. The opportunities were there against Auburn, but the Crimson Tide couldn't capitalize. But when it mattered most, DeBoer bet on his guys to make a play in a critical moment, and it paid off again.