There may just be one word to describe the finish to the 2013 Iron Bowl: Aumazing.
With just one second remaining in the fourth quarter of the latest edition of the annual rivalry game between Alabama and Auburn, the score was deadlocked 28-28. Following an official review that put that last season-altering second on the clock, No. 1 Alabama lined up for a potential game-winning field goal try at the 38-yard line of No. 4 Auburn. The 57-yard attempt from back-up kicker Adam Griffith fell short and dropped into the arms of Auburn's Chris Davis near the back of the end zone.
"I knew when I caught the ball I would have room to run," Davis later said, via The Associated Press. "I knew they would have big guys on the field to protect on the field goal.
With no time left on the clock, Davis brought the ball out of the end zone and veered to his left. Weaving through a crowd of defenders more accustomed to protecting kickers rather than chasing down kick returners, the fleet-footed wide receiver ran along the home sideline and cruised the length of the field for the stunning game-winning score.
"We just talked about it. I didn't know if he had the leg so we put our punt returner back there," Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn told CBS' Tracy Wolfson surrounded by fans on the field at Jordan-Hare Stadium in the euphoric aftermath of the 34-28 win. "Chris Davis took it to the house and the place went nuts."
Those not watching the game in person or on television were still able to get a sense of just how nuts the place went when the senior cornerback scored thanks to the ecstatic radio call of Auburn's Rod Bramblett.
Bramlett, the voice of the Tigers, also shared his view of the celebration that followed the win via Twitter.
The 34-28 win sends No. 4 Auburn to the SEC Championship Game and likely dashes the two-time defending national champions' hopes of a return trip to the BCS National Championship Game. It is also the second improbable win in succession for the Tigers. Two weeks ago, Auburn stunned Georgia with a hail mary touchdown with 25 seconds left the final minute of another SEC thriller. That shocking 73-yard touchdown pass from Nick Marshall to Ricardo Louis was inadvertently made possible by two Georgia defenders who tipped the ball. This full-field return of a missed field goal try was made possible only after Alabama coach Nick Saban argued to have one last second added to the clock after T.J. Yeldon's run to the Auburn 39 on the game's penultimate play.
"First time I've lost a game that way," Saban said after the defeat, via ESPN. "First time I've ever seen a game lost that way."
Despite never having seen a game lost that way, Saban may have seen Davis' return coming. CBS cameras spotted the Alabama coach appearing to begin a sentence with "I told you" as Auburn celebrated the winning touchdown.
(GIF via @SBNation)
Related
Before You Go
