Livescore
No. 8 Alabama converted an unbelievable 31-yard touchdown on fourth-and-goal to shock Auburn 27-24 and escape the Iron Bowl with an improbable victory. Quarterback Jalen Milroe found receiver Isaiah Bond in the corner of the end zone for the unlikeliest of game-winners.
Alabama was in terrible position after a miscommunication between Milroe and center Seth McLaughlin led to a whiffed snap that flew back 18 yards. The goal-to-go distance went back even farther after Milroe was called for an ineligible forward pass for throwing past the line of scrimmage, setting up a fourth-and-forever that will go down as an all-time moment in the history of the rivalry.
The Crimson Tide essentially ran a Hail Mary to the end zone and Auburn dropped nine players into coverage, leaving Milroe an open pocket. He launched the ball deep into the left corner of the end zone, where Bond pulled away from an Auburn defender and elevated for one of the greatest catches in Alabama history.
“Believe it or not, we work on it. It was just a great throw by Jalen and a great catch by Isaiah,” Alabama coach Nick Saban told the CBS broadcast. “We work on it but you really just throw it up for grabs. There’s been some weird stuff happen here, and this is the first time I can remember it going our way.”
The play gave Alabama a 27-24 lead with only 35 seconds remaining, and Auburn couldn’t come close to converting. The win was the fourth straight for the Tide in the rivalry, the longest since Paul “Bear” Bryant retired.
Milroe finished with 259 yards passing, 107 yards rushing and two touchdowns in the come-from-behind victory against Auburn. The Tigers played a fantastic game with 244 yards on the ground but couldn’t survive one last piece of magic.
With the win, Alabama heads to the SEC Championship Game against No. 1 Georgia at 11-1 with a shot to make the College Football Playoff.
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