Bryce Young, No. 3 Alabama Avoid Auburn Upset Bid with 4OT Win in 2021 Iron Bowl

Both teams scored touchdowns in the first overtime and field goals in the second OT.

That set up dueling two-point conversion attempts beginning with the third OT, and both teams converted their chances there.

In the fourth OT, an Auburn two-point pass fell incomplete, leading to Young finding John Metchie III for the game-winner:

The Tigers defense was sensational in defeat, with Derick Hall amassing three of Auburn’s seven sacks. Alabama didn’t score until Will Reichard hit a 30-yard field goal with 8:44 left in regulation.

Auburn’s lone regulation touchdown was set up by a targeting penalty in punt coverage on Alabama wideout Jameson Williams, who was subsequently ejected.

The Tigers then went 39 yards in four plays capped by T.J. Finley’s 15-yard pass to Kobe Hudson:

However, the 11-1 Crimson Tide (7-1 SEC) survived and stayed alive in the College Football Playoff picture. The 6-6 Tigers fell to 3-5 in SEC play.

The Crimson Tide now lead the all-time Iron Bowl series 48-37-1.

Notable Performances

Alabama QB Bryce Young: 25-of-51, 317 passing yards, 2 TD, 1 INT

Alabama RB Brian Robinson Jr.: 16 carries, 71 rushing yards; 3 catches, 29 receiving yards

Alabama WR John Metchie III: 13 catches, 150 receiving yards

Auburn QB TJ Finley: 17-of-26, 137 passing yards, 2 TD, 1 INT

Auburn RB Tank Bigsby: 29 carries, 63 rushing yards

Auburn WR Kobe Hudson: 3 catches, 33 receiving yards, 1 TD

A Win Is a Win for Alabama

This was not a pretty game for Alabama, which didn’t score for 51-plus minutes and failed to register a touchdown until the final half-minute of regulation.

The Crimson Tide defense came to play, though, holding Auburn to just 159 yards from scrimmage and 11 first downs.

That gave the Alabama offense a litany of chances to tie (and eventually win) this game, and the Crimson Tide finally took advantage on their very last regulation opportunity.

The final drive was the Young show, as he hit Metchie for 22 yards on a 3rd-and-10 from Alabama’s own 3-yard line to get things going.

He later found Brooks for 21 yards and tight end Jahleel Billingsley for 14 before hitting the former player in stride for the touchdown.

That put the Alabama offense in a rhythm, which it sustained in the first OT. Young hit Metchie for 13 yards, and Trey Sanders added six more yards on the ground. On 3rd-and-4, Young found Slade Bolden up the middle for a six-yard touchdown:

Auburn matched Alabama when Finley found Landen King for a five-yard touchdown. The Tigers then notched a field goal in second OT, giving Alabama a chance at the tie or win. Alabama went three-and-out, leading to a field goal.

From there, it was the Young and Metchie show, with the two linking for two-point conversions in the third and fourth overtimes.

The latter score gave Alabama the win as the Crimson Tide likely earned the No. 2 spot in the next set of CFP rankings.

The Crimson Tide can breathe a sigh of relief, but they won’t come close to beating the No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs in the SEC title game if they post a similar effort next Saturday.

However, the Crimson Tide have seven days to regroup and refocus as they look to win their conference and shock the No. 1 team in the nation.

Standout Performance from Auburn Defense

Regardless of the result, the Auburn defense put on the performance of a lifetime Saturday as the Tigers nearly pulled off a monumental upset.

The first three quarters were a masterclass in defensive efforts, to the point where Alabama was held scoreless for the first time since 2016:

The Tigers defense won the battle of the trenches led by Hall.

Auburn’s pressures made significant impacts even when it didn’t result in sacks, like when Young was forced into this interception by Bydarrius Knighten:

Auburn later forced a pair of turnover-on-downs. They benefitted from a mishandled snap on the first, but the Tigers defense got home so quickly that Young had no chance to recover:

The second one was courtesy of Chandler Wooten, who hit the hole and stonewalled Sanders for no gain on 4th-and-1:

Auburn’s tired defense may have struggled in the final minutes of regulation and the overtime sessions, but who could blame the unit?

The Tigers were gassed after dominating the nation’s No. 3 team for almost four quarters, and Alabama’s talent came through in the end.

Any loss to Alabama is a tough one to swallow, but credit to Auburn for showing incredible fight against a potential national champion.

What’s Next?

Alabama will play Georgia in the SEC Championship Game on Saturday at 4 p.m. ET from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.