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| Alabama running back Dennis Riddle holds up the football as he scores the game-winning touchdown in the final seconds of the 1996 Iron Bowl. |
The Iron Bowl always had a lot of stakes as the winner of the game between the Auburn Tigers and the Alabama Crimson Tide would get bragging rights in the state of Alabama for a year.
But when the SEC split into two divisions, the potential for higher stakes rose as both teams were put in the SEC Western Division and the chances for the division winner being decided in the regular season finale for both teams were quite high.
Such was the case in 1996 when the Crimson Tide entered the Iron Bowl needing a win to clinch their fourth SEC West title in five years and secure a trip to Atlanta for the SEC Championship Game.
Alabama came into the game with a 8-2 record and #15 ranking, but were coming off a loss to Mississippi State the week before where they had a chance to clinch the SEC West title.
The Tide were led by head coach Gene Stallings, who was in his seventh year as the Crimson Tide head coach, having lead Bama back to national prominence as they won a national title in 1992.
This version of the Crimson Tide were led by quarterback Freddie Kitchens, running back Dennis Riddle, and a stifling defense that gave up only an average of 11.3 points per game.
Hoping to play spoiler was Auburn, who was out of the race for the SEC West title race after a 56-49 quadruple overtime loss to the Georgia Bulldogs(Read about that game here: https://oldschoolsportsblog.blogspot.com/2020/10/college-football-old-school-game-of.html) as they entered the Iron Bowl with a 7-3 record and out of the Top 25.
Auburn was led by head coach Terry Bowden, who after going 20-1-1 in his first two seasons at the Plains, had gone 15-7 since the beginning of the 1995 season.
If the Tigers were going to pull off the upset, they were going to need a big game from junior quarterback Dameyune Craig, who had threw for just barley over 2,000 yards and 15 touchdowns in his first year as the Auburn starting quarterback.
There was also one more thing hanging over the 1996 edition of the Iron Bowl and that was the future of Stallings as Alabama head coach, whose contract was up at the end of the season and some indications were that he might step down at the end of the season.
That added to the drama and anticipation as the Tigers and Tide prepared for battle at Legion Field in Birmingham.
The Tide got the ball to start the game at their 20-yard-line and after it took them three plays to pick up a 1st down, Kitchens fired a screen pass to Curtis Alexander, who broke a tackle and ran it for a 63-yard touchdown to give Bama a 7-0 lead just 90 seconds into the game.
The Tide would get the ball back at their 31-yard-line after forcing a three-and-out as Riddle carried the ball three straight times for 15 yards until Kitchens connected with Marcell West for a 32-yard completion to give Bama a 1st down at the Auburn 22-yard-line.
However, the Tigers defense would hold the Tide to just three yards on the next three plays, forcing Bama to settle for a 37-yard field goal by Jon Brock to increase the Alabama lead to 10-0 with 9:30 left in the first quarter.
Auburn looked to get the ball moving on its next possession and appeared to have a 1st down when Craig ran for 18 yards on 3rd & 11, only to have called it back because of a holding penalty, which would lead to another Auburn punt as the Tide took over at their 40-yard-line.
On this drive, the Tide relied on freshman running back Shaun Alexander to help them get down the field as Alexander would carry the ball five times for 29 yards on an eight-play, 60-yard drive that ended with a seven-yard touchdown pass from Kitchens to Michael Vaughn to increase the Bama lead to 17-0 with 3:32 left in the first quarter.
It looked like the 1996 Iron Bowl was destined to be an Alabama blowout but the Auburn offense finally got on track on the first play of its next possession as Rusty Williams busted loose for 42 yards to help set up a 34-yard field goal by Jaret Holmes to cut the Tide lead to 17-3 with 1:54 to go in the opening period.
The Auburn defense would force a Bama punt on its next possession to get their offense the ball back at the Tigers' 17-yard-line as the game moved into the second quarter.
However, on 2nd & 8 from the Auburn 31-yard-line, Craig was intercepted by Alabama cornerback Fernando Bryant to give the Tide the ball at the Tigers' 35-yard-line.
Three straight running plays picked up seven yards to set up 4th & 3 when Stallings decided to forgo the field goal and go for the 1st down.
The gamble backfired as Alexander was tripped in the backfield for an one-yard loss, giving the ball back to Auburn at their 29-yard-line.
The Tigers would make the Tide pay for their 4th down gamble as Craig connected with Karsten Bailey for a 57-yard touchdown to bring Auburn to within a touchdown at 17-10 with 8:27 left in the second quarter.
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| Auburn head coach Terry Bowden talks with his quarterback Dameyune Craig, who completed only 11 of 39 passes for 180 yards in the 1996 Iron Bowl. |
Taking over at their 19-yard-line, the Bama offense looked to get back on track as Kitchens hit Vaughn for 17 yards on 3rd & 3 from the Tide 26-yard-line, which was followed by two straight runs by Riddle that totaled 35 yards to give Bama a 1st down at the Tigers' 22-yard-line.
However on the very next play, Riddle was stripped of the ball by Auburn safety Brad Ware, leading to a fumble that was recovered by linebacker Marcellus Mostella at the Tigers' 20-yard-line.
The Tigers would be forced to punt after the fumble, but would force another turnover on the Tide's next possession as Ware picked off a Kitchens pass and returned it 34 yards for a pick-six that with Holmes' extra point tied the game at 17 with 2:16 to go in the first half.
With their 17-point lead gone, the Tide were hoping to put together a drive to get some points on the scoreboard before halftime, only to have West fumble the ensuing kickoff which was recovered by Auburn's Brandon Morrow at the Alabama 20-yard-line.
The Tide defense would not permit a 1st down forcing the Tigers to settle for a 34-yard field goal by Holmes to give Auburn a 20-17 lead with 52 seconds left in the first half.
Bama got the ball back at their 33-yard-line with one last chance to score some points in the first half as Kitchens completed a 20-yard pass to Calvin Hall, then hit a nine-yarder to Trevis Smith to have Bama at the Auburn 38-yard-line, needing one more completion in order to give Brock a chance at a field goal.
But that chance never came as Kitchens was sacked for a nine-yard-loss to end the first half with the Tide trailing 20-17.
The Tigers would get the ball to start the second half as they took over at their 25-yard-line where they gained only one yard on the first plays of the drive until Craig found Tyrone Goodson for 38 yards on 3rd & 9 to give Auburn a 1st down at the Bama 36-yard-line.
Two more incomplete passes and a nine-yard pass to Bailey set up a 4th & 1 from the Tide 27-yard-line when Bowden decided to go for the 1st down.
Unlike Stallings' decision in the first half, Bowden was rewarded as Fred Beasley ran for two yards and a 1st down at the Bama 25-yard-line.
Rusty Williams would get the ball on the next two plays picking up eight yards, before Beasley was dropped for an one-yard loss by Alabama linebacker Dwayne Rudd, forcing the Tigers to settle for a 34-yard field goal by Holmes which increased Auburn's lead to 23-17 with 10:13 left in the third quarter.
The Tide would go three-and-out on its next possession to give the ball back to the Tigers at their 37-yard-line only to have Craig be intercepted by Alabama safety Kevin Jackson on a deep pass to give the Tide the ball at their 31-yard-line.
The Tide would give it right back to the Tigers as Kitchens threw his second interception of the game with Auburn linebacker Takeo Spikes picking off the pass at the Bama 44-yard-line.
The Bama defense would force a three-and-out to get their offense the ball back at their 26-yard-line where it appeared the offense was finally back on track as Kitchens hit Patrick Hape for a 17-yard completion, followed by back-to-back runs by Riddle that gained 27 yards to put the Tide at the Auburn 28-yard-line.
But one play after Alexander was dropped for an one-yard-loss, Kitchens would be picked off again, this time by Antwoine Nolan to give the Tigers the ball at their 26-yard-line.
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| Alabama quarterback Freddie Kitchens would complete 20 of 33 passes for 292 yards and throw three touchdowns and three interceptions. |
Both teams traded punts going into the 4th quarter when Auburn put together a 11-play, 44-yard drive that took nearly six minutes off the clock before the Tigers had to punt to the Tide who took over at their 14-yard-line with 5:37 left to play.
The drive got off to a good start as Kitchens hit Vaughn for 17 yards, then Calvin Hall for 16 yards, until a holding penalty wiped out a 13-yard run by Kitchens which was followed by a quarterback sack by Auburn defensive end Leonardo Carson to force an Alabama punt with 3:41 left on the clock.
The Tide defense would force a three-and-out to give their offense the ball back at their 26-yard-line with 2:14 left and one timeout in their pocket.
The drive got off to an auspicious start as Kitchens threw two straight incomplete passes before hitting Shamari Buchanan for 14 yards and a 1st down at the Bama 40-yard-line.
After another incomplete pass, Kitchens would hit Riddle on back-to-back passes, first for 16 yards, then for 12 yards to put the Tide at the Auburn 32-yard-line.
That is when Kitchens fired a pass for Vaughn in the end zone, only to have Auburn cornerback Charles Rose came in and draw a pass interference penalty giving the Tide 15 yards and a 1st down at the Tigers' 17-yard-line.
Following the pass interference call, Kitchens scrambled for seven yards, then hit for Vaughn for four yards to set up 1st & goal at the six-yard-line.
After an incomplete pass intended for Riddle on 1st down, Kitchens went back to Riddle as he hit the running back with a screen pass at the five-yard-line.
Riddle would then make a cut to his right and went in untouched for the six-yard touchdown to tie the game at 23.
Now come the all-important extra point which Brock made easily to give the Tide a 24-23 lead with 26 seconds left in the game.
Auburn got the ball at their 35-yard-line but could only muster one complete pass for six yards as the clock struck zero with the Tide winning the Iron Bowl 24-23 and the SEC West title.
But the celebration was muted in the locker room when Stallings announced he would in fact retire at the end of the season.
Two weeks later, Bama would face Florida in the SEC Championship Game where they would lose 45-30 as eventual Heisman Trophy winner Danny Wuerffel threw for 401 yards and six touchdown passes.
Stallings would coach his final game in the Outback Bowl which was a 17-14 Alabama win over Michigan as Stallings finished his seven-year run in Tuscaloosa with his fourth official 10-win season and #11 ranking in both polls.
Meanwhile, Auburn would be invited to the Independence Bowl where they would defeat Army 32-29 to finish with a 8-4 record.
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| Alabama head coach Gene Stallings would get a win in his final regular season game as the Crimson Tide head coach. |
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