There may not be another rivalry in college football that’s as storied as the Iron Bowl.
Alabama and Auburn have each had their own famous highlights and come from behind wins to tout to each other’s fanbases at the end of every November. But in the past decade, the Crimson Tide have been on the opposite end of some painful against the Tigers.
Whether you mention last year’s finish with the field goal controversy and penalty or the infamous “Kick Six” game, neither are high on the list of Tide fans favorite experiences.
But looking back now 10 years later, Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn discussed the 2010 Iron Bowl as one of his most fond memories as a coach. Malzahn served as the team’s offensive coordinator when the Tigers went into Bryant-Denny Stadium and defeated Alabama on the path to a national championship.
“The game itself was not easy, but that is the root as to why Malzahn holds it dear.
“I remember that we faced major adversity, that’s what I remember,” Malzahn said during a Zoom conference on Tuesday. “That first half was really something and just the fight that our guys showed to come back. You could feel the momentum switch. And just like the other time that we won the fourth quarter, we played well and you could feel it.
“You could feel the momentum switch and it was just one of those things that our guys made plays. Found a way to win. That was a huge win. Probably one of my favorite games to ever be a part of.”
With Cam Newton at quarterback in a game that would later be remembered as “The Camback”, Auburn went down 24-7 at halftime before outscoring the Tide 21-3 in the second half to inch out a 28-27 win.
Malzahn and the Tigers will try and repeat some of this magic a decade later in the exact same building. Auburn will also be trying to accomplish back to back victories over Alabama for the first time since it’s six-game winning streak in the rivalry under Tommy Tuberville from 2002-06.
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Patrick Dowd is a Reporter for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can follow him on Twitter, via Pat_Dowd77
