With the 85th matchup of the Iron Bowl scheduled for Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium, the staff at Touchdown Alabama Magazine has compiled a series of 10 stories on the best games from the rivalry.
The series will break down the lead up to each game, the significance of the matchup, and the game itself as we go down memory lane of Alabama versus Auburn. We will provide two to three stories per day, until kickoff this weekend.
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We have arrived at the No. 1 game of this series and it goes to the 2008 matchup.
Lead up to the Game
Alabama finished the 2007 season at 7-6 in Nick Saban’s first year as head coach.
When it comes to the Crimson Tide’s football program, it had not a national championship spark since Gene Stallings and it was tired of being mediocre. Alabama had a few senior leaders on its team, including John Parker Wilson, Rashad Johnson and Glenn Coffee, who wanted to go out the right way. After being two years removed from Mike Shula, the team bought in to Saban’s philosophy and it started winning games. In 2008, it entered the Iron Bowl at 11-0 with wins over Georgia and LSU — both of which were in the top-25. The Bulldogs were ranked No. 3 in the country and Alabama won, 41-30 on the road.
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Tommy Tuberville and Auburn entered the matchup at 5-6.
The Tigers had won six straight Iron Bowls since 2002, and it wanted to spoil Senior Day for the Tide.
Significance of the Game
Alabama’s shutout victory over Auburn in 2008 led it to its first SEC Championship Game appearance since 1999.
The Crimson Tide had ended a six-game losing skid, and the victory ultimately started Alabama’s run of national championships and the rise of Saban as the best head coach in college football.
The 2008 Iron Bowl Game
Weather conditions were horrible on Nov. 29, 2008, but it was perfect for Alabama.
The field was soaked inside Bryant-Denny Stadium, and the Tide’s defense loved it. A win was on the menu for Alabama, but fans were more happy about how the team won. Coach Tuberville and the Tigers looked like a junior varsity program facing a National Football League franchise. Auburn could not move the ball, it did not score, and it looked absolutely helpless.
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The Tigers totaled just 170 yards offensively and turned the ball over three times.
For Alabama, the game was a different story. Glenn Coffee rushed for 144 yards with one touchdown.
Mark Ingram, a true freshman, had two rushing scores and the Tide played two quarterbacks. John Parker Wilson found Nikita Stover for a 39-yard score, while Greg McElroy connected with Marquis Maze for a 34-yard touchdown strike.
A blocked extra point was the lone bad thing for the Tide all game.
Leigh Tiffin put in a 37-yard field goal and Alabama scored 36 points overall, to force a shutout win. Not only did it break Auburn’s streak, the Tide also ended Tuberville’s career with the Tigers. He resigned from his position as head coach after the season.
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Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
