5 takeaways from Alabama’s 28-14 Iron Bowl win

No. 13 Alabama (9-3, 5-3 SEC) overcame four turnovers to beat Auburn (5-7, 2-6 SEC) by a score of 28-14 on Saturday.

After a disappointing performance last week that ended their hopes of a spot in the SEC Championship Game, the Crimson Tide bounced back and made it to their fifth straight Iron Bowl rival.

Here are some takeaways from the Iron Bowl.

Sales problems

Before the Iron Bowl, Alabama had a +10 turnover margin while Auburn had a -11 turnover margin. There were six turnovers on Saturday, with Alabama’s offense responsible for the loss of four of them. While the Crimson Tide’s four turnovers ended scoring opportunities, Auburn was unable to capitalize, scoring just six points off the turnovers.

Good Milroe showed up

When the good version of Jalen Milroe shows up, the good version of the Crimson Tide shows up. Milroe overcame three turnovers and led Alabama to victory. Through the air, Milroe completed one pass for 256 yards and one touchdown. On the ground, he tore through Auburn’s defense for 104 yards and three touchdowns.

Big game on site

Alabama rebounded in the running game after a poor performance the previous week. Auburn wasn’t able to contain Milroe the same way Oklahoma did. Milroe threw the ball 17 times for 104 yards and three touchdowns. Jam Miller ran the ball hard as he carried the ball for a season-high 28 yards rushing for a season-high 84 yards.

Tight end involvement

The tight end position is typically used as an additional blocker in Alabama’s offense, but the position group was heavily involved in the passing attack against Auburn. The trio of CJ Dippre, Josh Cuevas and Robbie Ouzts combined for eight of Milroe’s 18 completions. They combined for 92 yards, but more importantly, the catches came at key points to extend drives.

Red Zone Defense

Turnovers should have tipped the outcome of the game in Auburn’s favor. The Tigers were only able to score six points off turnovers thanks to Alabama’s red zone defense. Auburn entered Alabama’s red zone three times and was successful in scoring on two of those drives. Unfortunately for the Tigers, they had to settle for field goals instead of touchdowns.

Alabama’s regular season is complete. Now the Tide will have to wait and hope the right pieces fall into place to clinch a playoff spot.

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