A few bonus Iron Bowl thoughts and observations on Alabama and Auburn

Alabama’s first possession ended with a 19-yard pass to Williams, but he made an error on the tackle. Then, in the second quarter, Williams dropped a beautifully thrown ball from Milroe for what would have been a 55-yard touchdown. It would have been a challenging catch, but one you would expect from an elite receiver.

Ending the half with a single catch, Williams got a confidence boost on the opening play of the third quarter. He caught a quick screen from Milroe and ran for a 24-yard gain to set up the first of two touchdown drives in the third quarter. To close out the day, Williams recovered from a pre-snap stumble, came back into the play on an inside screen and ran for a 10-yard gain on third-and-7.

Speaking of third downs

As always, they were crucial.

Auburn was just 4 of 12 (33.3%) while Alabama was 12 of 18 (66.7%).

Milroe was particularly efficient on third downs, completing 8 of 9 passes for 108 yards in those scenarios. Alabama also ran nine times for 48 yards, an average of 5.3 yards. This surpassed the entire team’s rushing average of 3.7 yards per attempt.

Alabama entered the game ranked 19th nationally in third-down efficiency (46.3%) and posted its second-best rate of the season. Only LSU’s 10-for-13 night (76.9%) was better than Saturday’s 66.7%.

The Tide was 3-for-3 on third downs in the third quarter, including two incredibly efficient touchdown drives that were the difference in the game.

Tight ends open

Alabama’s passing game depended on less traditional targets for much of the game. Tight ends and H-backs accounted for eight of the 18 receptions and 91 of the 256 passing yards. CJ Dippre and Josh Cuevas each had three catches for 46 and 31 yards, respectively, while Robbie Ouzts had two for 15 yards.

Williams and Germie Bernard were the only two wide receivers to catch passes.

Speaking of Bernard

The Alabama receiver, who transferred from Washington, was an incredibly important cog in the passing game. His seven catches went for 111 yards, both of which were season highs. Before Saturday, his highest yardage game was 89 yards on four catches against South Carolina. Just three weeks ago, he had just one catch for minus-1 yard at LSU.

Against Auburn, it mattered more when Bernard caught passes. Of his seven catches, four came on third down.

Speaking of 100-yard receiving yards

Auburn 5-star freshman Cam Coleman had a string of two triple-figure performances entering the Iron Bowl. No Auburn player has done that in 11 years, so it’s fair to say the Phenix City product has been a focal point of Alabama’s defense.

He failed to reach the century mark for the third time in a row, but Coleman had an impressive second half. After having just two catches and nine yards in the first game, the big freshman finished the game with seven receptions, 78 yards and the Tigers’ only touchdown. Coleman is primed for a breakout season should Auburn improve its quarterback play. Fellow freshman Malcolm Simmons had the longest Auburn play with a 31-yard catch.

Penn State transfer KeAndre Lambert-Smith reached triple figures with eight catches for 116 yards in his Iron Bowl debut.

Auburn’s run/pass split

The Tigers’ greatest success this year came when they got Jarquez Hunter to run the ball. Just look at A&M’s wins at Kentucky and Texas. But after running it 28 times last week, he only managed it 13 times for 56 yards in Tuscaloosa. That includes just three second-half runs that gained one yard in the second half as the Tigers played from behind.

Thorne, on the other hand, threw the most passes in his two-year tenure at Auburn, and by a wide margin. He threw it 41 times (including 24) after failing to shoot more than 32 times during his time with the Tigers. That’s not a career high, as he threw 50 times in a win over Pittsburgh in 2021 when he played for Michigan State.

Trash talk update

Riddick made headlines when he talked about Milroe and Ryan Williams and claimed he would never lose to Alabama. The rookie clearly missed the win and the idea that Milroe wasn’t fast enough to escape the pocket with him.

Sure enough, on Milroe’s first of three touchdowns, the QB beat Riddick to the rim and turned upfield for a 19-yard score.

Riddick finished the game with two tackles, one of which came on kickoff coverage. His other came after Alabama RB Justice Haynes gained six yards in the second quarter.

Speaking of Alabama running backs

It hasn’t been a banner year for tailbacks at Alabama, but at least Jam Miller got to work on Saturday. His 28 rushing attempts nearly doubled his previous career-high of 15 against South Florida this season.

The performance was the definition of three meters and a cloud of dust. Miller gained 84 yards on those 28 attempts, an average of exactly 3.0 yards. Its height was 14 yards, so it was a real feat.

Michael Casagrande is a reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @ByCasagrande or further Facebook.