BREAKING NEWS: Wide Receivers Coach JaMarcus Shephard has been hired as the next Head Coach at Oregon State

Hello and Roll Tide!

Last Saturday, Alabama defeated the Eastern Illinois Panthers 56-0 in a tune-up game before the Iron Bowl. DeBoer and company are headed to Jordan-Hare Stadium with the season on the line. A night game between Alabama and Auburn is rare; the Iron Bowl will be a night game for the first time since 2014. Jordan-Hare has played a part in some of the craziest moments in this rivalry. Auburn has the “Kick Six” which looked like it would haunt Alabama forever until Alabama’s 4th & 31 “Gravedigger”. You never know what to expect in this rivalry, something that makes it special. Below are injury notes, a quick summary of the EIU game, Iron Bowl Preview, and Iron Bowl Storylines. Let’s go!

Injury Notes:

  • Josh Cuevas and Kevin Riley were downgraded to the OUT
  • Germie Bernard, Parker Brailsford, and QB Reese are QUESTIONABLE

Week 13 Recap: Eastern Illinois

Alabama dominated their FCS opponent on Saturday. After the CFB Playoff committee discredited Alabama due to a poor running game, the Tide rushed for 8 touchdowns on Saturday. That is the most rushing TDs in a game since 1979 when the Tide beat Vanderbilt 66-3. Six different ball carriers reached the end zone: AK Dear had 2 rushing touchdowns, Kevin Riley had 2, then Jam Miller, Richard Young, Daniel Hill, and Austin Mack had a rushing touchdown. Austin Mack’s was a 20-yard scramble where he stepped up in the pocket and noticed nothing but green ahead of him. Ty Simpson did not play great, completing only 11 of his 16 pass attempts with 2 interceptions. His first interception was poor judgement; he did not anticipate the middle linebacker’s zone positioning. The second came at the end of the half as a Hail Mary. With the lead, Alabama was able to play both backup quarterbacks in the second half. Keelon Russell had some impressive passes: Russell showed great pocket awareness stepping up in the pocket, taking a hit, yet still delivering a strike to Marshall Pritchet for a first Down; the very next play Keelon stepped up and found Kaleb Edwards for a 30-yard gain. Alabama’s defense only allowed 34 total yards to EIU. This is the lowest amount since 1962 when the Tide defeated Houston 14-3. What’s even more impressive is that they continued this effort as 40 different players took snaps on defense. Backups came into the game very early, no one took more than 22 snaps on defense. Tim Keenan shined on Senior day, recording 2 sacks on only 10 snaps played. Dijon Lee hauled in another interception on a bobbled pass. It was a good day to see the future of this program. Special Teams’ biggest highlight came in the 1st quarter when Luke Metz blocked a punt. Conor Talty struggled once again, missing a field goal from 28-yards out, but made all 5 of his PAT attempts. Three other kickers made PATs: Peter Notaro, Reid Shuback, and Tucker Cornelius. Alabama did not punt.

Week 14 Preview: Iron Bowl

Tomorrow will be the 90th edition of the famed Iron Bowl rivalry. Alabama leads the all-time series 51-37-1, winners of 5 in a row. This is the longest streak in the series since Auburn won 6 in a row from 2002-2007. Everyone in Alabama knows the significance of this rivalry, but it has also had significant impacts on the National landscape. From 2009 to 2013, the winner of the Iron Bowl made the National Championship game, Alabama winning 3 and Auburn 1. Even the 2019 Iron Bowl impacted the National landscape, with Auburn handing Alabama a second loss, eliminating them from playoff consideration. This season has the same level of impact as Alabama enters the contest at 9-2, ranked #10 in the CFB Playoff Rankings. As well, SEC Championship aspirations are at risk. If Alabama wins, they will head to Atlanta next weekend to compete for the SEC title. This game means so much to the players, fans, SEC, and national landscape. Auburn’s season hasn’t gone as planned. Hugh Freeze was fired on November 2nd after Auburn started SEC play 0-4 for the 3rd consecutive season. They turned to Defensive Coordinator DJ Durkin to take over as the interim head coach. The switch-up has sparked the team to give more effort. Immediately, Auburn lost in overtime 45-38 to a talented Vanderbilt team. Last week Auburn beat Mercer 62-17 as their true freshman quarterback Deuce Knight scored 6 touchdowns. Even after this performance, DJ Durkin announced that Ashton Daniel will start against Alabama in the Iron Bowl. This could simply be a smokescreen as Auburn has started 3 different quarterbacks this season. Notably, Jackson Arnold was Oklahoma’s quarterback a season ago who beat Alabama in Norman, OK. Regardless of who starts at quarterback, Auburn has a group of very talented receivers. Cam Coleman was the #2 ranked wide receiver in the class of 2024, behind Jeremiah Smith and one spot ahead of Ryan Williams. Due to struggles at quarterback, Coleman only has 682 yards and 5 touchdowns, but he makes unbelievable catches every outing. He will certainly be drafted into the NFL when eligible. With him, Eric Singleton Jr. has been effective, gaining 508 yards. Singleton was the top WR transfer in the class of 2024. Auburn has leaned on Junior running back Jeremiah Cobb to handle a majority of carries. He currently sits at 936 yards this season, hoping to eclipse 1,000 yards on the season. Despite the offensive struggles, Auburn’s defense has been among the best in the country. The defensive success likely resulted in the elevation of DJ Durkin to interim head coach. They rank 26th nationally in points allowed (20.1 ppg) and 38th in total yards (333.6 ypg). Auburn ranks 6th in the SEC with 28 team sacks. They are led in the category by Xavier Atkins and Keyron Craford with 7.5 and 5 respectively. Both are transfers, Crawford came from Arkansas State in the 2024 class while Atkins transferred from LSU in 2025. Atkins also leads the team in tackles by a large margin with 81. Auburn is susceptible in the pass game, allowing 239.6 passing yards per game (100th nationally). They will also be without safety Sylvester Smith for the first half. Junior cornerback Kayin Lee is their best cover corner, with 4 deflections and an interception. It will be a difficult task for this secondary to defend Alabama’s skilled receivers. Auburn has a consistent kicker, Alex McPherson, who has made 18 of 21 attempts this season. He is the younger brother of Evan McPherson who starts for the Cincinnati Bengals. Auburn has done a great job recruiting kickers in recent history. Auburn’s punting is a different story. Hudson Kaak has punted 44 times this season and only averages 42.3 yards per punt. Auburn has a dangerous kick returner, Rayshawn Pleasant. Last season for Tulane, Pleasant averaged 34.5 yards per return with 2 touchdowns. This season he averages 27.3 yards per return with 1 touchdown. Alabama should keep the ball away from him.

Week 14 Storylines:

One game to rule them all: Alabama still has all of their goals ahead of them with one remaining obstacle, Auburn. A win would send Alabama to the SEC Championship and very likely establish them as a playoff team. Auburn more than anyone wants to ruin Alabama’s season. Bama will get Auburn’s best shot and they better be ready to go all 12 rounds. This is the most important game so far this season and Alabama will need to be sharp.

Play a clean game: Alabama lost to Oklahoma in most part due to turnovers. Two fumbles and an interception put Oklahoma into advantage situations where they were able to capitalize. Ty even threw two interceptions against Eastern Illinois. This game will be tight, it always is at Auburn, so Alabama needs to prioritize limiting turnovers. Alabama has also shot themselves in the foot at Jordan-Hare stadium with penalties. In the last three games there, Alabama has committed 32 penalties resulting in 297 yards of penalties. Auburn, on the other hand, committed 21 penalties for 140 yards over the same stretch. Jordan-Hare is a hostile environment and will require additional focus.

Ghost in the graveyard: Jordan-Hare stadium is commonly referred to as “Haunted”. Crazy things happen in this stadium, specifically during the Iron Bowl. For a long time, the haunting went Auburn’s way, but recently Alabama has come out with strange wins. In 2021, Bryce Young had to lead a 12 play, 97 yard touchdown drive to tie the game with under a minute left. Alabama went on to win in 4 overtimes. Then most recently, Alabama found themselves in a 4th & Goal situation on the 31 yard-line. Jalen Milroe connected with Isaiah Bond for a miracle go-ahead touchdown with 32 seconds left. Crazy things happen in this game and Alabama needs to hope that the haunting goes their way.

What is your score prediction? Who will be the stars on offense and defense? If you know anyone who wants to join the newsletter, send their info my way.

Roll Tide! -Jake