What do Auburn's last three Iron Bowl wins have in common? 3 keys to another upset bid
Under Gus Malzahn, Auburn has won three very different types of games over Alabama. But there are still a few recurring themes to watch.
No other team in college football has had as much success against Nick Saban’s Alabama than Gus Malzahn’s Auburn.
Auburn is 3-4 in Iron Bowls under Malzahn, and it will look to pull off a major upset and get to .500 on Saturday in Tuscaloosa. But if there’s a formula to the Tigers’ three previous wins against the Crimson Tide — 2013, 2017 and 2019 — it’s hard to find.
In 2019, Auburn won a chaotic shootout that featured two pick-sixes. In 2017, Auburn won a grind-it-out, lower-scoring affair. In 2013, Auburn won a back-and-forth big-play fest that was capped by the biggest moment of them all, the Kick Six.
Auburn’s wins have come through a variety of box score results. Alabama averaged 9.6 yards per pass attempt in 2013, 4.5 in 2017 and 8.6 in 2019. The Crimson Tide have rushed for at least 180 yards and averaged more than 4 yards per carry in each of those losses. Auburn’s own offense has won with little passing success (2013 and 2019) a…