College Football: 25 most unforgettable games of the 21st century
By Phil Poling
No. 16: Auburn at Alabama, Nov. 26, 2010
If there’s one specifically terrible thing about being a dominant dynasty, it’s that your losses are often magnified. That couldn’t be truer than for Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide. The 2010 Iron Bowl marks the third time they’ve landed on our most unforgettable games list.
Mark Ingram and Julio Jones paced the Crimson Tide (9-2) early on. The score was 24-0 with eight minutes remaining in the first half. Auburn (11-0) quarterback Cam Newton had been held in check, too. But there’s a reason he won the Heisman Trophy that fall. His performance in this massive SEC rivalry game helped solidify it.
Newton’s Tigers scored once before the break, cutting the score to 24-7. Right out of halftime, they hit the Crimson Tide again with a 70-yard hookup between Newton and Terrell Zachery.
After two Alabama punts sandwiched around a Tiger punt, Newton led Auburn on another scoring drive. Instead of the quick-strike touchdown to start the half, this drive was a bit more deliberate.
Newton orchestrated an eight-play drive and stuffed it in the end zone himself, passing Bo Jackson and Carnell “Cadillac” Williams for most rushing touchdowns in a season by a Tiger. A score of 24-21 struck fear in the Crimson Tide, but they responded with a field goal to push the lead to six.
This put Newton back on the gridiron, as he marched the Tigers down the field in 11 plays for a score and their first lead of the ball. A Newton touchdown pass to tight end Philip Lutzenkirchen tied Alabama, and the extra point from Wes Byrum put the Tigers ahead for good.
Newton completed 13-of-20 pass attempts for 216 yards and three touchdowns. He added 39 yards and one score on 22 rush attempts. This was a unique performance by a unique player, against the perennial college football dynasty of the last decade.