'Bama, Florida march on to SEC Championship game
SEC Football
Jimmy Carter
Issue date: 12/3/08 Section: Sports
Top-ranked Alabama (12-0, 8-0 Southeastern Conference) defeated Auburn for the first time in the last six meetings, crushing the rival Tigers 36-0 in the annual Iron Bowl.
The margin of victory was the series largest in the past 46 years and keeps the Crimson Tide's record spotless heading into next week's showdown with the SEC Eastern Division Champion Florida Gators.
"It was obviously a great win for our fans, and it was a great win for our players," said Alabama coach Nick Saban. "We don't have a player on our team who has experienced this before so that was our goal. It was really less about the rivalry and more about doing something that was within our power if we focused on the right things and put our energy into the right things and went out there and played good football technically - out-hit them, out-execute them - then we would have a good chance to be successful."
Alabama took a 10-0 lead into halftime and wasted little time erasing any doubt as to the outcome of the game. The Tide defense forced Auburn (5-7, 2-6 SEC) running back Brad Lester and quarterback Kodi Burns to fumble on subsequent Tiger possessions.
Following both turnovers the Alabama offense cashed in on good field position. Tide senior quarterback John Parker Wilson hit little-used senior receiver Nikita Stover for a 39-yard score, and 'Bama led 16-0 after Leigh Tiffin's extra point attempt was blocked.
Following Burns' fumble, the Tide marched 45 yards in eight plays, punctuated by freshman running back Mark Ingram's touchdown from a yard out. The two-point conversion was unsuccessful but halfway through the third period the Tide had built a commanding 22-0 lead.
Ingram would add a 14-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter and the Tide would stretch the margin to 36-0 when backup quarterback Greg McElroy found freshman receiver Marquis Maze for a 36-yard score with 2:49 remaining in the contest.
Entering the game, Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville owned the top winning percentage for a coach from either school in the history of the Iron Bowl, with a record of 7-3. But the Tide broke the string of six straight defeats on a day when they honored nine seniors.
The margin of victory was the series largest in the past 46 years and keeps the Crimson Tide's record spotless heading into next week's showdown with the SEC Eastern Division Champion Florida Gators.
"It was obviously a great win for our fans, and it was a great win for our players," said Alabama coach Nick Saban. "We don't have a player on our team who has experienced this before so that was our goal. It was really less about the rivalry and more about doing something that was within our power if we focused on the right things and put our energy into the right things and went out there and played good football technically - out-hit them, out-execute them - then we would have a good chance to be successful."
Alabama took a 10-0 lead into halftime and wasted little time erasing any doubt as to the outcome of the game. The Tide defense forced Auburn (5-7, 2-6 SEC) running back Brad Lester and quarterback Kodi Burns to fumble on subsequent Tiger possessions.
Following both turnovers the Alabama offense cashed in on good field position. Tide senior quarterback John Parker Wilson hit little-used senior receiver Nikita Stover for a 39-yard score, and 'Bama led 16-0 after Leigh Tiffin's extra point attempt was blocked.
Following Burns' fumble, the Tide marched 45 yards in eight plays, punctuated by freshman running back Mark Ingram's touchdown from a yard out. The two-point conversion was unsuccessful but halfway through the third period the Tide had built a commanding 22-0 lead.
Ingram would add a 14-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter and the Tide would stretch the margin to 36-0 when backup quarterback Greg McElroy found freshman receiver Marquis Maze for a 36-yard score with 2:49 remaining in the contest.
Entering the game, Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville owned the top winning percentage for a coach from either school in the history of the Iron Bowl, with a record of 7-3. But the Tide broke the string of six straight defeats on a day when they honored nine seniors.
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