AUBURN, Ala. – Kick Six, meet the Pick Six twins.
On the sixth anniversary of Chris Davis' Iron Bowl winning kick return, No. 16 Auburn returned two interceptions for touchdowns, Anders Carlson kicked four long field goals and Shaun Shivers scored the game-winning touchdown in a back-and-forth 48-45 victory over No. 5 Alabama.
"Big win for us," Auburn coach Gus Malzahn said. "So proud of our team. We hung in there, found a way to win at the end. Just an electric enviroment. So thankful for our fans. This is the best atmosphere in college football."
Smoke Monday and Zakoby McClain both returned interceptions to put the Tigers in front, but each time, the visitors responded with quick touchdowns in a game that featured nine lead changes and three ties.
After Jaylen Waddle's fourth touchdown gave Alabama a 45-40 lead early in the fourth quarter, Auburn answered with a 77-yard game-winning drive, with Shivers crashing in on a sweep from the 11 for the go-ahead score. Bo Nix passed to Shedrick Jackson for a two-point conversion to put Auburn on top 48-45 with 8:08 remaining.
"I made a big play at the end of the game," Shivers said. "It's a big thing because it's the Iron Bowl, the best rivalry in college football. This goes down in the book. Everybody will be talking about this for years."
There was still work to do. Alabama drove to Auburn's 10 before a potential game-tying 30-yard field goal attempt bounced off the upright with two minutes to play.
Needing one first down to run out the clock, the Tigers confused Alabama on fourth down by lining up Arryn Siposs at receiver with the regular offensive unit, resulting in an illegal substitution penalty on UA that effectively secured the win.
"Our seniors, we talked about leaving a legacy for those guys," Malzahn said. "They left a great memory for them, something they can hold onto for the rest of their lives with the Auburn family."
Auburn trailed 31-27 after a wild first half. After an early Alabama field goal, Christian Tutt's 37-yard punt return set up Bo Nix's 7-yard touchdown run with 2:07 left in the first quarter.
After Najee Harris' 6-yard TD run put Alabama ahead 10-7, Carlson kicked his first field goal, a 43-yarder, to tie it at 10-10.
Playing centerfield, Monday intercepted an overthrown pass, returning it 29 yards to give Auburn a 17-10 lead with 5:36 left in the half.
Waddle returned the ensuing kick 98 yards to even the score at 17-17, then after an Auburn fumble, Alabama took a 24-17 lead on a 3-yard touchdown pass with 4:12 to go.
Auburn drove 75 yards, with Seth Williams, Will Hastings and Sal Cannella all making higlight-reel catches on the left sideline. Cannella's 14-yard touchdown catch again evened the score at 24-24 with 1:06 remaining in the half.
Waddle's second touchdown, a 58-yard reception, put Alabama back on top 31-24 with only 33 seconds left in the half, but Auburn drove to the 34 with one second left, allowing Carlson to drill a 52-yarder to make it 31-27 as the half expired.
"That's something we practice so much," Carlson said. "We call it whistle kick. We were ready for it and I'm glad we got a chance."
Carlson connected from 43 yards early in the third quarter to pull the Tigers within one point at 31-30.
Alabama drove to Auburn's 2-yard line, but Zakoby McClain intercepted a tipped pass in the end zone and returned it 100 yards to give Auburn a 37-31 lead.
Waddle's third touchdown, a 12-yarder, regained the lead for Alabama at 38-37 with 4:57 to go in the third quarter.
Carlson's fourth field goal, a 44-yarder, gave Auburn the lead once more at 40-38 with 49 seconds left in the third quarter.
"It's awesome to help out the team," Carlson said. "To play a small part in that, it's such a special game, it's incredible."
Waddle scored again early in the fourth quarter on a 28-yard pass to give Alabama a 45-40 lead, setting the stage for Shivers' game-winning score on an 11-play drive that consumed five and a half minutes.
"We've got a chance to win 10 games," Malzahn said. "That's a really good accomplishment, especially with the schedule we've played."
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff_shearer