AUBURN, Ala. – Members of the 1989 Auburn team walked around the locker room after Saturday's game and congratulated the current players, some thanking them for beating Alabama. It was that same 1989 team who 30 years ago won the first Iron Bowl ever played in Jordan-Hare Stadium, leaving a legacy that is still celebrated today.
On Saturday, the 2019 team left its own legacy. And for 25 seniors, their last memory of playing in Jordan-Hare Stadium will be the fans rushing the field after a 48-45 victory over Alabama.
"It's picture-perfect. You couldn't write it up any better," senior wide receiver Sal Cannella said. "The fans storming the field. A last-minute victory. Going back-and-forth. Alabama. Iron Bowl. 2:30. CBS. Jordan-Hare. It's incredible. This is something I'll remember forever."
"We wanted to send ourselves off the right way," added senior safety Jeremiah Dinson. "I've been waiting on this game forever. With the Iron Bowl, people have bragging rights for 365 days. That's all I heard when they beat us last year. I'm just so happy. I'm blessed how God has brought me to this point. To go out like this on my Senior Day, it means a lot to me."
This team could have quit two weeks ago when Auburn lost its third game of the season, all but eliminating any chance of making the College Football Playoff.
The Tigers could have quit Saturday when they fell behind Alabama in the first half. They could have given in midway through the third quarter when penalties kept negating big plays by the defense and ultimately set the Crimson Tide up with 1st-and-goal from the 2-yard line with a chance to score and extend their lead to 14 points.
But there's no quit in this Auburn team. They didn't give up two weeks ago, and they never gave up Saturday either. On that 1st-and-goal play, sophomore linebacker Zakoby McClain intercepted a pass in the end zone and ran it back 100 yards for a touchdown to tie the game.
When Alabama scored to take a 45-40 lead in the fourth quarter, the Tigers responded with an 11-play, 77-yard touchdown drive to reclaim the lead – a lead they never relinquished.
"I'm full of a lot of emotions right now," senior defensive lineman Derrick Brown said after the game. "I just think we came out here and gave our best effort, and we came out victorious tonight. A lot of people doubted us, but if there's one thing about Auburn, it's blue-collar. We're going to keep working and working and working. It doesn't matter what the record is. We're going to fight until the end of every single game."
After the game during his post-game speech to the team, head coach Gus Malzahn addressed those 25 seniors in the room who kept working and who kept fighting.
"We talked about legacy," Malzahn said. "Seniors, you've got a great legacy now!"
For the Seniors!#WarEagle x #RidefortheBrand pic.twitter.com/p2GfnGdtHz
— Auburn Football (@AuburnFootball) December 1, 2019
"This means everything for them," freshman quarterback Bo Nix said. "They've worked so hard. They've built a legacy here. They've won big games. They've played in SEC championships. They've played in big Iron Bowls. They've played in big regular-season games. It really goes to show the true grit that they have and how they battle to finish. They gave whatever they had for this team."
As the final seconds ticked away Saturday, Marlon Davidson was fighting back tears. Like Brown, Davidson could have left early for the NFL after last year. But the senior defensive lineman chose to come back, earn his degree and finish the right way.
Now Davidson will always have that memory of winning the Iron Bowl his senior year.
"Just doing it with my brothers, doing it with Derrick, doing it with the guys that it all started with – it makes all the more sweeter," he said. "Doing it for Auburn, doing it for the '89 team – it's just putting your name on the wall and letting you know that this 2019 team beat Alabama in Jordan-Hare."