AUBURN, Ala. – How would Auburn be able to get up again this week coming off such an emotional victory the week before? Easy. It’s the Iron Bowl. It’s Auburn and Alabama.
“It’s a huge game,” Auburn quarterback Payton Thorne said. “I know what it means to these fans, and me being a player, I know what it means to me personally and to my teammates as well. It’s something that you will always be asked about down the road. In 30 years, they’ll ask you how many times you beat Bama. It means a lot. There should be no problem for anyone getting up for this one.”
There’s no other rivalry quite like it in college football. Maybe in all of sports. From Punt Bama Punt to Bo Over The Top to the Kick Six, there have been iconic moments throughout the history of the rivalry, and on Saturday, the next chapter will be written in Tuscaloosa.
“We talk about the big stage of college football. As a player, you always want to play in those big arenas and let your talent flourish on the big stage,” linebacker Eugene Asante said. “This is certainly the moment to do that. Playing against a rival. Going to their house. Getting the opportunity to go against elite competition.”
Asante was on the field last year when Auburn was on the wrong side of history. That game and that 4th-and-31 play specifically have become motivation for the Tigers going into this year’s matchup.
“I don’t think you can ever trash a play like that,” Asante said. “That play is going to be fuel to a lot of people in this building, and we’re going to use that to direct what we want to do on the field on Saturday.”
“There is no bigger game on the schedule,” head coach Hugh Freeze said Monday during his press conference. “To sit in this seat and to lose one like we did last year still doesn’t sit right. I know the Auburn faithful had to endure that, and we want to change that feeling in this building and for our great fan base in this state.”
Some, like Asanate and Thorne, have played in this rivalry before. They got a taste of it last year. They know what to expect. For others, including all the freshmen, this will be their first time playing in it.
“It’s my first one, and it means a lot to me,” freshman linebacker Demarcus Riddick said. “To be honest, being able to play in this game, it’s going to be the best time of my life. Ever since I’ve known of the Iron Bowl, I’ve always wanted to be a part of it and play in it.”
“I still haven’t fully grasped it yet,” added freshman defensive lineman Malik Blocton. “It’s really kind of surreal to me because I literally grew up watching this game all my life.”
This year's 89th Iron Bowl will kick off at 2:30 p.m. CT from Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa on Saturday. The game will be televised on ABC with Sean McDonough, Greg McElroy and Molly McGrath on the call. You can also listen to Andy Burcham, Jason Campbell, Ronnie Brown and Will Herring who will have the radio call on 94.3 FM, online at AuburnTigers.com and on the Auburn app.