1949 Iron Bowl

1949-12-03

Birmingham, AL (Legion Field)

ALABAMA

AUBURN

WINNER

Game Summary

The 1949 Iron Bowl is one of the biggest upsets in series history. An Auburn team that had won only one game all year (1-4-3) stunned favored Alabama 14-13. Auburn took an early lead on a Johnny Wallis interception return. The game came down to the wire. Alabama scored late to make it 14-13, but the usually reliable Ed Salem missed the extra point that would have tied the game. The victory was a massive morale boost for Auburn.

Decisive Moment

Ed Salem's missed extra point late in the game that preserved Auburn's 14-13 upset win.

Key Players

Travis Tidwell (Auburn)

Johnny Wallis (Auburn)

Ed Salem (Alabama)

Butch Avinger (Alabama)

📜

Historical Deep Dive

The 1949 Iron Bowl is one of the biggest upsets in series history. An Auburn team that had won only one game all year (1-4-3) stunned heavily favored Alabama 14-13.

The Missed kick

Auburn took an early lead on a Johnny Wallis interception return. The game came down to the wire. Alabama scored late to make it 14-13, but the usually reliable Ed Salem missed the extra point that would have tied the game.

A Program Saver

The victory was a massive morale boost for Auburn. It prevented a disastrous season from being a total failure and proved that in the Iron Bowl, records truly don’t matter.

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1948

Alabama 55 - Auburn 0

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1950

Alabama 34 - Auburn 0

Source and Context Note

Iron Bowl History separates verified game data from editorial interpretation. Scores, dates, and rivalry records are maintained from official school records, media guides, game books, and contemporary accounts when available. See our sources and methodology page for how corrections are handled.