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.

Series Snapshot

#14

Meeting of 90

5-8-1

Series after game

1-1-0

Record in the 1940s through this game

#84

Widest-margin rank

Before this meeting, the archive record stood at Alabama 5, Auburn 7, with 1 tie. The 1949 result moved it to Alabama 5, Auburn 8, with 1 tie.

This was the 2nd listed Iron Bowl of the 1940s. Through this game, Alabama had 1 win, Auburn had 1, and the decade included 0 ties.

The teams combined for 27 points, ranking #68 in total scoring among the 90 meetings in the current archive, with 2 games sharing that total. The 1-point margin ranks #84 by size, shared by 6 games.

This archive page combines verified game data with available rivalry context for the modern series record. In the surrounding chronology, the previous listed meeting was 1948 and the next was 1950.

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.

← Previous Game

1948

Alabama 55 - Auburn 0

Next Game →

1950

Alabama 34 - Auburn 0

Editorial note

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