1953 Iron Bowl

1953-11-28

Birmingham, AL (Legion Field)

ALABAMA

Ranked #13

WINNER

AUBURN

Game Summary

The 1953 Iron Bowl was a tight defensive battle won by #13 Alabama, 10-7. The game featured future NFL Hall of Famer Bart Starr at quarterback for the Crimson Tide. In a game where yards were hard to come by, Alabama made just enough plays to win. A field goal proved to be the difference. The victory was crucial for Alabama, as they finished the season 6-3-3 but clinched the SEC Championship.

Series Snapshot

#18

Meeting of 90

9-8-1

Series after game

4-0-0

Record in the 1950s through this game

#75

Widest-margin rank

Before this meeting, the archive record stood at Alabama 8, Auburn 8, with 1 tie. The 1953 result moved it to Alabama 9, Auburn 8, with 1 tie.

This was the 4th listed Iron Bowl of the 1950s. Through this game, Alabama had 4 wins, Auburn had 0, and the decade included 0 ties.

The teams combined for 17 points, ranking #81 in total scoring among the 90 meetings in the current archive, with 3 games sharing that total. The 3-point margin ranks #75 by size, shared by 5 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 1952 and the next was 1954.

Decisive Moment

A key field goal that lifted Alabama to the 10-7 victory and the SEC title.

Key Players

Bart Starr (Alabama)

Tommy Lewis (Alabama)

Bobby Freeman (Auburn)

Vince Dooley (Auburn)

📜

Historical Deep Dive

The 1953 Iron Bowl was a tight defensive battle won by #13 Alabama, 10-7. The game featured future NFL Hall of Famer Bart Starr at quarterback for the Crimson Tide.

The Decisive Plays

In a game where yards were hard to come by, Alabama made just enough plays to win. A field goal proved to be the difference.

SEC Champions

The victory was crucial for Alabama, as they finished the season 6-3-3 but clinched the SEC Championship with a 4-0-3 conference record. It was the last conference title for Alabama before the Bear Bryant dynasty began.

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1952

Alabama 21 - Auburn 0

Next Game →

1954

Alabama 0 - Auburn 28

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.