The 1953 Iron Bowl was settled by three points in the fourth quarter, and it decided the Southeastern Conference.
Low scoring, high stakes
Auburn scored first, Charles Hataway running in from two yards in the opening quarter. Alabama levelled in the third when William Stone ran 15 yards for a touchdown. In the fourth, Bobby Luna kicked a 28-yard field goal, and that was the game: Alabama 10, Auburn 7.
The last title before Bryant
Alabama finished 6-3-3, an odd-looking record produced by an odd season — three ties, and only three defeats. In conference play they were 4-0-3, unbeaten, and the Auburn win clinched the SEC championship and a place in the Cotton Bowl, where Rice beat them 28-6. Bart Starr, in his first year as Alabama’s starting quarterback, was a sophomore that season.
It was the last conference title Alabama won before Bear Bryant arrived in 1958, and the last thing Harold Drew’s tenure produced. His final season, in 1954, ended 4-5-2.
Auburn’s arrival
Auburn came into the game ranked 16th at 7-1-1 and left it 7-2-1. The Tigers finished 17th in the final Associated Press poll, then lost the Gator Bowl to Texas Tech 35-13 for a 7-3-1 final record. It was Shug Jordan’s third season and his first winning one; after 2-8 the year before, a ranked finish and a bowl represented a genuine turn. The narrow defeat in Birmingham was the only thing missing from it, and Auburn would spend the next five Novembers making up for that.