1974 Iron Bowl

1974-11-29

Birmingham, AL (Legion Field)

ALABAMA

Ranked #2

17

WINNER

VS

AUBURN

Ranked #7

13

Series Snapshot

#39

Meeting of 90

21-17-1

Series after game

3-2-0

Record in the 1970s through this game

#71

Widest-margin rank

Before this meeting, the archive record stood at Alabama 20, Auburn 17, with 1 tie. The 1974 result moved it to Alabama 21, Auburn 17, with 1 tie.

This was the 5th listed Iron Bowl of the 1970s. Through this game, Alabama had 3 wins, Auburn had 2, and the decade included 0 ties.

The teams combined for 30 points, ranking #64 in total scoring among the 90 meetings in the current archive, with 2 games sharing that total. The 4-point margin ranks #71 by size, shared by 4 games.

Explore the score, game details and rivalry context for this Alabama-Auburn meeting. In the surrounding chronology, the previous listed meeting was 1973 and the next was 1975.

Decisive Moment

Calvin Culliver's 13-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter, Alabama's only score after half-time.

Key Players

Richard Todd (Alabama)

Calvin Culliver (Alabama)

Phil Gargis (Auburn)

Willie Shelby (Alabama)

📜

The Game

#2 Alabama beat #7 Auburn 17-13 at Legion Field on Friday, November 29, 1974. 1974 was the first Friday Iron Bowl after the rivalry resumed in 1948.

How the points came

Richard Todd opened the scoring with a 45-yard touchdown pass to Willie Shelby. Bucky Berrey’s 36-yard field goal made it 10-0 before Secdrick McIntyre’s one-yard run cut Auburn’s halftime deficit to 10-7.

Calvin Culliver ran 13 yards for Alabama’s only second-half score. Phil Gargis answered with a two-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter, but Auburn’s two-point pass failed and Alabama retained a four-point lead.

Alabama completed an 11-0 regular season and won the SEC before losing 13-11 to Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl. Auburn finished 10-2 after beating Texas 27-3 in the Gator Bowl. The four-point margin made this the closest game during Alabama’s nine-game series winning streak from 1973 through 1981.

Both programs therefore ended the year ranked among the nation’s leading teams despite the rivalry result.