1977 Iron Bowl

1977-11-26

Birmingham, AL (Legion Field)

ALABAMA

Ranked #2

WINNER

AUBURN

Game Summary

Alabama overwhelmed Auburn 48-21 in the 1977 Iron Bowl, extending Bear Bryant's dominant run in the series. The Crimson Tide offense produced one of its strongest rivalry scoring performances of the decade, while Auburn could not keep pace across four quarters.

Series Snapshot

#42

Meeting of 90

24-17-1

Series after game

6-2-0

Record in the 1970s through this game

#19

Widest-margin rank

Before this meeting, the archive record stood at Alabama 23, Auburn 17, with 1 tie. The 1977 result moved it to Alabama 24, Auburn 17, with 1 tie.

This was the 8th listed Iron Bowl of the 1970s. Through this game, Alabama had 6 wins, Auburn had 2, and the decade included 0 ties.

The teams combined for 69 points, ranking #6 in total scoring among the 90 meetings in the current archive. The 27-point margin ranks #19 by size, shared by 3 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 1976 and the next was 1978.

Decisive Moment

Alabama's offensive surge created separation early and kept Auburn chasing the rest of the afternoon.

Key Players

Jeff Rutledge (Alabama)

Tony Nathan (Alabama)

Ozzie Newsome (Alabama) ↗

Joe Cribbs (Auburn)

📜

Historical Deep Dive

The 1977 Iron Bowl was an offensive explosion for the Crimson Tide. Ranked #2, Alabama decimated Auburn 48-21 at Legion Field in one of the most lopsided scores of the era.

Nathan and Cribbs

The game featured star power on both sides. Auburn’s Joe Cribbs provided an early spark with an 85-yard touchdown run, but Alabama’s Tony Nathan stole the show. Nathan and the Alabama offense racked up yards at will. The 48 points scored by Alabama remains one of their highest totals in the history of the rivalry.

Statement Win

The victory capped a dominant regular season for Alabama (10-1) and sent them to the Sugar Bowl, where they would dismantle Ohio State. It was a clear demonstration of the gap between the two programs in the late 70s.

← Previous Game

1976

Alabama 38 - Auburn 7

Next Game →

1978

Alabama 34 - Auburn 16

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.