1982 Iron Bowl

1982-11-27

Birmingham, AL (Legion Field)

ALABAMA

Ranked #7

AUBURN

Ranked #8

WINNER

Game Summary

The 1982 Iron Bowl is the moment the tide turned. After losing nine consecutive games to Alabama, Auburn finally broke through with a 23-22 victory at Legion Field. The game is immortalized by one soaring leap. Trailing 22-17 late in the fourth quarter, Auburn drove the length of the field. With under two minutes to play, they faced a 4th-and-goal from the 1-yard line. Coach Pat Dye didn't hesitate. He gave the ball to freshman Bo Jackson. Jackson took the handoff and launched himself over the pile—and the Alabama defense—into the end zone. "Bo Over the Top" became the defining image of Auburn football for a generation. The win broke the psychological stranglehold Bear Bryant had on the rivalry.

Series Snapshot

#47

Meeting of 90

28-18-1

Series after game

2-1-0

Record in the 1980s through this game

#84

Widest-margin rank

Before this meeting, the archive record stood at Alabama 28, Auburn 17, with 1 tie. The 1982 result moved it to Alabama 28, Auburn 18, with 1 tie.

This was the 3rd listed Iron Bowl of the 1980s. Through this game, Alabama had 2 wins, Auburn had 1, and the decade included 0 ties.

The teams combined for 45 points, ranking #31 in total scoring among the 90 meetings in the current archive, with 4 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 1981 and the next was 1983.

Decisive Moment

Bo Jackson's "Over the Top" 1-yard touchdown leap on 4th down broke Alabama's 9-game winning streak.

Key Players

Bo Jackson (Auburn) ↗

Randy Campbell (Auburn)

Jeremiah Castille (Alabama)

Bear Bryant (Alabama) ↗

📜

Historical Deep Dive

The Drive

Trailing 22-17 late in the fourth quarter, Auburn drove the length of the field. With under two minutes to play, they faced a 4th-and-goal from the 1-yard line. Coach Pat Dye didn’t hesitate. He gave the ball to freshman Bo Jackson.

The Leap

Jackson took the handoff and launched himself over the pile—and the Alabama defense—into the end zone. “Bo Over the Top” became the defining image of Auburn football for a generation. The win broke the psychological stranglehold Bear Bryant had on the rivalry and ushered in the Pat Dye era of dominance.

← Previous Game

1981

Alabama 28 - Auburn 17

Next Game →

1983

Alabama 20 - Auburn 23

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.