1985 Iron Bowl

1985-11-30

Birmingham, AL (Legion Field)

ALABAMA

25

WINNER

VS

AUBURN

23

Game Summary

The 1985 Iron Bowl is widely considered the greatest game in the history of the rivalry. In a contest that featured four lead changes in the fourth quarter alone, Alabama defeated Auburn 25-23 on a 52-yard field goal by Van Tiffin as time expired. The final period was breathless. Auburn took a 23-22 lead with 57 seconds left on a Reggie Ware touchdown run. It seemed like Bo Jackson (who rushed for 142 yards) had done enough to win. But Alabama quarterback Mike Shula engineered a masterful two-minute drill, moving the Tide into field goal range. With three seconds on the clock, Van Tiffin lined up for a 52-yard attempt. The kick was perfect, clearing the crossbar with room to spare. Legion Field exploded.

Series Snapshot

#50

Meeting of 90

30-19-1

Series after game

4-2-0

Record in the 1980s through this game

#80

Widest-margin rank

Before this meeting, the archive record stood at Alabama 29, Auburn 19, with 1 tie. The 1985 result moved it to Alabama 30, Auburn 19, with 1 tie.

This was the 6th listed Iron Bowl of the 1980s. Through this game, Alabama had 4 wins, Auburn had 2, and the decade included 0 ties.

The teams combined for 48 points, ranking #23 in total scoring among the 90 meetings in the current archive, with 3 games sharing that total. The 2-point margin ranks #80 by size, shared by 4 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 1984 and the next was 1986.

Decisive Moment

Van Tiffin's 52-yard field goal as time expired won the game in dramatic fashion.

Key Players

Van Tiffin (Alabama)

Mike Shula (Alabama)

Bo Jackson (Auburn) ↗

Gene Jelks (Alabama)

📜

Historical Deep Dive

The 1985 Iron Bowl is widely considered the greatest game in the history of the rivalry. In a contest that featured four lead changes in the fourth quarter alone, Alabama defeated Auburn 25-23 on a 52-yard field goal by Van Tiffin as time expired.

The Fourth Quarter Frenzy

The final period was breathless. Auburn took a 23-22 lead with 57 seconds left on a Reggie Ware touchdown run. It seemed like Bo Jackson (who rushed for 142 yards) had done enough to win. But Alabama quarterback Mike Shula engineered a masterful two-minute drill, moving the Tide into field goal range.

The Leg of Legend

With three seconds on the clock, Van Tiffin lined up for a 52-yard attempt. The kick was perfect, clearing the crossbar with room to spare. Legion Field exploded. The image of Alabama players celebrating while Auburn players collapsed in disbelief remains the defining visual of the 1980s Iron Bowls.