Unranked Alabama defeated #7 Auburn 25-23 at Legion Field after four fourth-quarter lead changes. The finish is remembered as “The Kick,” but the drive before Van Tiffin’s field goal is as important as the kick itself.
Fifty seconds and six plays
Auburn moved ahead 23-22 on Reggie Ware’s one-yard touchdown with 57 seconds remaining. After the kickoff, Mike Shula led a six-play, 45-yard possession in the final 50 seconds. Alabama’s later game notes identify two completions on the drive: 16 yards to Gene Jelks and 19 to Greg Richardson. On fourth-and-four, Al Bell gained 20 yards on a reverse while Shula supplied a block.
The ball was stopped at the Auburn 35 with six seconds remaining. That detail resolves an apparent source conflict: the line of scrimmage was the 35, while the holder placed the ball roughly seven yards behind it near the 42. Describing the kick as coming from either number without explaining the reference point creates a false contradiction. Officially, it was a 52-yard field goal.
Tiffin’s kick cleared the crossbar as time expired, giving Alabama the two-point win. Bo Jackson rushed for 142 yards despite playing hurt, but the final possession belonged to Shula, Bell, Jelks, Richardson and Tiffin. Alabama finished 9-2-1 after beating Southern California in the Aloha Bowl; Auburn finished 8-4.
The four lead changes make the fourth quarter exceptional without requiring the subjective claim that this was unquestionably the rivalry’s greatest game. Contemporary participants and later histories consistently treat it as a classic; the score and final drive explain why.