#14 Auburn beat #7 Alabama 21-17 at Legion Field by overturning a ten-point fourth-quarter deficit. The winning play became known as the Tillman Reverse, but it followed two separate Auburn scoring drives rather than one sudden trick-play escape.
From 17-7 to 17-14
Alabama led 17-7 entering the final quarter. Brent Fullwood reduced the margin with a 26-yard touchdown run, bringing Auburn within three. The Tigers later drove back inside the Alabama 10 while the clock moved under a minute.
With 32 seconds left, quarterback Jeff Burger pitched to Tim Jessie. Jessie then handed the ball to wide receiver Lawyer Tillman moving in the opposite direction, and Tillman reached the left side of the end zone untouched. Alabama’s official season book credits Tillman with a seven-yard touchdown run; some Auburn retrospectives describe the play as starting from the eight. Because those figures may reflect the ball’s placement versus the credited gain, the official seven-yard scoring entry is used here.
The touchdown and extra point made the final score 21-17. It was Alabama coach Ray Perkins’ final regular-season game with the program; after the Sun Bowl he left for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. For Auburn, the comeback gave Pat Dye another close rivalry victory and denied Alabama a tenth regular-season win.
Auburn finished 10-2 after beating Southern California in the Citrus Bowl. Alabama also reached ten wins by defeating Washington in the Sun Bowl, but the rivalry result remained the difference between a 10-2 regular season and the 9-3 mark it carried into postseason play.