1986 Iron Bowl

1986-11-29

Birmingham, AL (Legion Field)

ALABAMA

Ranked #7

AUBURN

Ranked #14

WINNER

Game Summary

The 1986 Iron Bowl produced one of the most famous plays in Auburn history. Trailing 17-14 with under a minute to play, the Tigers faced a desperate situation. What followed—"The Rover"—stunned Legion Field and gave Auburn a 21-17 victory. Alabama had controlled the game, leading 17-7 in the fourth quarter. But Auburn clawed back with a Brent Fullwood touchdown run. With 32 seconds left, Auburn faced 2nd down from the 7-yard line. Quarterback Jeff Burger pitched the ball to running back Brent Fullwood, who then handed it to wide receiver Lawyer Tillman on a reverse. Tillman raced untouched into the corner of the end zone. The stadium erupted. The win denied Alabama a 10-win season and proved that under Pat Dye, Auburn was never out of a fight.

Series Snapshot

#51

Meeting of 90

30-20-1

Series after game

4-3-0

Record in the 1980s through this game

#71

Widest-margin rank

Before this meeting, the archive record stood at Alabama 30, Auburn 19, with 1 tie. The 1986 result moved it to Alabama 30, Auburn 20, with 1 tie.

This was the 7th listed Iron Bowl of the 1980s. Through this game, Alabama had 4 wins, Auburn had 3, and the decade included 0 ties.

The teams combined for 38 points, ranking #44 in total scoring among the 90 meetings in the current archive, with 4 games sharing that total. The 4-point margin ranks #71 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 1985 and the next was 1987.

Decisive Moment

Lawyer Tillman's reverse touchdown run (The Rover) with 32 seconds left stunned Alabama.

Key Players

Lawyer Tillman (Auburn) ↗

Brent Fullwood (Auburn) ↗

Jeff Burger (Auburn)

Bobby Humphrey (Alabama)

📜

Historical Deep Dive

The 1986 Iron Bowl produced one of the most famous plays in Auburn history. Trailing 17-14 with under a minute to play, the Tigers faced a desperate situation. What followed—“The Rover”—stunned Legion Field and gave Auburn a 21-17 victory.

The Setup

Alabama had controlled the game, leading 17-7 in the fourth quarter. But Auburn clawed back with a Brent Fullwood touchdown run. With 32 seconds left, Auburn faced 2nd down from the 7-yard line.

The Play

Quarterback Jeff Burger pitched the ball to running back Brent Fullwood, who then handed it to wide receiver Lawyer Tillman on a reverse. Tillman raced untouched into the corner of the end zone. The stadium erupted. The win denied Alabama a 10-win season and proved that under Pat Dye, Auburn was never out of a fight.

← Previous Game

1985

Alabama 25 - Auburn 23

Next Game →

1987

Alabama 0 - Auburn 10

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.