1990 Iron Bowl

1990-12-01

Legion Field, Birmingham, AL

ALABAMA

WINNER

AUBURN

Ranked #20

Game Summary

The 1990 Iron Bowl was arguably the most important win of Gene Stallings' early tenure. Facing an Auburn team that had won four straight Iron Bowls (a dominance not seen since the Bear Bryant era in reverse), Alabama gritted out a 16-7 victory at Legion Field. Alabama's offense struggled to find the end zone, but kicker Philip Doyle was automatic. He hit three field goals to keep the Tide in control. The defense did the rest. Led by Esera Tuaolo and John Sullen, Alabama shut down the potent Auburn offense led by Stan White. The win proved to Alabama players and fans that they could beat Auburn again, ending the "streak" talk.

Series Snapshot

#55

Meeting of 90

31-23-1

Series after game

1-0-0

Record in the 1990s through this game

#53

Widest-margin rank

Before this meeting, the archive record stood at Alabama 30, Auburn 23, with 1 tie. The 1990 result moved it to Alabama 31, Auburn 23, with 1 tie.

This was the 1st listed Iron Bowl of the 1990s. Through this game, Alabama had 1 win, Auburn had 0, and the decade included 0 ties.

The teams combined for 23 points, ranking #74 in total scoring among the 90 meetings in the current archive, with 2 games sharing that total. The 9-point margin ranks #53 by size, shared by 2 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 1989 and the next was 1991.

Decisive Moment

Philip Doyle's three field goals provided the scoring buffer in a game dominated by defense.

Key Players

Philip Doyle (Alabama)

Gary Hollingsworth (Alabama)

Esera Tuaolo (Alabama)

Stan White (Auburn) ↗

📜

Historical Deep Dive

The 1990 Iron Bowl was arguably the most important win of Gene Stallings’ early tenure. Facing an Auburn team that had won four straight Iron Bowls (a dominance not seen since the Bear Bryant era in reverse), Alabama gritted out a 16-7 victory at Legion Field.

The Doyle Game

Alabama’s offense struggled to find the end zone, but kicker Philip Doyle was automatic. He hit three field goals to keep the Tide in control. The defense did the rest. Led by Esera Tuaolo and John Sullen, Alabama shut down the potent Auburn offense led by Stan White.

Breaking the Psychology

The win was more psychological than tactical. It proved to Alabama players and fans that they could beat Auburn again. It ended the “streak” talk and re-instilled belief in the Crimson Tide program, laying the groundwork for the 1992 championship run.

← Previous Game

1989

Alabama 20 - Auburn 30

Next Game →

1991

Alabama 13 - Auburn 6

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.