Unranked Alabama defeated #20 Auburn 16-7 at Legion Field on December 1, 1990. Auburn later finished #19 after its bowl game; #20 was its game-day AP ranking. Alabama’s win ended Auburn’s four-game series winning streak.
One touchdown and three field goals
Alabama opened the scoring after a turnover gave it a short field. Robert Jones ran one yard for the touchdown. Philip Doyle then made field goals from 31, 40 and 40 yards. His second came with 20 seconds remaining in the third quarter; his last, with 2:15 left, put the game beyond a one-possession Auburn comeback.
Auburn’s only points came just before halftime when Stan White found Fred Baxter for an eight-yard touchdown. Alabama led 10-7 at the break and did not allow another score. Doyle was named CBS player of the game, and his three field goals made him the SEC’s career leader at the time according to Alabama’s season book.
The victory also completed a major in-season recovery for first-year Alabama coach Gene Stallings. The Tide had opened 0-3, then won seven of its next eight games before the bowl.
Alabama’s unranked win over a ranked Auburn team stood apart from the Tigers’ four previous victories in the series.