2009 Iron Bowl

2009-11-27

Jordan-Hare Stadium, Auburn, AL

ALABAMA

Ranked #2

26

WINNER

VS

AUBURN

0

21

Attendance: 87,451

Game Summary

The 2009 Iron Bowl was the hurdle Alabama had to clear to reach perfection. At 11-0, the #2 Crimson Tide entered Jordan-Hare Stadium facing a 7-4 Auburn team that played its best game of the season. The result was a classic that came down to a legendary final possession. Trailing 21-20 with under eight minutes to play, Alabama took over at their own 21-yard line. What followed was "The Drive." Quarterback Greg McElroy engineered a methodical, 15-play, 79-yard march that consumed over seven minutes of clock. Facing intense pressure, McElroy made clutch throws, including a key third-down conversion to Julio Jones. With 1:24 remaining, McElroy found Roy Upchurch in the flat for a 4-yard touchdown. The 26-21 victory preserved the perfect season, leading to an SEC Championship win over Florida and Alabama's first national title under Nick Saban.

Archive Context

This page documents meeting #74 in the Iron Bowl History game database. The recorded result is Alabama 26, Auburn 21, with Alabama finishing 5 points ahead of Auburn at Jordan-Hare Stadium, Auburn, AL.

This archive page combines verified game data with available rivalry context for the modern series record. When more detailed contemporary accounts are available, they appear in the game summary, decisive moment, key player list or historical deep-dive section on this page.

In the surrounding chronology, the previous listed meeting was the 2008 Iron Bowl and the next listed meeting is the 2010 Iron Bowl. Those links help place this result within the broader Alabama-Auburn series rather than treating it as an isolated box score.

Decisive Moment

Greg McElroy's 4-yard touchdown pass to Roy Upchurch with 1:24 left capped 'The Drive' and won the game.

Key Players

Greg McElroy (Alabama)

Roy Upchurch (Alabama)

Julio Jones (Alabama) ↗

Terrell Zachery (Auburn)

📜

Historical Deep Dive

The 2009 Iron Bowl was the hurdle Alabama had to clear to reach perfection. At 11-0, the #2 Crimson Tide entered Jordan-Hare Stadium facing a 7-4 Auburn team that played its best game of the season. The result was a classic that came down to a legendary final possession.

Auburn’s Valid Threat

Auburn head coach Gene Chizik and offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn emptied the playbook. They used trick plays, including a 67-yard touchdown run by Terrell Zachery and a touchdown pass from Chris Todd to Darvin Adams, to build leads of 14-0 and 21-14. Alabama’s Heisman contender, Mark Ingram, was held in check (30 yards) by an inspired Auburn defense.

The Drive

Trailing 21-20 with under eight minutes to play, Alabama took over at their own 21-yard line. What followed was “The Drive.” Quarterback Greg McElroy engineered a methodical, 15-play, 79-yard march that consumed over seven minutes of clock. Facing intense pressure, McElroy made clutch throws, including a key third-down conversion to Julio Jones. With 1:24 remaining, McElroy found Roy Upchurch in the flat for a 4-yard touchdown. The 26-21 victory preserved the perfect season, leading to an SEC Championship win over Florida and Alabama’s first national title under Nick Saban.