The 2020 Iron Bowl was a mismatch of historic proportions, serving as a revenge game for Alabama after the heartbreak of 2019. Played in front of a sparse, COVID-restricted crowd at Bryant-Denny Stadium, top-ranked Alabama didn’t just beat #22 Auburn; they dismantled them 42-13.
The Mac Jones & DeVonta Smith Connection
This game was a showcase for two future NFL stars. Quarterback Mac Jones delivered a flawless performance, throwing for 302 yards and tying an Iron Bowl record with five touchdown passes. His primary target, DeVonta Smith, was unstoppable. The Heisman Trophy winner-to-be caught seven passes for 171 yards and two touchdowns, including a 66-yard strike that left the Auburn secondary in the dust.
Dominance on Both Sides
It wasn’t just the aerial attack. Najee Harris pounded the Auburn defense for 96 yards and a touchdown, including a highlight-reel hurdle. Defensively, Alabama was suffocating. They held Bo Nix and the Auburn offense to just 13 points and forced two interceptions. Unlike the chaotic shootouts of previous years, this was a clinical, methodical dismantling by a team destined for the National Championship. For Auburn, it marked the beginning of the end for the Gus Malzahn era, as the talent gap between the two programs appeared wider than ever.