The 2021 Iron Bowl was the first game in the history of the storied rivalry to go to overtime—and it didn’t settle for just one. The four-overtime epic at Jordan-Hare Stadium was a defensive slugfest that morphed into a heart-stopping shootout, defining Bryce Young’s Heisman campaign and saving Alabama’s playoff hopes.
The Defensive Struggle
For much of regulation, Alabama played one of its worst offensive games of the Nick Saban era. The Auburn pass rush, fueled by a relentless crowd, sacked Bryce Young seven times and held the Crimson Tide to zero points through three quarters. Alabama trailed 10-0 entering the fourth quarter, and its offense looked stuck. A field goal cut it to 10-3, but time was running out.
The Drive (97 Yards to History)
With 1:35 remaining and no timeouts, Alabama took over at its own 3-yard line. What followed was legendary. Bryce Young, displaying the poise that would win him the Heisman, engineered a 12-play, 97-yard march. He converted a critical 4th-and-7 with a 14-yard pass to Jahleel Billingsley, ran for gains of 9 and 3 yards, and finally found freshman Ja’Corey Brooks for a 28-yard touchdown with just 24 seconds left. The silence at Jordan-Hare was deafening.
Overtime Chaos
Regulation ended 10-10.
- 1st OT: Both teams scored touchdowns (Alabama’s Slade Bolden, Auburn’s Landen King).
- 2nd OT: Both teams kicked field goals.
- 3rd OT: The new rule (2-point conversions only) kicked in. Both teams converted.
- 4th OT: Auburn failed. Alabama needed a score to win. Bryce Young found John Metchie III for the winning two-point conversion.
Game over. Alabama 24, Auburn 22. The escape kept Alabama’s playoff hopes alive; an SEC Championship Game against Georgia still lay ahead.