Quarterback Jalen Milroe rushed for 104 yards and three touchdowns and No. 13 Alabama bolstered its playoff possibilities with a 28-14 victory over visiting Auburn on Saturday in the Iron Bowl at Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Milroe completed 18-of-24 passes for 256 yards and one interception as Alabama (9-3, 5-3 SEC) bounced back from last week’s 24-3 road loss to Oklahoma. The victory could return the Crimson Tide to the Top 10 when Tuesday’s latest College Football Playoff rankings are unveiled.
Justice Haynes rushed for a touchdown and Germie Bernard had seven receptions for 111 yards for Alabama. Jamarion Miller rushed for 84 yards on 28 carries and Bray Hubbard and Zabien Brown registered fourth-quarter interceptions.
Payton Thorne was 24-of-41 passing for 301 yards, one touchdown and one interception for the Tigers (5-7, 2-6), who clinched their fourth straight losing campaign. KeAndre Lambert-Smith had eight receptions for 116 yards and star Marquez Hunter rushed for 56 yards on 13 attempts and threw an interception on a trick play.
Alabama has defeated Auburn five straight times and won 11 of the last 14 meetings.
Haynes scored from the 2-yard line to give Alabama a 21-6 lead with 11:13 left in the third quarter.
Milroe tacked on a 17-yard scoring run to push the margin to 22 with 6:54 remaining in the period.
Auburn answered on Thorne’s 29-yard touchdown pass to Coleman with 2:31 left in the quarter. Hunter added a two-point conversion run to pull the Tigers within 28-14.
Auburn was at the Alabama 30 in the fourth quarter when a double pass was called. Hunter caught a backward lateral and then wound up and fired downfield but it went directly to Hubbard inside the 5-yard line with 11:42 left.
The Crimson Tide then chewed 7:45 off the clock before giving the ball back to Auburn. Five plays later, Thorne was intercepted by Brown with 2:27 left and Alabama closed it out.
Milroe scored his first touchdown on a 19-yard run with 3:18 left in the opening quarter.
His second touchdown, a sneak from the 1-yard line, made it 14-3 with 2:44 left in the first half.
Ian Vachon’s second field goal of the second quarter, from 25 yards, pulled the Tigers within 14-6 with 27 seconds left in the half.
