Behind four touchdowns from quarterback Bryce Young, host No. 7 Alabama kept its College Football Playoff hopes alive with a 49-27 win over rival Auburn on Saturday in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Young passed for 343 yards and threw three touchdowns in the first half. The reigning Heisman Trophy winner also added 48 yards and a score on the ground in the opening half.
Jermaine Burton, Ja’Corey Brooks and Traeshon Holden had touchdown receptions for the Crimson Tide (10-2). Jahmyr Gibbs had a team-high 76 yards rushing and a score. Roydell Williams also added a scoring run. Jase McClellan had a rushing and receiving score.
Quarterback Robby Ashford had a touchdown pass to Ja’Varrius Johnson and tallied 121 yards and two rushing scores for the Tigers. Tailback Jarquez Hunter recorded a team-high 134 rushing yards.
It was the first time in Auburn (5-7) history that two runners rushed for a 100 yards or more in three consecutive games.
The Tigers jumped out to a 7-0 lead on a 24-yard touchdown run by Ashford. But Alabama responded when Young scored on a 5-yard run with 6:25 to go in the opening quarter. A 52-yard reception by Burton sparked the Crimson Tide’s response.
Alabama grabbed a 14-7 lead late in the first quarter when Young connected with McClellan on a 10-yard touchdown pass.
Following a fumble by Hunter in Auburn territory, Alabama went up 21-7 one play into the second quarter when Williams found the end zone from 5 yards out.
The Tigers cut the lead to 21-14 when Ashford connected with Johnson in the corner of the end zone on a beautifully thrown 20-yard wheel route.
But Alabama answered with an eight-play, 92-yard scoring drive, which was capped by a 33-yard touchdown reception by Brooks.
A 27-yard touchdown reception by Holden increased the Crimson Tide’s lead to 35-14 with less than a minute to go until halftime following a muffed punt by Keionte Scott.
After a 2-yard scoring run by McClellan on Alabama’s first drive to open the third quarter, Auburn responded with a seven-play, 75-yard drive to trim the lead to 42-21.
Two fourth quarter field goals by Auburn kicker Alex McPherson and a 24-yard run by Gibbs capped the scoring.
–Field Level Media