No. 6 Auburn takes down No. 1 Alabama, earns SEC title shot
AUBURN, ALA. » Jarrett Stidham and No. Auburn dominated top-ranked Alabama 26-14 Saturday, earning a berth in next week’s Southeastern Conference title game.
The Tigers quarterback passed for 237 yards and ran for a fourth-quarter touchdown to set up a rematch with No. 7 Georgia in the SEC championship game Dec. 2 with a playoff spot almost certainly on the line.
Auburn (10-2, 7-1 SEC, No. 6 CFP) mostly shut down the league’s top scoring offense for their second win in three weeks over the top team in the playoff rankings. They won the Western Division a week after dispatching the Bulldogs with similar precision.
The Crimson Tide (111, 7-1) made a rare assortment of mistakes for a team that had appeared to be headed toward a shot at a fourth consecutive SEC title and playoff berth.
Auburn’s Kerryon Johnson delivered a jump pass for a touchdown and ran 30 times for 104 yards before leaving in the fourth quarter with an injury,
The SEC’s leading rusher crumpled to the ground after a carry and walked off the field holding his right arm close to his body with a towel draped over his head. Fans chanted, “Kerryon.”
Auburn fans stormed the field after the final play, creating a scene similar to 2013 when the fourth-ranked Tigers beat No. 1 Alabama on a lastplay, 109-yard return of a missed field goal.
With No. 2 Miami losing Friday night to Pittsburgh, it’s the first time the top two teams in the AP poll have fallen on the same regular-season weekend since Nov. 17, 2012.