Whether pitching the ball to one of his backs, running it himself or throwing a pass, Auburn quarterback Nick Marshall keeps the offense moving at a high velocity.TIDE, TAKE THREEThree tidbits regarding top-ranked Alabama heading into Saturday’s game at No. 4 Auburn:• 1. The No. 4 Tigers are the highest-ranked foe a No. 1 Alabama ever has faced in a regular season. The previous high was No. 5 LSU last year.• 2. Alabama and Auburn will have combined after this weekend for 13 of the first 22 SEC West titles, but this is the first winner-take-all Iron Bowl for division supremacy.• 3. The Crimson Tide are seeking their third consecutive win at Jordan-Hare Stadium, which would be a first. Auburn won four straight at Bryant-Denny from 2000 to ’06.TALE OF THE OFFENSIVE TAPEAlabama – AuburnPoints per game: 39.7 – 39.0Yards per game: 444.7 – 499.9Rushing yards: 211.5 – 320.3Passing yards: 233.3 – 179.6Yards per play: 7.0 – 7.0
Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron is looking for a third BCS national championship in a row with the top-ranked Crimson Tide’s traditional-style offense, but it must outscore the fast-paced spread attack of No 4 Auburn this week.When Auburn quarterback Cam Newton passed to tight end Phillip Lutzenkirchen for a 7-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter of the 2010 Iron Bowl, it capped a 24-point comeback for the Tigers in a 28-27 victory.
That also was the last touchdown Auburn’s offense has scored against Alabama’s defense.
Auburn has averaged an anemic eight first downs and 151.5 total yards in the last two Iron Bowls, but first-year Tigers head coach Gus Malzahn has his team averaging 499.9 yards a game heading into Saturday’s showdown at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Malzahn was Auburn’s offensive coordinator when the Tigers rallied in 2010 and faltered in 2011.
“Their offense is one of the leading offensive teams in the country,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said Monday at his weekly news conference. “Gus has always done a fantastic job with the offense. They have the ability to run the ball effectively and throw it when they need to, and they’ve been able to score points on a pretty consistent basis against just about everybody in this league.”