AUBURN, Ala. – Auburn’s streak of success in the Iron Bowl using first-year quarterbacks who arrived from junior college continued Saturday afternoon with Jarrett Stidham.
Stidham, who started his career at Baylor University in 2015 and sat out last season at McLennan (Texas) Community College, completed 21 of 28 passes for 237 yards to aid an offense that racked up 408 yards against Alabama’s top-ranked defense in Auburn’s 26-14 win. The 6-foot-3, 214-pound redshirt sophomore joined Cam Newton in 2010 and Nick Marshall in 2013 in topping the Crimson Tide in their first chance with the Tigers.
“This was a lot of fun, to say the least,” Stidham said. “I didn’t know what to expect. Hats off to our fans, because they were the rowdiest I’ve ever seen. There was some stuff over the middle that we wanted to take advantage of and opportunities on the outside as well.
“We were just taking what they were giving to us.”
Newton and Marshall were known for their dual-threat talents at Auburn, and Stidham displayed that as well Saturday, rushing 12 times for 51 yards. His 16-yard touchdown run with 12:49 remaining capped the scoring.
“We knew he was very athletic, and we certainly respected him as a runner,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said. “It’s not something they’ve done a lot, but we did respect his ability to scramble and extend plays. He made a couple of really good runs and got a first down on the zone option.
“He’s the best quarterback we’ve played against all year.”
Two bad snaps
After falling behind 26-14, the Crimson Tide drove to Auburn’s 33-yard line and faced a third-and-4.
Botched communication resulted in a bad snap that quarterback Jalen Hurts fell on for a 5-yard loss. On fourth-and-9, there was more chaos and another bad snap that would have resulted in a change of possession had the Tigers not been flagged for having 12 men on the field when the ball was snapped.
“We were going on the clap, and (center Bradley) Bozeman said he heard somebody clap, whether it was one of their players or our players,” Saban said. “I’m not accusing anybody of anything. The second time, Bozeman clapped to try and get the line’s attention, and we weren’t even set on the play.
“I thought they should have called illegal procedure on us. We could have used the leg lift instead of the clap on the silent count, and it was very unfortunate, because that was a crucial situation in the game.”
Alabama’s fourth-and-4 attempt failed when Hurts’ pass to Robert Foster gained 3 yards to the 30.
“The two bad snaps in a row was pretty much due to the crowd,” Hurts said. “The center was not hearing things.”
Linebackers return
Three Alabama linebackers – Terrell Lewis, Christian Miller and Mack Wilson – played Saturday after sustaining injuries earlier that were thought to be season-ending. Lewis (elbow) and Miller (biceps) were injured in the opening win over Florida State, and Wilson was thought to be lost for the rest of the regular season after sustaining a foot injury earlier this month against LSU.
“They all made a contribution, and I didn’t see any glaring errors,” Saban said. “I think everybody out there probably made a few mistakes, but I think it was helpful that we had those guys back. We were glad to have them back.”
Said senior linebacker Rashaan Evans: “They did very well. Those guys came off major injuries, and the fact they were able to come back this season is a miracle. We were thinking their year was over with.”
Tide tidbits
Alabama still leads the Iron Bowl rivalry 45-36-1, but the Crimson Tide dropped to 5-9 at Jordan-Hare Stadium. With Da’Ron Payne’s fumble recovery on the final play of the first quarter, the Alabama defense now has forced at least one turnover in 40 of its last 42 games dating back to the start of the 2015 season. JK Scott’s 64-yard punt early in the second quarter was a season long, topping a 59-yarder he had against Colorado State. J.C. Hassenauer started the game at left guard but left with a concussion, Saban said. Junior defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick on the mood in the locker room: “Obviously it’s sad. Everybody kind of has their head down.”
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.