TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Auburn junior defensive tackle Nick Fairley had two sacks of Alabama’s Greg McElroy during Friday’s Iron Bowl, with his second one providing a much better result than his first.
The Crimson Tide had sprinted to a 14-0 lead late in the first quarter when Fairley made the first big play of the day for the Tigers, sacking McElroy on third-and-8 from the Auburn 36 for an 11-yard loss. The 6-foot-5, 298-pounder junior got up and briefly flexed, however, which resulted in a 15-yard penalty.
Fairley’s flag did not result in an automatic first down, but McElroy converted a fourth-and-4 from the 32 by completing a 9-yard pass to Marquis Maze.
SEC coordinator of officials Rogers Redding said after the game that Fairley’s antics were enough to violate the NCAA rule prohibiting “any delayed, excessive, prolonged or choreographed act by which a player [or players] attempts to focus attention to himself [or themselves].” Fairley was certain to be under a microscope after a late-hit penalty Nov. 13, when he lowered his head into the back of Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray.
In the final minute of the first half, Fairley broke through not only to sack McElroy but cause a fumble that he recovered. The turnover kept Alabama’s lead at 24-7, and Auburn scored two plays into the third quarter to make it 24-14 in their eventual 28-27 win.
“Some of the time we did a good job, and some of the time we allowed too much pressure,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said when asked about Fairley. “We totally whiffed on the sack right before the half that caused the fumble.”
Said Fairley: “That was big, and we adjusted at halftime and did what we had to do.”
Fairley leads the league with 20 tackles for loss, and his 9.5 sacks rank just behind the 10 by Georgia’s Justin Houston.
Series update
Alabama continues to lead the Iron Bowl series by a 40-34-1 margin, but Auburn has won seven of the past nine meetings and holds a 17-12 advantage since 1982, which was Crimson Tide coaching legend Bear Bryant’s 25th and final game in the rivalry.
Saban is 2-2 in the Iron Bowl and 4-5 overall against Auburn, which includes his 2-3 mark as LSU’s coach.
Tide tidbits
In seven home games this season, the Tide wound up outscoring foes 75-6 in the first quarter. … By completing 12 straight passes to open the game after completing his final four attempts in his last game against Georgia State, McElroy broke the school mark for consecutive completions. His 16 topped the 14 in a row he had last year against Florida International. … Alabama held Auburn to season lows in total offense (324 yards) and rushing offense (108).
Tiger tales
Auburn improved to 7-1 in Iron Bowl games held in Tuscaloosa. … Quarterback Cam Newton’s 1-yard touchdown in the third quarter was just the second rushing score allowed by Alabama in Bryant-Denny Stadium since the start of the 2008 season. … Sophomore tight end Philip Lutzenkirchen’s last three receptions have gone for touchdowns.