5 things you may have missed from Alabama’s Iron Bowl blowout of Auburn

Alabama routed Auburn in this year’s edition of the Iron Bowl as the Crimson Tide’s stars let loose in Tuscaloosa.

Auburn hoped to throw a wrench in Alabama’s perfect 2020 season on Saturday, but the Crimson Tide paid no mind. Alabama blasted the Tigers 42-13 in a game that reinforced their dominance in the SEC while dashing faint hopes on the other sideline.

Whether you watched or not, here are some things you may have missed during Saturday’s Iron Bowl.

Mac Jones keeps matching Tua

Mac Jones is having an outstanding season and he saved the best for the rivalry game. The Alabama quarterback threw five touchdowns against Auburn, joining Tua Tagovailoa and Gary Hollingsworth, per ESPN Stats & Info. That’s 23 touchdowns this season, including four games with four or more touchdowns as he continues to make a case for the Heisman Trophy.

Davonta Smith is really, really fast

Stopping Davonta Smith is tough even for the best secondary. Auburn doesn’t have the best secondary. Smith went off for 171 yards and two touchdowns on seven catches for the Crimson Tide. The SEC’s all-time touchdown leader continues to extend his lead in the record books.

Najee Harris still leads the nation in rushing touchdowns

Najee Harris was already the only player in Alabama history to score 16 rushing touchdowns in seven games. Now through eight games, he has 17. On just 11 carries, Harris tallied 96 yards and his score. That touchdown put him back ahead of Iowa State’s Breece Hall for the lead in rushing TDs nationally. Hall had one against Texas on Friday.

Steve Sarkisian’s first win in five years

When Nick Saban tested positive for COVID-19 for real this time, his absence opened the door for one of the most expected stories of 2020. As the interim head coach for Alabama, Steve Sarkisian notched his first victory since Sept. 27, 2015, while serving at USC. The next week his Trojans suffered a loss to Washington and Sarkisian was ousted within days when his trouble with alcohol reached a tipping point. His personal and professional rehabilitation has come a long way since then. And if any programs out there are looking at Sarkisian as an option, a dominant 42-13 win over Auburn won’t hurt his resume in the slightest.

Auburn takes a beating from Bama

Auburn got the last laugh over Alabama in 2017 and 2019 at home, but the Tide really doesn’t hold back when it comes to playing the Tigers in Tuscaloosa. For the 21st straight game, Alabama scored at least 35 points. By comparison, Auburn has only allowed 35 points twice in the last four seasons, the last two games vs. Alabama. It’s now the last three games vs. their in-state rivals.

In 2018, Saban and company trounced Auburn 52-21. At least the 29-point loss on Saturday wasn’t as thorough as that one. Still, it ended their three-game winning streak and dropped them to 5-3 on the season. Gus Malzahn is now 3-5 against Alabama during his tenure as the Auburn football coach.

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