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By Alex Byington Sports
Ryan Kelly remembers the heartbreak he felt as he watched Auburnās Chris Davis race from one end zone to the other on the final play of the 2013 Iron Bowl.
As Auburn fans flooded Pat Dye Field by the thousands, the dazed then-sophomore center made his way to the visitorsā locker room beneath the Jordan-Hare Stadium stands.
āIt was kind of a blur after the end of it. ā¦ I just kind of walked off the field,ā Kelly said Monday. āThatās all I want to talk about it. It wasnāt a great feeling. A lot of guys on this team were there then. You definitely donāt forget something like that.ā
The game ended on a single play ā the āKick Sixā ā that will live in infamy (or glory) for both its sensationalism and improbability after Davis fielded a short 57-yard field goal try a foot inside the back of the end zone and returned it 109 yards down the home sideline for the game-winning score as the Tigers knocked off the top-ranked Tide, 34-28, at Jordan Hare Stadium.
Auburn would go on to win the SEC championship and come within 13 seconds of winning the national championship.
Meanwhile, Alabama ā which won back-to-back national titles in 2011-12 ā would suffer a hangover loss to Oklahoma in the 2014 Sugar Bowl.
The Iron Bowl traditionally has national implications, and itās no different this season with the second-ranked Tide needing to win Saturday to secure the SEC West title and a trip to the SEC championship game in Atlanta.
āI donāt think I have to tell anybody anything they donāt already know about this game. The Iron Bowl is one of the great rivalries in college football,ā coach Nick Saban said Monday. āIt means a lot to a lot of people in this state as well as all over the country. Itās certainly an opportunity you appreciate as a competitor.ā
Even after delivering a 55-44 thumping last season at Bryant-Denny Stadium, there are some unresolved feelings regarding the game two years ago.
āI know I remember being on the sideline, me and Landon (Collins) beside each other and just watching (Davis) run down the field,ā senior linebacker Reggie Ragland said. āYou just drop your helmet and just walk off the field in disbelief, and youāre sad.ā
But, for many of the now-seniors who watched the veterans on that 2013 team come up short after back-to-back national championships, the disappointment felt that day is still fresh.
ā(I remember the) look in the eyes of some of the seniors and you see them crying in the locker room and stuff like that,ā Ragland said. āThat hurts your feelings, knowing you didnāt do your job enough to get the win for them. So we gotta come out and we gotta do our job and gotta try to get this win.ā
Senior quarterback Jake Coker remembers watching the 2013 Iron Bowl with his family in Mobile while recovering from knee surgery earlier that month while still playing at Florida State.
āI couldnāt believe it happened. ā¦ (Of course) it is what it is, itās over now,ā Coker said Saturday aftera 56-6 win over Charleston Southern. āAt that point, the recruiting process, all that (with Alabama) hadnāt started, so I was just kind of more in awe (of the play) than anything.ā
Still, there are many around the Alabama program who prefer to focus on whatās ahead Saturday, rather than look behind.
āI donāt really think about it that much. Of course, it kind of gets brought up, and you start to think about it more around the time weāre starting to prepare for Auburn,ā senior cornerback Cyrus Jones said. āObviously, we know it happened, but itās in the past and I donāt think thatās going to be on our minds that much when we roll into Jordan-Hare on Saturday.ā
While some arenāt interested in rehashing the past this week, the way Alabamaās last trip to Auburn ended lingers.
āIt does, but itās not going to fuel how we play,ā Kelly said. āWeāre going to have to go down there and execute. They are a really good team.ā
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As Auburn fans flooded Pat Dye Field by the thousands, the dazed then-sophomore center made his way to the visitorsā locker room beneath the Jordan-Hare Stadium stands.
āIt was kind of a blur after the end of it. ā¦ I just kind of walked off the field,ā Kelly said Monday. āThatās all I want to talk about it. It wasnāt a great feeling. A lot of guys on this team were there then. You definitely donāt forget something like that.ā
The game ended on a single play ā the āKick Sixā ā that will live in infamy (or glory) for both its sensationalism and improbability after Davis fielded a short 57-yard field goal try a foot inside the back of the end zone and returned it 109 yards down the home sideline for the game-winning score as the Tigers knocked off the top-ranked Tide, 34-28, at Jordan Hare Stadium.
Auburn would go on to win the SEC championship and come within 13 seconds of winning the national championship.
Meanwhile, Alabama ā which won back-to-back national titles in 2011-12 ā would suffer a hangover loss to Oklahoma in the 2014 Sugar Bowl.
The Iron Bowl traditionally has national implications, and itās no different this season with the second-ranked Tide needing to win Saturday to secure the SEC West title and a trip to the SEC championship game in Atlanta.
āI donāt think I have to tell anybody anything they donāt already know about this game. The Iron Bowl is one of the great rivalries in college football,ā coach Nick Saban said Monday. āIt means a lot to a lot of people in this state as well as all over the country. Itās certainly an opportunity you appreciate as a competitor.ā
Even after delivering a 55-44 thumping last season at Bryant-Denny Stadium, there are some unresolved feelings regarding the game two years ago.
āI know I remember being on the sideline, me and Landon (Collins) beside each other and just watching (Davis) run down the field,ā senior linebacker Reggie Ragland said. āYou just drop your helmet and just walk off the field in disbelief, and youāre sad.ā
But, for many of the now-seniors who watched the veterans on that 2013 team come up short after back-to-back national championships, the disappointment felt that day is still fresh.
ā(I remember the) look in the eyes of some of the seniors and you see them crying in the locker room and stuff like that,ā Ragland said. āThat hurts your feelings, knowing you didnāt do your job enough to get the win for them. So we gotta come out and we gotta do our job and gotta try to get this win.ā
Senior quarterback Jake Coker remembers watching the 2013 Iron Bowl with his family in Mobile while recovering from knee surgery earlier that month while still playing at Florida State.
āI couldnāt believe it happened. ā¦ (Of course) it is what it is, itās over now,ā Coker said Saturday aftera 56-6 win over Charleston Southern. āAt that point, the recruiting process, all that (with Alabama) hadnāt started, so I was just kind of more in awe (of the play) than anything.ā
Still, there are many around the Alabama program who prefer to focus on whatās ahead Saturday, rather than look behind.
āI donāt really think about it that much. Of course, it kind of gets brought up, and you start to think about it more around the time weāre starting to prepare for Auburn,ā senior cornerback Cyrus Jones said. āObviously, we know it happened, but itās in the past and I donāt think thatās going to be on our minds that much when we roll into Jordan-Hare on Saturday.ā
While some arenāt interested in rehashing the past this week, the way Alabamaās last trip to Auburn ended lingers.
āIt does, but itās not going to fuel how we play,ā Kelly said. āWeāre going to have to go down there and execute. They are a really good team.ā
Decatur DailyāContinue reading...
