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| Kick Six (2013 Iron Bowl) | |
|---|---|
| Game name | Iron Bowl |
| Date | November 30, 2013 |
| Season | 2013 |
| Stadium | Bryant–Denny Stadium |
| City | Tuscaloosa, Alabama |
| Team1 | Alabama Crimson Tide football |
| Team2 | Auburn Tigers football |
| Score | Alabama 28 – Auburn 34 |
| Attendance | 101,821 |
Kick Six (2013 Iron Bowl) was the game-winning play on November 30, 2013, in the annually contested Iron Bowl between the Alabama Crimson Tide football and Auburn Tigers football at Bryant–Denny Stadium. The play occurred when Auburn Tigers football returner ran back a missed field goal for a touchdown as time expired, deciding the Southeastern Conference regular-season championship and affecting the 2013 NCAA Division I FBS football season postseason picture. It instantly became one of the most discussed plays in college football history, generating widespread attention across American sports media, social media, and collegiate rivalries.
The 2013 Iron Bowl featured the nationally ranked programs Alabama Crimson Tide football and Auburn Tigers football, coached by Nick Saban and Gus Malzahn respectively; Alabama entered with a No. 1 ranking in the AP Poll while Auburn was ranked No. 4. The game was a renewal of the historic rivalry between University of Alabama and Auburn University, institutions whose rivalry traces through the Deep South and regional identity in Alabama (U.S. state). The matchup had implications for the College Football Playoff predecessor discussions and the Bowl Championship Series, influencing selections for the 2014 BCS National Championship Game contenders and the SEC Championship Game berth.
The contest was marked by strategic adjustments from both sides: Alabama utilized its Crimson Tide defense anchored by players coached under Nick Saban’s staff, while Auburn employed Gus Malzahn’s fast-paced offense and trick plays reminiscent of previous upset victories such as the 2010 season. Key performers included Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron and Auburn quarterback Nick Marshall, with special teams plays by kickers Cody Parkey and Alabama’s special teams unit influencing field position. The game featured turnovers, fourth-down decisions, and clock management debates that evoked comparisons to other historic college football rivalry games such as The Big Game and the Notre Dame–USC rivalry.
With the score tied late in the fourth quarter and Alabama attempting a 57-yard field goal from kicker Adam Griffith as time expired, the kick fell short. Auburn's Chris Davis caught the live ball in the end zone and returned it 109 yards for a touchdown as the clock hit zero, a play which mirrored precedent returns like Cal-Stanford 1982 and notable returns in NFL history such as the 1928 New York Yankees (NFL)—though in a collegiate rivalry context. The return involved blocks and lane creation by teammates coached under Gene Chizik’s former staff influences, and the defensive alignment by Alabama’s unit, coached under Kirby Smart and veterans of SEC schemes, failed to contain the return despite previous late-game special teams coaching strategies.
The immediate aftermath saw jubilation from Auburn players, coaches including Gus Malzahn, and the Auburn fanbase, while Alabama supporters and media outlets debated the decision to attempt the long field goal instead of alternative plays. National figures in sports broadcasting such as commentators on ESPN, CBS Sports, and Fox Sports analyzed the coaching decisions, with pundits referencing historical moments like The Play (1982 Cal-Stanford) and commenting on selection implications for the BCS and future College Football Playoff arrangements. Administrators at University of Alabama and Auburn University addressed the game in statements, and pundits across The New York Times sports desks and Sports Illustrated provided columns dissecting the play’s strategic and cultural significance.
The return reshaped perceptions of late-game special teams strategy in NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision play, prompting coaching staffs across conferences such as the ACC, Big Ten Conference, and Pac-12 Conference to reevaluate kickoff and field-goal return philosophies. It also contributed to coaching narratives for figures like Nick Saban and Gus Malzahn in subsequent seasons, influencing recruiting battles between Alabama Crimson Tide football and Auburn Tigers football and altering momentum in SEC championship races. The play entered lists of greatest moments in college football history alongside games like the 2006 Rose Bowl and the 2007 Fiesta Bowl, and it has been cited in academic sports studies on fan behavior at rivalry games and the economics of collegiate athletics at institutions including NCAA member schools.
Media coverage spanned major networks and platforms including ESPN, CBS Sports, Fox Sports, and online outlets like Bleacher Report and SB Nation, and the play became a viral clip on social media platforms such as Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook. It inspired commentary pieces in publications including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and USA Today, and it has been dramatized in documentaries and retrospectives produced by ESPN Films and featured on programs such as College GameDay and SEC Network specials. The play’s nickname entered popular culture through sports talk shows, collegiate merchandise sold by retailers in Tuscaloosa, Alabama and Auburn, Alabama, and references in television sports satire and podcasts hosted by former players and analysts.
Category:2013 in American football Category:Alabama Crimson Tide football Category:Auburn Tigers football Category:Iron Bowl