Auburn’s football season came to an end in the 2024 edition of the Iron Bowl against Alabama, 28-14 at Bryant Deny Stadium.

The Tigers are ineligible for a bowl game as they finish the season 5-7 overall and 2-6 in conference.

Trailing by just eight points at halftime, Auburn once again played a game worthy enough to pull off upsets in back-to-back weeks.

Here’s how we rated the Tigers’ performance against Alabama:

Offence

Grade: D

It took Auburn three quarters to score the first touchdown of the game. With just 81 rushing yards entering the final quarter, Alabama’s swarming defense made it a challenge for Auburn all game long.

Auburn converted on just three of its 11 third down attempts. The Tigers’ lone fourth down attempt led to a stop on 4th and goal early in the game.

Payton Thorne finished with 210 yards through the air with one touchdown ahead of Cam Coleman. Auburn finished with two turnovers in the fourth quarter.

Defense

Grade: C+

Auburn’s defense came out on fire in the first half, forcing three Alabama turnovers. The Crimson Tide led the game by four total.

Ryan Williams fumbled Alabama’s second drive of the game, which was recovered by the Tigers. Caleb Wooden intercepted Jalen Milroe’s pass in the redzone for the first interception of the game and Jalen McLeod led the defense with two strip sacks.

Alabama controlled the second half and finished with 457 total yards of offense. Milroe led the Crimson Tide with 360 all-purpose yards and three rushing scores.

Special teams

Grade: C+

Kicker Ian Vachon got his third straight start and started his afternoon without his first field goal attempt from 39 yards out. He connected on his next two from 37 and 25 yards to score the Tigers only points in the first half.

Auburn didn’t get much in the return game, gaining only 33 yards for the evening. Punter Oscar Chapman had a much better performance this week, averaging 41.8 yards on three punt attempts.

Coaching

Grade: B-

Auburn looked balanced in the first two quarters, especially defensively. However, Alabama scored on the first two drives of the second half, extending the lead to 28-6.

The Tigers struggled to move the ball on offense, making it more challenging to cut the deficit late in the game. Play calling was there for Auburn, but the on-field execution was halted by costly penalties that led to multiple three-and-outs.

General

Grade: C

To knock off No. 13 Alabama, Auburn had to play perfectly on both sides of the ball. That didn’t happen.

With no rhythm at all in the ground game, the Tigers’ stagnant offense was the leading factor for an average Auburn football performance in Tuscaloosa.