Illegal substitution penalty costs Alabama chance to win Iron Bowl
The Alabama Crimson Tide essentially lost the Iron Bowl in just about the most painful possible way.
With just over a minute left, Alabama trailed Auburn 48-45, but had managed to get the stop they needed to force an Auburn punt. What followed was disaster, as a confused Crimson Tide special teams unit was caught with 12 men on the field on the punt. Since it was 4th and 4, the ensuing illegal substitution foul gave Auburn a first down and clinched the game.
The penalty clinched Alabama’s second loss of the year, essentially eliminating them from College Football Playoff contention for 2019. The fact that it happened at that exact moment will be more than enough for Nick Saban to stew on for an entire offseason and then some.
Obviously, the penalty was far from the only mistake made in the game. A huge missed kick moments earlier was also a major factor in Alabama’s loss.
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