Alabama head coach Nick Saban has been preaching all week about how his team needed to finish the game against Auburn in order to win, and Tide RB Derrick Henry did just that.

It seems that Henry has set his mind to updating some record books. Henry carried the ball 46 times (school record) for 271 yards (Iron Bowl record) and 1 TD, bringing him to 295 carries (school record) for 1,797 yards and 22 TDs (school record) on the season. He now has four games in which he rushed for more than 200 yards (ties school record).

When Henry wasn’t quietly moving up in the Heisman race, QB Jake Coker seemed to be running and throwing for his life. With 5:14 minutes left in the third quarter, Coker scrambled to avoid tackles for loss by two Tigers defenders to throw a 34-yard pass to Tide WR ArDarius Stewart for the first touchdown of the game.

Since 1972, Auburn has wrecked a national title bound Alabama three times, and last night could have made four, but the Tide held on. The Tigers brought a lot of emotion into this Iron Bowl, and while both sides of the ball got a little chippy, all of the players remained civil.

Tigers defensive coordinator Will Muschamp is another story. The hotheaded coach had some very loud, very choice words for the officiating staff, and in the fourth quarter, it earned him an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and cost his team 15 yards.

Luckily, Muschamp isn’t on the Alabama sideline.

5 TAKEAWAYS

  1. Henry wants to do the work: Saban caught a lot of criticism for handing Henry the ball so many times, but it was Henry who asked for the ball. His touchdown late in the fourth quarter kept his streak alive: he has now had a rushing touchdown in every game this season. In fact, Nov. 8, 2014 against LSU was the last time Henry went an entire game without a score on the ground.
  2. This Alabama team wants the championship: And these guys want it more than any Alabama team has in a while. The Tide made a lot of minor mistakes, and a lot of players struggled, but every single one of them kept working or wanted to work: Coker, Henry, Stewart and even the injured RB Kenyan Drake who walked the sidelines in full pads and uniform. This team is hungry.
  3. Tide CB Cyrus Jones stood behind his Twitter jab: Earlier in the week, Jones poked at the Auburn receivers, calling them “nothing special” and garnering the attention of Tigers WR Ricardo Louis. Last night he proved he knew what he was talking about, holding the Tigers to 172 passing yards — 77 of those were on a single miraculous catch by Tigers WR Jason Smith — and holding Louis to just 24 yards in the air.
  4. The Tide is lucky to have PK Adam Griffith: Alabama didn’t score a touchdown until Coker’s 34-yard pass to Stewart in the second half. Up until that point, it was Griffith keeping the Tide in the game and eventually getting the lead for his team. Griffith may have struggled last time he was on the Plains, but he was perfect last night.
  5. Alabama can’t win a national title like this: The Tide won, it played well, and it got the job done. But it wasn’t spectacular. This performance won’t beat the Oklahoma’s and Clemson’s of the world, unless they are also having a mediocre day. Alabama finished the game, but it didn’t look so hot starting it. Saban needs to light a fire under this team at both ends of the game.

REPORT CARD

Offense: B+ —  Henry had a record night, Stewart made a couple of incredible catches, and Coker scrambled with the better of them, but the offense as a whole struggled. We saw missed blocks, a weak offensive line, bad throws, running backs slipping and tripping, red zone failure and poor clock management. The Tide will have to get it together before facing No. 12 Florida for the SEC Championship.

Defense: B —  This wasn’t the Alabama defensive line we’re used to seeing. Auburn pushed through too many times, especially in the first half.

Special Teams: A —  Griffith was 5 of 5 on field goals, and his longest was 50 yards. His field goals kept Alabama in the game and gave his Tide the win. Tide P J.K. Scott punted three times, averaging just more than 48 yards per kick. Alabama only allowed returns on one punt and one kickoff for a total of 47 yards.

Coaching: A — Saban did the right thing by letting Henry stay in the game when he asked, and if he had kept Henry from extending his streak, he would have been criticized for that anyway. Offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin also showed commitment last night, standing on the sideline with a broken toe instead of calling the plays from the booth.

Overall: A- —  The start was slow, and the first half had every Alabama fan concerned, but the Tide did pull it together. At the beginning of the game, they played as if each player was on his own, but they all played like a team by the end.

GAME BALLS

  • RB Derrick Henry: Henry was a beast in the 2015 Iron Bowl. Auburn as a team had fewer total yards than Henry had rushing yards. He had 46 carries for 271 yards and a touchdown, and he willingly worked for every bit of it.
  • PK Adam Griffith: The last time Griffith was in Jordan-Hare Stadium—well, we all remember Kick Six. Last night, he was able to get redemption, hitting all five of the field goals he attempted, with a long of 50 yards.
  • WR ArDarius Stewart: As always, Stewart was consistent, and he made the plays when they mattered most. Stewart caught 8 passes for 81 yards and the game-changing touchdown in the third quarter. He may not be the leader week to week, but he always gets the job done.

INJURY UPDATE

  • RB Kenyan Drake dressed out, cast and all, but he didn’t play any snaps. He should be back for No. 12 Florida next week.