Gary Danielson said one play during ‘Kick Six’ game completely changed Alabama’s offense
By Adam Spencer
Published:
One of the most iconic wins in Auburn history came during the 2013 Iron Bowl, which is now famously referred to as the Kick Six game.
However, according to CBS Sports analyst Gary Danielson, one play in that game is what changed Alabama’s entire offensive philosophy.
During an appearance on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5 this week, Danielson said a Nick Marshall run-pass option play caused coach Nick Saban to start to drift away from the pro-style offenses (via AL.com):
“A lot of people talk about the Kick 6 game,” he explained. “It’s an unbelievable game, but the play of the game that changed Alabama the most was not the return of the field goal, it was the RPO that Nick Marshall threw to tie the game.”
Danielson said he talked with Saban about the play and believes it led to the hiring of Lane Kiffin as offensive coordinator:
“I said Nick would you admit that was the play? He said after that play I got tired of arguing what the rule is. And, if that’s going to be the rule, I’m going to do it, too. It led to the hiring of Lane Kiffin and Alabama really changed.”
Of course, Alabama has a star quarterback in Tua Tagovailoa now, so they’d be foolish not to utilize his skill set. But the RPO changed football, and Bama shifted as a result.
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
