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Saturday was a phenomenal day of football. It was Rivalry Week, and if you were on the losing end of the game, you’re likely not having a great start to the week.
On the flip side, though, you have got to be ecstatic on Monday — even though it’s Monday — if your team defeated its rival.
For Auburn fans, they are on the side of the coin that is optimistic on a Monday. The Tigers beat Alabama on Saturday 48-45 thanks to a number of key plays. As with any close football game, every inch and every second matters in the end.
For Auburn-Alabama, it was no different.
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Alabama tried to tie the game with just over two minutes left to play, but the kicker bounced the ball off the upright and left the Crimson Tied trailing by three points. Auburn would go on to run the clock out.
At the end of the first half, however, Auburn was trying to get more points on the scoreboard. The Tigers were driving and to end the half, an Auburn runner was ruled to be tackled down as the clock struck zero. After review, though, on extra second was added onto the clock.
This allowed Auburn to kick a 52-yard field goal that ended up being the three-point differential in the final score.
To go back to a game in 2013, Alabama tried to win the Iron Bowl on a 57-yard field goal attempt. The score was tied and a kick would win it. The kick fell short, though, and Auburn returned it all the way for a touchdown and the win.
One second has proven to mean a lot to Auburn recently — especially when it comes to games against Alabama. With finals quickly approaching the Auburn campus, the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts at Auburn University issued a statement on Twitter on Monday:
https://twitter.com/deanjoe_aucla/status/1201590332242190338?s=21
He is authorizing professors and instructors to give students an extra second for next week’s final exams.
After all, Tigers have proven that one extra second can lead to greatness on the football field. Why not in the classroom, too?
Sorry, Alabama.
Kevin covers Big Ten football for Saturday Tradition.