On November 30, 2013, Jordan-Hare Stadium hosted the most chaotic ending in the history of college football. The 78th annual Iron Bowl between the Auburn Tigers and the Alabama Crimson Tide delivered a finish so improbable that it fundamentally altered the national championship picture, spawned endless replays, and entered sports lore simply as "The Kick Six." If you're looking to understand exactly how a tied football game with one second remaining turned into a 109-yard game-winning missed field goal return, you need to examine the stakes, the tactical chess match, and the frantic sequence that stunned over 87,000 fans.
Coming into the rivalry matchup, the stakes couldn't have been higher. Alabama entered undefeated, ranked number one in the nation, and sat firmly on the doorstep of another BCS National Championship appearance under head coach Nick Saban. Auburn, under first-year head coach Gus Malzahn, mounted a stunning turnaround from a dismal 3-9 season the year prior, climbing to number four in the BCS standings. The winner would claim the SEC West division crown and punch a ticket to Atlanta. What followed was a heavyweight slugfest that swung on razor-thin margins before erupting into pure pandemonium.
The Back-and-Forth Battle Before the Chaos
Long before Chris Davis caught a missed field goal in the back of his own end zone, both teams traded blows in a physical, exhausting contest. Alabama asserted early control behind power running and efficient play-action passes from quarterback AJ McCarron. Running back T.J. Yeldon carved up the Auburn front, and the Crimson Tide built a comfortable 21-7 lead in the first half.
Auburn refused to fold. Quarterback Nick Marshall settled into the rhythm of Malzahn's up-tempo spread offense, leaning on running back Tre Mason, who churned out hard yards against a stout Alabama front seven. The Tigers chipped away at the deficit through clever formation shifts and relentless tempo, eventually knotting the score at 21-21 in the third quarter.
As regulation wound down, the tension inside Jordan-Hare Stadium reached a fever pitch. Alabama kicker Cade Foster struggled throughout the afternoon, missing three field goals, which kept the Tigers within striking distance. Trailing late in the fourth quarter, Auburn engineered a clutch drive capped off by a game-tying touchdown pass from Marshall to receiver Sammie Coates, making it 28-28 with just 32 seconds remaining on the clock.
The Final Second and the Rule That Made It Possible
With 32 seconds left, Alabama drove into field goal range. A 45-yard attempt by Adam Griffith sailed wide, but a penalty for illegal substitution against Auburn stopped the clock with one second remaining.
This single second created the entire scenario. Under college football rules, any missed field goal or punt caught within the field of play remains live and can be returned by the receiving team. Recognizing that Griffith had a powerful leg and Alabama needed a 57-yard field goal to win, Nick Saban elected to send him out for a long-distance attempt rather than a Hail Mary pass.
Malzahn anticipated the possibility of a short or missed kick. He sent defensive back Chris Davis—one of the fastest players on the roster—deep into the end zone as a safety valve, flanked by blockers.
The Play That Stunned the Sports World
Griffith’s 57-year field goal attempt lacked the distance to clear the crossbar. The ball drifted short, landing squarely in the arms of Chris Davis nine yards deep in the end zone.
Instead of taking a knee to send the game into a second overtime, Davis fielded the kick and immediately looked for a seam. The entire Alabama field goal unit, consisting mostly of big linemen and heavy blockers designed to protect against a block, suddenly found themselves cast in the role of primary tacklers in open space.
Davis burst past the initial wave of rushing linemen near the goal line, cut sharply toward the Auburn sideline, and found a convoy of purple and white jerseys forming a wall. With blockers clearing out remaining defenders, Davis accelerated down the left sideline. The roar of the crowd drowned out the stadium speakers as he sprinted past the 50-yard line with zero defenders within ten yards of him.
He crossed the goal line untouched for a 109-yard touchdown return, setting off an immediate storm of orange-clad fans who flooded the turf before Davis even crossed the plane.
The Aftermath and Lasting Legacy
The final score read Auburn 34, Alabama 28. The victory secured the SEC West title for the Tigers, who went on to defeat Missouri in the SEC Championship Game before playing in the final BCS National Championship against Florida State.
The play permanently altered the college football lexicon, instantly branding "Kick Six" as shorthand for any chaotic end-of-game missed field goal return. It also exposed a blind spot in special teams strategy across the sport: coaches began re-evaluating how they position deep returners on long field goal attempts, ensuring a fast defensive back always occupies the deep field to guard against unreturned misses.
For further historical context on college football's most storied rivalries, explore the NCAA official website or read archival breakdowns on ESPN.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why didn't Alabama kick a Hail Mary instead of a field goal?
With only one second remaining on the clock from the Auburn 40-yard line, a traditional Hail Mary pass requires at least 4-5 seconds to develop as receivers run deep routes downfield. Since only one second remained, a pass play would have allowed the clock to expire before the ball reached the end zone. A long field goal was the only way to score points before time ran out.
Was the 109-yard return a record?
At the time, it tied the NCAA record for the longest missed field goal return for a touchdown, matching a 109-yard return by Antonio Perkins of Oklahoma against UTEP in 2003.
What happened to Auburn after winning the 2013 Iron Bowl?
Following the dramatic Iron Bowl victory, Auburn defeated Missouri 59-42 in the SEC Championship Game. They advanced to the BCS National Game at the Rose Bowl, where they narrowly lost to the Florida State Seminoles 34-31 in another thrilling finish.
How did the NCAA rules regarding field goal returns change after this game?
While the fundamental rule allowing missed field goals to be returned has not changed, the play forced every major college football program to completely overhaul its special teams personnel packages on long field goal attempts, ensuring dynamic athletes are always positioned deep to defend against runbacks.
