Former Auburn Head Coach Still Finding Success Against Alabama

"Felt like old times tonight!!" Malzahn posted to his personal X account, referencing his previous matchups against the Crimson Tide while at Auburn.

Malzahn, as both an offensive coordinator and a head coach, has arguably had the most success against Alabama.

Even in the time of the Nick Saban era, a Malzahn-led Auburn team were often the team that gave Alabama the most trouble. He has a career record of 6-7 vs the Crimson Tide, which may not be anything crazy, but when Alabama was essentially pushing everyone else around, Malzahn often had an ace up his sleeve. 

The most memorable Malzahn win against Alabama is undoubtedly the 2013 Iron Bowl, where Auburn cornerback Chris Davis Jr. returned a missed field goal 109 yards for the game-winning touchdown with no time remaining, propelling the Tigers past Alabama and earning them a spot in the SEC Championship Game. Auburn would go on to play in the BCS National Championship Game, ironically against Florida State..

Another statement win was when Auburn defeated No. 1 Alabama in 2017, just two weeks after taking down No. 1 Georgia. That matchup was a defensive slugfest until the Tigers scored 16 unanswered points in the second half to win the game. 

In his most recent win, his offensive playcalling left the Alabama defense in a blender. He went back to his reliable play calling that helped defeat the Tide so many times while at Auburn, and it appears some things never change.

Even current Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze, who matched up with Malzahn in four of his five seasons while at Ole Miss. has a good personal relationship with Gus Malzahn.

“There are friends in this business and then there are close friends, and Gus and I are just genuine, really close friends,” Freeze stated on Monday when asked about Malzahn's and FSU's win over Alabama. “He’s walked with me through a lot, and I think he’d say the same. He’s loyal and I couldn’t be happier for him. Seems like he was having fun coaching the game and doing what he’s good at, so I enjoyed talking to him after it and just really happy for he and Kristi.”  

Freeze is 0-2 against Alabama while at Auburn, but with the Tigers trending upward after Friday's win over Baylor and the Crimson Tide trending downwards after Saturday's loss, this could be the year Freeze earns his first Iron Bowl win.

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