Jalen Milroe and Alabama made Auburn players and head coach Hugh Freeze regret their bold words ahead of the Iron Bowl. Auburn had plenty to say before the game, but when it came time to perform, the Crimson Tide silenced them with a dominant 2024 Iron Bowl victory, marking their fifth consecutive win in the rivalry.
It was Hugh Freeze who first stirred the pot, questioning Jalen Milroe’s consistency and claiming Auburn had a chance to beat a “deeper” Alabama team in the previous year. While Freeze was right about Milroe’s ups and downs, the quarterback still delivered, throwing for 256 yards and rushing for 104, despite three turnovers. His performance was a key part of Alabama’s offensive success, which totaled over 450 yards.
Despite Freeze’s claim that Alabama was not as strong as last year’s squad, it seemed Auburn had actually regressed, as they failed to keep the game competitive after halftime. Freshman linebacker DeMarcus Riddick added fuel to the fire, trash-talking Milroe and others, only to be burned when Milroe outran him for a touchdown in the first quarter. Riddick was limited to two assisted tackles in the loss.
Auburn’s freshman wide receivers, Cam Coleman and Perry Thompson, also joined the pre-game banter. Coleman referred to Tuscaloosa as the next stop on Auburn’s failed “revenge tour,” and Thompson tried to compare Milroe’s passing stats with Auburn’s Payton Thorne. However, all the talk couldn’t change the outcome, as Alabama once again proved to be the superior team, leaving Auburn with their fourth straight losing season.
