Auburn vs. Alabama 2016 final score: Tide rolls over Tigers 30-12

Hurts also became the first true freshman to start for Alabama against Auburn, passing for 286 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions, while adding 37 yards and another touchdown on the ground in the Crimson Tide’s 30-12 victory. Final score: 30-12. He also accounted for three touchdowns, including a two-yard dash to open up the third period.

Hurts will look to break that record this Saturday as he leads Alabama (12-0, 8-0 SEC) against Florida (8-3, 6-2) in the SEC Championship Game at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta at 3 p.m.

Alabama scored a field goal just before halftime to go up by 13-9 owing primarily to Bama miscues that led to Auburn field goals.

Even though it was a decisive victory on the scoreboard, it was more emphatic in the statistics. I think there was a point in the game where they had only one or two first downs but had nine points because of turnovers, poor punts and poor punt coverage they had a big return on. Bama rushed 44 times for 203 yards, the Tigers 26 times for 66 yards.

The junior kicker was Auburn’s lone offensive threat against an Alabama defense that allowed 31 total yards in the first half. He finished with 17 yards on 12 carries.

According to analysis by Pro Football Focus, Hurts has completed 75.5 percent of his passes with 17 touchdowns and two interceptions when he’s protected compared to a 29.9 completion percentage with two touchdowns and five interceptions when he’s under pressure.

Stewart gained 127 yards on 10 catches and Scarbrough ran for 90 yards. O.J. Howard had 5-45, Calvin Ridley 5-44, and Harris 3-22.

“It all starts at practice”, inside linebacker Shaun Dion Hamilton said.

Mississippi State jumped out to a 27-10 lead by midway through the second quarter largely thanks to big running plays for Fitzgerald and Williams. There are still three more games ahead for this to be a flawless season, but this alone is a huge accomplishment for this team, and one we need to take a day to enjoy.

The Crimson Tide had gone 207 minutes and 54 seconds without allowing a touchdown. Those two games have arguably been Alabama’s most complete outings.

Next week: Like Auburn, Florida has a great defense but not enough offense to beat Alabama.

Kamryn Pettway picked up 9 yards on the first two carries of the drive but Ryan Anderson brought him down in the backfield on 3rd-and-1 to force another Auburn field goal.

The Volunteers are headed to a bowl game, but that’s far from where they felt they’d be at this point.

On a 4th-and-4 at the enemy’s 38-yard line, Hurts rolled right and flung a dart to receiver ArDarius Stewart, who maneuvered his way into the end zone. Griffith’s kick made it 10-3.

The Tide’s first three plays of the second half against Auburn were Scarbrough runs.

Scarborough played well and acted as a battering ram for the Alabama offense. On third and goal at the 6, Searcy wanted to throw back across the field to quarterback Justin Thomas in the left flat. The Gators have the nation’s fifth-ranked defense.

The Crimson Tide would go for it on fourth down just inside Auburn territory. Whoever it is had better come strong; the Tide is only gaining momentum as this season rolls on. Auburn barely averaged 4.0 yards per play and just 2.5 yards per rush.

Auburn (8-4, 5-3) failed to muster much offense for the second consecutive SEC game. But on Saturday, the Tide once again proved that was all just an illusion.

Malzahn opted to use both Jeremy Johnson and John Franklin III against the Crimson Tide on Saturday.