Nick Saban erupts after clock review gifts Auburn a field goal attempt

Nick Saban couldn't believe this decision by the referees.

At the end a thrilling first half of the Iron Bowl, which featured a total of five touchdown plays in the final 5:26 of the second quarter, Alabama coach Nick Saban was irate when a review of the game clock by the officials allowed Auburn to kick a last-second field goal.

With nine seconds remaining, Auburn ran a pass play to try to get into field goal range, and JaTarvious Whitlow seemed to be taken down by defenders just as the clock expired. Auburn didn’t have a timeout to stop the clock, so the half should have been over, but officials stopped the game to review whether Whitlow was downed with time remaining. The stoppage allowed Gus Malzahn to put his field goal unit on the field, and the official announced that one second remained in the half.

Due to the replay stoppage, the clock does not resume until the official blows his whistle, so Auburn essentially gained a 4th timeout. The ball was snapped as soon as the clock restarted, and Anders Carlson drilled a 52-yarder to trim Alabama’s lead to 31-27.

Nick Saban, unsurprisingly, was furious.

Saban pointed out that it would have been impossible for Auburn to spike the ball with 1 second left, so the review was unnecessary.

[UPDATE]: Alabama lost the Iron Bowl by three points, 48-45, after kicker Joseph Bulovas missed a 30-yard field goal with two minutes remaining. The controversial field goal at the end of the half meant the difference between overtime in the Iron Bowl and an Auburn victory.