There is no love lost between Auburnand Alabama, especially during the week of the historic Iron Bowl rivalry game.
The two SEC staples will meet on Saturday for the 88th time in series history. The in-state rivals first met in 1893.
Alabama has dominated meetings for nearly two decades, including four straight wins. However, there will be a notable difference in this year’s game with seven-time national champion head coach Nick Saban no longer on the Crimson Tide sidelines.
Instead, first-year head coach Kalen DeBoer will coach in his inaugural Iron Bowl as Alabama (8-3) attempts to rebound after a devastating upset loss to Oklahoma last week. On the other side, Huge Freeze and Auburn (5-6) are riding high after an upset win over No. 15 Texas A&M in four overtimes.
The Tigers, who lost to the Tide in the final seconds last season, are seemingly holding nothing back this year. Star freshman receiver Cam Coleman exuded confidence while calling out Alabama and Bryant-Denny Stadium on Monday.
Coleman tabbed the game as a part of Auburn’s “revenge tour” before pledging to “take over” the atmosphere in Tuscaloosa.
“Really a revenge tour,” Coleman saidvia Jacob Waters of Opelika-Auburn News. “We’re going in their place and we’re really just going to go into their crib and just take over and have fun while we’re doing it.”
“This is going to be some of the last memories we make with each other so let’s go make it a memorable game,” he said.
Coleman wasn’t the only Tiger to provide some bulletin-board material to the Tide, as freshman linebacker Demarcus Riddick also made bold statements as he prepares to play in hist first Iron Bowl.
Riddick called out Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe and star freshman receiver Ryan Williams while speaking with the media.
“Ryan Williams is Ryan Williams,” Riddick said. “Yeah he’s electric, all this and that. In my eyes, he ain’t really nobody to me. Ryan Williams is himself. He ain’t no big time player to me. Like I said, ‘Bama, it’s a big rivalry … Every rival team I played, I never lost to. I will not lose to ‘Bama while I’m here.”
“(Jalen Milroe) is a good quarterback, he’s fast,” Riddick continued. “But he’s not faster than me … He will not get out that box this week.”
Kickoff in Tuscaloosa is set for Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET (ABC). Alabama is listed as an 11.5-point favorite, per ESPN BET.
