AUBURN | For 49 minutes and 36 seconds, Auburn's defense dominated Bryce Young and Alabama's offense. It was an effort that came out of seemingly nowhere as the Tigers continued to pressure the Crimson Tide quarterback, sacking him seven times and keeping the high-powered Tide to three total points.

This was the same group who gave up 40 straight points to Mississippi State?

Auburn just couldn't hold on for another 24 seconds as Ja'Corey Brooks caught a fade in the west corner of the south end zone, and Alabama, who looked dormant all day, had tied the game. That's when things got crazy, with both teams trading a touchdown in the first overtime, field goals in the second and two-point conversions in the third. Finally, after the Tigers' failed attempt in the fourth overtime, Young found John Metchie III for the win.

"The way you lose like that, it sucks," Derick Hall said. "We wanted to send our seniors out the right way ... We came in this game, we fought, we prepared ... Emotionally, it was a little bit overwhelming at the time"

All of that great defense that the Tigers exhibited for most of the game went for naught, but it was a sign that this team, including the secondary, isn't as bad as we all thought. Sure, they will be disappointed for now, but when they could have easily given up in a game where they were large underdogs coming off a three-game losing streak, they showed pride.

Roger McCreary showed why he will be an NFL starter, continually breaking up passes meant for Jameson Williams, who got kicked out in the second quarter due to targeting, and Metchie. The pressure from the defensive line that had been nowhere was causing trouble for the Tide's offensive front. Hall and Colby Wooden were in Young's face all day. Zakoby McClain, playing in his last Iron Bowl like McCreary, was the heart of a unit that wouldn't give in to Alabama.

"There was a lot of fight from our team," Bryan Harsin said. "I'm proud of our guys. I told them I was proud of their fight. Our guys played hard and put ourselves in a position to win the game. We just came up short."

It was what we thought this defense would be all season, and it just so happened their best performance came against their bitter rival.

If only it lasted 24 more seconds.