Todd Van Emst / AP

Alabama coach Nick Saban, left, congratulates Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville after the Tigers' 17-10 win in the Iron Bowl on Saturday night.

The onside kick bounced into Auburn tight end Cole Bennett’s hands and Lester and the Tigers worked the clock down. It was a nice way for Auburn to cap a regular season that included a 45-20 drubbing at Georgia two weeks ago, followed by an off week to stew over the defeat.

“It’s been an up and down season for us,” Cox said. “It hasn’t been the season we wanted it to be but we told them if we beat Alabama everyone would love us and we would feel great about ourselves. And that’s what happened.”

Lester finished with 98 yards on 22 carries. Ben Tate ran 11 times for 77 yards.

Cox was 12-of-22 for 117 yards with an interception.

Alabama, which welcomed back three starters after a four-game suspension for improper receipt of textbooks, managed 225 yards.

Wilson was 12-of-26 with an interception by Jerraud Powers off a deflection in the end zone late in the first half. He didn’t complete a pass to the SEC’s leading receiver, DJ Hall, until the final drive.

Coffee, one of the players returning from suspension, gained 60 yards on 20 carries. Top rusher Terry Grant had been nursing a hip problem and didn’t play.

Both teams had fourth down gambles lead to touchdowns in the first half. Tate scored on a 3-yard run on the Tigers’ first possession after Auburn converted a fourth-and-inches on Cox’s quarterback sneak from the Alabama 30.

The Tigers took a 10-0 lead late in the quarter on Wes Byrum’s 37-yard field goal.

Then, Wilson scored on a sneak on fourth-and-1 from the 2-yard line.

The defenses took over from there and the next score didn’t come until almost 38 minutes later.

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