The chaos that enthralled the closing minutes of the 2023 Iron Bowl spilled over from the Alabama sideline, into the end zone where Chris Davis made history a decade prior and continued through the visitor’s tunnel and into the celebration.

Tide staffers hurriedly ripped open plastic cases of Propel, Gatorade and other sports drinks and placed Chick-fil-A baggies on tables. The final moments of UA’s 27-24 win — from Jalen Milroe’s 32-yard, fourth-down touchdown throw to Isaiah Bond to a near game-ending pick-six — didn’t allow much time for the usual, tightly-scheduled routine.

Hollering could be heard from the players, still wearing their pads, behind security guarding the doors to the locker room. Athletic director Greg Bryne hung near the party, joking with UA sportscaster Chris Stewart. Friends and family quickly gathered behind a gate, waiting to wrap their sons up in a hug. Other staffers worked to wheel the team’s sideline equipment to the team buses. But the meal service and jubilation got in their way.

Between that and the crowd stuffing the parking lot, UA’s team charter had nowhere to go. But regardless, it wasn’t like Alabama football was in any real hurry to leave Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday night.

“Do I really need to say anything?” Nick Saban ironically asked after Miss Terry started his recap press conference with a round of applause.

“I feel good. We’ve had some tough ones but still, the team that played the best always wins in (the Iron Bowl). We played well, but we had to overcome ourselves.”

In 2022, the Tide was on the receiving end of a heartbreaking loss. Two, actually. A procession of tears and rowdy home fans serenaded their solemn walks out of Tennessee’s Neyland Stadium and LSU’s Tiger Stadium. Before fall camp started, Alabama defensive back Terrion Arnold said coaches showed the Tide those two plays, a field goal and two-point conversion, as motivating tools.

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Following the defeats, offensive lineman JC Latham “prayed every day” for UA’s ability to “strain” or push through adversity. It’s appeared this season following halftime rallies to avenge last year’s losses and reach the SEC Championship for the first time since 2021. The replays stayed in their minds as Auburn carried a narrow lead into the fourth quarter and the teams had to be separated near midfield.

“Like we’ve been preaching we’re all we got, all we need,” Arnold said. “Truth be told, I don’t think we ever lost faith and I don’t think our fans lost fans in us either.”

The Tide overcame a late third-and-20 with a narrow fourth-down conversion after Milroe scrambled for 19 yards. It then rallied from a mistimed snap and penalty made it fourth-and-goal from the 31-yard line. With the game in the balance, they called “gravedigger” a route that, to a layman, looked like backyard football with players trying to get open in the endzone. Milroe picked Bond and let it rip.

Bond tapped his toe in-bounds, jumped up and held his hands together as if they were a pistol. The sophomore from Buford, Ga., earned his ‘007′ nickname, based on Ian Fleming’s character, in high school, he said. Bond wanted to make sure his soon-to-be iconic celebration was on the record when cameras rolled in case the next generation wanted to copy him.

“This is a surreal moment for me,” Milroe said. ” … I never had a play like that. That’s one to remember for sure.”

Near the huddles and a few feet away from where Milroe bear-hugged his dad, Quentin, UA offensive coordinator Tommy Rees walked by wearing sweatpants and a wide smile.

A police officer stopped Milroe and Arnold for a selfie after his interview. While parents of current Auburn players tried to recruit in the stands postgame, 2024 four-star and Alabama commit Caleb Odom fought his way to the fence. He wanted to say hi to Miss Terry, who obliged.

Will Reichard huddled near his parents after tying the all-time NCAA scoring record. Meanwhile, the Tide staffer in charge of expediting media interviews took breaks from smoking his cigar to blow a whistle. It was time to go home.