Jalen Milroe recalls everything that went into Alabama's 'Prayer in Jordan-Hare' fourth-and-31 play

Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Milroe etched himself into the history of the Iron Bowl with his prayer fourth-and-31 play that ended in the go-ahead touchdown to take the lead over the Auburn Tigers.

In an appearance on Get Up, Milroe recalled that play, explaining everything that went into it, including practicing for it and how much intensity comes with playing in the Iron Bowl.

“It’s a feeling that’s just hard to describe with that play,” Jalen Milroe said. “Number one, you’ve got to acknowledge the rivalry between Alabama and Auburn, one of the greatest rivalries in all of college football. So, leading up to that game is so much anxiousness to get prepared for the game and so much emotions during that week of preparation.”

Even in a year when Alabama clearly had the better resume, the Iron Bowl wasn’t an easy game. It’s especially challenging for the Crimson Tide in Jordan-Hare Stadium, where Alabama lost four times during Nick Saban‘s tenure.

It looked like that was going to become a fifth loss with Alabama trailing by four points with less than a minute left. Worse, it was fourth and goal from the 31-yard line. That’s when the Crimson Tide called ‘Gravedigger,’ and Jalen Milroe found Isaiah Bond for a miracle touchdown to take the lead.

“It goes back to that play repetition as far as practice reps. So, that’s something we did a really good job of was that no matter the outcome of the game, no matter the situation, always be prepared for the situation. So, when it came to running that play and executing it, I didn’t see anybody flinch,” Milroe said.

“So, once we scored, I was very excited but we had some time on the clock.”

Of course, Alabama was able to hold onto the lead in the final seconds of the game. With that, the Crimson Tide won the Iron Bowl, went on to win the SEC Championship Game, and made it to the College Football Playoff.

“That was not a Hail Mary,” Milroe emphasized. “That was a play call.”

The 2023 Iron Bowl ended up being the final one for legendary head coach Nick Saban at Alabama. It was an incredible win and just about the highest note that he could have gone out on as a coach in the regular season. For his part, Jalen Milroe returned to Alabama for the 2024 season where he’ll look to find a way to win the Iron Bowl again.