Why Kalen DeBoer, Alabama football trusted Isaiah Horton with Iron Bowl on the line

AUBURN — Before Isaiah Horton's first taste of SEC play, Alabama football coach Kalen DeBoer told him to be expectant. Expect the ball in big moments.

On Saturday, Nov. 29, in prime time and in enemy territory with the season on the line, that big moment came for Horton. The 6-foot-4, 208-pound receiver already had two red-zone touchdown catches. But when DeBoer rolled the dice, when he took a chance, and when Alabama ultimately secured its 27-20 Iron Bowl road win against Auburn, Horton was at that play's center.

And Horton was not surprised.

"Big-time players make big-time plays," Horton said. "I had to do that for my team."

Tied at 20 with 3:52 left in the fourth quarter, facing a fourth-and-2 at the Auburn 6-yard line, DeBoer kept his offense on the field. Horton saw a man coverage look, forced to beat one Auburn defensive back with the other one cleared by Crimson Tide tight end Kaleb Edwards.

Simpson turned to his "guy," the receiver he's known since middle school, the receiver he turned to in two other red zone situations against Auburn and the receiver he knew who was going to come up in a big way.

Horton had no choice, Simpson said.

"We knew what was at stake on both sides," Simpson said.

It was a decision DeBoer was confident in.

Horton said there was no rousing speech from the coaching staff ahead of the game-defining play. Simply, it was confidence: confidence that he and the offense could get it done.

There were two yards to get, DeBoer said. Two yards that turned into a 6-yard touchdown.

"I figured it was 29 yards shorter than the last time we needed a touchdown here," DeBoer said with a grin, referencing fourth-and-31 from 2023. "Percentages were much more in our favor."

Horton, DeBoer said, was just doing his job. Converting on the opportunities Simpson set up for him, opportunities DeBoer knew would come for Horton even in a deep, rotating receiver room.

Those opportunities turned Horton into Alabama's Iron Bowl hero. And to Horton, there was no other option.

"I expect myself to make that play," Horton said.

Colin Gay covers Alabama football for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at [email protected] or follow him @_ColinGay on X, formerly known as Twitter. 

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Why Alabama football trusted Isaiah Horton vs Auburn