Pat Surtain 'kind of salty' about loss to Bo Nix in 2019 Iron Bowl

Led by then-freshman quarterback Bo Nix, the Auburn Tigers defeated the Alabama Crimson Tide 48-45 in the 2019 Iron Bowl.

Denver Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain, who was a sophomore at Alabama, was left scarred by that game which cost Bama a spot in the College Football Playoff National Championship.

“Yeah, I was kind of salty about that game, I’m not going to lie,” Surtain said with a smile Wednesday. “It was tough game all around.”

Nix went 15-of-30 passing for 173 yards with one touchdown and no turnovers in that game. He also rushed six times for 44 yards and a score.

“Me and Bo had battles in college for sure from [my] sophomore year to junior year,” Surtain said. “What I’ve seen from him is just the versatility of him. Obviously, he can run the ball and throw the ball, but he knows how to win ball games and that’s what he does best. I’m looking forward to it coming into action on Sundays, so very excited for him.”

Nix (24) now looks to become a key piece of Denver’s rebuilding project alongside other young players like Surtain (24) and Quinn Meinerz (25).

“I think the team is poised to do great things,” Surtain said. “Obviously, we have a young team, but [there’s] a lot of hungry guys on the team that’s looking forward to that next step.

“I think we’re off in the right direction because Bo knows how to win games. He knows what it takes because he’s seen it on the biggest stage since college. Seeing him in action on Sundays is going to be very exciting for sure.”

Nix went 43-18 as a starter playing for Auburn and Oregon. He’ll now look to carry that success into the NFL after being named Denver’s starter.