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al.com Early kickoffs seen as snub in SEC, who has most might be surprising Updated: Sep. 26, 2023, 12:58 p.m.|Published: Sep. 26, 2023, 6:18 a.m. 6–8 minutes There’s dew still in the grass next to the tailgate closing up shop. Today is more of a sprint than a marathon whether you like it or not. Good morning, as the Jefferson Pilot Sports intro music plays, it’s already time for football. It’s a begrudging SEC tradition dating back to the days of the Three Daves and pre-HD television with camcorder-grade views back home. The 11 a.m. CT kickoff has long been a punchline or the perceived insult for those picked to play as far from primetime as possible. “Breakfast with the Barn”, is the gag in Tuscaloosa for the perceived high number of pre-noon kicks for Auburn. But is Auburn really the leader in morning football participation? Not even close, according to our meticulous inspection of every SEC kickoff time since 2013. First, some background. The Jefferson Pilot Sports days of syndicated kickoffs airing off the beaten path was the birthplace of this perceived indignity. With Dave Neal, Dave Rowe and Dave Archer on the call and often mediocrity on the field, the early kick became a conference-wide punchline. On the rare occasion there was magic, take the 2002 Bluegrass Miracle for example. Nick Saban-coach LSU stunned Kentucky with a Hail Mary that’s preserved with Zapruder-level footage. The SEC Network inherited that slice of the television dial when it launched in 2014. In reality, there are three main windows for SEC games to begin. There’s the 11 a.m. CT slot on the SEC Network or one of the ESPN properties. Auburn, for example, followed College GameDay headgear reveal this past Saturday with its 11 a.m. CT game on ESPN. Kentucky and Vanderbilt began at the same time on the SEC Network. Then, for this final season, the 2:30 p.m. CT CBS game gets the first pick of each week’s matchups. A 3 p.m. CT SEC Network game is followed by the rest spreading out among the ESPN properties -- cable or streaming. So, who has the earliest kicks in the past 11 years? The answer may surprise you. It’s Georgia. The Bulldogs have 39 games in that early timeslot followed by Florida with 38. Auburn is tied for ninth most with 26. LSU’s had the fewest with 11 with Alabama next at 15. School Early kicks Georgia 39 Florida 38 S. Carolina 37 Mizzou 36 Vandy 34 UK 34 Arkansas 31 Tenn 28 Auburn 26 A&M 26 Ole Miss 26 Miss. St 23 Alabama 15 LSU 11 The Bulldogs’ number is padded by the fact the last eight regular-season finales with Georgia Tech began at 11 a.m. CT or noon in Georgia. Missouri, however, has been an 11 a.m. darling when looking at just the last few seasons. It’s played 12 times before noon since the 2021 season began -- one more than LSU’s total from the past 11 years. “Our fans will do whatever they need to do to be here,” Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz said, “but it’s not quite as advantageous but the more concern for me is the night road games because we’re the furthest north-playing team in our league and the travel has been horrendous from that end and that’s not great for student-athlete well-being.” Kentucky’s Mark Stoops took another approach when asked about his level of concern with home fans showing up for this Saturday’s noon ET game with Florida. “I have great confidence in the people of Kentucky that can get up very early and pound some beers,” Stoops said to laughter Monday in Lexington. As a whole, SEC coaches didn’t seem all that opposed to playing the early game on the road. “It’s hard to have as loud a crowd at 11:00 a.m. as it is to have it in the evening when they get all ready to go during the day,” Arkansas’ Sam Pittman said making the point of early games neutralizing what can be the most hostile stadiums in the nation. “I love early kicks on the road,” Auburn’s Hugh Freeze said the Monday before heading to Texas A&M where the Tigers beat soundly, 27-10. The Tigers are 6-5 in early games played on the road since 2013 and 16-10 overall in that span. Of those, 11 were conference home games. Alabama, meanwhile, had just one SEC home game begin at 11 a.m., in the past 11 years. The Tide is 15-0 in those early kicks with four road games -- two at Mississippi State and one each at Texas and Arkansas -- with the other 10 being Group of 5 or FCS visitors to Tuscaloosa. The 20-19 win at Texas in 2022 was the only close one in the bunch with a 65-31 win at Arkansas in 2018 being the only other non-snoozer. To date, the only 2023 Alabama game set for an early start is the Nov. 18 visit from Chattanooga of the FCS. Florida, meanwhile, is set for its 39th since 2013 when Kentucky visits Sept. 30. The Gators have had no fewer than four of these early time slots every year since 2017. Second-year coach Billy Napier is 3-1 in the 11 a.m. CT game and served up the brutal honesty of the whole deal. “TV, I mean, drives the ship,” Napier said, “partly because of the popularity of the game and revenue the game creates and sometimes you don’t get the quote-unquote prime spot.” The truth of it all. “But it doesn’t change anything on our end,” he continued, “and we don’t want to make too much of a big deal of it to be a really good example for our players in terms of our attitude and approach.” The fact that Florida and Georgia are the two most frequent early risers would fly in the face of the early-game insult. Vanderbilt, with its 36.3 winning percentage since 2013, tied for the fifth most with 34. Mississippi State had the third least (23) with an overall 58.8 winning percentage. So, bottom line, the correlation between lousy records and early alarm clocks isn’t one-to-one. There are outliers, but it’s also not surprising to see Alabama and LSU aren’t frequent early risers or that Missouri isn’t a primetime draw. In some conferences, the first window is an honor, or less of a perceived slight. They call it Big Noon Saturday with high-value games from the Big Ten, Big 12 and Pac-12 going reverse primetime on Fox. Ohio State-Michigan is always in that time slot. Even Colorado-USC is set for a 10 a.m. local kickoff on Sept. 30. But in the SEC, the money games are played in the middle of the afternoon or under the lights. Anything else is somewhat insulting.

247sports.com Auburn defense looking to keep chopping with Georgia up next Jason Caldwell 3–4 minutes AUBURN, Alabama—Despite a new system and a bunch of new faces on that side of the ball, Auburn’s defense is currently 25th in the country in total defense heading into Saturday’s showdown with No. 1 Georgia at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Also dealing with injuries to several key players, starters Nehemiah Pritchett, Austin Keys and Keionte Scott among them, the Tigers have continued to battle and that will need to be the case again when the Bulldogs come to town. Even with quarterback Carson Beck throwing the ball well for the Georgia offense, Auburn’s defense knows it all starts with slowing down the running game. Allowing 134 yards per game on the ground this season, the Tigers face a Georgia offense dealing with injuries at the running back position. It has resulted in the Bulldogs averaging just 159 yards per game on the ground, but they have an impressive 13 rushing touchdowns already. That’s where it starts this week, said senior defensive tackle Marcus Harris. “It’s always the key in the SEC,” he said. “If you’re not going to stop the run, they’re going to keep doing the same thing over and over and wasting the clock and trying to keep the ball out of our offense’s hands. If you don’t stop the run it’s always going to be a long day and it will always end in a loss. That’s the number one thing, stopping the run.” One of the keys to stopping the run is being in the right spots before the ball is snapped. That’s one of the jobs of senior safety Zion Puckett, who missed a large portion of Saturday’s loss after getting his shoulder banged up. Expected to be ready to go this weekend against Georgia, Puckett said the defense continues to grind and that means putting one foot in front of the other every day. "I think we're doing a good job,” Puckett said. “I think we're doing what we need to do. Championships and everything like that, bowl games are not won at the beginning. I think it's throughout the season as you get better each and every day. You can't lose a day, and I think that's helping us a lot." Auburn’s defense will need to be at its best on Saturday to help out an offense that hasn’t fared well this season and has been dreadful against Georgia for much of the last decade. Saying that he’s seen what his own offense can do and he believes good things are coming this season, Harris said all they can control is how they prepare and how they play this weekend. “Keep chopping,” Harris said. “There’s still work to be done. We know we had a pretty decent game, but there’s still work to be done on the defensive side of the ball. There are still little mental errors and when it was hot, a good amount of people were tired. We’ve got to fight through that. The main message is to keep playing through adversity for the whole four quarters.”

whnt.com From Dye to Dooley: Exploring the ‘family’ ties in the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry Josiah Elmore 5–6 minutes AUBURN, Ala. (WHNT) — For the 128th time on Saturday, Auburn and Georgia will square off against each other. In what’s known as the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry, the Tigers and Bulldogs will enter the game as seemingly polar opposites. Auburn enters the game after back-to-back losing seasons, meanwhile, Georgia comes in with back-to-back national championships, but the passion for both fan bases remains the same.< Coming off of an abysmal offensive performance on the road against Texas A&M, Hugh Freeze addressed the media Monday to preview the Tigers’ matchup with the No.1 team in the country. Freeze, who previously coached at Ole Miss, knows a thing or two about a good-ole-fashioned SEC rivalry after coaching in five Egg Bowls. Candidly, Freeze said he’s not sure he sees this rivalry the same as others across the conference. “I don’t sense the hatred that is in some other rivalries I’ve been a part of,” said Freeze. “I’m not big on hate, I’m really not. I’m big on that this means something to so many people so we should compete in a way out of love for our people, not necessarily for hate for other people that’s kind of the way I operate. I hope we compete because we love Auburn.” Stay ahead of the biggest stories, breaking news and weather across North Alabama and southern Tennessee. Download the WHNT News 19 App and be sure to turn on push alerts. Freeze would go on to say that love is an incredible ‘motivator’ for him. While love isn’t the typical word you hear for a college football rivalry, both programs are quite familiar with each other. In fact, Georgia’s all-time winningest coach, Vince Dooley, played at Auburn for the Tigers’ all-time winningest coach, Shug Jordan. Dooley would earn a bachelor’s and master’s degree from the university during his time on the Plains. On the flip side, legendary Auburn Head Coach Pat Dye was a three-year letterman and All-American offensive lineman at Georgia. Currently, Georgia has three coaches with ties to the Tigers. Co-Defensive Coordinator Will Muschamp played for the Bulldogs from 1991-1994 before becoming a graduate assistant at Auburn, his first of three stints with the Tigers. Muschamp’s second stint came when he was the Tigers’ defensive coordinator and linebackers coach from 2006-2007. Muschamp returned to the Tigers, once again, in 2015 as defensive coordinator. He would only be in that role for one year before becoming South Carolina’s Head Coach. In 2021, Muschamp took the job as Georgia’s special teams coordinator before becoming the co-defensive coordinator in 2022. Georgia’s offensive coordinator, Mike Bobo, served as Auburn’s offensive coordinator in 2021. Following his lone year with the Tigers, he took a job as an offensive analyst before being promoted to offensive coordinator this offseason. Stacy Searels, Georgia’s offensive line coach, played for Dye at Auburn where he was a three-year starter on the offensive line at Auburn and earned first-team All-America honors. Like Muschamp, Searels started his coaching career at Auburn as a graduate assistant from 1992-1993. The two programs’ familiarity can be summed up in a quote from the late Dye. It’s a unique thing. It’s like playing against your brother. I don’t think anybody who plays in that game can ever forget it. It just doesn’t matter much where it’s played or what somebody’s record is. It’s so intense and tough, but at the same time, it’s family. Pat Dye on the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry Recently, the family affair hasn’t been close. As a matter of fact, Auburn hasn’t taken down Georgia since they upset the Bulldogs 40-17 in 2017. Since that game, Georgia has rattled off 66 wins including six straight against the Tigers and two national championships. The last three against the Tigers have been by three or more touchdowns. According to the Action Network, the Bulldogs are currently 14.5 point favorites but when it comes to this rivalry all bets are off once the lights turn on in Jordan-Hare Stadium. After, all this rivalry has shown the unexpected a time or two. Like in 2013 when the Tigers won off a tipped pass on a 4th and 18 play. Later, deemed the ‘The Prayer in Jordan-Hare.’ In 1996, the rivalry was the first SEC game to go to overtime. Most notably in that game, Georgia’s live mascot Uga V lunged at Auburn wide receiver Robert Baker after a first-quarter touchdown. Saturday may or may not add to the classic moments this rivalry has brought but at 2:30 p.m. on WHNT the Tigers and Bulldogs will get together for a ‘family’ showdown.

247sports.com How can Auburn find 'more swagger' on offense? Nathan King 5–7 minutes Eugene Asante has quickly emerged as Auburn’s undeniable spark plug on defense. Any time the ball is in his vicinity, the Tigers’ coaches know they can rely on the linebacker to make a play — or come barreling across the field to try. Who’s that instant-impact piece on Auburn’s offense, though? Admittedly, Hugh Freeze is “still searching.” “That's one of the things: I think we've got to get more swagger on the offensive side,” Freeze said Monday. In two Power Five games, Auburn hasn’t necessarily had much mojo on offense, particularly through the air. A 27-10 loss at Texas A&M shed light on some serious light on the Tigers’ passing-game problems, as starting quarterback Payton Thorne threw for just 44 yards and was benched in the third quarter. This isn’t a new issue for the 2023 team, though. Saturday’s loss marked the fifth straight Power Five game in which Auburn failed to reach 100 passing yards. For the Tigers, it’s been a bit of a surprise how things have shaken out early in the season. “In fall camp — and I think the defensive guys would agree — we definitely had it there,” tight end Luke Deal said of Auburn’s offense. “We were taking it to them pretty good during fall camp. We’ve had some really, really high spots on offense, and I think the biggest thing is just everyone being on the same page.” Auburn’s offensive ineptitude starts right off the bat, too, and cuts down on any momentum it had entering the game. The Tigers haven’t scored a point in the first quarter for three straight games. But that hasn’t been for lack of progression. Auburn entered opposing territory twice in the first quarter against Samford but had an interception in the end zone and a turnover on downs. The Tigers’ second drive of the game against Texas A&M got all the way down to the 30-yard line before Thorne was sacked out of field-goal range. Auburn's early offensive scripts have been thrown out of rhythm. Freeze knows early mishaps and an empty scoreboard can have a psychological effect. “You can have three bad possessions in a row,” Freeze said. “We're not the only ones that have those. But yet you have to maintain this attitude that the next one can be the one that matters.” That much was proven to be the case against Cal, when Auburn struggled on offense all night but finally broke through with a go-ahead touchdown pass with 6:41 remaining. The Tigers barely had any of those opportunities in College Station, though. They entered Texas A&M territory five times but never got closer than the 28-yard line. It was Auburn’s first game since a 49-0 loss in the 2012 Iron Bowl where its offense didn’t run a single play in the red zone. Texas A&M’s seven sacks — and eight more tackles for loss — obviously hurt the Tigers in terms of field position and staying ahead of the chains. Auburn also had five penalties in the game on third down, which helped generate an average to-go distance of 11.7 yards on third downs. “Just a combination of everything, man,” offensive guard Kam Stutts said. “Just altogether, we've got to be better.” Thorne obviously wasn’t well protected for the majority of the game, but Freeze said he still expected better decision-making in the face of pressure from the veteran QB. A defensive front with the talent level of Texas A&M’s can be a shock to the system, sure — and Georgia’s this weekend will be as good, if not better — but Freeze didn’t think Auburn would have so many issues with protection and simply getting passes away. “Last week, particularly, (Thorne) was really, really sharp in practice,” Freeze said. “And we keep hoping to see that translate into the games. And again, it's a combination. It's not all Payton, but sometimes it is and he owns it. … It’s a plethora of responsibilities, but ultimately it lands in my lap and the lap of the offensive coaches to make sure the routes are run at the correct depth with the correct releases against the correct coverage. "And then, obviously, the protection has to be good, which is very hard to do in third-and-long situations against a talented defensive front that you see in this league. And there were some times when the ball should have come out and it didn’t.” Thorne is still Auburn’s starting quarterback for now, Freeze said Monday, but there are plenty of other issues to address before facing one of college football’s most consistently elite defenses at home Saturday (2:30 p.m. CDT, CBS). Offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery is still Auburn’s primary play caller, and Freeze doesn’t expect that to change right now, either. Freeze will be more involved in the offense moving forward — which also something he said after the struggles at Cal. But the game plans have been solid, Freeze thinks. He, his coaches and his players have to be able to execute them. “We were together a lot last night, a lot this morning and will be this afternoon,” Freeze said of breaking down the offensive issues with his coaches. “Now look, you've still got to go block them. And you've still got to go win a one-on-one. That's easier said than done right now with the talent level we're facing.

collegefootballnews.com Georgia vs Auburn Prediction Game Preview Pete Fiutak ~4 minutes Georgia vs Auburn prediction, game preview, how to watch. Week 5, Saturday, September 30 Oct 8, 2022; Athens, Georgia, USA; Georgia Bulldogs tight end Brock Bowers (19) runs against the Auburn Tigers defense during the second half at Sanford Stadium. © Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports Georgia at Auburn How To Watch Date: Saturday, September 30 Game Time: 3:30 ET Venue: Jordan-Hare Stadium, Auburn, AL How To Watch: CBS 2023 Record: Georgia (4-0), Auburn (3-1) Pete Fiutak on X | CFN on X College Football News on Facebook Georgia at Auburn Game Preview Why Georgia Will Win Poor Georgia. It took a while to wake up and care about beating UAB - Georgia won 49-21 - and it hasn’t been totally destroying these overmatched opponents by a bajillion, so all of a sudden the hipster thing to do is argue that someone else should be No. 1 over the two-time defending champ. Poor, poor Georgia. The season might as well be over. Everything has apparently collapsed with just the 17th-best total defense in the country - No. 1 in the SEC in scoring D - and only outscoring its opponents 166-45. (Last year after four games it was 174-32, and then the Dawgs struggled - to understate it - to get by Missouri 26-22.) God-willing, maybe this taped-together, rag-tag defensive bunch can hold down the SEC’s worst passing game, and maybe this offense full of try-hards can gain a yard or two against the SEC’s second-worst run D, and … - 2023 Team Schedules, Results Bowl Projections | Week 4 Rankings Heisman Race | Who's Alive for CFP Why Auburn Will Win No, Auburn couldn’t get anything going in last week’s loss to Texas A&M, but it was still able to hang around in the 27-10 loss. It starts with the mistakes. Even though the O stalled, there weren’t any turnovers but the ten penalties hurt. Flags weren’t a problem early on, turnovers were, but at home if the the Tigers have to be clean - it's possible; the opener against UMass was virtually error-free - and the offense can keep controlling the pace, this should get interesting. In this, though, strike fast. Georgia is having a problem coming out of the gate roaring. The offense is struggling in the first quarter, and the defense is having problems in the second. The Tiger defense is great on third downs and it’s been good at not breaking all that much after bending. Get to into the locker room within range, and yeah, this team really might have a shot if the passing game can do ANYTHING consistently. Recommended for You Georgia at Auburn Who Will Win All obnoxious snark aside, no, Georgia hasn’t quite looked like its normal dominant self of the previous two seasons, but that’s only because no one has seen it turn on the jets - like anyone watched that UAB game with almost 600 yards of total offense. Again, it’s quickly forgotten that Georgia went through a bit of a funk around this time last year, and so far it hasn’t been able to crank up a 28-point first quarter, just because. Slow and steady - at least for this team - continues to win the race, and it’ll outlast Auburn after a good battle for about 20 minutes. As some point very, very soon, Auburn is about to turn a corner under Hugh Freeze - this team really is better than the 2022 version. This week, though, it won’t have the offense to counter once the scores start to fly.

saturdaydownsouth.com Auburn football: 3 things we’d like to see on Saturday against Georgia Glenn Sattell | 14 hours ago 4–5 minutes Hugh Freeze took his 1st step backwards as Auburn head coach on Saturday. His Tigers were outplayed and outclassed in a 27-10 defeat at Texas A&M. It was not the SEC opener they had hoped for, but Auburn must rebound and do it in warp speed with 2-time defending national champion Georgia next on the schedule. The Bulldogs come into Jordan-Hare Stadium for a 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday kickoff riding a 21-game winning streak. They’ve owned the Oldest Rivalry in the South, defeating Auburn 6 straight times and winning 9 out of the past 10 meetings between the programs. Auburn is just 3-15 against Georgia over the past 18 meetings, which includes the 2017 SEC Championship Game. Georgia is a 2-touchdown favorite in a game most aren’t giving Freeze and the Tigers much of a chance for victory. But here are 3 things we’d like to see on Saturday against the Bulldogs: 1. Can someone step up at quarterback? Whether it’s Payton Thorne or Robby Ashford … or heck, Holden Geriner, somebody has to step up and be a leader. That just didn’t happen last Saturday in College Station. Thorne looked lost in his 6-for-12 passing day for just 44 yards. Indecisive and inaccurate, Thorne put the Tigers in awkward, long-distance situations throughout the game. Ashford had no answer, completing 1 of 4 passes for 4 yards. His 25 yards rushing on 8 attempts didn’t provide much relief. And, in desperation, Geriner proved equally ineffective, throwing for only 8 yards on 2 completions in 7 passing attempts. The trio combined for a dismal 56 yards passing. Auburn had more yards in penalties (10 for 64 yards) than passing yardage. The quarterback ratings were abysmal: Thorne (80.8), Ashford (33.4) and Geriner (38.2) struggled mightily against an Aggies front that Auburn couldn’t block. Somebody is going to have to step up on Saturday or it will be another long Saturday afternoon for the Tigers. 2. The Jarquez Hunter Show It’s time for Auburn’s featured back to be, well, featured. With Damari Alston out indefinitely with a dislocated shoulder, it’s time for Hunter to become the running back that Auburn has expected since his arrival. Can he handle it? That’s been the question. Can he take the pounding? It would be nice to see the 5-10, 210-pound junior get 15 to 20 carries on Saturday. But is that asking too much? In this his 3rd season at Auburn, Hunter has never carried more than 13 times in any game. He did that twice, in back-to-back games toward the end of last season, in victories over Texas A&M and Western Kentucky. In both games, Hunter surpassed the 100-yard mark, an accomplishment he hadn’t achieved since his 1st 2 games at Auburn. Here’s hoping that Freeze and offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery can turn their star running back loose and devise a gameplan that gets Hunter the ball in space. 3. Stop the run Among SEC teams, only Vanderbilt (750 yards) has given up more rushing yards this season than Auburn (536). The Tigers yielded a cringeworthy 209 yards rushing last Saturday to Texas A&M. Now, Georgia hasn’t rushed for 200 yards yet this season. But in each of the past 3 years the Bulldogs have surpassed that mark against the Tigers, including a 292-yard ground output last season. So, we know what they’re capable of. Yet, oddly enough, after 4 games this season the Bulldogs have yet to turn in a 200-yard rushing game. That hasn’t happened since the 2010 season. I’d like to see Auburn continue that trend for Georgia this year and hold the Bulldogs run game in check. To do so, the Tigers will have to bottle up Georgia senior running back Daijun Edwards, who returned from injury with an impressive 118-yard performance in the recent victory over South Carolina. In 2 games this season, Edwards leads the Bulldogs with 184 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns. He’s averaging 92 yards per game on the ground with a 5.75 yards-per-carry average. Keep him in check and Auburn just might hang around a while on Saturday at Jordan-Hare.

si.com Hugh Freeze, Auburn expecting massive recruiting weekend for for Georgia game Shel Hickman 2–3 minutes Over 40 recruits will be at Jordan-Hare this Saturday to watch Hugh Freeze and the Auburn Tigers take on Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs. Auburn is expecting over 40 recruits and commits this upcoming weekend in the Tigers matchup against the Georgia Bulldogs. Ny Carr ,2024 four-star wide receiver from Colquitt County, Georgia, has just decommitted from Georgia, so this will be a very important visit for him. Auburn versus Georgia is a huge recruiting battleground, and this game could help Auburn’s future recruiting class with so many 2025, and 2026 recruits at the game this weekend. "I do not know if we will have enough tickets for all of the recruits that want to come," Freeze said. "I am glad I am not having to deal with that. Recruiting staff is working diligently. We have official visits; we have top kids here unofficially. It will be all-hands-on-deck, Auburn putting their best foot forward, which I know we will…” The outcome of the game will not be the only factor to watch for these young recruits. The atmosphere, the crowd, the tradition, the scheme, and the Auburn family all play a part in recruiting for this weekend. Coach Hugh Freeze finished his statement by saying this: “Our people are incredible. Our place is incredible to watch a game. Now we have to make sure they see what Auburn is really about."

auburnwire.usatoday.com Auburn adjusts depth chart for Week 5 after injuries JD McCarthy 3–4 minutes Auburn has revealed its depth chart for its Week 5 game against the Georgia Bulldogs and has once again made some slight changes due to an injury. With Keionte Scott still out, Auburn has named a new starter at both star and punt returner. Donovan Kaufman has been elevated to starter at star and J.D. Rhym is now listed as his backup. Buy Tigers Tickets While Jaylin Simpson was listed as the top punt returner last week, Koy Moore was used and has been put as the starter for this week with Simpson as his backup. Here is a look at the full depth chart ahead of Auburn’s game against Georgia Saturday. Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports Starter: Payton Thorne Backups: Robby Ashford OR Holden Geriner (Photo by Michael Chang/Getty Images) Starter: Jarquez Hunter Backups: Damari Alston, Brian Battie, Jeremiah Cobb Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports Starter: Rivaldo Fairweather OR Luke Deal Backups: Tyler Fromm OR Brandon Frazier, Micah Riley © Jake Crandall / Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK Starter: Jyaire Shorter OR Omari Kelly Backup: Koy Moore Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports Starter: Jay Fair OR Ja’Varrius Johnson Backup: Caleb Burton III (Photo by Logan Riely/Getty Images) Starter: Shane Hooks Backups: Camden Brown OR Nick Mardner Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports Starter: Dillon Wade Backup: Jaden Muskrat Photo By Austin Perryman Starter: Jeremiah Wright Backup: Tate Johnson Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports Starter: Avery Jones Backup: Connor Lew Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports Starter: Kam Stutts Backup: Jalil Irvin Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports Starter: Gunner Britton Backup: Izavion Miller Photo by Zach Bland/Auburn Tigers Starter: Mosiah Nasili-Kite Backups: Keldric Faulk OR Zykevious Walker Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports Starter: Jayson Jones Backup: Justin Rogers (Photo by Brandon Sumrall/Getty Images) Starter: Marcus Harris Backup: Lawrence Johnson Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports Starter: Jalen McLeod Backups: Elijah McAllister, Stephen Sings V Photo by Zach Bland/Auburn Tigers Starter: Larry Nixon III Backup: Wesley Steiner Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports Starter: Eugene Asante Backup: Cam Riley Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports Starter: D.J. James Backups: Kayin Lee OR Colton Hood Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports Starter: Donovan Kaufman Backup: J.D. Rhym Shanna Lockwood/AU Athletics Starter: Jaylin Simpson Backup: Griffin Speaks Photo by Zach Bland/Auburn Tigers Starter: Zion Puckett Backups: Marquise Gilbert, Terrance Love (AP Photo/Stew Milne) Starter: Nehemiah Pritchett Backups: Champ Anthony OR J.D. Rhym © Mickey Welsh / Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK Starter: Koy Moore Backup: Jaylin Simpson (Photo by Michael Chang/Getty Images) Starter: Brian Battie, Jarquez Hunter Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports Punter: Oscar Chapman Place Kicker: Alex McPherson Holder: Oscar Chapman Long Snapper: Reed Hughes

247sports.com Auburn football notes quotes and anecdotes Phillip Marshall 11–14 minutes Auburn looks to showdown against No. 1 Georgia Freeze, Smart meet again AUBURN, Alabama – Hugh Freeze’s last game against Georgia and Kirby Smart was all kinds of fun. In 2016, Smart’s first season at Georgia, Freeze’s Ole Miss team romped to a 45-14 victory in Oxford. Much has changed since then. Freeze had two wins over Alabama when Smart was the defensive coordinator. Freeze is in his first season as Auburn’s head coach. Smart is in his eighth season at Georgia and is in hot pursuit of a third consecutive national championship. Auburn is coming off a 27-10 loss at Texas A&M. They meet again Saturday at 2:30 p.m. at Jordan-Hare Stadium. “With what Coach Smart has done there in his eighth season, he's got it rolling and so it'll be a great test for us,” Freeze said. “Thank God we're in Jordan-Hare. I know it will be electric. We're going to get the kids that are healthy enough, get them ready to play and compete.” About those penalties Penalties – specifically holding penalties – stymied what might have been a productive first half at Texas A&M. Auburn coaches can’t go into specifics for fear of being fined, but there was significant frustration. Holding penalties against Gunner Britton and Jarquez Hunter short-circuited drives inside the Georgia 30. They were, by any measure, questionable at best. Auburn was penalized 10 times for 77 yards. “Well, there's four of them that I didn't like, and I've turned them in (to the SEC),” Freeze said. “I don't see them. Then there's three that two were intentional to try to back us up to punt and give Oscar a little more room to try to pin them deep. The false start can't happen. We had one of those. There's a holding call on a pass play that was probably legit. So I mean it was a mixed bag. “You can't have 10 penalties though, for whatever reason. It put us behind the chains, and I thought we controlled the second quarter. I think we had it for 12 minutes and came away with three points. think that defines the game. You control the ball 12 minutes in a quarter, you've got to get some points. And we certainly felt like we were in field goal range, at least. Let's just say we were in field goal range on four different occasions and got knocked out either because of penalties or a sack after that.” Hard lessons for newcomers Offensive guard Kam Stutts had seen it before, the intense physicality of an SEC football game. But on either side of him were transfers who had not been there, had not seen it. Those players, Stutts said, learned from an eye-opening experience. “Yeah, for sure,” Stutts said. “Definitely, getting in there and getting your feet wet is valuable experience. You've got a lot of dudes on the O-line and on the team that have played a lot of football. Just getting in there and getting to see what the SEC, the best conference in football is like, will definitely get you some confidence going forward. Just getting your feet wet. It's always good for you. “I think we have the ability in the world. We've got the players. We've got the talent. I believe in all of those dudes. It's just getting after it this week and continuing to get better. We'll go out and really show what we're made of.” Auburn’s Georgians get another shot at the Bulldogs The renewal of the oldest series in the deep South is particularly meaningful for 20 Auburn players who call Georgia home. None of them has experienced a victory over the Bulldogs, who last lost to Auburn 40-17 at Jordan-Hare Stadium in 2017. Safety Zion Puckett, from Griffin, Ga., is one of those Georgians who will have a little extra juice for the 2:30 p.m. kickoff on CBS. “Growing up and seeing these games and just my time being able to play in these in my third or fourth year, it just means a lot to me,” Puckett said. “I am trying to go out and do what I need to do for the team, and especially for the community of Auburn." Offense had chances at A&M Freeze said Auburn’s offense, which managed just 200 yards at A&M, could have done more and should have done more. “I know you'll find this hard to believe, but you watch the tape and there were a lot of good things in the first half,” Freeze said. “We should have left the first half with a minimum of 12 points. The two holding calls - we had first and 10 inside the 30 on both of them - put us behind the chains. We're not quite good enough yet to survive that. And we were running the ball effectively and then the pressure was a good bit on us for sure when we had to get in those throwing downs. And I think they have one of the more talented defensive fronts. But we had people open. It was a mixture of, I think, us not standing in there and making a throw and then also sometimes where I don't think we had time to adequately step up and make the throw.” It’s on the coaches The problems that kept opportunities from becoming points, Freeze said, are on him and other coaches. “Ultimately it lands in my lap and the lap of the offensive coaches to make sure the routes are run at the correct depth with the correct releases against the correct coverage,” Freeze said. “And then, obviously, the protection has to be good, which is very hard to do in third-and-long situations against the talented defensive fronts that you see in this league. And there were times when the ball should have come out, and it didn’t. So I think the responsibility lies in a lot of different places.” ‘The greatest place to play in the world’ Senior tight end Luke Deal said he and his teammates are eager to return to Jordan-Hare, where they will play in front of a third consecutive sellout crowd. “Jordan-Hare Stadium is the greatest place to play in the world, and I truly and firmly believe that,” Deal said. “Our fans are the best in the world. They're going to be out there. It's going to be 88,000 strong and it's going to be rocking, so I'm excited for that. It always is for a rivalry game, and you guys saw it and heard it against UMass and some of those teams. It's going to be real this Saturday. How can Auburn find 'more swagger' on offense? "I think the biggest thing is just everyone being on the same page.” VIDEO: OG Kam Stutts: Communication needs to improve on Auburn's offense Eugene Asante has quickly emerged as Auburn’s undeniable spark plug on defense. Any time the ball is in his vicinity, the Tigers’ coaches know they can rely on the linebacker to make a play — or come barreling across the field to try. Who’s that instant-impact piece on Auburn’s offense, though? Admittedly, Hugh Freeze is “still searching.” “That's one of the things: I think we've got to get more swagger on the offensive side,” Freeze said Monday. In two Power Five games, Auburn hasn’t necessarily had much mojo on offense, particularly through the air. A 27-10 loss at Texas A&M shed light on some serious light on the Tigers’ passing-game problems, as starting quarterback Payton Thorne threw for just 44 yards and was benched in the third quarter. This isn’t a new issue for the 2023 team, though. Saturday’s loss marked the fifth straight Power Five game in which Auburn failed to reach 100 passing yards. For the Tigers, it’s been a bit of a surprise how things have shaken out early in the season. “In fall camp — and I think the defensive guys would agree — we definitely had it there,” tight end Luke Deal said of Auburn’s offense. “We were taking it to them pretty good during fall camp. We’ve had some really, really high spots on offense, and I think the biggest thing is just everyone being on the same page.” Auburn’s offensive ineptitude starts right off the bat, too, and cuts down on any momentum it had entering the game. The Tigers haven’t scored a point in the first quarter for three straight games. But that hasn’t been for lack of progression. Auburn entered opposing territory twice in the first quarter against Samford but had an interception in the end zone and a turnover on downs. The Tigers’ second drive of the game against Texas A&M got all the way down to the 30-yard line before Thorne was sacked out of field-goal range. Auburn's early offensive scripts have been thrown out of rhythm. Freeze knows early mishaps and an empty scoreboard can have a psychological effect. “You can have three bad possessions in a row,” Freeze said. “We're not the only ones that have those. But yet you have to maintain this attitude that the next one can be the one that matters.” That much was proven to be the case against Cal, when Auburn struggled on offense all night but finally broke through with a go-ahead touchdown pass with 6:41 remaining. The Tigers barely had any of those opportunities in College Station, though. They entered Texas A&M territory five times but never got closer than the 28-yard line. It was Auburn’s first game since a 49-0 loss in the 2012 Iron Bowl where its offense didn’t run a single play in the red zone. Texas A&M’s seven sacks — and eight more tackles for loss — obviously hurt the Tigers in terms of field position and staying ahead of the chains. Auburn also had five penalties in the game on third down, which helped generate an average to-go distance of 11.7 yards on third downs. “Just a combination of everything, man,” offensive guard Kam Stutts said. “Just altogether, we've got to be better.” Thorne obviously wasn’t well protected for the majority of the game, but Freeze said he still expected better decision-making in the face of pressure from the veteran QB. A defensive front with the talent level of Texas A&M’s can be a shock to the system, sure — and Georgia’s this weekend will be as good, if not better — but Freeze didn’t think Auburn would have so many issues with protection and simply getting passes away. “Last week, particularly, (Thorne) was really, really sharp in practice,” Freeze said. “And we keep hoping to see that translate into the games. And again, it's a combination. It's not all Payton, but sometimes it is and he owns it. … It’s a plethora of responsibilities, but ultimately it lands in my lap and the lap of the offensive coaches to make sure the routes are run at the correct depth with the correct releases against the correct coverage. "And then, obviously, the protection has to be good, which is very hard to do in third-and-long situations against a talented defensive front that you see in this league. And there were some times when the ball should have come out and it didn’t.” Thorne is still Auburn’s starting quarterback for now, Freeze said Monday, but there are plenty of other issues to address before facing one of college football’s most consistently elite defenses at home Saturday (2:30 p.m. CDT, CBS). Offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery is still Auburn’s primary play caller, and Freeze doesn’t expect that to change right now, either. Freeze will be more involved in the offense moving forward — which also something he said after the struggles at Cal. But the game plans have been solid, Freeze thinks. He, his coaches and his players have to be able to execute them. “We were together a lot last night, a lot this morning and will be this afternoon,” Freeze said of breaking down the offensive issues with his coaches. “Now look, you've still got to go block them. And you've still got to go win a one-on-one. That's easier said than done right now with the talent level we're facing. *** Subscribe to Auburn Undercover for the latest news and intel, podcasts, recruiting coverage and more *** *** Get Auburn news straight to your inbox with the Auburn Undercover newsletter ***

yes.i am on the second season. and it is fantastic.

i assure you i am harmless. i am blunt and to the point. but i could break bread with pretty much everyone on here. i argue hard tho i have calmed down. ol bob is a dem from what i read and i wish they would lock his azz up. i am sick of both sides enriching themselves and leaving this country in shambles. but hey we got halloween coming up. for five hundred dollars i will come to your house and scare the crap out of yours and the neighborhoods kids...................grins

i started binging madame secretary and i was up late last night. so i did it just for you because i knew i would sleep in. i love that show and tea leoni just tears me up.i am going to get my first cup and then continue binging after my normal morning stuff.

al.com A trend we didn’t see coming and the Iron Bowl of full circles Published: Sep. 25, 2023, 5:01 p.m. 5–7 minutes These haven’t been the best of years for defenses. Huddles were suddenly passe’, everyone was in a hurry and scoreboards looked like slot machines. “I just think there’s got to be some sense of fairness in terms of asking is this what we want football to be?” Nick Saban famously said in 2012. The words were uttered just a few days after an exhausting 33-14 win over Ole Miss and its first-year head coach Hugh Freeze. Stick around long enough, they say, and everything comes full circle. So here we are, in 2023 after Alabama took its swing at the no huddle but appears to be settling back into something more conventional. And Hugh Freeze has an offense that can’t get out of first gear. Is defense back? Texas is and that seemed impossible not long ago, so maybe? It’s just hard to ignore some of the trends -- perhaps still on the anecdotal side of scientific, but not something to ignore. Auburn’s averaging just 215.0 yards in two games against Power 5 competition. A 230-yard night at Cal ended in a 14-10 win against that same Golden Bear defense that allowed 376 yards the following week to Idaho of the FCS and 529 in Saturday’s 59-32 loss to Washington. Maybe it’s just the offenses? Freeze’s first year at an Ole Miss program coming off a 2-10 season had the talent to manage just two sub-300-yard game in 2012. Fittingly, one was the loss to Alabama that prompted Saban’s quote where Ole Miss recorded just 218 yards, though it eclipsed the 500-yard mark three times. That team finished the season 46th nationally in total offense, up from 114th in the final year under Houston Nutt. Auburn was 73rd last year and 84th through four games, half of which were stat-padders against UMass (492 yards) and Samford (562 yards). Georgia is next and that’s less than optimal coming off a performance even worse than Week 2 at Cal. Auburn managed just 200 yards in a 27-10 loss at Texas A&M. The average snap netted 3.1 yards while the passing game contributed 56 total. Score one for the Aggie defense or Auburn’s offense? They aren’t alone, though. Hold my corn, the Ferentz family whispered because what Iowa did Saturday night at Penn State made Auburn look downright efficient. The Hawkeyes were shutout 31-0 in State College but the numbers would gag the average viewer. Here are a few. Total yards: 76 First downs: 4 (four … f-o-u-r) Total plays: 33 Time of possession: 14 minutes, 33 seconds Possessions ending in Penn State territory: 1 Somewhere in Tuscaloosa, Nick Saban smiled looking at this vomit pile of a stat sheet. Head coach Kirk Ferentz employs his son, Brian, as the offensive coordinator and had very measured postgame comments. “Sometimes those things snowball and I think that’s what took place tonight,” the elder Ferentz said. “In the first half, started out, we had the drive and had the turnover and after that we seemed to lose the momentum. They’re a good team. They’re a good defensive football team. We just have to get back to work.” That laudable first-half drive mentioned netted 30 yards. It was the longest of the night. Now Penn State has the defense is No. 1 total defense (partially because of playing Iowa). The Nittany Lions are one of six defenses allowing less than 10 points a game, a number skewed by early-season cupcakes but still notable since that’s not something you see these days. The last defense to finish a season with a single-digit scoring allowance was Alabama’s legendary 2011 team surrendered 8.2 a game. Ohio State is also among those six allowing 8.5 a game and that includes Saturday’s 17-14 classic win over then-No. 9 Notre Dame. A few other top-25 games had low scores including Utah’s 14-7 win over UCLA, Oklahoma’s 20-6 win at Cincinnati and Alabama’s 24-10 win over Ole Miss. The Crimson Tide are 18th in scoring defense (13.5 points per game) thanks mostly to the 34-24 loss to Texas. It’s a defense that’s taken its criticism in recent years but has allowed just two touchdowns in the three other games this season. Ole Miss was averaging 526 yards a game but Lane Kiffin’s group managed just 301 on Saturday. It’s kinda wild that the offensive coordinator Saban hired to modernize the Tide offense in 2014 in response to the Ole Miss and Texas A&Ms of the world is now the coach of the team that once drew Saban’s famous quote. Crazy that Alabama stuffed that team with an old-school defensive effort on the same day Freeze and Auburn looked as lost offensively as ever. Now Freeze will face Georgia, coached by the former Alabama defensive coordinator he put on skates in Oxford. Kirby Smart figures to add more symmetry to this dynamic when his No. 1 Bulldogs face this scuffing Auburn offense. Full circle, indeed. Is defense back? Or are the offenses the problem? We’re likely counting chickens and eggs but there’s at least an anecdotal difference in the football we’re seeing this season. And for Auburn, at least you’re not Iowa. Michael Casagrande is a reporter for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @ByCasagrande or on Facebook.

al.com ‘I’m not going to beat around the bush’: How Pat Dye earned the commitment of Bo Jackson Updated: Sep. 25, 2023, 9:12 p.m.|Published: Sep. 25, 2023, 9:03 p.m. 3–4 minutes Bo Jackson says he turned down $5M pro offer to play for Pat Dye at Auburn Bo Jackson didn’t recognize Pat Dye’s name when the legendary Auburn football coach first introduced himself to Jackson during an in-home recruiting visit, Jackson revealed in an interview for the documentary “Mighty: The Life and Legacy of Pat Dye”. When Jackson returned home from school and his ensuing baseball practice, he wasn’t shocked to see two strangers talking with his mother at the table. “It was the big recruiting season and every other day a different coach was at the house,” Jackson recalled in the documentary, which premiered Monday night. Unfazed by the sight, Jackson continued downstairs to throw his dirty baseball uniform in the wash so that it was ready and clean for his game the following day. On his heels was one of the visiting men. “The gentleman walks up to me and calls me Vincent at the time,” recalls Jackson, whose legal first name is Vincent. “He said, ‘Vincent, my name is Pat Dye.’ It was the first time I’d ever heard the name. He said, ‘I’m the new head coach at Auburn.’.” Not long before Dye’s visit to Jackson’s home, Ken Donahue, an assistant under Alabama’s Bear Bryant, paid Jackson a visit at his high school. And when Jackson asked Donahue if he would have the opportunity to start at Alabama as a freshman, Donahue couldn’t respond in the affirmative. So when Dye visited the Bessemer, Ala. product, he knew how he had to pitch Auburn. He said, ‘I’m not going to beat around the bush, I’m just going to tell you like it is. If you tell me that you will consider coming to Auburn, I promise you I will give you every opportunity on the planet to be a starter next year when we open up against Wake Forest.’,” Jackson said, recalling the conversation between he and Dye in his home that day. “And I put my hand out to shake his hand and I said, ‘I’m coming to Auburn next year.’,” Jackson said. Dye went on to keep his promise and Jackson started against Wake Forest on Sept. 11, 1982 in a performance that saw the rookie rush for 123 yards and two touchdowns on just 10 carries as the Tigers went on to beat the Demon Deacons 28-10. It was the first of many performances that led to Jackson rushing for 829 yards and nine touchdowns as a freshman. If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link

al.com ‘He had a presence about him’: Alabama’s Saban reflects on late Auburn football coach Pat Dye Published: Sep. 25, 2023, 9:36 p.m. 2–3 minutes Remembering Auburn legend, Pat Dye Alabama head coach Nick Saban found himself in enemy territory on Jan. 10, 2011 as the Auburn Tigers prepared to take on the Oregon Ducks in the 2011 Tostitos BCS National Championship in Arizona. ESPN, which was airing the championship matchup, asked Saban and former Florida Gators football coach Urban Meyer to appear on the broadcast as guest analysts. And despite his apprehensions, Saban obliged. “I happened to be at the hotel and felt uncomfortable, you know, being an Alabama coach around a bunch of Auburn people,” Saban recalled in an interview for the documentary “Mighty: The Life and Legacy of Pat Dye”, which premiered Monday night. Fortunately for the Alabama football coach, he was able to find a familiar and welcoming face. It was former Auburn head coach Pat Dye. “I just happened to see Coach Dye and he came up to me and talked to me and made me feel so at home,” Saban said. “You know, he had a presence about him that a lot of the great coaches, a lot of the great coaches from the past had that you really can’t explain, but you know when you see it.” Though Dye and Saban never coached against each other, there’s no doubt the two ball coaches had a tremendous amount of respect for one another, despite rivalry lines. When Dye died at the age of 80 on first day of June in 2020, Saban offered a touching tribute. “I’ve known and respected Pat Dye for many years, and he always represented college football with with tremendous class and integrity,” Saban said in a written statement. “He was an outstanding teacher and coach who affected our game in many significant ways.” If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

al.com Goodman: Bo Nix is an Auburn hero for exposing the truth about Bryan Harsin Updated: Sep. 25, 2023, 2:34 p.m.|Published: Sep. 25, 2023, 11:34 a.m. 7–9 minutes **Editor’s Note: Time to take the 6-0 Challenge and make your Week 5 picks against “Joe vs. the Pro and the Hero.” Joseph Goodman’s popular college football picks feature, “Joe vs. the Pro and the Hero,” is adding readers to the action this season. Pick your Week 5 games here, and sign up for Joe’s newsletter to see how your picks compare to the experts (and Joe) as well as other readers. ________________________ This is an opinion column. The biggest test of the season is here for Auburn and the offense under new coach Hugh Freeze might be the worst in the SEC. If not for Alabama. We knew it would be a struggle this season for Auburn, but the true extent of former coach Bryan Harsin’s hamfisted handiwork is beginning to show itself. And now it’s time for the big reveal. Ready or not — and it’s not — Auburn gets No.1 Georgia at Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday. Let’s get this out of the way now. Current Auburn coach Hugh Freeze gets a pass on this entire season, and the focus of every decision for his staff should be figuring out how to recruit Atlanta like Auburn basketball coach Bruce Pearl recruits Atlanta. This is a big weekend for the Atlanta kids. I’m not saying stick a shirtless, slightly unhinged Bruce Pearl in the middle of football recruits on Saturday and then have him lead a community baptism of five stars into lakes of NIL cash and free cars, but I’m also not against the general spirit of that plan. RELATED: Auburn has a QB problem, but does this roster have an answer? RELATED: Injury update on Auburn RB Damari Alston CASAGRANDE: What we’re learning about Auburn and Alabama in this wild 2023 season GOODMAN: Low-talking Lane doesn’t have much to say Back in 2020, a prominent high school coach in Alabama was the first person to let me know that Harsin was probably in over his head at Auburn. Harsin had been Auburn’s coach for many months at that point, and he still hadn’t called the high school coach to ask about one of his top players. The high school coach knew for a fact that the player in question wanted to attend Auburn. How did the high school coach know? Because the top recruit was his son. Freeze can’t blame Harsin after this season, but everything we’re seeing on the field with Auburn’s awful offense is tied to Harsin’s wretched time on the Plains. Harsin was so destructive in his two years as Auburn’s coach that he makes me want to throw a party in honor of former Auburn coach Doug Barfield and rename a street on campus after him. Barfield Boulevard — make it a road to redemption, or at least an alleyway to absolution. We knew Harsin was the worst coach in the history of Auburn football before he was fired, but if former Auburn quarterback Bo Nix wins the Heisman this season then Harsin will go down as the worst coach in the history of the Southeastern Conference. In 2021, Harsin ran off one of the best quarterbacks in the country who had already defeated Alabama as a freshman. If Nix raises the Heisman or wins the national championship with Oregon, then the shame of allowing Harsin to lose Nix will be a ghost that haunts Auburn as long as football is played in the SEC. It’s Freeze’s job this season to pick up the pieces from that disaster and somehow figure out a way to make a bowl game. On Saturday in Auburn’s SEC opener, Freeze benched starting quarterback Payton Thorne against Texas A&M and then benched backup Robby Ashford for third-stringer Holden Geriner. What’s next? At this point, “Run It With Robby” looks like Auburn’s best option for gaining first downs. At least that’s a start. But it’s not hard to figure out what’s fundamentally wrong with Auburn’s offense these days. Just watch Oregon. The guy who at least gave Auburn a chance in every game is winning big for the Ducks. As it turned out, Nix took the field against Colorado this past Saturday just moments after Auburn’s 27-10 loss to Texas A&M went final. Nix threw three touchdowns against Colorado, completing 28 of 33 passing attempts. Auburn’s quarterbacks combined to go 9 of 23 passing against Texas A&M for a grand total of 53 yards. What did we learn about Auburn against Texas A&M that we didn’t already know? Not much, but those preseason rumors of resurrection along Auburn’s offensive line were greatly exaggerated. Texas A&M sacked Auburn quarterbacks seven times. Georgia’s defensive line is rated better than A&M’s and the Bulldogs’ secondary is tied for the conference lead in interceptions (seven). Former Auburn coach Gus Malzahn had trouble recruiting offensive linemen. The most recent former Auburn coach, Harsin, apparently didn’t even know a single phone number for an offensive line recruit. Why did Nix ultimately leave Auburn for Oregon? Because he was seriously injured playing behind Auburn’s offensive line. With better protection at Oregon, Nix is looking more and more like a first-round draft pick every week. Auburn vs. Georgia used to be one of the most balanced rivalries in the SEC. Since 2001, or Mark Richt’s first season with the Bulldogs, Georgia leads the series 17-6. Since 2011, the season after Auburn’s national championship season with Cam Newton, Georgia is 11-2 against Auburn. Georgia has now won six in a row and the gulf between the two teams is greater than at any point in the last 100 years. This past weekend, Smart became the fastest coach to reach 100 victories in the history of the SEC. Here’s something to consider about the recent history of the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry. Since Smart took over for the Bulldogs in 2016, Georgia’s defense has only allowed more than 14 points in one game against the Tigers. Auburn has the 2017 victory on Kirby and that’s it. Led by transfer quarterback Jarrett Stidham and running back Kerryon Johnson, the 2017 Auburn Tigers blew out a No.2-ranked Georgia team 40-17 at Jordan-Hare. A couple weeks later, the Tigers knocked off No.1 Alabama 26-14 in the Iron Bowl. Unfortunately for Auburn, Georgia returned the favor in the 2017 SEC championship game and Alabama went on to win the national championship. That magical fortnight in November 2017 is the last time an Auburn football team was ranked in the Top 10 in the final month of the regular season. For his career, Nix is 0-4 against Georgia. I hope he gets another shot to finally knock off the Bulldogs this season. It wouldn’t be a victory in any sense for Auburn, but it would at least underscore the importance of his decision to abandon Harsin rather than give him cover. Nix’s legacy at Auburn is tied to Harsin, but only for this reason. Nix had to leave the team he loved to ultimately save it. He forced everyone to see how thoroughly Harsin had torn down the Tigers. For that, I’ll consider Nix an Auburn hero. Sad but true, Nix’s greatest gift to Auburn was leaving. Joseph Goodman is the lead sports columnist for the Alabama Media Group, and author of “We Want Bama”, a book about togetherness, wild times and rum. You can find him on Twitter @JoeGoodmanJr.

wvtm13.com Jordan-Hare Stadium 'will be electric' during game against #1 Georgia, Hugh Freeze says Taylor Lang 25–32 minutes Jordan-Hare Stadium 'will be electric' during game against #1 Georgia, Hugh Freeze says Weak safety who, um, obviously didn't get enough reps. Um, but when Kaufman went down, we had to take, uh, Wooton to move him down there and, um, you know, we just, we blew two coverages, you know, with, uh, with *** guy that just hadn't played *** lot of snaps and, um, we gotta, we gotta just keep creating depth, but I thought they played, um, you know, *** really solid game and I'm proud of, uh, that side and the staff obviously offensively, um, I know you'll find this hard to believe, but it, uh, you watched the tape and there was *** lot of good things in the first half and should have, should have left the first half with *** minimum of 12 points. Um, the two holding calls that we had 1st and 10 inside the 30 on both of them that, uh, put us in behind the chains. We're not quite good enough yet to survive that. Um, and those were, we were running the ball effectively and, uh, then the, the pressure was, was *** good bit on us for sure when we had to get in those throwing downs. And, uh, I think they have one of the more talented defensive fronts, but we had people open and, um, it was *** mixture of, I think us not standing in there and making *** throw. And then, uh, also some, some times where I don't think we had time to, uh, adequately step up and make the throw. So we got to continue to work and coach that better and, um, and get us more consistent and stay out of the negative, uh, play situations where, um, we, we easily could have had some points in that first half and made that *** game. So that's the frustrating part of it for sure. And, um, man, but excited to be back home to play, uh, one of the gold standards in college football right now, uh, with what coach Smart has done there and, uh, in his eighth season is, uh, he's got it rolling and so it'll be *** great test for us. Thank God, we're Jordan hair. I know it will be electric and, um, we're, we're gonna get the kids that are healthy enough. We're gonna get them ready to play and, and compete in this game. Who when you go on the road, the two things you can't do, turn the ball over and get, uh, get penalties in general. You didn't turn the ball over at all on the road in the SEC, but then you had 10 penalties. So how did you address that on Saturday? And how do you address that moving forward? Well, um, there's four of them that, um, I, I didn't like and I, I, I've turned them in. I don't, I don't see them. Then there's three that, uh, two were intentional to try to back us up to, to punt and, uh, give Oscar *** little more room to try to pin him deep. Um, the false start can't happen. We had one of those, um, trying to remember what the others were. There was *** holding call on *** pass play that was, uh, probably legit. Um, so, I mean, it was, it was *** mixed bag. You can't have 10 penalties though for whatever reason. And, uh, it put us behind the chains and thought we controlled the second quarter. I think we had it for 12 minutes and came away with three points, which that's, I think that defines the game. You, you control the ball 12 minutes in *** quarter, you got to get some points and we, we certainly felt like, um, we were in field goal range at least forget touchdowns. Let's just say we were in field goal range on, on 44 different occasions and got knocked out either because of penalties or sack after that. And, um, those were that, that's really where the game and then the seven minutes span in the third quarter, um, where we did not get any first downs and, um, and they got explosive plays uh, for whatever reasons, I think just flipped the game. So, uh, you can't have the 10 penalties and that's not typically who we are and we've got to get that cleaned up. Good to see us not turn it over. Are you still heading into this week? I think with the same mindset of Peyton as QB one and Robbie will get his touches in, in some facet. Yeah, we're still kind of, uh, waiting through that, but, uh, that's probably, uh, where it will land this week also, you know, the protection on the offensive line, I guess, from what you said in your opening statement, I feel like sometimes holding on the ball *** little too much. Sometimes, um, you know, the line breaking down on the sacks is kind of how did you see those sacks? Kind of, it's *** combination, you know, I think there's, uh, times that, uh, uh, it's, it's ***, it's, it's *** plethora of responsibility, but ultimately, it lands in my lap in the lap of the offensive coaches to, uh, um, make sure the routes are run at the correct depth with the correct releases against the correct coverage. And then obviously the protection has to be good, which is, it's very hard to, to do that in third and long situations against *** talented defensive front that you see in these leagues. Um, and there were some times where, you know, the ball should have come out and it didn't. So I, I think it's, uh, the responsibility lies um in *** lot of different places. But, uh then, you know, you also had *** great third down throw that puts us back in scoring position that we didn't catch. Um And so it's, it's, it, it, it's *** combination of things and, um, but ultimately, like I said, it, it lies with, uh with us, the coaching staff to, to get those things fixed is following up on, on the, uh, quarterbacks talked about kind of Peyton probably being the one that you were gonna look at this this week is he said that he has to keep earning the job, I guess. How does he earn the job going forward at this point? Well, certainly with more consistent play, but there's, again, there's times I feel like we've, we've let both Peyton and Robbie and Holden or whoever the quarterback is, I feel like we have let them down because of all the other components that go into the passing game. And, um, that is where I'm determined to try to help get fixed this week before you give some final grade on, on *** quarterback's play. Um, it's like when Robbie came in, you know, I thought he, I thought he made, uh, *** two really nice throws on, on two deep balls and I thought the routes were, were, were not run correctly. And, um, so I know that quarterbacks and coaches get the, the blame coaches, we deserve it. Quarterbacks don't always probably deserve it. Um, and so I think again, I've said we're still *** work in progress with, with the roster that we have. And I think this, I've always kind of had in my mind that, uh, you, we have ***, I kind of divide the season up. So there's, there's *** season one which is the season up until the, until the open week. And, um, then you've got *** lot of evaluating to do that open week as to how you move forward from there. He was already *** roster that was, was pretty beat up physical game on Saturday. Any updates on Demaris and, and some of those guys we saw going in on Saturday, yeah, tomorrow will be out uh for, for *** period of time for sure. Um I think they're doing some more tests today on that, but he, he had *** dislocated shoulder for sure. And just *** matter of, you know, sometimes those things can heal on their own in time. Sometimes they, they, they require more, more work. And, uh, we, we really don't know. Uh Kaufman tried but, uh, just kept being gimpy with, with, with the ankle and, uh, we'll have to see how he is day to day, uh, for sure. Um Puckett obviously left with *** shoulder and that really hurt us. He was, he was doing *** good job of, of keeping us on the same page. Back there and our coverages and that really cost us two touchdowns, um, when we had to move to, to go to, to, to the nickel position, um, because, uh, JD Rhyme couldn't play and we already, you know, without Kante and Kaufman and, and so that, uh, really took *** toll on us and hurt us there. But, um, all of those guys will be day to day. I don't think it's anything that's gonna keep them out for *** significant amount of time. But, but day to day coach, how do you, how would you characterize what you guys were trying to accomplish early in the game on Saturday offensively? And, um, would you, would you point more toward execution or game plan? How much of that do you wear as *** coaching staff? Loved the game plan. Thought we ran the ball really, really well. The first two quarters had explosive runs again, controlled the entire second quarter with the run game and just didn't convert any drives and for the reasons I've already mentioned, uh, so, uh, second half game plan could have been better, um, particularly in the third quarter. Um, but, um, certainly I felt really good about the, the first half and, and the way we, I thought blocked them, um, made *** few mistakes that really hurt us, um, on *** few calls that, uh, should have been executed and obviously we haven't coached it well enough that I thought would have been even more explosive plays, got *** transition and block better at the perimeter. Uh, that made those 10 yard runs, 20 yard runs. So we still got it. We've got *** lot of coaching to do on that side of the ball. But I, I thought the game plan was really solid when you look at the film, people are running open, uh, go watch the film. I mean, on the, on the routes that were designed, you know, either we didn't have enough time or we missed, we had *** wheel route, this is probably *** touchdown and uh we overthrow it and um had *** seam route from running wide open, missed that. Um Just, you know, you, we've got to make those plays when we have them, but, uh, *** lot of those designs were pretty good and then we either have to coach it better or, or we got to execute it better. It's *** combination. Me, all right. Um, you played in some, or coached in some major rivalry games, including the bowl? Where does Georgia Auburn kind of stand up compared to that? Well, I mean, I don't wanna quote something that's inaccurate, but it's the oldest rivalry in the south for sure. I don't, I don't know about nationally but um, it's, it's, it's, it's, am I, am I saying that correctly? Um So, um I, I don't sense that it has, uh, um I better not, I don't know if this is right or wrong, but I'm new here. But I, I don't sense the hatred that is in some other rivalries that I've been *** part of. But nonetheless I think it's, uh, I think it's intense. Ok. Well, I'll find out, um, you know, I, I'm not big on hate. I, I, I'm really not. I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm big on just man that this means something to so many people. So we should compete in *** way out of love for our people, not necessarily for hate for other people. That's kind of the way I, I operate. But man, II, I hope we compete because we love Auburn and it means something to the Auburn people to compete against Georgia. So, um that, that'll, that'll be my approach and um but nonetheless, that love is *** great motivator for me. So, yeah, you're going back to Peyton. Is there *** big gulf between the guy and practice and the guy on the game field? Because practice was really good last week. I mean, he's really sharp in practice, really sharp in practice. Uh last week particularly was really, really sharp in practice. And um and um we keep hoping to see that translate into the games and again, it's *** combination, it's not all Payton. Um But sometimes it is and he owns it. Um We had *** good meeting last night. Um And so we, we just got to try this week to, to get *** plan in place that all execute and all understand totally. And that, that falls on Philip and his staff and ultimately on me second. So, uh yes, you, um Pff uh had *** stat, uh saying Peyton was four or five on throws at feature play action. Is that *** meaningful stat at all? Is that something you could build on if we're, yeah, you know, we, we love play action. Um I'm trying to remember those um in the, in the play action world, I mean, the uh the, the week before we were very effective in the RPO game and in this game, um we threw zero RP OS. Um That's not something I'm happy about. Um I probably am where I am today because I brought the RPO game to this conference or one of the, one of the first, I think people would say. And um that sounded bad. I don't, I don't want to act like I created the RPO world or anything, but I do think I was one of the first to, to, to bring it to this, to this game with, with tempo and um and we've gotten away from that and um I don't really understand that. And so we've got to figure out our identity, who, who we really are and, and what can Peyton do and what can Robbie do and what can Holden do? And um we're, we're still, uh I know people don't like to hear people want success now, they won't, they, they want you to win now, every single game. And, uh, I get all of that. Uh, this is not my first rodeo with taking over *** program that, uh, that has struggled and, um, certainly not, uh, at all phased and, um, hungrier than ever to, to move forward and get better. And we will, um, some of that's gonna help in recruiting, but that, in the meantime, you gotta get the ones you have better and that's our job and for us to be, uh, all over the map one week, we throw effectively RP OS in the next week. We don't, why, what, why is that? And we've got to figure that out and, uh, another quick follow up which is play fakes. So I don't know what they're talking about, you know, I, I don't know what, what they're exactly saying there. If play action versus RPO for *** change of pace recruiting, you mentioned, um, how big of *** weekend will this be for you? The Georgia weekend with recruits coming here? And how important can *** weekend like this be to the future of this program? You know, uh, I don't know that we'll have enough tickets for all the crews that wanna come. Um, I'm glad I'm not having to deal with that, but our recruiting staff is working diligently. We got official visits. We've got top kids here unofficially and, and so it'll be *** it'll be, uh, all hands on deck, Auburn putting their best foot forward, which they will. Our people are incredible. Uh, our place is incredible to watch *** game at the atmosphere. And so now we've got ***, we've got to make sure they see what Auburn is really about while they're here for *** game of this magnitude. Hey, coach, uh, Kirby's coming in here two time defending national champion. I know you've been out of the conference for *** few years, but from afar watching what he's done and what he's built over there or what impresses you the most with that program and what he's done. Well, uh, you know, I played Kirby his first year, um, when I was still at Ole Miss and I, I know kind of what he inherited, um, because I coached in that game and, and I know what the outcome was and, um, I think it was ***, it's *** great testament to his vision, to his work ethic, to his staff, to his administration, being patient and allow him to go have the years he needed to, to recruit and the dividends are paying off greatly. I mean, they're, uh, one of the gold standards in college football right now and, you know, you're recruiting the top three class every single year and that's, that's hard to compete with and, and they're well coached and so, you know, you got to give them credit. Um, I know it's *** rivalry game, but the truth is the truth and, uh, he's built *** damn good football program there with. So that means *** lot of things or it means he's got the support from the administration. It means he's got the support from the fans. And, um, uh, I don't know how long it took him. I don't know what it take him three years or so to, to get there or four years. II, I don't know. Some of y'all could to do the research, but you get his second year. That's, I don't know that that's accurate. But um um anyway, so, um he did it pretty fast then. That's, that's pretty impressive. It's even more impressive coach on that note of building *** program obviously internally and externally. Sometimes there's not enough patience while you're trying to build your identity and some of these growing pains that you're kind of already seeing this season. What's the reasonable amount of patience that *** team should have to be able to build that identity and find success? Well, I don't get to decide that the good thing is, I don't worry about that anymore. I, I used to but I'm, I'm, you know, I'm older now and I am totally comfortable in the way we are uh building this program and, and mentoring young people and teaching them uh the lessons that football teaches for life and um uh the winds will come. I believe that firmly. Um But uh, the, the, whatever people's patience level is, is really, I can't control that so I can't worry about it and I really don't worry about it and I worry about the people in this building, our administration and, and I worry about our fans too, but I can't control their, their patience level and I think it's, I don't know, can I be really candid? I think it's, I think it's, I think it's kind of ridiculous uh, that, uh, that those are already discussions in and around our kids. Uh II I do. But, um, but it's not something that, that we worry about, but they should expect us to improve and that's *** reasonable expectation and, and play hard and, and I think our kids have played hard and so, um, I'll, I'll let the other people that really matter, decide, uh their, their patience level. I know there's *** lot of programs that have, that have taken 3 to 4 to 5 years to, to get where they are now and, you know, they're probably happy that they did that, but everybody's got to decide their own feelings on that and I can't worry about that. Phillip. You, uh, you're talking about something like no RP OS and those things. Uh How involved are you in, in the game plan? And do you see yourself getting more involved in the play call? Boy, this is, uh, this is something I'm struggling with. That's all I probably need to say, uh, it's not that I don't have, it's just, it's, it, this is new for me and, um, I'm afraid it, when, when, when, when I get, uh, um, if, if I did try to get too involved that it could cause confusion with, um, terminology, um, um, but obviously they're going through the game plan with me. Um, I mean, I'm, I don't, I go through the game plan with both sides and special teams and, and so again, I thought the game plan was solid last week. Um And so again, some of it is, uh, but it's, but it's *** struggle for me and I've, I've confessed that to everybody in the building, um, where that, that ultimately leads to, let's see how, how the year unfolds, but it's, uh, you know, I'm confident that I, I, I'm going to be more involved. Um, but it's still difficult when it's, it's kind of not your, your terminology and it's kind of hard to make, you know, *** lot of adjustments right on the file on the, on the sideline. And so anyway, uh, I think Monie and, and them are doing *** great job right now of, of, of trying to correct the issues that we all see. And, um, let's see how, how these weeks progress. But, um, we were together *** lot last night, *** lot this morning and we'll be this afternoon. Um, making sure now, look, you still got to block them and you still got to go win *** one on one. And that's easier said than done right now with the talent level that, that we're facing with the, uh, *** Georgia or an LSU in particular that are coming up the next two and even *** and M, but I will say, I thought we won some one on ones and just didn't get the, the, the completion for whatever reason, pressure or didn't understand the progression properly or, um, and all of that we have to get corrected as coaches. Yeah, coach, um, you know, everybody's been super impressed. I think yourself as well with Eugene and just the, you know, the heart that he plays with. Who's that guy on the offensive side of the ball? Who's the Eugene Asan of the offense that just kind of matches *** similar intensity like that. Yeah, we're, we're searching truthfully, um, that was one of the things I just, I think we've got to get more, uh, swagger on the offensive side and, and, um, like that, uh, the, the most positive guy by far to this point has been Luke deal. Uh, I think he's the one that has *** good grasp on how this league plays out, how difficult these games are and how challenging they are for 60 minutes and, and how you can have three bad possessions in *** row. Um, we're not the only ones that, that have those and, um, and but yet you have to maintain this, this positive attitude that the next one could be the one that matters. And, um, he, he's been, he's been definitely that, uh, for the offensive side for sure. Coach, you've talked about the talent gap between, you know, some of the top teams of the conference and where you feel like Auburn is at right now. You know, what message do you send to your team in spite of that? To make them feel like they have what it takes to beat these teams week in and week out. Yeah, that's the, that's, that's *** balancing act. I just, uh, I'm always truthful with our team and I tell them every Monday in our truth meeting this afternoon, hey, you're the, you, you're this game, you're the favorite, you should win it. This game is *** tossup, this game, you'll be the underdog that, I mean, you can't win it and here's how we're gonna win it. Um So I've done that everywhere I've ever been. Um, and I think it, uh, it's, it creates *** transparency and auth authenticity. Um, at the same time, II, I tell them to be very clear on the fact that I've never walked into *** game thinking we can't win it and they shouldn't either. And so I give them plenty of examples of, um, you're not supposed to take *** liberty team and be Arkansas either. Um, but our Virginia Tech or are an Ole Miss to beat Alabama, but we've, we've done that and, and we can do it here too. And so, and that's how I go about it. Zero for 4.5 for you guys over the past three games. Do you think maybe the script is getting thrown off *** little at the beginning? I know you talked about, you feel good about your, your game plan. What do you kind of throw in to factor that? Yeah. Uh, uh, I'm trying to remember the other games where we had ***, we drove it right down the field the week before and didn't get it in the end zone. We threw it on first down and second down and then had *** penalty, I think. Um, and I don't know that we had another possession in the, in the first quarter in that game that I can remember because we, we went right down the field on every possession. So obviously the game plan other than the, the tight red zone was fine there at this game. I mean, we rattled off four first downs the first drive, I believe and then, uh, the second drive the same way and, uh, in this game and you got in field goal range and we shot ourselves in the foot either with *** penalty or, or, or with *** sack. Um, so maybe have to evaluate, you know, when we're, um, maybe we have to go to more match protection. Uh, we'll have to look at that. But, um, I don't, again, we should have had points in the first quarter, but we didn't and that's got to get fixed. Wanted to ask you about Holden getting that last drive. Just how important would you think it was for him to get that experience? And what did you see out of him as *** young quarterback? I think Holden if, um, if he ends up at some point being the guy, he's just got to have *** lot of reps. Um, I love the way he seemed poised. Uh, his throws were inaccurate, you know, it was, it was two balls out of bounds that really could have, if, if catch *** ball to have *** shot. Um, he threw one really good one. but really he was about one for five on, on accuracy, um, in, in those, but it's, I, I, again, you're talking about *** guy that we hadn't get given quality reps and I think, um, I think he, with the quality reps, I think could be more accurate because he, he has the quickest release and he stands tall in the pocket and, uh, I don't remember him having ***, an enormous amount of pressure around him at that time. So that's remains to be seen. But, um, something that, uh, that we definitely, we got an open week coming up that we've got, we gotta look at *** lot of things, I got *** whole list that I'm formulating.

al.com Auburn football: Hugh Freeze updates status of injured RB Damari Alston Updated: Sep. 25, 2023, 12:13 p.m.|Published: Sep. 25, 2023, 11:08 a.m. 2–3 minutes Hugh Freeze didn't know how fast Kirby Smart had success at UGA, talks expectations from Auburn fans After hauling in a pitch from quarterback Payton Thorne, Auburn running back Damari Alston’s right arm took a nasty blow from a Texas A&M defender’s helmet. The hit dislodged the football and the play was initially ruled a fumble recovery for a touchdown. However, after a lengthy review, the call on the field was reversed and was ruled an incomplete forward pass. At the time, it felt like a monumental break for the Auburn Tigers, who would go on to lose the game 27-10. And while Auburn might’ve dodged the disastrous result on the scoreboard, the play still came at an expense as the hit sent Alston back to the sideline — obviously in agonizing pain as he clutched his right arm. After a brief trip to the on-field injury tent, Alston took to the locker room and later emerged out of his shoulder pads and in a sling. Following the game, Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze didn’t have much of an update. In his Monday-morning press conference, however, Freeze was able to offer some clarity on Alston’s availability moving forward. “Damari will be out for a period of time for sure,” Freeze said, adding that Alston suffered a dislocated shoulder against the Aggies. “It’s just a matter of, you know, sometimes those things can heal on their own in time. Sometimes they require more work. And we really don’t know.” Freeze said Alston was undergoing further testing Monday to get a clearer picture at the injury’s severity. If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

al.com ‘We have let them down’: Auburn’s Hugh Freeze takes some blame for QB struggles Published: Sep. 25, 2023, 12:40 p.m. 5–6 minutes By Monday — back home in Auburn in his own office building — Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze has had time to finally sit down and watch the game film from Auburn’s ugly 27-10 loss to Texas A&M on Saturday. And entering a week of practice before facing the No. 1-ranked team in the country, Freeze defended his quarterback room. The blame doesn’t totally lie on them, he said. But he didn’t appear fully confident in his starter Payton Thorne, either. “We’re still kind of wading through that,” Freeze said when asked if Thorne would be the sure-fire starter against Georiga. “But that’s probably where it will land this week also.” Auburn’s quarterbacks struggled at Kyle Field. All three played — Thorne, Robby Ashford and Holden Geriner — and all three combined to throw for 56 yards. They completed nine of 23 passes. Freeze said Thorne has been accurate and has made good decisions in practice. But it hasn’t translated to the game. Freeze said that may not all be on Thorne, but Thorne has owned it thus far. Freeze suggested he’ll be evaluating all three quarterbacks again in practice this week. It isn’t a quarterback battle, at least not yet, but it is a situation where Thorne has continued to need to earn his job. He has been pushed in practice by Ashford and Geriner. But while Georgia isn’t likely the time or place to try something new under-center, he does still want to get reps for all three. “I think Holden if he ends up at some point being the guy, he’s just got to have a lot of reps,” Freeze said. “I love the way he seemed poised, his throws were inaccurate.” But Freeze took blame for the struggles too. He pinned blame on offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery as well. Frankly, Freeze put blame on the whole offense. The problem doesn’t lie in any one place, he said. “There’s times I feel like we’ve let both Payton and Robby and Holden or whoever the quarterback is, I feel like we have let them down because of all the other components that go into the passing game,” Freeze said. “That is where I’m determined to try and help get fixed this week before you give some final grade on a quarterback’s play.” The blame lies on the offensive line, which allowed seven sacks and 15 tackles for loss. It lies on wide receivers who Freeze said were seen multiple times running the round routes. It lies on penalties — Auburn was called for 10 of them including at least one penalty on all five of Auburn’s starting offensive linemen. “I know the quarterbacks and coaches get the blame,” Freeze said. “Coaches, we deserve it. Quarterbacks don’t always probably deserve it.” Certainly, there were many plays where the quarterbacks held onto the ball for too long. There were multiple missed throws, too. “People running open, go watch the film,” Freeze said. “We’ve got to make those plays when we have them. A lot of those designs were pretty good. We either have to coach it better or we have to execute it better.” There was a wheel route to wide receiver Jay Fair that Thorne overthrew. That likely would have been a touchdown had the pass been completed. Freeze also mentioned a seam route to tight end Tyler Fromm where the ball didn’t even go his direction. With issues that Freeze appears to believe extend throughout the entire coaching and personnel system of the offense, finding Auburn’s identity remains an ongoing question. Installing his own run-pass-option scheme is still taking time, and Freeze said Auburn didn’t run any RPO plays during the Texas A&M game. “We’ve got to figure out our identity, who we really are, and what can Peyton do,” Freeze said. “And what can Robby do? And what can Holden do? I know, people don’t like to hear it. People want success now. They want you to win now, every single game. I get all of that. This is not my first rodeo with taking over a program that has struggled and I’m certainly not at all fazed.” There’s a lot of uncertainty throughout the offensive side of the ball. And on the week Auburn is trying to figure it all out, the upcoming opponent is Georiga. Freeze will focus on getting through this game before Auburn gets to the bye week right after. He called the bye week the end of “Season One″, followed by a significant evaluation before Auburn travels to LSU the week after. Freeze will be watching a lot of film of his quarterbacks. But he said there is a lot more to fix. “I’ve said we’re still a work in progress with the roster that we have,” Freeze said. Matt Cohen covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on Twitter at @Matt_Cohen_ or email him at mcohen@al.com If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link

247sports.com On Georgia week Freeze preaches patience as Auburn chases the gold standard Nathan King 5–6 minutes Auburn’s SEC home opener against one of college football’s “gold standards” is a reminder to Hugh Freeze of where his program is, and the heights it aspires to reach. Kirby Smart’s budding dynasty comes to town, as No. 1 Georgia looks to make it seven straight wins in the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry. The Tigers aren’t often double-digit underdogs in Jordan-Hare Stadium, but against a program looking to three-peat as national champions, it’s currently over two touchdowns in favor of the visitors. Alabama and its six national titles under Nick Saban are still alive, of course, but Georgia’s level of success is where Auburn — and everyone else in the sport — wants to be. And Auburn, at least for the foreseeable future, will continue playing both every season. “I know it's a rivalry game, but the truth is the truth, and he's built a dang good football program there,” Freeze said. “So that means a lot of things. That means he's got the support from the administration. It means he's got support from the fans.” After all, didn’t take long for Smart to win over his alma mater. The team he took over had won 20 games in its last two seasons under Mark Richt. But Year 1 had its lumps: The Bulldogs needed a last-minute field goal to beat Nicholls State at home. They lost at home to Vanderbilt. They lost to rival Georgia Tech — and have won seven straight in that series since. Georgia’s patience never had a chance to wear thin, as the Bulldogs won the SEC the next year and almost won a national championship. The situation isn’t exactly comparable to Freeze taking over a depleted Auburn roster. But patience is still something Freeze wants to ensure Auburn fans want to practice after an ugly, SEC-opening loss at Texas A&M. “The good thing is I don't worry about that anymore,” Freeze said. “I used to, but I'm older now. I'm totally comfortable in the way we're building this program and mentoring young people and teaching them the lessons football teaches for life. The wins will come, I believe that firmly, but whatever people's patience level is — I can't control that. I can't worry about it, and I don't worry about it. I worry about the people in this building and this organization. I worry about our fans, too, but I can't control their patience level.” Auburn fans can’t look to their ultra successful rivals and bank on the same results. Saban had an undefeated regular season in Year 2. Freeze has reiterated it since the offseason, but Auburn’s talent level is far from the point of competing for championships yet. He does, however, believe Auburn can compete against any opponent if it executes. Some of that showed up in the Texas A&M loss. “I think it's kind of ridiculous that those are already discussions in and around our kids,” Freeze said. “I do. But it's not something we worry about. But they should expect us to improve. That's a reasonable expectation to play hard, and our kids have played hard. I'll let the other people that really matter decide their patience level. I know there are a lot of programs that have taken three to four to five years to get to where they are now. I know they're happy they did that, but everybody's got to decide their own feelings on that. I can't worry about that.” The only previous matchup for Saturday’s head coaches was in Freeze’s last year at Ole Miss, and Smart’s first at Georgia. An Ole Miss team that finished 5-7 blasted the Bulldogs in Oxford, 45-14. Sixteen months later, Georgia was a miraculous Tua Tagovailoa throw away from winning a national title. “I know kind of what he inherited, because I coached in that game and I know what the outcome was,” Freeze said of Smart’s first SEC game as a head coach being against him at Ole Miss. “I think it's a great testament to his vision, to his work ethic, to his staff, to his administration, being patient and allowing him to go have the years he needed to recruit, and the dividends are paying off greatly.” The loss to Freeze remains the worst margin of defeat of Smart’s tenure at Georgia. Of course, that was Freeze catching a program in the early stages of a rebuild — albeit, a swift and overwhelmingly successful one — but a first-time head coach nonetheless. Now, of course, Freeze is in Year 1 at Auburn. But it hasn’t been too long since Auburn beat a No. 1 team when the Tigers were unranked: 2001, when Steve Spurrier and Florida came to the Plains and lost 23-20 to an Auburn team that finished 7-5. Auburn is certainly overmatched. Freeze knows it as well as anyone. But he hopes to get his first dose of the voodoo magic Pat Dye Field sometimes holds. “Thank God we're in Jordan-Hare,” Freeze said.