aubiefifty

let me just say i think all our kids have five star hearts and they will play accordingly.Auburn over the decades has risen up against impossible odds to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. not many expect us to win saturday and it will be a tall order but it is not impossible. this is the fun of the game to me because you never know which way the ball bounces. unlike the turd known as hasbeen freeze knows how to win with less. i now have hope every single time we step on the playing field. and should we fall short of victory i find comfort in the fact we are improving and great things are going to happen for us.

ask bird..........the early bird gets the worm. the mighty war eagles are flyng in for an early game saturday and i believe it is a sign...................grins

auburnwire.usatoday.com Kickoff time, TV channel announced for Deep South Oldest Rivalry Taylor Jones ~2 minutes The Auburn Tigers welcome the No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs to Jordan-Hare Stadium for the 128th edition of The Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry on Saturday, Sept. 30. The Southeastern Conference announced on Monday the start times and television networks for every game on Sept. 30, including Auburn’s date with Georgia. As has become a traditional time slot, the game will be televised live on CBS at 2:30 p.m. CT. Buy Tigers Tickets Week five will be the first full weekend of SEC play, as every member of the SEC will play a fellow conference member. The day will begin with Florida vs. Kentucky and Texas A&M vs. Arkansas at the 11 a.m. CT time slot. Games that will kick off after Auburn-Georgia are Missouri vs. Vanderbilt, LSU vs. Ole Miss, South Carolina vs. Tennessee, and Alabama vs. Mississippi State. Georgia opened the SEC slate last Saturday by defeating South Carolina, 24-14. This week, the Bulldogs host UAB at 6:30 p.m. CT. Georgia owns a 63-56-8 record in the series and has won six straight games over Auburn. The last time the Tigers earned a win over Georgia was in 2017, when Auburn defeated then No. 1 Georgia, 40-17 at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__

247sports.com Faulk showing plenty of promise as he continues to learn Jason Caldwell 5–6 minutes Big games against teams with big-time talent AUBURN, Alabama – First-year Auburn coach Hugh Freeze went to work the day he arrived on closing the talent gap between his program and the SEC’s biggest bullies. But he acknowledged on Monday that the Tigers are about to get a closeup look at three of those bullies. On Saturday, the Tigers play at Texas A&M. A week later, they play Georgia at home. After an open date, they go to LSU. Freeze said massive challenges await. “I’m probably too candid and honest sometimes for some people, but let’s just be really clear,” Freeze said. “We’re getting ready to play three teams that have, over the last four or five years, ranked in the top 5-7 in recruiting. You’re playing the best recruits in the nation. We’re going to be there soon, and that doesn’t mean you can’t compete and win the game. But there’s a reason they are third in the nation on third-down defense. They’ve got a bunch of 5-stars in the defensive line and at linebacker and at safety and at corner. “They are really, really talented. When you put on the film you see that. Their closing speed is incredible. They are physical up front. It’s a tall, tall challenge for us in year one to stand toe-to-toe with A&M and Georgia next week and LSU the following week. It’s our goal to get there, but that’s what reality is. We’ve had about eight months to recruit a half a class. These others have been stacking it.” Freeze filled gaps with 20 transfers. His current recruiting class is ranked No. 14 with two 5-stars. But the massive hole left by a lost 2021 class can’t be easily overcome. Only running back Jarquez Hunter remains from that class. Passes from the 1-yard line Freeze didn’t like Auburn throwing from the 1-yard line on its first possession against Samford. He really didn’t like doing it twice. “I was disappointed in that a little bit,” Freeze said. “I don't mind the first one, truthfully. I didn't like the second one. I think we've got to probably approach that differently. I think I've made that clear. Sometimes you put it in your quarterback's hands, and he probably needs to know. But I think we should put it on us for that, and don't give him that option if we're not OK with him throwing it.” McLeod a Kyle Field veteran Auburn edge rusher Jalen McLeod had one of his career highlights against Texas A&M Kyle Field. He and his Appalachian State went there and pulled off a stunning upset, winning 17-14 last season. He had a huge game with two sacks and two forced fumbles. He looks forward to going back. “It’s a boost of confidence,” McLeod said. “It gets you like, ‘OK, now make it two times.’ Can’t have it be a one-trick pony. It was one game. Got to make it two times.” Kickoff time is fine with Freeze Unlike dealing with a 9:30 p.m. CDT kickoff at Cal, you won’t hear any complaints from Saturday’s 11 a.m. kickoff time for Saturday’s game. “I love early kicks on the road,” Freeze said. “I think our kids will. I don't think that's a huge challenge, truthfully. It's the same time zone. We'll put them to bed a little earlier, eat a little earlier, but we did that all fall camp. We started early, so it truthfully will be just like a fall camp day. I don't think there's a huge adjustment to that at all. And I like the early kicks.” A&M defensive line has Jones’ attention Center Avery Jones has already watched plenty of Texas A&M video, and he recognizes what Auburn’s offensive line is up against. “Definitely aggressive,” Jones said. “Definitely big, strong and fast. Definitely some NFL talent on the defensive line. We’re just going to prepare our tails off and do what we’ve got to do. I think our guys can handle it. It’s definitely a different league in the SEC compared to what we played in our first three games. We’ve just got to be ready to ball out.” Crowd noise no concern for Fair Wide receiver Jay Fair says crowd noise on the road – be it at Kyle Field or elsewhere – doesn’t bother him because he doesn’t even hear it. Me personally, I kind of black out during all that,” Fair said. “I don’t really hear anything. Maybe coming out the tunnel is the only chance I get to hear the noise for real. But when I’m on the field, it’s just honing in on the call and the signals. I don’t really hear anything else.” The Petrino effect Bobby Petrino, once Auburn’s offensive coordinator and once head coach with Louisville, the Atlanta Falcons and Arkansas, will work his fourth game Saturday as Texas A&M’s offensive coordinator. Freeze says his scheme provides major challenges. “He's very good schematically, very good at scheming,” Freeze said. “Obviously, he checks a lot of his runs based on the looks that you have. That makes it difficult. He's usually right. The thing that we have to do a great job of is disguising things. You know, he's going to make you stop 12 personnel and spread sets and everything that makes it challenging. Then you combine the talent level he's coaching with his balance on offense — play-action, passes, runs, a quarterback that can extend it with his legs when he needs to — it's a very difficult task.”

31 to 14. we will be a thorne in aTm's side......................

i did not want to get up this morning. i binged the my child show everyone is talking about so i stayed up late. but as far as you missing a day we always leave the light on for you.

al.com Auburn’s running backs sputtered against Samford. Can they find their footing vs. Texas A&M? Updated: Sep. 18, 2023, 4:13 p.m.|Published: Sep. 18, 2023, 4:13 p.m. 6–7 minutes Six different running backs have appeared on the field for Auburn through the Tigers’ first three games with Damari Alston, Brian Battie, Jeremiah Cobb and Jarquez Hunter all having double-digit carries. However, not one of those guys is Auburn’s leading rusher. Instead, that distinction goes to quarterback Payton Thorne, who leads all rushers with 140 yards on 22 carries. And while well over half of those rushing yards came against Auburn’s 45-13 win over Samford on Saturday night, it points to Auburn’s running back room sputtering and lacking identity. “I thought we left some yards out there in the rushing game, particularly in the first half with what they were doing,” Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze said following the game Saturday night. “I think our backs didn’t press it quite long enough to let it develop. Second half, I thought they were better.” With Hunter, Alston, Cobb and Battie all getting carries in Saturday’s win over Samford, the quartet of running backs was only able to muster a combined 86 rushing yards, while Hunter was the only running back to find the goal line. However, against Samford specifically, there were factors that attributed to the running back room’s struggles. The Auburn offensive line took an early hit as it lost veteran guard Kam Stutts to an injury after the first series. Hunter also got “dinged up” and was “gimpy” in the second half, Freeze revealed after the game. Samford’s defense was also committed to limiting the run game, Freeze says. “We really didn’t didn’t run the ball as well as I’d hoped in this past game,” Freeze said in his press conference Monday morning. “But some of that they were committed to stopping the run. I mean, they were really anchored in there and bringing the safeties down to the box.” Fortunately, the Bulldogs crashing in on Auburn’s run game on Saturday paved the way for the Tigers to capitalize on some explosive pass plays. But if a defense like Stamford’s, which allowed Western Carolina to rush for 284 yards in Week 2, can give Auburn’s backfield fits, what does that say about the prospect of Texas A&M’s defense, which ranks 35th in the nation for rush defense? Through three games, Texas A&M has held its opponents to less than a combined 300 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown and 3.39 yards per carry. Auburn’s running backs averaged just 3.07 yards on 28 carries against Samford. The Aggies’ defense — just as the rest of Texas A&M’s roster — is loaded down with former blue-chip prospects. Every member of Texas A&M’s projected starting defensive line was either ranked a 4- or 5-star out of high school. Guys like linebacker Edgerrin Cooper and defensive end Shemar Turner — two former 4-star recruits — are two guys who have tallied a handful of tackles for a loss through three games. “They’ve got a bunch of 5-stars in the defensive line and at linebacker and at safety and at corner,” Freeze said of the Aggies’ defense. “They are really, really talented. When you put on the film you see that. Their closing speed is incredible. They are physical up front.” That said, Auburn’s offensive line will need to do its part in helping the running game and bring its best stuff to College Station. But first, the Tigers’ offensive front needs to find its best stuff after being without it against Samford. “We could’ve played more physically. I do believe that. It wasn’t our best,” Freeze said of Auburn’s offensive line against Samford. “It wasn’t as good as the Cal game or the UMass game.” Despite Saturday’s struggles in the backfield, Freeze says he still feels good about Auburn’s running back room, just as he has all offseason and through the first three weeks of the regular season. After scrimmages during fall camp, Freeze gushed about how confident he was in the Tigers’ running backs and even questioned whether Auburn had a really good run game or had a defense that struggled to stop the run. However, now that Auburn is playing teams with a different name across the chest, the question has shifted to which kind of performance it’ll get out of its backfield on any given Saturday. In Week 1 against UMass, Auburn’s running backs rushed for 230 yards and three touchdowns. Meanwhile, the same group of guys neglected to rush for 100 yards against Samford. The answer to that question will likely vary from week to week and ultimately fall somewhere in the middle as the Tigers are forced to play to what the opposing defense gives them. But in this league, opposing defenses won’t be giving them much and that can especially be said of the Aggies. And as much as Freeze likes to have the throttle wide open on offense and toss the ball around — which was evident in the win over Samford — his history in the SEC has taught him that a team having success on the ground is the lifeblood of an SEC offense. “We’ve been able to run it,” Freeze said following Auburn’s second fall scrimmage. “Which, teams I’ve coached that have been able to do that, I think you’ve got a fighting chance.” Auburn isn’t favored to beat Texas A&M Saturday afternoon. ESPN currently gives the Tigers a mere 33% chance to win the game. If the Tigers want “a fighting chance” to tally their first win in SEC play, they’ll likely need their running backs to put together a performance that mirrors that of Week 1′s showing against UMass. That means the full production — from the offensive line to the play calling — will have to put them in a position to succeed. After all, Freeze feels the Tigers have the guys to do it. “We’ve said all along we feel good about that room and I think it’s important that we keep them fresh and rotate those guys and try to play to some of their strengths,” Freeze said. “Like all four of them and like Sean (Jackson) too. So we’ll continue to keep rotating them and trying to use them in different packages.” If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. By browsing this site, we may share your information with our social media partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

al.com Everything Texas A&M’s Jimbo Fisher said ahead of Auburn’s visit to College Station Published: Sep. 18, 2023, 3:00 p.m. 6–7 minutes Last year’s matchup between Auburn and Texas A&M at Jordan-Hare Stadium was a doozy. To outsiders, it felt like a meaningless battle as the Tigers and Aggies were both tied for last in the SEC West. But for the two participating programs, there was a lot of pride on the line. That was especially the case for Auburn as it was in its second game under interim head coach Cadillac Williams, who was still looking for his first win with the interim tag. Auburn went on to win last year’s low-scoring affair 13-10. On Saturday, the two teams are set to renew the matchup, this time at Texas A&M’s Kyle Field. Here’s everything Texas A&M (2-1) said ahead of the Tigers’ (3-0) visit to College Station on Saturday afternoon: Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher On last week’s 47-3 win over Louisiana-Munroe: “Happy with the guys and the performance on Saturday to come out very focus with great intent. What I was happy about, we executed throughout the ball game, played to really good standard and played well. But then didn’t let up and stayed focused... Moved the ball on offense, made plays on defense, special team guys did a really good job.” On turning the attention to Auburn: “We played a really solid game and they stayed playing that way all the way through the game and kept a good standard. And we’re going to have to this week. We’re playing a very good Auburn team. Auburn is 3-0 and is very physical, as always. On Auburn’s defense: Auburn is always a physical football team defensively, upfront and inside they’re big, man. 50 (Marcus Harris) and those inside guys are physical. Really strong, big guys that are hard to move once you get their guys inside. And like I said, 99 (Jayson Jones) and 50 are great, big guys. The linebacker, 9 (Eugene Asante) can run like heck. I know 6 (Austin Keys) has got a broken thumb, I don’t know if he’ll be back or not. But Nixon does a great job. In the secondary, (DJ) James is a really good player. The Nickle 0 (Keionte Scott), the Nickle 5 (Donovan Kaufman), those guys standout. Safeties tackle well. 1 (Nehemiah Pritchett) hasn’t played all year... Pritchett... but he along with the other corners (Kayin) Lee and those guys, they’re all really good players. And he’s played so to get those guys back, so it’ll be good in the secondary. Constant pressures, different coverages, mixing coverages in the secondary.” On Auburn’s offense: “Quarterback Payton Thorne has played a lot of football at Michigan State. Was a starter — a two- or three-year starter, I believe. Had a great week last week as he rushed for, I think, 127 yards and threw for 260, 270 or whatever it was. He can throw the football. (Robby) Ashford behind him is athletic, big strong... they use him in the red zone, tight zone and he runs the football and mixes things in different packages. But the quarterback is a really good player. The (running backs)... (Jarquez) Hunter is strong, the other backs are fast, athletic. Jay Fair, the receiver, we knew he was from Texas, we recruited him and he transferred back into there. A slot that does a great job for them. The big guy (Shane) Hooks from Jackson State is a very good player. Tight end, athletic. 13 (Rivaldo Fairweather) can catch and run and vert. Tackles are big and physical.” On Auburn’s special teams: “The punter (Oscar Chapman) has about a 42-, 43-yard average with a 4.2 hang. He does a great job, the returners are good. The kickoff guy and field goal guy, (Alex) McPherson, his brother is the one in the NFL and we recruited this guy he’s a really good player. So I mean, they’re sound all the way across.” On the matchup problems Rivaldo Fairweather creates and who the Aggies might use to defend him: “It just depends if you’re zone or man or how you’re playing or what your other schemes are. He’s long, he’s athletic... the verticality in tight ends how I measure those guys. Those guys can get vertical and catch a ball down the field, which he can. Great ball skills, man. It becomes hard a matchup. And they make you play the middle of the field. If you don’t have to respect the middle of the field, defensively, if you can be light there, you can double the guys outside and play. But when you can’t do that and the things he brings to the middle of the field, it makes it very tough. And the schemes they use, they’re very... they do a good job on offense. But he’s a good player, man. Athletic.” On his feel for Auburn’s new coaching staff: “I think you go back to their histories or past histories, too. I mean, guys don’t every deviate very far. You’re not going to say... Guys don’t go from running the wishbone to running to the run and shoot. Now, how they use their players, that’s the thing... you know, who their feature guy is, what are they trying to do different. They’re probably still learning their guys too a little bit and certain talents, how to feature guys to get them the ball or different things. But it stays relatively similar. But then again, that’s why you’ve gotta teach offense and defense. You’re teaching concepts.” On his history coaching against Hugh Freeze: “We opened up the season with them one year. They had AJ (Green), they had all those receivers... it was a shootout. They (Ole Miss) were ahead like 24-6 or something and we come back to win (35-34)... Listen, Hugh is gonna be open. He’s gonna be wide open. He’s gonna be aggressive on offense, he’s gonna be dynamic, gonna create things on special teams, not afraid to call a fake, not afraid to do things. Very good coach, going to have his guys motivated and ready to play. Hugh is a good guy and a very good football coach.” If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. By browsing this site, we may share your information with our social media partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

al.com Auburn football: Hugh Freeze and the talent gap he inherited Published: Sep. 19, 2023, 6:00 a.m. 5–6 minutes When he got to Auburn, one of the first things head coach Hugh Freeze did was start recruiting. He had to. He was already behind before he began. College football remains in an arms race, with life-changing NIL deals, TV money and conference realignment so drastically changing the sport. It all hinges on recruiting, and the spectacle to land the most talented high school players in the nation. Auburn’s recruiting had dipped during former head coach Bryan Harsin’s tenure. Multiple high school coaches within the state of Alabama said they just hadn’t heard from Auburn, one of the two preeminent programs in the state, in two years before Freeze was hired. So, Freeze inherited a talent gap. A big one. It’s fitting his first game in SEC play in his return to the league would come against one of the best recruiting programs in the nation. When 5-star linebacker Demarcus Riddick flipped from Georgia to Auburn, he became Auburn’s first five-star recruit since Owen Pappoe in 2019. In that same time, Texas A&M landed 14 five-stars. That’s Auburn’s opponent this week at 11 a.m. central time Saturday. That’s followed by games against No. 1 Georgia and defending SEC West champion LSU — which have both recruited at a level much closer to Texas A&M than that of Auburn. Freeze knows it. “I’m probably too candid and honest sometimes for some people, let’s just be really clear,” Freeze said during his Monday press conference. “You’re playing the best recruits in the nation. We’re going to be there soon, and that doesn’t mean you can’t compete and win the game, there’s a reason they are third in the nation on third down defense. They’ve got a bunch of 5-stars in the defensive line and at linebacker and at safety and at corner. They are really, really talented.” The SEC West is maybe college football’s most difficult division. In a short time as Auburn’s head coach, Freeze has already done much to catch up. Auburn’s two biggest rivals have been the two best programs in college football over the last decade. But Freeze has already flipped a 5-star recruit away from Georgia in Riddick and another 5-star away from Alabama in Perry Thompson. Auburn’s 2024 recruiting class is currently ranked 14th in the nation, per 247Sports. But Auburn’s class is sixth overall based on the average recruiting ranking of the players in its class. All three of Georgia, Alabama and Texas A&M are in those five spots above Auburn. It’s just the beginning of the process to catch up. Freeze has been insightful in this process. He seems aware this isn’t the team that’s going to vault Auburn to where it wants to be in the SEC. Asked back in August about how to end Auburn’s drought of 1,000-yard wide receivers, Freeze said the solution isn’t on the roster right now. “And I hope every recruit that I’m recruiting for receiver is listening to me, we’ve got to change that here, and you’ve gotta change that through recruiting,” Freeze said on Aug. 17. “Those receivers are a priority for us, the ones that are coming into the ‘24 and ‘25 class.” But those guys aren’t here yet. To get a roster he believes could compete early in his tenure, Freeze hit the transfer portal. He brought in a top-five-ranked transfer portal class, including 11 four-star-rated transfers. Led by Avery Jones, the top-rated interior offensive lineman in the transfer portal. “We know people are going to be watching this game just based off of the D-line and us wanting to play good against them,” Jones said Monday. “We all have a chip on our shoulder. We all came here for a reason, to play in these types of games and be on this stage and compete against the best.” From a pure talent perspective, Auburn’s roster doesn’t match Texas A&M’s. Freeze sees that on film. For this year, Auburn is relying on players that had routes like Jones of earning his way up from playing well at a smaller school. Jack linebacker Jalen McLeod won at Texas A&M last year playing with Appalachian State. But with Auburn, where an upset wouldn’t be as dramatic, McLeod said these games are about earning respect. McLeod is excited to play the five-stars. So are his teammates. A&M currently has eight five-stars on its roster. Auburn has none. So, the chip on Auburn’s shoulder lasts for now but Freeze still plans to close the gap. “It’s a tall, tall challenge for us in year one to stand toe-to-toe with A&M and Georgia next week and LSU the following week,” Freeze said. “It’s our goal to get there, but that’s what reality is. We’ve had about eight months to recruit a half a class. These others have been stacking it.” 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 one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. By browsing this site, we may share your information with our social media partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

saturdaydownsouth.com Hugh Freeze speaks to daunting task of facing Texas A&M, Georgia and LSU Mark Kern | 15 hours ago ~3 minutes The Auburn Tigers are 3-0 entering their matchup against Texas A&M this week. In fact, this game starts a very difficult 3-game stretch that sees the Tigers playing the Aggies, followed by Georgia and LSU. Coach Hugh Freeze said the Tigers are about to play a very difficult stretch against extremely talented teams, starting with Texas A&M. “I want to be really clear, I am probably too candid and honest sometimes for some people, but let’s be really clear,” Freeze said. “We are getting ready to play 3 teams over the last 4 to 5 years have been ranked from 7 to 5 in recruiting. You are playing the best recruits in the nation and we are going to be there soon, but they have a bunch of 5 stars. They are really really talented.” Injuries have been an issue for Auburn, as the team is pretty banged up in a lot of places. Auburn is going to have play some young players, and Freeze knows they are going to get introduced to SEC football. “It is a great challenge, we have to get some young guys ready,” Freeze said. “They are going to get baptized to the SEC pretty good in front of A&M’s crowd and the talent on that team.” The Tigers are looking for their first 4-0 start since 2019, and kickoff against Texas A&M is scheduled for 12 pm ET in College Station on ESPN.

247sports.com First look at Auburn AM opens SEC play with the Tigers Jeff Tarpley 5–6 minutes VIDEO: Decision date looming for 5-Star ATH Terry Bussey | College Football Recruiting Show 1. Texas A&M and Auburn are both better than they were last season but for different reasons. The Aggies brought most of their two deep back who are a year older both physically and mentally. In contrast, Auburn used the NCAA transfer portal to change over the look of their team, especially on offense (a unit that was awful last season). Hugh Freeze has been an aggressive coach in the past and his schemes and makeover of this team reflects his mentality. 2. Former Tulsa head coach and new offensive coordinator Phillip Montgomery is from the Art Briles tree and you'll see the Tigers go with wideouts along the numbers to spread the field as much as possible. This means that the passing game has tags for vertical choice routes (posts that can turn into a hitch depending on the coverage) down the field. They use more zone runs (split zone, inside zone, outside zone) than gap runs (iso, power, counter). 3. Quarterback Payton Thorne is a Michigan State transfer who’s near the bottom of the Southeastern Conference in passing efficiency. He struggled in Auburn’s road game versus Cal and he’ll turn it over more than you would like. Robby Ashford comes in on short yardage scenarios, he’s athletic, and he can make you pay on the zone read if you don’t play assignment football. However, they really try to limit his passing. 4. Thorne’s running on RPOs (6.36 yards per carry) may be better than his passing. Daman Alston and Jarquez Hunter split the load at running back. Hunter is probably perceived as a more of a home run hitter. 5. Jay Fair (5 foot 10, 186 pounds) works the slot and he’s more quick than fast. However, he works well in the red zone. The Tigers roll with multiple tight ends but they’re okay blockers and Rivaldo Fairweather is going to be most involved in the passing game. As with most spread offenses, the alignments of the wideouts outside the boundary occasionally facilitates the deep ball and creates space for the running game. 6. The offensive line is totally revamped from last season. Left tackle Dillon Wade, center Avery Jones, and left guard Gunner Britton were three of the top five linemen available in the transfer portal. Jones is better as a run blocker while Wade and Britton (zero pressures allowed between them) have been quality pass protectors. Overall, Auburn is the fourth most efficient pass blocking team in the SEC per Pro Football Focus and they lead the league in rushing yards per game (a bit misleading since they’ve played UMass and Samford). 7. Their new defensive coordinator is former Baylor assistant Ron Roberts who is using the 3-3-5 that is becoming more and more popular. They’ve forced seven turnovers which leads the league and have blitzed on about 50% of all downs. 8. The front six was reloaded with multiple transfers and they've got size in 338 pound nose Jayson Jones (who plays high at times due to his 6-foot-6 frame), 346 pound Justin Rogers, and 310 pound Lawrence Johnson. However, end Marcus Harris (a holdover from the previous regime) is the most active player up front (three tackles for loss). They rotate three guys at the Jack or edge spot but none of them have been particularly forceful players. 9. Those guys are supposed to make it hard to get to the back seven. Eugene Asante (formerly at North Carolina) and Larry Nixon (formerly at North Texas) have been freed up to the run to the ball, especially Asante as the Will. 10. CornersNehemiah Pritchett and D.J. James were supposed to be of the better tandems in the SEC but Pritchett hasn’t been available due to injury. James has held up his end of the bargain by allowing just seven receptions on 13 targets. Nickel Donovan Kaufman is just 5-foot-10 but is a great tackler. He missed the Samford game last week due to injury. Free safety Jaylin Simpson is good in coverage but tends to miss tackles. 11. So far, the Tigers have played UMass (one of the worst FBS teams around), Cal, and Samford (a FCS school). They struggled to beat Cal (although that was a late start on the West Coast). A&M has at least played a team that has allowed it to figure out its strengths and weaknesses. 12. A&M is going to have to slow down Auburn’s RPO game on offense and the Tigers have had issues turning over the ball (seven of them so far this season). They can pass protect which could be an issue for A&M. Defensively, Auburn has a lot of people flying to the ball and they’re bigger and faster than they were in 2022. They like to bring blitzes like Miami did. However, they haven’t seen a passing attack like that of the Aggies. If they don’t communicate well on the back end of the defense and decide to play a lot of man coverage, that could create a lot of big play opportunities for the Aggies on that side of the ball.

theplainsman.com Auburn cornerback set to undergo surgery after ankle injury ~4 minutes Junior cornerback Keionte Scott is said to be out indefinitely after an ankle injury in Auburn's third game of the season, against Samford. “Unfortunately, Keionte did not get a good report, and that hurts us a lot," said head coach Hugh Freeze "He’s our leader back there, and he’s going to have surgery today. It just hasn’t been a good year for us with injuries." Scott obtained the injury in his first drive against the Bulldogs, and was later seen wearing a boot on the sidelines. He is said to be out for a “considerable time.” Scott has been an effective player for the Tigers so far this season. Within his 88 snaps, Scott has secured 10 tackles and is Auburn’s 10th-most-played defensive player as of game three. Last season, Scott made his mark with 53 total tackles, 4.0 tackles for loss, one sack and one interception. Since Scott and Ja’Varrius Johnson, Auburn's second punt returner, are both injured, that leaves Auburn leaning on its third string to fill Scott's shoes. Senior Jaylin Simpson, who received one punt against Samford, will be the replacement." "He is going to be really valuable with his presence in the back end right now," Freeze said. "We will start catching punts with a lot of different people today. Koy Moore has done it, Caleb Burton has done it. We will get on the jugs twice this week and make sure we feel comfortable with who that is, and Jaylin may be one of them too." Potential Tigers to play in place of Scott in the secondary are Donovan Kaufman, who also missed the Samford game, and Caleb Wooden, who secured six tackles for the Tigers in place of Scott after his departure. Auburn is not shy of early season injuries, especially with its experienced players. Alongside Scott, senior offensive lineman Kam Stutts and junior Izavion Miller didn’t finish Saturday’s game because of injuries. Starting linebacker Austin Keys also remains out because of hand surgery following the season opener against UMass. “We need all these guys on Saturday, so hopefully we will have a good week of rehab and they will be ready to go," Freeze said. "It is concerning right now that list that they gave me this morning." Because of injured veterans recovering from injuries, many newer players face the potential of seeing the field for Auburn this upcoming weekend. “That is a great challenge. We have to get some young guys ready," Freeze said. "They are going to get baptized into the SEC pretty good in front of A&M’s crowd and the talent on that team." The 3-0 team heads to its first game of conference play this upcoming weekend with a combination of injured veterans, prepared returners and eager freshmen close at hand. Game time is set for 11 a.m. CST at Kyle Field and will be televised on ESPN. Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.