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auburnwire.usatoday.com Hugh Freeze press conference review: Texas A&M week Taylor Jones 12–16 minutes The Auburn Tigers are 3-0 and are now shifting their focus to College Station, Texas. Auburn will travel to Texas A&M to face the Aggies on Saturday morning at 11 a.m. CT for the SEC opener. SEC Nation will be on hand to preview the game between two of the top teams within the SEC West. Buy Tigers Tickets One of the biggest areas of concern for Auburn through three games is the quarterback rotation of Payton Thorne and Robby Ashford. In last week’s win over Samford, head coach Hugh Freeze elected to use Thorne more. Thorne used the opportunity to gain 402 yards of total offense. How will Auburn use their quarterbacks this week? Freeze addressed the rotation during Monday’s press conference. “That’s the plan, as long as we are playing well. Look, this is like life. You got to do your job well, and if you do your job well, things usually work out and if you don’t, things usually don’t work out. We have confidence and I thought he (Thorne) threw it really well the other night. He made one bad decision, I thought, but the others, we kind of shed on as coaches, and so I hope he continues to build on that. The guy was 18 yards from doing something that an Auburn quarterback hasn’t done in a really long time, maybe ever. So, I hope we build on that and gain confidence from that. At the same time, I’ve been clear about Robby (Ashford) having a role and I do believe that, particularly against the level of athleticism we are about to see. I think there is a role for him, too. He threw it well when he came in the other night, but you can’t be ‘herky-jerky, in-and-out’ and that’s something we all agree on.” The head coach covered everything on Monday from injury concerns, red zone woes, and setting up to battle Bobby Petrino’s offense. Here’s everything Hugh Freeze said ahead of this Saturday’s game at Texas A&M. John Reed-USA TODAY Sports “I’m excited to be 3-0. Another great crowd at Jordan-Hare, and I’m thankful for our great fans, students, band, and cheerleaders. I just continue to be amazed by the support that you receive here at this place, and I’m excited about any time we get to play at home. Obviously, we’ve gotta go on the road this week but thrilled to be 3-0. There were some good things and then some things we’ve got to improve on, for sure. We played a lot of kids, which is good, but a lot of young kids tend to make mistakes, and we had quite a few of those also. We’ve got to continue to work on not turning the ball over, particularly in the red zone. Out of our possessions we had offensively, outside of the two turnovers, we were pretty efficient offensively. Defensively, I thought we were solid, particularly with the older guys, and there was a lot thrown at them. They had a good plan to try to stay close and shorten the game, and I thought our older guys did fairly well with it, but the younger guys made some – a lot of mistakes, truthfully, and we’ve got to bring them along, because we’re going to need them as the season progresses. But I’m excited to be 3-0 and head into conference play.” © Mickey Welsh / Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK “We really didn’t run the ball as well as I had hoped in this past game, 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 with us. We got some explosive pass plays. We’ve said all along that 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, all four of them and Sean (Jackson) too. So, we’ll continue to keep rotating them and trying to use them in different packages. Jeremiah (Cobb) really gives us some flexibility. I think he can do a lot of things that we haven’t even gotten to yet, even in the pass game. He’s dangerous with the ball in his hand, so we’ll continue to explore ways to get our best guys on the field.” John Reed-USA TODAY Sports “We were actually down (two), (Ja’Varrius Johnson), our second (returner). He couldn’t play, so we were down to our third guy, and we’ve got to get some reps in this week. Unfortunately, Keionte did not get a good report, and that hurts us a lot. 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. Losing him and (Austin) Keys on the defensive side stings. It hurts, and our prayers are with him for quick healing for sure, but we’ll be without him for a considerable time.” Jamie Holt /Auburn Tigers “That is a great challenge. We have to get some young guys ready. They are going to get baptized into the SEC pretty good in front of A&M’s crowd and the talent on that team. You know Keionte (Scott) he is down, Izavion (Miller) and (Kam) Stutts didn’t finish the game the other night. So I don’t really know where they stand right now. I think (Donovan Kaufman) will be fine. We need all these guys on Saturday, so hopefully we will have a good week of rehab and they will be ready to go. It is concerning right now that list that they gave me this morning.” John Reed-USA TODAY Sports “He is going to be really valuable with his presence in the back end right now. 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.” Zach Bland/Auburn Tigers “That would be a blessing if we could continue that trend. To get some turnovers in these games, particularly on the road, would be extremely helpful. Particularly if we can take care of the ball. We have to continue to work on that. Turnovers would play a huge role if we could pick off a few of those in this game.” John Reed-USA TODAY Sports “I was disappointed in that a little bit. Truthfully, I don’t mind the first one, but I did not like the second one. I think we have to approach that differently, and I think I have made that clear. Sometimes you put it in your quarterback’s hands, and he needs to know, but I think we should put it on us for something like that. And don’t give him that option if we are not okay with him throwing it.” The Montgomery Advertiser “We are still learning who we are, truthfully, in the wide receiver room. So, I think that will continue to be a rotation. The biggest goal for this week against such a talented team and one that is good on third down is you got to keep yourself in third-and-manageable. You can’t survive in the third-and-longs. You’re not going to drop back and win a lot of routes against them. So, we have to keep it in third-and-manageable, hopefully short, to where we can run or pass.” Michael Chang/Getty Images “He’s solid, but he has a lot to learn. That star position has to help get us lined up a lot. They threw a lot at you though, I’ll say that. Stuff that we really haven’t seen. That was a difficult challenge. Truthfully, we met this morning, and we were just toying with all the different combinations with our current injuries back there. On what’s best and hopefully DK can play and move into the star position. Also, maybe move J.D. (Rhym) there, play the younger corners, and leave Caleb at the high safety. We are not sure. We got to have two deep to function, and we are just trying to figure out what the best combination is. We are not real sure just yet, but Caleb will be a part of it. Either at the star or one of the safeties.” Zach Bland/Auburn Tigers “A lot the other night. I’m not sure how many completions Payton (Thorne) had, but I bet 10 or 12 of them were on runs. It’s really a box count issue – if you have six guys to block in the box and there is a seventh (defensive) hat that is present, then the ball should be thrown. That’s about as simple as I can put it. The other night we were efficient at the RPOs. Robby was also efficient. He was 2-for-2 on RPOs.” Austin Perryman/Auburn Athletics “He had his best game on Saturday and he started to learn obviously. They’re just young. I like all these young guys. I think our young DBs will be good too. But they are still swimming a bit. Learning everything that can get thrown in a game at you at this level. But he had his best game for sure. And we’re going to need him moving forward to continue to improve, but he’s got the ability to do that.” Austin Perryman/Auburn Athletics “We haven’t done really well rushing the passer with just the front. Jalen McLeod has been hurt two of the three games and hasn’t been able to perform. He’s probably our best pass rusher and we’ve missed having him healthy for sure. We’ve had to create it in other ways; they present a great challenge. Their quarterback has thrown for 900 yards and eight TDs. They have great receivers, One of the best I’ve ever seen in (Evan) Stewart. He’s really talented and I think they’re doing some really good things offensively. They’re going to be a great challenge for us to try to keep them under. Hopefully keeping them from having explosive plays, particularly ones that lead points.” John Reed-USA TODAY Sports “Not our best game. Though our pad level was high. Again, they were really committed to stopping the run. Their backers were two yards deep. And their safeties were down in a hurry, but we could’ve have played more physically. I did believe that. So, it wasn’t our best. It wasn’t as good as the Cal game or the UMass game. I think (Kam) Stutts kind of sets the tone and to losing him; he’s kind of the leader and the bell cow of that group.” Michael Chang/Getty Images “Draw up a play that we want to run with him and get him on the field. That’s usually the way it works. Let’s go with these personnel and put him here and let’s see if we can get him a touch or two, because I think he’s the fastest kid we have in that room and speed is a good thing. I like all of those guys, but they are just a little different. With the ball in his hands on the perimeter is a little different than the others. It’s just a matter of us figuring out what we can handle within the scheme of what we are doing, what he can handle, and the understanding that we have within it. We’ll always be trying to find a few ways to get him some touches.” Austin Perryman/Auburn Tigers “Well, two of the three games, we have played a lot of kids and that is helpful to get live reps. Do we want to be different at A&M? Yes. It is a different skillset they are going to play against, a different environment and I don’t know exactly how they’ll respond but we are forced into it at some spots, truthfully, and they’re going to have to grow up pretty fast.” © Nathan Papes/Springfield News-Leader / USA TODAY NETWORK “He’s very good schematically, very good at scheming. Obviously checks a lot of his runs based on the looks that you have. That makes it difficult and he’s usually right. I think we have to do a great job at disguising things. He’s going to make you stop 12 personnel and spread sets and everything that makes it challenging. And then you combine the talent level he’s coaching with his balance of offensive play action and passes and runs and a quarterback that can extend his legs when he needs to. It’s a very difficult task.” John Reed-USA TODAY Sports “Every game you are going to have an idea that something is advantageous for you to do, some of it you’ve done, some of it you haven’t. That’s pretty normal from game to game. You pick up on a few things you see on tape and think, ‘Hey, we have this, or we might use it this week.’ There will be some things but obviously if you are going to be really good at something, you have to practice it. So, you can’t do too many other things than what your kids have already done – particularly, us with our young receivers and they are just now feeling their way around with all this. I would hate to change too much on them but you’re always going to look for a few things that can help you compete in the game.” Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports “It is a great concern. I want to be really clear; we are getting ready to play three teams that have – over the last four to five years – ranked in the top seven to five in recruiting. You are playing the best recruits in the nation. We are going to be there soon. That doesn’t mean you can’t compete. There is a reason they are third in the nation on third-down defense. They have a bunch of five-stars in the defensive line, linebacker and that safety, and that corner. They are really talented. When you put on the film you see that. Their closing speed is incredible. They are physical up front, and it is a 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 is our goal to get there. But that is what reality is, we have had about eight months to recruit about half a class and these others have been stacking it, and that is why they are ranked third in the country (on third-down defense).”

si.com Hugh Freeze on RB Jeremiah Cobb: 'we'll always be finding ways to get him touches' Jack Singley ~3 minutes Freeze highlighted the need to get Cobb on the field. True freshmen rarely see the light of day in the SEC, but running backs seem to be the exception to that rule. Auburn hopes Jeremiah Cobb can be an excellent rotational back similar to how Jarquez Hunter, JaTarvious Whitlow, and Tank Bigsby were used in their freshman season. Freeze was asked about the process of getting Cobb on the field during his Monday morning press conference. "Draw up a play we want to run with him and get him out on the field," Freeze said. So far this season that plan has seemed to work, during his first three games for the Tigers, Cobb has had 12 carries for 80 yards and an impressive touchdown against UMass. He also has three receptions for 18 yards. The coaching staff has made it a point to get him touches and snaps in any way possible. Cobb lined up at wide receiver a few times during the Samford game, a position he doesn't find to be odd as during his senior season at Montgomery Catholic he had almost 400 receiving yards on the year with five touchdowns. This ability is something Freeze wants to utilize. "It is a matter of figuring out what we can handle within the scheme and what he can handle while understanding that we'll always be finding ways to get him touches," he said. With the staff and Cobb seeming to agree to forego a potential redshirt, expect to see him emerge both in the running game and the receiving game as the season progresses.

247sports.com Cobb brings something a little different for Auburn offense Jason Caldwell 4–5 minutes VIDEO: Late Kick: Colorado is "the story" of the entire sport of football One of Auburn’s most important positions on either side of the ball will be missing its top player for the foreseeable future. Keionte Scott suffered a high-ankle sprain against Samford, a source close to the situation told Auburn Undercover, and Hugh Freeze said Monday that Scott will undergo surgery and miss “considerable time.” The No. 2 returning tackler from last season’s time, Scott’s injury now leaves a sizable void in the middle of coordinator Ron Roberts’ defense — and "it's a great challenge," Freeze said. The role now falls to redshirt junior Donovan Kaufman, who missed the Samford win after entering concussion protocol the previous game at Cal. Freeze said "I think (Kaufman) will be fine," after it seemed he was held out against Samford as a precaution. "We met this morning, and we're just toying with all the different combinations with our current injuries back there," Freeze said. When Scott went down on the first drive of the game against Samford, Auburn turned to Caleb Wooden at the star position. The younger brother of former Auburn defensive lineman Colby Wooden, who was drafted in the fourth round by the Packers earlier this year, Caleb had easily the best game of his college career against Samford. The redshirt freshman led Auburn with six tackles, plus 1.5 tackles for loss. According to Pro Football Focus, Wooden had three solo stops in the game — meaning three individual plays that constitute an offensive failure — and finished with Auburn's highest tackling grade (82.1). "Solid, but he's got a lot to learn and help with — because that star position's got to help get us lined up a lot," Freeze said of Wooden. "(Samford) threw a lot at you now, I'll say that. Stuff that we really hadn't seen." Freeze floated the idea of sophomore cornerback J.D. Rhym working some at nickel, which could allow Wooden so slide back and see the field some at safety if Kaufman plays. Rhym missed the first two games of the season while recovering from a lower-body injury from the offseason, but he returned with a bang Saturday against Samford. The sophomore snatched his first career interception in the second quarter. “I’m glad to see him out there again,” safety Jaylin Simpson said after the game. “He’s been hurt. He’s been through a lot. Just glad to see him out there and for his first game back when he’s actually playing, going in there and getting a pick. That’s what I know he can do. It’s been hurting all of us that he can’t play.” The Tigers are now one of only 24 teams in the country with at least five interceptions on the season, a trend they'll hope to continue Saturday. Texas A&M quarterback Conner Weigman is top 20 nationally in attempts this season, already with 909 yards, eight touchdowns and two interceptions through three games. "To get some turnovers in these games, particularly on the road, would be extremely helpful if we can take care of the ball," Freeze said. "We’ve got to continue to work on that. Turnovers would play a huge role if we could pick off a few of those in this game." The health of senior cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett will be a factor in the Tigers’ secondary equation, too. After returning to school in hopes of being part of one of the SEC’s best coverage duos with D.J. James, Pritchett has yet to play this season while dealing with an ankle injury. True freshman Kayin Lee has been strong stepping into that spot, but Pritchett’s potential return in the team’s first SEC matchup would be significant for Auburn’s depth in the secondary. He'd look to add to Auburn's success generating takeaways at defensive back this year. "We've got to have two deep to function, and we're just trying to figure out what the best combination is there," Freeze said. "And we're not real sure, just yet, what that looks like." Auburn begins SEC play this Saturday at Texas A&M, with kickoff set for 11 a.m. CDT on ESPN. Auburn had previously won four straight in College Station before losing 20-3 in 2021.

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

247sports.com PMARSHONAU A victory for the ages propelled Auburn to a championship Phillip Marshall 4–6 minutes AUBURN, Alabama - As Auburn players and coaches streamed into their locker room at Kyle Field on the afternoon of Oct. 19, 2013, they felt the joy and satisfaction known only to those who have faced a great challenge, met it head-on and emerged victorious. In a game that lives still in the history of Auburn football, the Tigers of 2013 scored three touchdowns in the fourth quarter to wipe out a 10-point deficit and then turned Texas A&M and Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Johnny Manziel away in the red zone to leave the happy score, for Auburn folks, flaming in lights. Auburn 45, Texas A&M 41. In the locker room, they hugged, they laughed, they cried. They screamed for sheer joy. They sang "War Eagle" at the top of their lungs. It was a victory for the ages. Above the happy din, first-year head coach Gus Malzahn called his players to gather around. A year earlier they had been 1-6. On this day, they were 6-1. "You guys deserve all the credit, and I'm unbelievably proud of you guys," Malzahn told his team. "... We beat one of the top programs in the country on their home field with the Heisman Trophy winner." For players who suffered through the 2012 season, who watched Texas A&M romp to a 63-21 victory at Jordan-Hare Stadium, it was a moment so sweet as to defy description. It wasn't easy. Lord knows, it wasn't easy. No. 7 Texas A&M had lost only a 49-42 shootout against Alabama and was a 10-point favorite. Manziel and his teammates did not give in easily. Manziel and remarkably talented wide receiver Mike Evans made play after play. It seemed for a time they had made enough, then that they hadn't, then that they had again. But junior Auburn quarterback Nick Marshall made play after play, too. He passed for 236 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 113 yards and two touchdowns. Tre Mason, on his way to the most prolific rushing season in Auburn history, ran for 178 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries. And perhaps most importantly, Auburn's offensive line not-so-politely put a beating on the Aggies' defenders up front to the tune of 379 rushing yards. Marshall directed touchdown drives of 75, 69 and 75 yards in the final quarter. There were other heroes. Freshman Marcus Davis, now Auburn’s wide receivers coach, made a remarkable third-down catch for 27 yards on Auburn’s final touchdown drive, reaching around the defender to snag the ball with one hand. On Texas A&M’s final drive, on third-and-18 at Auburn’s 26, Manziel broke contain and seemed headed for what would have likely been the winning touchdown. Linebacker Kris Fost raced from the middle of the field and caught him on the sideline for a 5-yard again. On the next play, relentless Dee Ford chased Manziel down and sacked him for a 22-yard loss, his second sack in three plays. Ryan White, who had moved from cornerback to safety because of an injury to Josh Holsey, stopped an earlier Texas A&M drive with a red-zone interception. Auburn trailed 34-24 starting the fourth quarter. That’s when things got wild. The Tigers drove 75 yards in seven plays to Marhsall’s 13-yard touchdown run to make it 34-31. After forcing a punt, they drove 69 yards in five plays. Backup running back Cameron Artis-Payne got the touchdown on a two-yard run to give Auburn a 38-34 lead. Texas A&M answered with a 75-yard drive in 12 plays. Manziel scored from the 1, and the Aggies led 41-38. Auburn answered, driving 75 yards in 13 plays. Mason scored on a 5-yard run and Auburn led 45-41. Quarterback Nick Marshall ran for two touchdowns and threw for two in Auburn's victory. (Photo: Auburn University Athletics) The Aggies started from their own 35 with 1:19 left in the game and got as far as the Auburn 18. Ford sacked Manziel for an 8-yard loss, setting the stage for the biggest sack of his college career. The defense gave up 602 yards. Most days that would be cause for concern, but on this day, good defense was holding Texas A&M to fewer points than you got. And the men who played defense for Auburn did it. Just about everybody who had anything to do with Auburn football was feeling good as night fell on that October Saturday. Auburn football was back. Still to come were an SEC championship and a trip to the BCS Championship Game. Auburn goes back to College Station on Saturday, this time with a 3-0 record. Like 2013, there aren’t many believers. On Saturday, another story will be told.

i think the cal game helped us to prepare for this one. but it is their home turf and we have a lot of players hurt. i think if we play lights out we have a chance. i want the win but we are young and still learning so i would be happy if we do not get run out of the stadium. we have kind of been jeklle and hyde. again if thorne plays his best and the d gets going i think we sneak in a win here.

i am as well. with everyone we have a chance even if it is a long one. road game and those kids will want to protect their house. and bobby has their stats up. jim gets conservative too often and if he was calling the game i would feel better.

remember when freeze said he told four people about who the qb would be and it got out? i assume it was the players that he told. if so maybe robbie is supposed to be a secret to spring on someone so he was denying it to maybe stay out of the doghouse? i like to give our players the benefit of the doubt when i can.

make us a list...........lol

i would be less worried if we got all our guys back. and i read the like to throw and bobby is a great coach so we will have our hands full. we need to lay the wood on some folks............

when i get fired up i sound like Denzel washington on Remember The Titans.

it appears we have the best secondary we have had in a long time. a long time. i always heard we would be great in the past and i felt like we came up short too much. now we seem like we have really stepped up our game. is it some kind of new scheme? better players? is it better position coaching? i am no expert so i am interested. but let me say the secondary has been a wonderful surprise to me and i love the way we ball hawk to get those take a ways. how far off base am i?

bad feeling or just common sense? it will be a hard game i do believe. jimbo fighting for his job and all. and bobby p worries me if he has not lost a step. i do not care for himbut i thought he was a great "O" coach............

my bad..............but he has mental issues like talking so it did effect him and you were one wanting him removed.as far as whataboutism i just ignored because you like to try and muddy the water with bullsh*t all the time. i am not doing this all day. hell i am not the only one that feels this way on here. and hey sissy. i post my snarky stuff on the snarky board. last time there is nothing you can say to me about fetterman. i would do the same for a republican.have you seen me bash mr freeze? no you have not. i do not like him but i do have sympathy for him. you are just hater and you prove it almost every single day. i am done.

i love this! we have already been picked by some to win this saturday.

yes. i always thought shut the hell up and kill those folks.........lol i cannot believe there are only two articles out about aTm but it will all hit later i am sure when i am at the docs office.........have a goodone and thanx for stopping by.

247sports.com Jason Caldwells Monday morning quarterback column Jason Caldwell 13–16 minutes Talking Auburn football, Southeastern Conference and more. Tough test ahead After three non-conference games to open the 2023 season, coach Hugh Freeze and the Auburn Tigers will get a huge test on Saturday when they travel to Texas A&M to face the Aggies. I think it’s going to be a really, really difficult situation for the Tigers and it reminds me of what Tennessee walked into over the weekend at Florida. With the fanbase already on edge, Florida’s loss to Utah put the Gators in must-win territory considering the rest of the schedule left this season. The same is true of Texas A&M after a road loss at Miami in week two. A loss to Auburn on Saturday would be a huge blow considering the rest of the schedule and would put Jimbo Fisher squarely on the hot seat, huge contract or not. Despite what Auburn’s defense has done through three games, this feels like a situation where the Tigers are going to need to put some points on the board. That means getting off to a strong start with the way the rules have changed, allowing the clock to run after first downs and going out of bounds. It has limited possessions, making going on the road even tougher because you have to maximize the opportunities on offense. It’s very early in the week, but right now I’m thinking the key is going to be Auburn’s pass rush against the Aggies. With eight sacks in three games, the Tigers have done a solid job of creating some pressure but four of those have come from linebackers and secondary. Can Auburn get pressure with the front and play defense without having to blitz all day? If you look up Saturday and guys like Marcus Harris, Jalen McLeod and others are in the backfield, it will be a good day. If Conner Weigman has time to throw the ball to guys like Ainias Smith, Evan Stewart and Noah Thomas, it will be a long, long day for Auburn in College Station. Thoughts from around the SEC Three weeks into the season and I’m not sure there’s an elite team in the league at the moment. Georgia is still one of the most talented teams in the country, as is Alabama, but both have some serious issues on offense at the moment. LSU looked like a team that can beat anyone after they trashed Mississippi State over the weekend, but the Bulldogs look terrible to this point with a new offensive system. Tennessee has a long way to go to get back to what they were last season. Ole Miss has been maybe the most consistent team through three weeks, but struggled against Tulane without its starting quarterback two weeks ago. I’m not sure what’s going to happen the rest of the way, but I think we’re going to see a whole bunch of 6-6, 7-5 teams before this year is done. Auburn NIL store now up and running One of the things that was talked about early in the new NIL era was the ability for student-athletes to profit off jersey sales as part of the process. That’s now going to be available in Auburn with a new team store open in downtown Auburn that is going to make that a reality. Jerseys are going to be available for different sports and they can be printed on-site for fans to support their favorite Auburn players as long as they have signed up for the program, which most have from what I understand. They are just opening the doors, so it’s expected to be a program and service that continues to grow throughout the fall. Exit Survey: Parting thoughts on Auburn's 45-13 win over Samford Dive in for our plays of the game, helmet stickers and exiting analysis on the victory at Jordan-Hare Stadium VIDEO: Late Kick: BYU overcomes Arkansas The Tigers still had too many self-inflicted issues for Hugh Freeze's liking, but ultimately came away with a comfortable win over Samford on homecoming, 45-13, behind an inspired showing from quarterback Payton Thorne, and another strong defensive outing. Two of our football reporters — Jason Caldwell and Nathan King — took another look at Auburn's win over the Bulldogs with some superlatives and final thoughts from the game in the Auburn Undercover Exit Survey. Dive in for our plays of the game, helmet stickers, areas of concern and exiting analysis on the victory at Jordan-Hare Stadium — and what our observations could mean for the Tigers entering SEC play this coming weekend. PLAY OF THE GAME (OFFENSE) Jason: "For me, it’s probably the double move by Shane Hooks and a great throw by Payton Thorne for a 32-yard touchdown. Auburn has some routes they haven’t shown much of yet, and that’s really one of the first times we have seen a double move by a wide receiver. It worked to perfection on a day when Auburn decided to work on the passing game." Nathan: "Thorne really got to show off his legs on a 38-yard run in the third quarter that was originally ruled a touchdown. His burst from the pocket probably surprised some fans, and it certainly surprised Samford's defense. Thorne was ruled out at the 1, and Jarquez Hunter got into the end zone on the next play. It was the longest of a few explosive runs by Thorne in the game, as his running ability was easily the biggest positive to come away from Saturday night's victory. That play and ensuing touchdown also immediately followed Samford's first scoring drive of the game, and made the game a lot more comfortable at 31-7 in the third quarter." ‌ PLAY OF THE GAME (DEFENSE) Jason: "The interception by Jaylin Simpson in the second quarter was one of the key plays in the game for me. Following a J.D. Rhym pick, Auburn gave the ball right back to the Bulldogs on the second interception of the day by Thorne. Simpson got the ball back on the second play and returned it 12 yards to the Samford 22. Six plays later the Tigers led 14-0 and could take a deep breath following a slow start." Nathan: "It had to have been a big confidence boost for the sophomore cornerback Rhym to get a pick in his first game back from injury. Rhym had been hearing everyone talk about the impressive play of freshman Kayin Lee, as senior starting cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett continues to be sidelined with an ankle issue, but Rhym showed on an impressive interception why he was one of the team's best freshmen last season. Rhym covered his receiver masterfully on the sideline, then boxed him out and used his length to rise up and grab the interception in a jump-ball setting. Samford hadn't done much on offense to that point, but the Tigers' first takeaway of the game helped continue to give the offense chances to erase a mistake-heavy start." ‌ HELMET STICKER (OFFENSE) Jason: "There’s no question this is Thorne. He had a huge game despite a pair of early mistakes. Thorne completed 24-32 passes for 282 yards and a touchdown while adding 123 yards on the ground and two more scores. It was exactly the type of game that Auburn needed out of its quarterback heading into SEC play." Nathan: "Yes, Auburn was facing likely the worst defense it will see all season, but Saturday's showing should still inspire confidence for Thorne. For the first time this season, the Michigan State transfer looked like the type of quarterback Auburn needs to run its offense this season: decisive, accurate and mobile. His 75 percent completion rate is the highest of his career on that many attempts. Thorne still had a couple early mistakes that put Auburn behind the 8-ball, and he'll need to continue to clean those up heading into SEC competition. But he responded to the pressure Freeze applied on him to step up this week — both with his arm and his legs." ‌ HELMET STICKER (DEFENSE) Jason: "I’m going to go with cornerback D.J. James. He was all over the field and continues to lock down his side of the field with his coverage ability. He also came up and stuck his head in to help with the running game on Saturday. Playing at a high level at the moment." Nathan: "Auburn was already down Donovan Kaufman after last week's head injury, then Keionte Scott left the game after the first drive with an apparent ankle injury. That left sophomore Caleb Wooden to occupy a large chunk of the snaps at nickel, and he didn't disappoint. Wooden had the best game of his Auburn career to date, leading the team with six tackles, plus 1.5 tackles for loss. According to Pro Football Focus, Wooden had three solo stops in the game — meaning three individual plays that constitute an offensive failure — and finished with Auburn's highest tackling grade (82.1)." ‌ HELMET STICKER (SPECIAL TEAMS) Jason: "It may not happen, but I’ll be very surprised if Brian Battie doesn’t return a kickoff for a touchdown this season. He just has a knack for making guys miss and getting good yardage. He did that again for the Tigers against Samford with three returns for 89 yards." Nathan: "For the second straight week, I'm picking Simpson. Not only did he bring pressure off the edge when Samford missed an extra point, but Simpson also fielded the team's final punt return cleanly after the Tigers had two muffs earlier in the game. Simpson said postgame he's only been fielding punts in practice for a couple weeks, and it started as "a joke" with special teams coordinator Tanner Burns because Simpson wanted to see if he could successfully do it. Cut to Saturday, and Simpson said Burns found him on the sideline and told him he'd be taking the next punt. Simpson was surprised he was asked to do it but made the fair catch cleanly." ‌ WHERE AUBURN TOOK A STEP FORWARD Jason: "The passing game took some big strides forward even though it was against Samford. Auburn got some guys open and pushed the ball down the field in one-on-one situations. That has to continue until teams stop loading the box. If Thorne makes the right decisions, this offense has a chance to make plays in the passing game." Nathan: "This game would have felt even more convincing for a previously struggling passing attack if Thorne hadn't thrown his two interceptions. Other than those two decisions, though, Auburn wanted a get-right game through the air, and it got one. Its starting quarterback passed for nearly 300 yards with a 75 percent clip, had four explosive completions of 30 or more yards, and his mobility was an added plus. Texas A&M's defensive talent is going to be like playing a completely different sport compared to what Thorne faced Saturday, but the Tigers knew they'd have opportunities to iron out some issues throwing the ball, and for the most part, they executed their game plan." ‌ WHERE AUBURN TOOK A STEP BACK Jason: "As good as the passing game was, that’s how much the running game struggled against Samford. I mentioned that some of that came when the Bulldogs stacked the line of scrimmage, but there’s still not enough push coming in the run game to give the backs a chance to find running room. That has to get much better." Nathan: "It shouldn't matter too much if an FCS defense is stacking the box: Auburn's run-blocking still left plenty to be desired. Offensive guard Jeremiah Wright said postgame that the communication was lacking, and that there were instances of offensive linemen heading the wrong way on blocks, or whiffing on plays altogether. As a result, Auburn's running backs averaged just 3.1 yards per carry, as Hunter has still yet to look very explosive since returning from his one-game suspension. Those issues don't need to linger into next week, as Texas A&M will also likely dare Auburn to win the game through the air in a road environment." ‌ BIGGEST SURPRISE? Jason: "I’m going with the running game. I thought this team was going to have a chance to be really good on the ground. That hasn’t really been the case to this point." Nathan: "I'll admit, I didn't know Thorne could move like that. He talked this preseason about his 2022 injury at Michigan State and how it limited one of the more important elements of his game, but as Thorne said Saturday, he's never really been in an offense that wanted to showcase his mobility until now. Not that there should be a ton of overreaction to a showing against an FCS opponent, but if Thorne can add another factor to keep defenses on their toes this season and possibly open more opportunities for his teammates, that's a plus." ‌ Did this outcome affect your thoughts on Auburn’s trajectory early this season? Jason: "It didn’t have any impact for me. There are still holes on the roster that could create issues for this team beginning this week at Texas A&M. I do think Saturday was a step in the right direction, but still a long way to go for this team." Nathan: "Not necessarily. I expected Auburn to go into this matchup ready to sling the ball around the field, forcing some of its prior passing-game issues to work themselves out. That's exactly what the Tigers did, and they did so fairly successfully. Now the real tests begin, and they kick off in brutal fashion, with three straight games to open SEC competition against some of the most talented teams in college football: Texas A&M, Georgia and LSU. I'd thought Auburn would need its best performance of the season to date to win any of these games, and that's still the case. The Tigers have shown flashes through three weeks, and now it's time to put it all together in hopes of stealing a conference victory."

auburnwire.usatoday.com Auburn vs. Texas A&M: Prediction, point spread, odds, best bet JD McCarthy 3–4 minutes It wasn’t always pretty but Auburn has made it through its non-conference schedule 3-0 and it is time for their SEC opener against the Texas A&M Aggies. Auburn is set to head to College Station for the showdown and for the first time this season they are the underdogs. BetMGM has the Aggies favored by seven points in their opening lines. Buy Tigers Tickets Texas A&M enters the matchup 2-1 and is fresh off of a dominant 47-3 win over Louisiana-Monroe. It was a much-needed win for the Aggies, who lost 48-33 to the Miami Hurricanes in Week 2, only increasing the scrutiny of head coach Jimbo Fisher. Auburn is looking to pick up its second straight win over Texas A&M after beating them 13-10 last season. The Tigers were led by interim head coach Cadillac Williams and ran all over the Aggies, Tank Bigsby and Jarquez Hunter both rushed for over 100 yards. The game it is set to start at 11 a.m. CT and will be on ESPN. Here is everything you need to know before you place any bets on the game. The lines, courtesy of BetMGM Auburn Point spread: +7 (-110) Texas A&M Point spread: -7 (-110) Over/Under: 52.5 (-110) Click here to place your bets at BetMGM. Auburn Texas A&M WR Evan Stewart Undisclosed Day-to-day RB Noah Thomas Undisclosed Day-to-day TE Donovan Green Knee OUT Both of these teams have taken care of business against overmatched opponents but struggled against teams of similar talent. The difference is that Auburn was able to pull out the victory over Cal while Texas A&M lost to Miami. The Texas A&M offense looks improved with the addition of offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino but the defense was exposed in their game against Miami. Payton Thorne had his best passing game of the season last week and he will look to keep it going against a suspect Texas A&M secondary. Auburn’s defense will be able to slow down the Texas A&M offense and some timely turnovers will allow Auburn’s offense to do just enough to pick up the win Saturday in College Station. Prediction: Auburn 23, Texas A&M 20 Get more betting analysis and predictions at Sportsbook Wire. Gannett may earn revenue from sports betting operators for audience referrals to betting services. Sports betting operators have no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. See applicable operator site for its terms and conditions. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, help is available. Call the National Council on Problem Gambling 24/7 at 1-800-GAMBLER. Must be 21 or older to gamble. Gannett may earn revenue from sports betting operators for audience referrals to betting services. Sports betting operators have no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. Terms apply, see operator site for Terms and Conditions. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, help is available. Call the National Council on Problem Gambling 24/7 at 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ, OH), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN). Must be 21 or older to gamble. Sports betting and gambling are not legal in all locations. Be sure to comply with laws applicable where you reside.

just stop dude..............you have dug a hole you cannot get out of. how miserable you must be. it is called class and honor which you maga's or supposed ex magas........"but i will vote for trump again if biden is running". you smear everything that is not republican while taking up for some of the slimiest degenerates that ever hit politics. and you act like fetterman deserves no love because he ignored his doctor.really? that hole will have you in china soon. you are a poor role model for christians i can sure tell you. oh yeah.........run tell the mods how mean i am to ya again...............

so who won and what did they win? money? i am a little short til payday.ibought enough TP to roll harsins house and that stuff is expensive. i did get the extra soft since he is such a wuss................

jj come fly in and pick me up and lets go roll the culprits house that made the bad call. i guess i am wrong as i do not know about little things like why the safety was not one. i readily admit i am just a fan.

did you see the beginning where they spotlight our logo centerfield? it was so cool. i have not watched it all yet. i was digging for articles and doing some me stuff. i will watch it later. i will check out the saw thing. are you talking movies or tools? lol i did not care for the movies....................