aubiefifty

well he said likely. also it was on the rant board and not the team board but auburn fans are saying it. and they say it will not bode well for us under the "auburn just beinf auburn.

according to a guy on the auburn board of the rant. i have found nothing on the Cal sites. anyone heard anything?

yahoo.com Auburn gains votes in latest US LBM Coaches Poll JD McCarthyTue, September 5, 2023 at 12:46 PM CDT·2 min read0Link Copied ~2 minutes For the second straight week, the Auburn Tigers find themselves receiving votes in the US LBM Coaches Poll but not enough to be ranked. The Tigers saw a slight increase in their votes after starting the Hugh Freeze era off with a dominant 59-14 win over UMass in Jordan-Hare Stadium. Going from 18 votes in the preseason poll to 22 in the latest edition. That puts them behind seven other teams in the SEC, No. 1 Georgia, No. 3 Alabama, No. 9 Tennessee, No. 14 LSU, No. 20 Ole Miss, No. 23 Texas A&M and Kentucky, who received 50 votes. The Tigers will have another chance to rise up the rankings this week when they travel to California to take on the Cal Golden Bears (1-0). Here is a look at the full poll: Schools Dropped Out No. 16 Texas Christian; No. 24 Texas Tech. Others Receiving Votes Iowa 111; Pittsburgh 53; Kentucky 50; UCLA 44; Texas Christian 40; Fresno State 30; Miami 22; Auburn 22; Arkansas 18; Maryland 14; Missouri 13; Troy 11; Oklahoma State 11; NC State 10; Illinois 9; Wyoming 8; Washington State 7; Wake Forest 7; Air Force 7; Minnesota 6; Mississippi State 5; South Carolina 4; Kansas 4; Texas Tech 3; Southern Methodist 3; Central Florida 3; Houston 2; Texas-San Antonio 1; Michigan State 1; Memphis 1; Louisville 1; James Madison 1; Arizona 1. Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow JD on Twitter @jdmccarthy15. Story originally appeared on Auburn Wire

yes they have lbn or something like that partnered with them. retired coaches maybe? it lists their names in small print if i did not screw the link up.

lol. i took a half this morning. i like a buzz but not 24/7. lol

there was a time i would fight you over Auburn quicker than i would if you insulted my mother. but then my mom had a nasty right along with a decent jab..............grins

i do too much overthinking. again i do not want something for nothing i just think we are better than 22 points. it just comes off as insulting.

i believe that dang dirty hars took some of that buyout money and spent it bribing folks to make us look worse so he looks better..................um this is a joke for those not sure.

i still think we are better. i know the minutemen are not world beaters but they looked decent in their win. also i expect a big jump performance wise since the biggest strides made are between the first two games normally?

i get all that but you guys are missing my point. i feel we have been disrespected. i just woke up from a nap so maybe i am just crabby but i am not pleased. i think we are better than what we received.

i get that but only 22 votes? am i wrong to think this is messed up? this means damn near everyone thinks we suck,right?

either the folks posting or youtube are kinda strange. i post podcasts that took a couple or three days to show up and i do not understand. i do auburn tiger football and even tried auburn football tiger news. both will show you somewhat different post which i find strange. maybe it is the gummies........

we received 22 votes. number one received 1647. that is one hell of difference. i know we have a ways to go but i believe we are better than they claim. i hope coach and company use this for bulletin board material. it appears almost disrespectful. now let me say i do not want something for nothing like other fans but good grief. https://sports.yahoo.com/georgia-remains-no-1-florida-171521315.html?

did he have us all fooled? did the change in assistant coaches hurt him that much? they looked unbeatable and it has gotten so bad he brought chad morris back in and they still suck. he can forget bama ar this rate. hell they might let him go if he has another bad year or two. i never cared for him much other than he took care of his mother.

lookstome like the mean green played like walmart greeters.......

sounds like someone dialed it in huh? i missed it but i try to get most articles posted before i go back and read what interests me.

wvtm13.com 'It will be a great challenge for us': Hugh Freeze ahead of Auburn traveling to California Kari Osep 25–32 minutes 'It will be a great challenge for us': Hugh Freeze ahead of Auburn traveling to California Video Player is loading. Current Time 0:00 Duration 0:00 Remaining Time 0:00 ✕ Yeah, we just, uh, we just had our truth meeting. Uh, the schedule is *** little different today with, uh, obviously being Labor Day. And so we're trying to get through, uh, practice and meetings *** bit earlier today to try to gain some extra rest and maybe some extra, uh, game plan today so that we can this, this week's *** little different. So we've, uh, we're trying to get *** jump start, but I, I'll share with you what I shared with them on the, the truth of the game. I thought our special teams, the po positives where we started really fast. I think we had 100 and 31 return yards in the first quarter, which was pretty awesome. Uh, average first half starting field position was the plus 35 and the plus 48 for the whole game. So that's, that's really good. The effort was incredible in the first half thought the negatives on the special teams where we didn't finish the same way that we started, uh, had *** few loaves and six missed tackles in the second half. Um, punt was just average punt coverage was just average defensively. I thought one of 11 on 3rd and 4th downs, those are critical downs and that's ***, that's *** great percentage that created 13 negative plays two turnovers and had zero penalties on, um, on defense thought that was really nice. The, the big glaring negative, um, that we got by with in this game, but we will not get by with in future games is, um, alignment and assignment and that's frustrating to me. Um, but we, we had numerous snaps, probably 15. I think it was that, uh, we're just, we're not lined up properly and it's gonna, it's gonna bite us big time if, um, if that continues to, to be the issue. So we did have *** lot of young kids out there, but nobody is gonna write that and nobody's gonna, it's not gonna make you feel better sitting in the film room. Um, after *** week that it, it bites you. If it's one thing. If we, if somebody makes us miss *** tackle or like this back this week, we'll, um, that's one thing but for us to be aligned improperly and, um, be *** gap short or it's just or not be on the same page and with all 11 on the back end, especially that it will burn you. And, um, that was outside of, outside of that. I, I thought our, our kids played hard uh after the first drive and I thought, uh they created negative plays and obviously the turnovers won for *** score was huge, but we cannot continue to not be on the same page offensively, 7.6 yards of carry, which is great. I thought our tempo was good. 11 explosive plays, no turnovers, six of 10 for third down 100% in the red zone. So there's *** lot of good things. Um, offensively, I think the biggest negative is our perimeter blocking and are still the understanding of our routes. Uh, we're not, we don't understand landmarks and spacing, uh, really, really well and our quarterback decision making needs to be 100% or at least high nineties. And, uh, we, we had three bad decisions. Um, but the biggest truth of the, of the, of the day is we want to know and we defended our home and we celebrate that, but certainly there's *** lot that we can improve on as we look forward to. Cal. Cal is, uh, gosh, they're, they're talented. They're, uh, Wilcox is *** great defensive mind. They're very sound on that side, not flashy but sound and, um, he, he's does *** really nice job there and then offensively, they're extremely scary. Uh, that tail back is he's one of the best ones I've seen and, um, obviously they had 670 yards, I think it was last week and, um, go fast, they got about 100 plays in the game and had, uh, eight receivers with two or more catches and, um, you know, so the starting quarterback went out, the other kid came in and steal, threw for all these yards. So they've got depth and I think the tail back is really, really special and, um, it will be, it will be *** great challenge for us. Uh, as we go on the road to, to cal of it, you, you, when you, you, you talked about going on the road to, to cal how much of *** challenge is that when you go across the country, how much experience have you had in, in doing that with *** team before? Uh The only experience I had was BYU, which we were in from the east Coast. So that, that was ***, it was *** long trip. But um you know, I, I told our team when I, I taught my, my lesson for the week this morning with them. And um that's one of the challenges I have for me is uh to embrace it because I don't like it. I don't like scheduling teams on the west Coast. I just soon play somebody over here on the East Coast, but it was done. And, and so me complaining or not embracing it is not the proper response. And so um I, I'm, I haven't, the only one I've done is BYU it was *** challenge and this one is even further in another time zone. Um So, um I think it creates some, some challenges but this will be *** good test for all of us, coaches, training, staff, nutritionists, strength, staff, support staff players, how do we handle, you know, if things are *** little uncomfortable or it's not exactly the way we want it. And I'm speaking to myself as much as anyone and you've got to play *** really good football team and, uh, at their place when our body times are 9 30 or 10 at night and we're kicking it off. And so all of that's gonna be *** challenge. But you know what, that's what life is and so how we approach it and the attitude we have for the opportunity we have, it ought to be one of gratitude and thankfulness and, and we gotta suck it up and, and, and fly *** long flight and that's what we got to do and we get another opportunity to represent this school, our conference, um and, and each other and so let's, let's go make the most of it. Stay here with you guys. So many different offensive linemen getting in the game even before it was, was kind of out of hand. Do you and Jake have *** sort of *** timeline? Do you want to settle on *** five early in the season or are you comfortable continuing that rotation? Uh I think is if we continue to push the boundaries and go fast, I think we're, we're really comfortable with 8 to 9 guys. Um I don't know that we would go any beyond that if, if, if the game is still in question, but I don't think there's ***, you know, you have the five that rolled out there, the first series. I don't like calling them. Y'all already know my, I don't like calling our first team but they roll rolled out there the first series and, um, and then I think the second series Jeremiah was out there and, uh, I don't know when Tate showed up or Connor or, um, but, you know, we, we played those eight pretty damn quick, I think. And, uh, so, you know, I think you gotta keep them fresh and, you know, maybe some weeks that, uh it's better that Jeremiah rolls out there. The first series, depending on what kind of front you're playing. He's got more girth to him. Um, obviously. But, uh, uh really the reason we did what we did this past week was because of all the chaotic looks and Gunner has *** really, really sharp IQ and we felt like he and Dylan and, and Stutz beside, uh, too tall was ***, *** really good combination so that we, the chances of us having, giving up negative plays against the Don Brown, um, different looks. I thought we were lessened by having Gunner on one side and cam on one side. And that's, that's the reason that that's who rolled out there. The, the first series you talked *** lot about the wide receivers in, in, in the fall. Uh, how did you feel like they did in their first game? Especially getting hooked up with some, some big plays downfield with, with Peyton. Yeah. I mean, they made some plays. We, we're just, and we didn't, you know, we really stopped throwing it down the field, you know, pretty early in the third quarter probably. Um, there was, we, we missed an opportunity early with Jay Fair and, but it was really something that we've never covered. We went fast and they didn't guard him, you know, and I, I think he was uncertain what to do and Peyton was uncertain what to do. And we were all kind of like, uh, we haven't covered that, you know. So, um, that was *** little bit on us too is what happens if they don't cover, you should do you just stop and throwing the ball or, um, that didn't happen often. So that, that was really the only one I thought we missed. Um, we still just, we, we don't totally understand the spacing and landmarks and energy that routes need to be ran with when, particularly when you think you're not getting it, but it, it has *** vital part of the concept and we're still, uh, struggling *** little bit there. We're better, but we've got ***, we gotta continue to improve that. It's good to see you. Malcolm thought he really looked. Malcolm's fast. He's one of the faster guys on our team. So if he come, you know, he's been hurt all fall camp, if he comes on, I think that gives us even more, um, capability of, of deep threats. You've, you've, you've talked in the past about the, how you and Philip are gonna balance play calling now that you're *** game in, how did that balance work? But how, how did you feel with that being comfortable or not comfortable with that whole process? Well, it was easy Saturday. It wouldn't, I mean, you know, you just kind of looked at the call sheet and the things we had planned or the things we called and they tended to work in the run game. And so that makes it, it's not real, you know, I don't think that was *** great test for us. Truthfully. It was, uh, it was, uh, because the run game was working and you thought you had control of it and, and really it was just me every now and then saying, hey, let me, let me, let, let me see us seven man protect, let me see us five man protect. It wasn't, um, it was, it was smooth. Um, I think as the games get more challenging will be, you know, how, how do we operate then? And, um, but I have no worries. I mean, neither one of us have any ego about it. So, um, let's figure out what, what we can do to help, help our team win. Hey, Hugh, uh can we expect back this week? You know, we've got, uh the availability of *** lot of players is up in the air. So I like normally, I probably, I'd rather not even comment on all of them. I mean, we got, we got ***, *** long list from Nick Marner to Austin Keys to Jalen to, to preach it to, to all of those guys are just kind of, uh, hopefully can have *** good week and we, we could really, really use some of those guys coach. How does it feel to finally get through week one for you, your coaching staff, the team as *** whole, you get through the stresses of the very first game of the season. Now, you obviously have to take *** tough road trip. But what's the feeling around your team and your program now that you finally get through that first week? Uh, we want to know and, but it's in the trash and over with and that's kind of the way you approach this profession. I did think, uh, *** compliment to our coaches, um, strength staff. I thought, you know, our kids now, they didn't probably have to strain for, uh, four quarters like they will in, in future games. But, um, I thought we, for our first game, we were really clean, there weren't any, we had zero penalties of pre not, not zero, let me clarify zero penalties of like pre snap. We had none of those. I mean, we had *** couple of holding calls and, um, then the kick out of bounds. But, um, I, I mean, when you play the first game you only have that, that few of penalties. I, I just thought we were prepared and, uh, so compliment our coaches on that and, um, good to have it behind us. Good to, to, uh, I said in the postgame, our fans are incredible. Our student section is incredible. Our band, cheerleaders, everybody. The Tiger Walk was awesome being with family was great. Um But that one's over, it's one and oh, and now we got *** tough test on the road coach you mentioned in your opening statement, uh, where you would like the quarterbacks to grade out after watching the tape. How big is the gap between where you see they are and where you would like them to be going into. Cal Well, uh Robbie, Robbie didn't have to make many decisions. So, um, but boy was, he, he, he's really talented and, uh, vital to our success. Uh, he will have to make some in the future. Um, the, the Peyton just he had three decisions that were wrong and, and he, I expect more. I expect him not to, to make the ones he made and he knows that, but he played solid. Um You just would like that decision making to be around 100% on particularly in the run pass world where he's deciding whether it's *** run or pass. Those need to be, those need to be near 100%. You see, to be coaching them pretty hard on the sideline with that. I'm just, I'm crazy sometimes. But yeah, I, I get frustrated. I don't lie and I tell them that. Look, but here's the deal. I'll play the next play with you. Now, I, I don't, um, my, look, my love for them doesn't change. Their performance has nothing to do with, with how I learned this from my father who was *** tough, tough man, but I, I went through *** very difficult stretch and, and my father taught me, listen, I love you and it's not based on your performance. Um, and, and so as long as our players know that I think I can coach them hard and they, and they see that and they see *** consistency in, hey, he don't treat me in different, you know, after the game, whether I threw the four touchdowns or, or three picks, you know. Yeah, I'm disappointed. Yeah, I feel like I ought have coached you better and I felt like you ought have played better, but that, that doesn't affect. Um, and I think Peyton knows that and the two, they, there were two things that happened in that same series and he knew it and I think he, when he missed the first one and I'm yelling and screaming, which I probably, he pro, I probably need to, I'm figuring out who they are and they're figuring out who I am. Um, I think when I do that to him, he presses *** little bit and, um, he handed the ball off and the safety triggered so hard and the safety made the hit like one yard in the backfield. So I'm, how do you not see that? You know, and, uh, that ball should be thrown? And so I'm, I'm doing with my antics over and he probably sees that and then about two plays later, the durn safety stays as high as he can and we pull it and throw it. And those are, those are the two things that can happen and he's too intelligent, has too much of an IQ and he'll get that cleaned up and fixed and I'll, I'll have to, I've got to make sure I coach him in *** way that is helpful and not, uh, and doesn't make him press. Yeah. Who did you go into that game? Thinking Robbie was gonna be like your red zone main guy or did you just kind of go with the hot hand? I mean, because he was extremely electric. I mean, you, yeah, you saw, I mean, as soon as we got down there, we put him in. So that's on the call sheet. So that's *** plan. I mean, it wasn't, it wasn't something that I just said, hey, How about, let's try Robbie here. It was his plan. So. Well, I mean, I don't know. I, I think every game plan is different. I just think he's super talented and I think there's *** lot of things we can do with him and I know people are in this world, day and time, you know, you can't play two quarterbacks and, well, I don't know, maybe they're right, but we're one and, oh, and if we go to an O doing it, we'll keep doing it if, if we, if it starts to, you know, but I, I just, I think we need them both, but he was, I mean, you see how talented he is down there so sure it's always gonna be *** possibility. Now you gotta, you can't be so predictable, but we obviously weren't in game one and there's not enough tape to get really great data yet on what our tendencies are. So we'll, uh, we'll come up with *** game plan for CAL, as I've said, all along, Robbie will always be *** part of our game plan. Hey, you, uh, you briefly touched on the challenge of playing on the west coast as far as scheduling and practice this week. Do you want the guys to, like, stay up later? Do you adjust your practice schedule or like how much thought goes into those adjustments? I probably hadn't put enough thought into it truthfully. Um, our schedules when they're still college students and, you know, most of ours are, are in class stuff. So it's really hard to, uh, to tinker too much with our schedules here. Um, we're gonna, we're the only thing we did. We're gonna practice *** little earlier Thursday and try to, um, we don't want to get to California until late Thursday night. Um, so that you're not sitting in *** hotel at all. Hardly Thursday. It's time to go to bed. Um, and then Friday will be ***, *** pretty good challenge to get your bodies adjusted and, but we're gonna try to, we're gonna go practice out there at, uh at San Mateo Junior College and do it our, our normal time and try to get back to the hotel like we would on *** normal Friday at the same time and, uh, and try to, you know, treat it as much as normal as we can. The hard hard day is gonna be really Saturday setting around, but that's, that's ***, that's *** long time before kickoff. Thank you back to the quarterbacks. If I may, obviously, it's not always easy to be in that situation where you both wanna be starting and you both want to be in those big moments, but from what we were able to see on the field and what you've seen behind the scenes, how have the guys handled that? And how do you feel like they could, you know, make each other better throughout the rest of the season. They're, uh, I'm glad you mentioned that actually because they, they're either doing *** really good job of faking it. Are, are, they're, they're getting along pretty well and, and are, are buying into, you know, how do we help the team win? And I hope that's the case. I believe it is. Um, and, um, you know, I hope that continues. Right. I wish I had quit jumping up and, you know, when they jump up together, I don't like that at all. I, I just, I think both of them could go down with *** sprained ankle, you know, I mean, why are we doing that? That makes no sense, but they seem to enjoy it. They're young. They'll, they'll be all right. Uh, are you on the punt return? It looked like it was Eugene San, you had ***, *** chance to make *** block down the field, but instead he turned his back and shielded the guy and didn't get the 15 yard penalty. Was that *** good, uh, teaching moment for your team? Well, we work hard on it and there was two of them actually on that play. And then another one where, um, on Sean Jackson's run, um, Caleb did similar thing, really busted it to get there and kind of high screen the guy right at the end. So, um, I think, you know, our staff has done *** good job of stressing. We need to be penalty. We need to win. We need to win the turnover battle and we need to win the penalty battle in as many games as we can if you can win time of possession. I think that's good also. And obviously those 3rd and 4th downs, um, and, and we, we won those in this game, the penalty and the, and the turnover and the time of possession and, but it's easy for those to be penalties if you're not well coached, uh, coach, uh, talk about Jay Fair in the passing game. He, uh, he earned some hype this, this offseason and I think he got the most targets this game. Can you talk about his play and what he did? Well, and what you'd like him to improve on? Yeah, I think Jay and Var, uh, have been the most consistent and solid guys and, uh, I think our outside guys are coming on, but, uh, we felt ever since spring that those two guys were going to be main contributors and solid performers and, um, I've seen nothing that keeps me from thinking that's still true. So proud to for both of those guys and hope we've got to expand their role some. Um, we didn't, we didn't show *** whole lot in the passing game, Saturday, truthfully and, uh, hopefully, um, they have more targets coming. Ok, after looking at the, uh, tape, how did the defensive front do? Um, again, we have our alignment issues which truthfully that's not on them because that communication comes from, from the back. We still just don't, we don't get off blocks great. Um And we just got to try to keep improving that I thought they played hard and thought they, uh most of the time were assignment, sound in the right gap. But man, we gotta, we gotta play with four, we gotta play with our hands and, and rip off blocks and we still don't do that quite well enough for me forward. You talk about, uh, getting away with things in, in games like Saturday and *** lot of sec team, sec teams had similar games to what you had. How do you, uh, how do you keep that from becoming an issue? How do you teach? This is fiction to be really different. Well, I mean, it, this is great. I think the best teaching can happen after *** win because you can be hard on them, hard on your coaches and, and you know, our coaches meeting truthly yesterday wasn't real pleasant and I, I it wasn't demeaning or, but it was guys, here's the facts. This is reality and this is who we are right now. And thank God we get to celebrate being one and oh and, and one in Jordan hair and we won't take that lightly and that's awesome. However, this is what I see and if that continues, we won't be celebrating *** whole lot. Um I've said, I don't know how great we can be this year. I don't, uh, but we ought to be able to line up right and, and play hard and, and that's what we've got to get fixed. Um, as, I mean, I thought our kids played hard and I thought they were, it was *** clean game and I thought, but you can't line up wrong 15 times. The government, you mentioned Cal's tail back in, in, in your opening statement. Just what about him? And the, the way they use him is it, it makes him *** special player just hand it to him. They don't have to, I mean, it ain't, it ain't like they have to create some special deal, just run inside zone or outside zone or counter with him. And if, if it's semi blocked, well, he's *** handful. He's big, he's strong, he's fast, he's got great vision. Um, he is really, really talented, you know, on the other side of the ball, you talked about how good of *** defensive coach Wilcox, as you mentioned last week. Of course, the complexities of, of Don Brown, what are some of the, the things that make *** Wilcox defense difficult to, uh, to solve in *** game? It's, it's truthfully not that I, I mean, I don't mean this, it's not, this is not like last week. Um, I, we can see everything, you know, but he, his kids are gonna be in the right spot. They're gonna be lined up correctly. They're gonna play hard, they're gonna tackle well and you're gonna have to drive the field and multiple times and, and they're gonna try not to give you explosive plays and we've gotta try to find *** way to, to, to, to find *** way to have some. But they're just, they're, they're, they're gonna be in the right spot. They're just extremely well coached for what they do. It's not *** complicated scheme, but they do what they do really, really well. And last week it worked. I mean, they only gave up, what, 40 yards rushing, I think, um, had three picks, held them to two of 11 on third down. So they had *** really, really good defensive effort in game one. GET LOCAL BREAKING NEWS ALERTS The latest breaking updates, delivered straight to your email inbox. Privacy Notice 'It will be a great challenge for us': Hugh Freeze ahead of Auburn traveling to California Auburn football head coach Hugh Freeze is speaking Monday morning ahead of the team traveling to California for its game at 9:30 p.m. CT Saturday.Follow us on social: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTubeThe team beat UMass this past weekend 59-14.Freeze said one of the negatives he noticed for the team was that they didn't finish the way they started - but the biggest issue was misalignment."We had numerous snaps — probably 15 — that were not lined up properly," Freeze said. He said that will come back to bite them if it continues. While there were a lot of young players on the team, that doesn't make you feel better when in the film room, he said.Otherwise, he said, he thought they played well."The biggest truth of the day is we're 1-0 and we defended our home," Freeze said.Auburn's coach also mentioned the continued use of two quarterbacks after both Payton Thorne and Robby Ashford got playing time in week one. "And, I know people are in this world and day and time, you know, you can't play two quarterbacks and well, I don't know maybe they're right but we're 1-0. And, if we go 2-0 we'll keep doing it."As the Tigers look to travel cross country to Cal next, Freeze notes the Golden Bears' offense is "extremely scary.""It will be a great challenge for us as we go on the road to Cal," Freeze said.This will be the furthest trip Freeze has done with a team, he said. Before this was a trip with BYU, which he noted was shorter than this will be. The time zone change will be a challenge, as well as travel, but he said the team is ready to represent the school and "make the most of it."Stay updated on the latest sports updates with the WVTM 13 app. You can download it here. AUBURN, Ala. — Auburn football head coach Hugh Freeze is speaking Monday morning ahead of the team traveling to California for its game at 9:30 p.m. CT Saturday. Follow us on social: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube The team beat UMass this past weekend 59-14. Freeze said one of the negatives he noticed for the team was that they didn't finish the way they started - but the biggest issue was misalignment. "We had numerous snaps — probably 15 — that were not lined up properly," Freeze said. He said that will come back to bite them if it continues. While there were a lot of young players on the team, that doesn't make you feel better when in the film room, he said. Otherwise, he said, he thought they played well. "The biggest truth of the day is we're 1-0 and we defended our home," Freeze said. Auburn's coach also mentioned the continued use of two quarterbacks after both Payton Thorne and Robby Ashford got playing time in week one. "And, I know people are in this world and day and time, you know, you can't play two quarterbacks and well, I don't know maybe they're right but we're 1-0. And, if we go 2-0 we'll keep doing it." As the Tigers look to travel cross country to Cal next, Freeze notes the Golden Bears' offense is "extremely scary." "It will be a great challenge for us as we go on the road to Cal," Freeze said. This will be the furthest trip Freeze has done with a team, he said. Before this was a trip with BYU, which he noted was shorter than this will be. The time zone change will be a challenge, as well as travel, but he said the team is ready to represent the school and "make the most of it." Stay updated on the latest sports updates with the WVTM 13 app. You can download it here.

247sports.com Exit Survey Final thoughts on Auburns 5914 win over UMass Nathan King 9–11 minutes Dive in for our plays of the game, helmet stickers and exiting analysis on the victory at Jordan-Hare Stadium The Hugh Freeze era at Auburn got off to quite an entertaining start Saturday afternoon, as the Tigers lit up the scoreboard and blasted UMass 59-14 to open their 2023 campaign. Two of our football reporters — Jason Caldwell and Nathan King — took another look at Auburn's win over the Minutemen 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 and exiting analysis on the victory at Jordan-Hare Stadium — and what our observations could mean for the Tigers heading into a fascinating nonconference road game at Cal in Week 2. PLAY OF THE GAME (OFFENSE) Jason: "For me it was the the Jeremiah Cobb touchdown run because of the blocking up front by the offensive line. Kam Stutts got to the second level and swallowed up the linebacker while Connor Lew pushed the UMass defensive lineman five yards down the field. Cobb got through the hole and made one man miss. That’s all it took for him to take it to the house. That’s how it’s supposed to look." Nathan: "Two plays after Jaylin Simpson's fumble return, Payton Thorne delivered probably the best throw of the day, down the sideline and over the shoulder to Ja'Varrius Johnson for 33 yards. Then Robby Ashford came back in for his third rushing touchdown of the second quarter, offering a glimpse of what the Tigers would love to see from their two-quarterback system this season: Thorne's downfield accuracy, followed by Ashford's red-zone scoring prowess. There were plenty of moments for this offense on a 52-point day, but Thorne's throw was one of the most individually impressive plays while the game wasn't yet a massive blowout." ‌ PLAY OF THE GAME (DEFENSE) Jason: "It was the Donovan Kaufman sack and forced fumble that stood out to me because of the design of the play. Auburn showed heavy pressure, but brought only four on the rush with Mosiah Nasili-Kite dropping into coverage. Kaufman turned the corner and got under the left tackle before the sack and forced fumble. Well executed play." Nathan: "Honorable mention here to Simpson's pick-six, but I'll give the nod to Kaufman's strip-sack — which, of course, also involved Simpson when he returned the loose ball to UMass' 35-yard line. Kaufman looked like a natural at that all-important 'star' position on Ron Roberts' defense — a role that allows the nickel defensive back to creep up at the line of scrimmage and occasionally come screaming off the edge to rush the passer. Kaufman lined up there five times in the game and recorded four QB pressures, including his strip-sack that marked his third or fourth time in the UMass backfield in the second quarter alone." ‌ HELMET STICKER (OFFENSE) Jason: "I’m going with the Auburn offensive line. Coach Jake Thornton rotated guys throughout the game and they continued to play well no matter who was in the game. With 10 new players on the roster since last season, the Tigers have completely rebuilt the group. Nathan: "Tip of the cap to Ashford, who admitted Auburn's decision to start Thorne was a difficult one for him to handle in preseason camp. But he put his head down and accepted his role in stride as Freeze hoped, and he was rewarded with not one, not two, but three rushing scores in the season opener — becoming the first Auburn QB to do so in a game since Nick Marshall against South Carolina in 2014. Ashford's role is not as a gadget or even as a package player, but an entire portion of the offensive game plan, particularly in the red zone, where he could really rack up the touchdowns this season if things continue to be executed well." ‌ HELMET STICKER (DEFENSE) Jason: "I could go with Kaufman, but I’ll go with Simpson. He’s just a guy that knows how to play and he’s found a home at safety. He’s not the biggest guy, but he understands how to play safety and is really good with everything in front of him. I think he’s headed for a big season. Nathan: "Kaufman had to play a bigger role than he perhaps anticipated due to Nehemiah Pritchett's injury, and again, he looked extremely comfortable working at nickel and carrying out all the responsibilities that come with it. A quick aside on the subject of defensive performances: It had to feel good for Elijah McAllister to drag down Taisun Phommachanh toward the end of the first quarter, as it marked his first sack since the 2019 season." ‌ HELMET STICKER (SPECIAL TEAMS) Jason: "Auburn sophomore kicker Alex McPherson was outstanding in the win over UMass. He was perfect on his kicks, but the most impressive part of the day was the job he did on kickoffs. McPherson kicked the ball extremely high and gave the coverage teams time to get down and in position. He can become a weapon for Auburn this season, not only kicking the ball for points, but also on kickoffs." Nathan: "In terms of explosiveness, few on Auburn's roster outclass Keionte Scott, who had a 56-yard punt return after snagging the ball off one hop. Scott was No. 4 in the SEC last season at 9.6 yards per return, but he had massive struggles fielding the ball cleanly. If the Tigers can remedy those issues this year, they could have another special-teams weapon on their hands to complement former All-American kick returner Brian Battie." ‌ THOUGHTS ON PAYTON THORNE'S DEBUT? Jason: "I thought he was solid on Saturday. It’s hard to tell because there were so many moving parts on offense in the opener. Freeze said after the game they had some plays in the passing game that they held back once the game was in control. I believe they will add some things to the offense, and especially in the passing game, beginning this week." Nathan: "Freeze and his offensive staff didn't display much of their passing concepts in a game that was firmly controlled by the second quarter, but Thorne was still able to offer an early look at Auburn's read-based scheme this season. It's a system that will require accuracy on his part in a lot of one-on-one settings, and he delivered for the most part. Pushing the ball into the second level of the defense looks to be a comfort for him, as is his impressive ability to climb the pocket and avoid pressure. Still, there's plenty to work on, which both Thorne and Freeze admitted, after the Michigan State transfer had at least a couple misfires that could have led to touchdowns if executed properly." ‌ WHERE AUBURN WAS STRONGER THAN YOU ANTICIPATED Jason: "I think it was probably the pass rush on defense. Auburn had four sacks for 16 yards and was able to pressure after that first drive. Roberts did a great job of disguising pressure and bringing players from different spots. It was one of the bright spots for me." Nathan: "It's a bit too early for me to heap much praise on the defensive front against UMass, but the way Auburn's defense as a whole quickly found its footing was impressive for the first game of the season. After UMass went 89 yards on its first drive, the next nine series saw a trio of three-and-outs, two turnovers, turn turnovers on downs and a missed field goal. Auburn saw strong execution from a bunch of new faces working together for the first time, which will always be encouraging." ‌ WHERE YOU WANT TO SEE IMPROVEMENT SOON Jason: "The area would obviously be up front on defense for me, but I’m going with the wide receivers and passing game in general. I know they’re going to continue to add things, but Saturday wasn’t as sharp as I was expecting from that part of the game." Nathan: "Yes, Freeze and Thorne both said the quarterback missed some throws, but Auburn's receivers weren't exactly leaving defensive backs in the dust. The timing of Auburn's run-pass options will be crucial throughout the season, and it wasn't necessarily razor-sharp in Game 1. Now, that's to be expected, especially after some of the growing pains the receiving corps dealt with throughout the preseason. But in order for Auburn to maximize its potential with Thorne this season, that's an area that has to be fast-tracked in terms of developing and learning from the film week to week." *** 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 *** Who could commit to Auburn next? An in-depth look at who could join Auburn's class next. VIDEO: Highlights: West Virginia at No. 7 Penn State It was a successful weekend for Auburn offensive line coach Jake Thornton, landing a commitment from 2025 tackle Spencer Dowland on Saturday right after the UMass game and the big 2024 swing lineman DeAndre Carter on Sunday. With the addition of Carter, Auburn's 2024 class is up to 18 total commitments and No. 13 in the 247Sports team recruiting rankings. Auburn's three-man class in the 2025 cycle is No. 11. The 2024 class is getting close to full, but the 2025 class is just starting to get going. So, who could be next? To read this full article and more, subscribe now — SALE: 50% off Annual VIP Get access to this article and all of the in-depth coverage from the 247Sports Network with this special offer. 50% off Annual VIP Already a subscriber? Login

auburnwire.usatoday.com Auburn vs. Cal: Prediction, point spread, odds, best bet JD McCarthy ~2 minutes The lines, courtesy of BetMGM Auburn Point spread: -6.5 (-110) Cal Point Spread: +6.5 (-110) Over/Under: 55.5 (-110) Click here to place your bets at BetMGM. Auburn is looking to pick up a solid out-of-conference win against Cal and the fact that the game is on the road will make it a decent test for the Tigers this early in both the season and the Hugh Freeze era. Both teams are coming off of big wins and the game will be the home opener for the Golden Bears. The Tigers didn’t really need their receivers or tight ends to do much last week but that will not be the case in this game. Cal held opponents to just 4.21 yards per carry last week and looks to once again be stout against the run in 2023, holding North Texas to 1.52 yards per carry last week. They were also able to run it themselves last week, racking up 357 yards and six touchdowns on the ground. Auburn’s run defense will have to take a step forward for the Tigers to win Saturday and I’m expecting them to just do that as the offense does enough to pick up the win and cover the spread. Prediction: Auburn 30, Cal 20 Get more betting analysis and predictions at Sportsbook Wire.

al.com The week ahead: Auburn football turns to cross-country trip Published: Sep. 04, 2023, 8:41 a.m. 5–7 minutes It’s about as hard a turn as Auburn could make. One week, it’s the Auburn community reuniting at Jordan-Hare Stadium with a sense of optimism and excitement for a new year. It’s a record-setting crowd in the season opener. And then the next Saturday, Auburn will be nearly 2,500 miles and two time zones away from the gates of Jordan-Hare. Auburn plays Cal in its second game of the year. It’s the opening leg of a two-year series in Berkeley, California this fall, and back in Auburn the next. So as the page turns to a new week, here are three storylines to keep an eye on. What’s up with Jarquez Hunter? First things first: We know nothing new about Auburn’s top running back. Hunter didn’t suit up for Auburn’s opener against UMass. He was on the sidelines wearing his jersey with no pads and sweatpants. He spent most of the game sitting on a medical table on the sidelines off to the side of the rest of the bunch. After the game, head coach Hugh Freeze had a short press conference where the subject of Hunter’s absence was not addressed. To this point, Auburn has not commented on Hunter’s status at all. Whenever Freeze or other officials have been asked, they have stated it’s an internal matter and nothing further. Hunter missed a couple of Auburn’s first fall camp practices and was first seen on the field on Tuesday, Aug. 8 during a period of practice open to the media. No official reason was given for that absence, either. Hunter has practiced ever since. But in advance of the UMass game, Freeze was asked if Hunter would play. He stated that generally, he would not comment on who would and would not, play without specifically mentioning Hunter. It’s unlikely Auburn officials will answer this question at some point this week. We will likely have to wait until warmup Saturday to see if Hunter is in uniform. More time to get healthy Based on Freeze’s comments on the Monday before the UMass game, it didn’t seem like he was ruling anyone to for sure be unable to play in the first game due to injuries. Of the players dealing with injuries whom Freeze did mention last week, cornerbacks Nehemiah Pritchett and J.D. Rhym as well as wide receiver Nick Mardner didn’t play. Pritchett’s absence may have been both the most expected, but also the most impactful. During a period of open practice on Tuesday, Prtichett was off to the side not participating. In his place, Champ Anthony, Kayin Lee and Donovan Kaufman saw a lot more playing time. Kaufman especially had a great game with a forced fumble, a sack and multiple tackles for loss. Mardner’s absence wasn’t too notable on a day where no wide receiver was asked to do too much. The bulk of Auburn’s offense came on the ground. Across all three quarterbacks who played — Payton Thorne, Robby Ashford and Holden Geriner — Auburn only had 14 completions on 25 pass attempts. Jay Fair led Auburn with five catches and a touchdown. Malcolm Johnson Jr. led Auburn with 59 receiving yards, but they all came in the fourth quarter when the result of the game was long in hand. Mardner’s biggest ability for Auburn is that, well he’s big. He, fellow receiver Shane Hooks and tight end Rivaldo Fairweather are Auburn’s biggest targets, but the two who played had a total of two catches — and both were Hooks. Fairweather actually wasn’t targeted at all the whole game. There are a lot of reasons for that, namely Ashford being Auburn’s go-to guy in the redzone, taking away situations where the size of those pass-catchers would be especially impactful. How will Auburn handle the mileage? There’s no way around it. This is a LONG trip. So how is Auburn preparing for it? “Coach Freeze does this thing called the truth meeting and after that meeting, it’s all Cal,” defensive tackle Jayson Jones said after the UMass game. “Throw away Umass, throw away what happened during the game, it’s all Cal and the preparation for that. Time difference, got to think about, two hours behind central time, so that’s going to play a part in that. We’ve just got to stay ready for them. They’re going to come play hard, we’re going to come play hard.” The long flight and late start time — kickoff is slated for 9:30 p.m. central time on ESPN — take a toll on the body. It’s also Auburn’s first road trip, let alone a marathon of one. Cal likely won’t bring the type of deafening environment Auburn will see at Texas A&M and LSU once SEC play begins, which could help with the adjustment that far from home. But handling a trip like this is still a conversation after the game. Auburn still has to fly back and like Jones said, quickly turn the page to the next game — which would be back at home against Samford. Auburn coaches have previously talked about making sure the players get enough rest, so that the toll of the trip won’t stem into the Samford game, and the trip to College Station, Texas the week after. Now time to execute the plan.