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247sports.com StatTiger: Major need for Tigers to improve passing efficiency Stuart Carter 5–7 minutes Regardless of how you viewed the Auburn pass offense this past football season, it was well below average. The Tigers ranked 119th among FBS teams in yards per game and 117th in pass efficiency. Teams that finished in the 100s in the category combined for a winning percentage of 37 percent with only seven of the 32 teams possessing a winning record. Addressing Auburn’s deficiencies in the passing game is likely Coach Hugh Freeze’s No. 1 priority for 2023. There is no guarantee the starter is presently on the active roster. Spring practice will factor heavily into the coaching staff’s evaluation of the quarterback room as Freeze and offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery search for the eventual starter. The quarterback chosen as the starter might not match the perfect quarterback Freeze wants to operate his offense. “At Auburn, there’s no question in my mind, No. 1 is accuracy,” Freeze said, referring to his criteria for his starting quarterback. “No. 2 is the ability to lead a football team and be the face and representation of the program. Three would be arm strength, and the fourth, I would love for him to have some maneuverability. Some escapability.” With passing accuracy clearly at the top, Auburn’s two starters from 2022 have plenty of work to do to meet Freeze’s expectations, a point the head coach made earlier this week. Jarrett Stidham (2017) is Auburn’s last Top 20 efficient passer with the average national ranking for AU’s quarterbacks being 80th over the past five years. Auburn’s starting quarterback averaged a pass efficiency rating of 125.9 from 2018-2022 with 143.0 being the conference average. Freeze looked at several possible options at quarterback during the first portal transfer window. He commented that the portal search for another quarterback could continue when the second transfer window opens in May. “Will we take a quarterback in the second portal?” Freeze said. “I think I’ll know a lot more after spring practice.” For now, his focus is on the current quarterbacks competing in spring drills while allowing them to see how they respond under the current system and coaching. Should Auburn target a transfer quarterback during the second portal window, it doesn’t mean the starter isn’t already on campus. “Most coaches wouldn’t say this to you, but I think I just believe in being very real,” Freeze said. “It kind of depends on the level you’re coaching. If I’m coaching at Liberty or Arkansas State, truthfully I want the Malik Willis, who people would say, ‘You know what, I don’t know that he can be an adequate passer’… but at that level, you’re not going to recruit one of the top players in the country at that position and so let me go find one I think I can work with to be a dynamic football player like a Ryan Aplin that I had at Arkansas State, or Malik Willis. It’s just in that scenario, you’re willing to look at some different attributes than at Auburn.” Coach Freeze’s comments are refreshing as it addresses the reality of coaching at this level. The goal should always be finding the best possible players for every position, knowing you have to make the most of what you possess when the standard is not met in recruiting. The bar at Auburn should be higher than Arkansas State, Liberty and even Ole Miss. The current standard in the Southeastern Conference is higher than any other conference regarding pass efficiency. The standard to be a Top 20 quarterback in the last five years is a rating between 150-199 with an average of 164. This means at least a 36 percent improvement for Auburn to crack the Top 20 in pass efficiency and 30 percent to meet the conference average. During the last three years the Tigers have lost more games than they have won have won, primarily because of an inefficient pass offense. During the previous five seasons the average pass efficiency to win 7-9 games in the SEC was 140.3, which would require a 27 percent improvement from last season. The previous four times Auburn won the SEC West the Tigers posted an average pass efficiency of 163.8, a far cry from where Auburn left off in 2022. “I want to see who the quarterback is,” said Freeze. “Do we have him on campus? I don’t know yet. I think that room’s got to grow up. I think they have got to grow up and decide if they truly want to be a quarterback.” 16COMMENTS The harsh reality is that Auburn’s offense will only reach its full potential based on the performance of its quarterbacks. From 2018-2022, SEC teams won only 26 percent of their games with a pass efficiency below 120, scoring an average of 17 points per game. The Tigers dipped under the 120 rating in half of their games during the same period while exceeding the conference average only 30 percent of the time. Auburn compiled a 6-20 record against Power-5 competition, scoring 19 points per game. Even with a 200-yard rushing performance, Auburn is 10-14 against Power-5 teams with a pass rating below 120 the last 20 years. Robby Ashford and T.J. Finley have combined for 20 collegiate starts. Of those starts, the two fell below a 120 passer rating 12 times (60 percent) and exceeded the SEC average of 143 only two times (10 percent). These numbers fail to create much optimism, but better coaching, schemes, and play calling can result in improvement. That is the challenge for Freeze in his first season at Auburn. ">247Sports

Chances for the little guy that football doesn’t have Football is king in college athletics, and that’s not going to change. Football is the reason television networks are willing to flood the SEC and Big Ten with money. If basketball is strong, that’s OK, but football drives the money train. Yet basketball, baseball, softball and others have something football doesn’t have. Florida Atlantic can go to the Final Four in basketball. So can San Diego State. oastal Carolina can win a national championship in baseball. What those sports have is more hope for more programs than football will ever have. That doesn’t mean they are better. Just different in a good sort of way. The coming 12-team College Football Playoff will change that a little bit, but not all that much. The programs in what is currently called the Power 5 are on a different level than all the rest. And probably not more than half of those teams can legitimately hope to win a national championship. Hyperbole rampant in SEC basketball talk If you watch sports television or even read some columnists, you know hyperbole is rampant. For most of this season, we have heard that Alabama had changed basketball in the SEC. It became a popular mantra. I haven’t heard that Auburn changed basketball in the SEC by winning two SEC championships, an SEC Tournament and going to the Final Four or by having four first-round NBA draft picks. I haven’t even heard that Arkansas going to three straight Sweet 16s, including two Elite Eights, has changed college basketball in the SEC. It’s all meaningless, empty talk. Kentucky is the constant in SEC basketball. It has more donor support, more NIL money, more national allure, more recruiting power than any other SEC basketball program. That doesn’t mean it will always have the best team in a given season. But as a program, Kentucky is in a different place than anybody else. The only thing that has really changed is that more programs – different programs at different times – have challenged Kentucky. A few decades ago, that was not the case. The only way a program could “change the SEC” is to do more than it’s ever done and do it for longer than it ever has. Auburn, Alabama, Arkansas, Tennessee, Florida and Texas A&M have had their times in the sun in recent years. Others had their times earlier. All are good programs. Some other program might rise up at any time. Saying any one program that has had a good season or two good seasons or half a dozen good seasons has “changed the SEC” simply is not true. Sad changes in sports “journalism” When I see an SEC Network commentator interviewing a coach while she is wearing a team jersey, I shake my head and wonder. When I hear commentators freely acknowledging that they are fans of one program or another, I wonder what in the world has happened. From the very start of my time in this business, I was told: You don’t cheer in the press box or anywhere else. You never, ever say you are a fan of one program, and we sure don’t refer to a program as “we.” You never wear team gear. You are a reporter who is expected to objectively report. Those days, as best I can tell, are mostly gone. That makes me sad. An inning to forget for Auburn baseball I have not seen or heard anything like Georgia scoring 16 runs in the eighth inning against Auburn on Saturday. The Tigers went into that inning having rallied to trail 8-7 after trailing 8-2. They, no doubt, thought they were going to win or at least could win. And then it happened. The explanation is really simple. Auburn ran out of pitchers. Even then, scoring 16 runs in an inning is bizarre. You’d think that, before you got to 16, some batters would hit line drives right at fielders. What matters most is that Auburn won the series two games to one, but Butch Thompson will have some work to do to get his players to flush the memory of what happened in the worst eighth inning any of them have probably ever experienced. SEC softball, top to bottom, is a challenge for every team It’s hard to know what to make of SEC softball. Ole Miss and Missouri are at the bottom. Missouri is 1-7 and Ole Miss is 1-6. Yet those wins are over nationally ranked teams. Missouri beat Florida on the road and Ole Miss beat LSU at home. The bottom line is that any SEC team can beat any other SEC team on a given day. “Everybody has at least one really good pitcher,” Auburn coach Mickey Dean said. “When those pitchers are on, they are hard to beat.” Lisenby gives a clinic in pinch-hitting Sophomore Auburn catcher Aubrie Lisenby was a pinch-hitting standout on Saturday. In Auburn’s 4-0 win in the first game, she hit a two-run homer. She singled in the fourth inning of the second game. Dean was impressed. “Aubrie is, what 5-3 or 5-4?” Dean said. “She thinks she’s 6-3, and that’s the way she plays.” Auburn football recruiting vibe No one knows how it will end up, but the recruiting vibe around Auburn football is so strikingly different from the past two seasons. First-year coach Hugh Freeze knows what it takes to win in the SEC. It takes talented players. He is going after them full bore. There was plenty to criticize about Bryan Harsin during his two-year Auburn stint, but his disinterest in recruiting was like nothing I have seen in all my years. That, as much as anything, cost him his job. Where is NIL headed? I knew the coming of NIL would create chaos in college athletics, particularly college football and basketball. I still believe it was a bad idea. I still believe is a myth that college athletes are “unpaid labor.” But it is what it is. Miami’s basketball team is an NIL creation. That’s taking nothing away from what the Hurricanes accomplished. They have an extraordinarily wealthy businessman who is will to “hire” athletes for huge amounts of money. They are not alone. Where is it all headed? It is headed to universities paying players themselves. If they become official “employees,” an entirely new set of issues will emerge. Unfortunately, you have state legislators who have no real understanding of college athletics passing laws. You have judges who also have no real understanding issuing rulings. You have some lawyers and other “student-athlete advocates” who are trying to get their hands on that money. What the ultimate outcome will be is anybody’s guess. Equestrian program continues to write a unique story 18COMMENTS When Greg Williams went to see former athletics director David Housel about starting an equestrian program at Auburn, Housel agreed mainly because the scholarships would help Auburn's Title IX numbers. What has happened since is something special. Auburn won another SEC championship. It is a muiltiple-time national champion. No, it's not a money-maker. But it makes Auburn people proud, and that is a good thing. Until next time ... ">247Sports

HEY GUYS? this starts in less than thirty minutes. i assume you just click it at one central and it just starts up. the whole show is supposed to be about last fridays scrimmage we we have been wanting more updates. and this is all i have seen not behind a pay wall. i just hope i did this right..............

just from reading different articles and opinions it seems gariner is making some moves and beginning to understand the "o" better. i hope it is true because the better the competition the better off we will be. i just want someone to tell me if tj is better in the pocket now that our line is better.

thank you wed i think i will do just that! i share with auburn fans and sexy ladies.

who the hell is corn pop? it sounds like some kind of nasty cola or something..................

quit making me worry man! i was going for the smelling salts until this post. now i feel better...........

i refuse to throw the receivers coach under the bus. he has been here three and a half months or so? to me that is not giving the coach a fair shake. i trust freeze enough to think he hired the right fit for us. but looking back how long has it been since we had a WR coach that our fans have not bitched about. i believe it has been a while.

oh i am pleased and the future is so bright i might have to break out the Raybans but i worry we will be lost a lot next year.

here is a nugget from corch jay on the rant who used to be a member here. thanx corch. I’ve heard differently that Holden is getting the offense down now some in understanding and is becoming a much better and quicker decision maker. At this point probably behind TJ in running the base offense. With Robby being 3rd at this point. But as someone mentioned Robby’s running may be a difference maker. This week was all about the QBs development. I think next week will be all about WR development. From my understanding of the base offense the coaches a fairly comfortable with the OL and RBs.

Apparently based on Freezes comments our receiver’s routes are determined by defensive alignment, coverages and techniques. Seems that collectively they aren’t catching on to that as well as he’d like. It appears last week they were all about QB development and next week will be all about WR development. i assume this is being stated on a couple of pay sites but i can only opine since i do not pay for articles. Do we get this straightened out enough to do well this year when the season starts? the concept sounds brilliant to a football novice but i worry because the last i heard we only had about 20% installed from last week. i thought it might be something to discuss on here.

al.com Camden Brown again turning heads, but can he deliver on potential in Year 2? Updated: Mar. 25, 2023, 12:25 p.m.|Published: Mar. 25, 2023, 12:13 p.m. 5–6 minutes Camden Brown was the talk of Auburn’s fall camp a year ago, but his freshman season didn’t bear out the kind of production to back up some of that early hype. There were flashes of his potential at times last fall, but Brown ultimately caught just nine passes for 123 yards and a pair of touchdowns for the Tigers in his first year of college football. Now as he prepares for Year two, with a new coaching staff and new offensive system, Brown is again garnering some early attention as he aims to have a breakout sophomore season for Hugh Freeze’s program. “Cam has great potential, and I am excited about having him, for sure,” Freeze said. Read more Auburn football: The next step for Kentucky transfer Justin Rogers in order to be a “factor” on Auburn’s defensive line Rivaldo Fairweather a “late bloomer,” but Auburn has high hopes for the FIU tight end transfer Auburn lands top in-state 2024 running back in Andalusia standout J’Marion Burnette The 6-foot-3, 199-pound Brown is one of the bigger — and more physically gifted — receivers on Auburn’s roster this spring. That kind of size and catch radius is something Freeze values at the position, and something he tried to emphasize with a couple of new additions to the offense this offseason (6-foot-4 tight end transfer Rivaldo Fairweather and 6-foot-6 receiver transfer Nick Mardner). While Brown isn’t quite as rangy as either of those newcomers, the sophomore out of St. Thomas Aquinas in South Florida is once again turning heads on the Plains. During the team’s first scrimmage-type situation last Friday, when Auburn held a standard practice that included some more situational work, Brown flashed some of that potential. He made what Freeze categorized as “three really nice catches” during the team situational periods that day, including a touchdown on a back-shoulder ball that particularly stood out. “That’s a guy that has changed from Year one to Year two,” cornerback D.J. James said. “He’s developed. He’s gotten bigger, faster and stronger. I like him.” Auburn still has a long way to go with its passing game, as Freeze was quick to point out Monday, with the quarterbacks and wide receivers not as far along as he’d like at this point in the spring. It has been an adjustment period for the receivers, particularly as it pertains to making the right reads on RPOs in the passing game. Yet Brown has been one of the standouts of the group this spring, and during the portions of practices that have been open to the media, the sophomore has often been first in the rotation for position drills. “The first thing that comes to my mind on him is that he’s one of the ones that’s hungry,” wide receiver coach Marcus Davis said. “He wants to get better. And he’s a younger guy. He’s a good person to have in your room. He does some good things. He’s getting better at his releases. He’s getting better at catching that thing with his hands. It’s just about continuing to build that confidence and continuing to go hard, because he’s somebody I see that can be a leader in that room, just by his approach. “As a coach, that’s your job — to cultivate that. It’s been going well so far with him.” Auburn still has five-plus months before it steps on the field for an actual game, which means plenty of time for the passing game to get up to the standard Freeze, Davis and offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery expect of it. In a relatively unproven wide receiver room — with just two returning players who had double-digit receptions last season — Davis seems confident that Brown can become a go-to option in this offense. When Davis arrived as part of the staff shortly after Christmas, he studied up on and got to know the group he was inheriting at wide receiver. What Brown showed on film was impressive, but Davis has been more surprised by the everyday approach he has seen from the sophomore in the three months since — both in offseason workouts and spring practices. If Brown can continue that through to the season, Davis likes his chances of delivering on the potential he has shown on the field. “You don’t know that from talking to a guy; it’s more of an action behind it, and so, his everyday approach is what separates him and makes him get better and makes him want to get better,” Davis said. “…Those things continue to show up on the film. So, that’s why I believe that he’s getting better, because it’s just the little things that he’s doing time after time that’s starting to show up in good moments. “It’s just about him continuing to put his best foot forward and continuing to put his head down and work.” Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.

auburnwire.usatoday.com auburnwire.usatoday.com Auburn falls apart in eighth inning, gets crushed 24-7 by Georgia JD McCarthy 4–5 minutes Auburn once again erased an early lead Saturday against the Georgia Bulldogs but unlike the first two games of the series, the Bulldogs kept adding on and crushed the Tigers 24-7 in Plainsman Park. Auburn (6-7-1, 2-4 SEC) trailed just 8-7 entering the eighth inning but the pitching staff came unraveled, surrendering eight hits and issuing eight free passes as the Bulldogs scored 16 runs to take command of the game and end any chances of Auburn completing their third straight comeback win. Buy Tigers Tickets Charlie Condon walked to lead off the inning and scored after consecutive singles by Parks Harber and Corey Collins to make it 9-7. A four-pitch walk to Will David loaded the bases with nobody out. A second-straight walk brought another run home before Mason LaPlante broke the game up with a two-RBI single to make it 12-7. They kept adding on as their next eight batters reached safely to make it 20-7. Auburn needed to cut the deficit to under 10 in the bottom of the eighth inning to prevent a run-rule loss but was unable to do so. For the third time in the series, Auburn fell behind early. This time Georgia did their damage at the top of the first. Ben Anderson led the game off with a double and scored two batters later when Condon singled him home. Harber gave them some breathing room next when he belted a two-run homer over the left field wall to give them an early 3-0 lead. Connor Tate opened the third inning with a solo home run to make it a 4-0 game. After the next three Bulldog hitters reached base to load the bases with one out, Butch Thompson replaced freshman starter Zach Crotchfelt with Christian Hernandez. The right-hander struck out Sebastian Murillo but walked Cole Wagner to give the Bulldogs a 5-0 lead. Auburn started chipping away in the bottom of the inning with a two-out rally. Bryson Ware got things started with a single before Ike Irish was hit by a pitch. After Georgia failed to get Ware out in a rundown, Justin Kirby hit a shallow blooper into right field to score Ware and make it a 5-1 game. The Tigers got another run back in the fourth after Nate LaRue walked and advanced on a wild pitch and scored on a single by Caden Green. Kason Howell kept the rally going with a bunt single but Auburn was unable to get another run across and left two more runners stranded. The Bulldogs struck again when Parks led the fifth inning off with a double and David singled him home to make it a 6-2 lead. Thompson once again went to his bullpen after that, this time calling for Parker Carlson. Georgia once again loaded the bases after an error by Bryson Ware and Carlson walked a batter. The Bulldogs took advantage of the opportunity with a two-RBI single by LaPlante to make it 8-2 and break the game open. The Tigers chased Georgia starter Liam Sullivan in the fifth inning after Kirby singled and Bobby Pierce reached on an infield single. Cooper McMurray entered as a pinch hitter and smoked a double to right field to make it 8-4 and get Auburn back in the game. Auburn’s offense caught fire in the sixth inning. Howell walked to start the inning and Cole Foster doubled to bring Ware up with two runners in scoring position and nobody out. Ware smashed his 11th homer of the season to left center to make it an 8-7 game and seize the momentum for Auburn. It would not last as the Bulldogs went on to score 16 runs in the eighth inning and prevent Auburn from sweeping the series. falls apart in eighth inning, gets crushed 24-7 by Georgia JD McCarthy 4–5 minutes Auburn once again erased an early lead Saturday against the Georgia Bulldogs but unlike the first two games of the series, the Bulldogs kept adding on and crushed the Tigers 24-7 in Plainsman Park. Auburn (6-7-1, 2-4 SEC) trailed just 8-7 entering the eighth inning but the pitching staff came unraveled, surrendering eight hits and issuing eight free passes as the Bulldogs scored 16 runs to take command of the game and end any chances of Auburn completing their third straight comeback win. Buy Tigers Tickets Charlie Condon walked to lead off the inning and scored after consecutive singles by Parks Harber and Corey Collins to make it 9-7. A four-pitch walk to Will David loaded the bases with nobody out. A second-straight walk brought another run home before Mason LaPlante broke the game up with a two-RBI single to make it 12-7. They kept adding on as their next eight batters reached safely to make it 20-7. Auburn needed to cut the deficit to under 10 in the bottom of the eighth inning to prevent a run-rule loss but was unable to do so. For the third time in the series, Auburn fell behind early. This time Georgia did their damage at the top of the first. Ben Anderson led the game off with a double and scored two batters later when Condon singled him home. Harber gave them some breathing room next when he belted a two-run homer over the left field wall to give them an early 3-0 lead. Connor Tate opened the third inning with a solo home run to make it a 4-0 game. After the next three Bulldog hitters reached base to load the bases with one out, Butch Thompson replaced freshman starter Zach Crotchfelt with Christian Hernandez. The right-hander struck out Sebastian Murillo but walked Cole Wagner to give the Bulldogs a 5-0 lead. Auburn started chipping away in the bottom of the inning with a two-out rally. Bryson Ware got things started with a single before Ike Irish was hit by a pitch. After Georgia failed to get Ware out in a rundown, Justin Kirby hit a shallow blooper into right field to score Ware and make it a 5-1 game. The Tigers got another run back in the fourth after Nate LaRue walked and advanced on a wild pitch and scored on a single by Caden Green. Kason Howell kept the rally going with a bunt single but Auburn was unable to get another run across and left two more runners stranded. The Bulldogs struck again when Parks led the fifth inning off with a double and David singled him home to make it a 6-2 lead. Thompson once again went to his bullpen after that, this time calling for Parker Carlson. Georgia once again loaded the bases after an error by Bryson Ware and Carlson walked a batter. The Bulldogs took advantage of the opportunity with a two-RBI single by LaPlante to make it 8-2 and break the game open. The Tigers chased Georgia starter Liam Sullivan in the fifth inning after Kirby singled and Bobby Pierce reached on an infield single. Cooper McMurray entered as a pinch hitter and smoked a double to right field to make it 8-4 and get Auburn back in the game. Auburn’s offense caught fire in the sixth inning. Howell walked to start the inning and Cole Foster doubled to bring Ware up with two runners in scoring position and nobody out. Ware smashed his 11th homer of the season to left center to make it an 8-7 game and seize the momentum for Auburn. It would not last as the Bulldogs went on to score 16 runs in the eighth inning and prevent Auburn from sweeping the series.

auburnwire.usatoday.com auburnwire.usatoday.com Auburn softball sweeps Saturday twin bill to clinch series over Missouri Taylor Jones 4–5 minutes A pending weather forecast caused No. 21 Auburn to move Sunday’s middle game of the series with Missouri to a doubleheader on Saturday. Despite the shift, Auburn adjusted well enough to earn a doubleheader sweep, which clinched their first SEC series win. Behind a record-setting game one from maddie penta, and a solid defensive effort in game two, Auburn defeated Missouri, 4-0 and 2-1 respectively to capture the series. Buy Tigers Tickets “We had unbelievable defense by both teams. It was unreal to watch,” head coach Mickey Dean said after Saturday’s wins. “Maddie (Penta) hit her spots and was able to control the lineup (in game one), and what a job that Annabelle (Widra) did coming in so early in relief (in game two). It was two fun games to watch.” GAME ONE- AUBURN 4 MISSOURI 0 Auburn kickstarted the afternoon by shutting out Missouri, 4-0. There was not much offense in the game, as both teams combined to record just six hits, but two-run blasts by Lindsey Garcia and Aubrie Lisenby were enough for the home-standing Tigers to win. The key storyline from game one was the dominant effort in the circle by junior pitcher Maddie Penta. Penta allowed zero runs and two hits while striking out 17, which matched a career-high and Auburn record for strikeouts in a single game against an SEC opponent. “After the game, my heartbeat would not slow down. I wasn’t nervous. I just think I put so much into that game,” Penta said after game one. “Everything was working well. I was just focusing on every pitch, which can be mentally exhausting. I was just trying to do my best for my team.” Carlee McCondichie and Nelia Peralta joined Garcia and Lisenby by recording a hit in the game. Julia Crenshaw and Chantice Phillips notched the only two hits in the game for Missouri. GAME TWO- AUBURN 2 MISSOURI 1 Both teams were able to boost their offensive output slightly in game two, but runs still came at a premium. Auburn struck first when Jessie Blaine sent Peralta home on an RBI single in the 1st inning, with Missouri tying the game in the ensuing inning on a sacrifice fly by Riley Frizzell to bring the total to 1-1. The game would remain tied until the final play of the game. With one out in the bottom of the 7th, Peralta hit a ground ball to shortstop, which had the makings for a routine double play. However, the throw from 2nd base to 1st base sailed high, which allowed Rose Roach to score from 3rd to give Auburn the walk-off win. “I was just doing my best to put the ball in play,” Peralta said of her game-winning play. “Luckily, it worked out for us. I’m trying to do my job day in and day out. I’m grateful for the team win.” Seven batters recorded a hit in the game for Auburn, with Blaine being credited with the lone RBI. Shelby Lowe and Annabelle Widra combined to allow seven Missouri hits and one earned run, with Widra earning the win by going 5.1 innings in relief. “I was doing whatever I could for the team,” Widra said Saturday. “Having our defense behind me helps me relax and trust my pitches. I know if I miss my spot, they are going to pick me up.” RELATED: How to watch the Auburn-Missouri series Auburn improves their record to 24-9 and is now over .500 in SEC play at 3-2. Due to forecasted rain in the Auburn area on Sunday, Auburn and Missouri will take a break in their series. Game three will be played at its’ regularly scheduled time on Monday at 6 p.m. CT. The game can be seen live on SEC Network. twin bill to clinch series over Missouri Taylor Jones 4–5 minutes A pending weather forecast caused No. 21 Auburn to move Sunday’s middle game of the series with Missouri to a doubleheader on Saturday. Despite the shift, Auburn adjusted well enough to earn a doubleheader sweep, which clinched their first SEC series win. Behind a record-setting game one from maddie penta, and a solid defensive effort in game two, Auburn defeated Missouri, 4-0 and 2-1 respectively to capture the series. Buy Tigers Tickets “We had unbelievable defense by both teams. It was unreal to watch,” head coach Mickey Dean said after Saturday’s wins. “Maddie (Penta) hit her spots and was able to control the lineup (in game one), and what a job that Annabelle (Widra) did coming in so early in relief (in game two). It was two fun games to watch.” GAME ONE- AUBURN 4 MISSOURI 0 Auburn kickstarted the afternoon by shutting out Missouri, 4-0. There was not much offense in the game, as both teams combined to record just six hits, but two-run blasts by Lindsey Garcia and Aubrie Lisenby were enough for the home-standing Tigers to win. The key storyline from game one was the dominant effort in the circle by junior pitcher Maddie Penta. Penta allowed zero runs and two hits while striking out 17, which matched a career-high and Auburn record for strikeouts in a single game against an SEC opponent. “After the game, my heartbeat would not slow down. I wasn’t nervous. I just think I put so much into that game,” Penta said after game one. “Everything was working well. I was just focusing on every pitch, which can be mentally exhausting. I was just trying to do my best for my team.” Carlee McCondichie and Nelia Peralta joined Garcia and Lisenby by recording a hit in the game. Julia Crenshaw and Chantice Phillips notched the only two hits in the game for Missouri. GAME TWO- AUBURN 2 MISSOURI 1 Both teams were able to boost their offensive output slightly in game two, but runs still came at a premium. Auburn struck first when Jessie Blaine sent Peralta home on an RBI single in the 1st inning, with Missouri tying the game in the ensuing inning on a sacrifice fly by Riley Frizzell to bring the total to 1-1. The game would remain tied until the final play of the game. With one out in the bottom of the 7th, Peralta hit a ground ball to shortstop, which had the makings for a routine double play. However, the throw from 2nd base to 1st base sailed high, which allowed Rose Roach to score from 3rd to give Auburn the walk-off win. “I was just doing my best to put the ball in play,” Peralta said of her game-winning play. “Luckily, it worked out for us. I’m trying to do my job day in and day out. I’m grateful for the team win.” Seven batters recorded a hit in the game for Auburn, with Blaine being credited with the lone RBI. Shelby Lowe and Annabelle Widra combined to allow seven Missouri hits and one earned run, with Widra earning the win by going 5.1 innings in relief. “I was doing whatever I could for the team,” Widra said Saturday. “Having our defense behind me helps me relax and trust my pitches. I know if I miss my spot, they are going to pick me up.” RELATED: How to watch the Auburn-Missouri series Auburn improves their record to 24-9 and is now over .500 in SEC play at 3-2. Due to forecasted rain in the Auburn area on Sunday, Auburn and Missouri will take a break in their series. Game three will be played at its’ regularly scheduled time on Monday at 6 p.m. CT. The game can be seen live on SEC Network.

man i have never seen so few articles during a spring ever. but i beat the bushes. thanx for the love! people like you make it worthwhile. i hope your day is special. i am drinking folgers black silk coffee which is the best coffee ever and listening to the rolling stones steel wheels album.

What to expect from WKU transfer Gunner Britton on Auburn's offensive line Nathan King 3–4 minutes AUBURN, Alabama — Jeffrey M'ba dealt with an ankle injury late last season and ended up missing Auburn’s Week 12 win over Western Kentucky, so he watched his defensive line unit from the sideline. But when he went back with his room the following day and reviewed the film, he remembers being blown away by Gunner Britton and the Hiltoppers’ offensive line, saying their performance stacked up with many he saw earlier in the season in the SEC. “When I watched the game and watched the O-line, I was amazed,” M’ba said this week. “It was one of the best O-lines I think we played.” A large reason for that — quite literally — was Britton, WKU’s monstrous offensive tackle who ended up transferring to Auburn this offseason. The 6-foot-6, 305-pound Britton quickly settled in this spring as the Tigers’ primary option at right tackle. And one of his former teammates wasn’t surprised to hear Britton is making a strong impression on his new SEC squad. “He was like my brother,” now-former Auburn defensive lineman Marcus Bragg, who transferred from Western Kentucky last offseason, said at pro day this week. “... We went head-to-head every day trying to make each other better. He was one of my close friends.” Even though Bragg joked it’s a “no-brainer” that he won more one-on-one battles in the trenches during their time together at Western Kentucky, the pass-rusher said Britton is a tricky offensive tackle to solve — one whose skill set isn’t predicated just on size and strength. “He learns from his mistakes,” Bragg said. “Once he sees why he lost, he goes back and corrects it. The next rep, he comes back and you can’t do it again.” Rated as the No. 6 offensive tackle on the transfer market, Britton started all 14 games for WKU last season — the first six games at right tackle, and the remaining schedule at left. With 45 career games played, pass protection has been Britton’s calling card. Per Pro Football Focus, he allowed a QB pressure on only 1.7 percent of his snaps last season, good for the fifth-best rate among all FBS tackles. “I was like, wow,” Bragg said when he saw Britton landed at Auburn. “My brain exploded. That’s just crazy. I wish I could be here with him.” Two other transfers seem to be in line for starting roles at Auburn, at least three weeks through spring practices, as Dillon Wade (Tulsa) and Avery Jones (East Carolina) have received the bulk of first-team work at left tackle and center, respectively. Auburn finished its second spring scrimmage Friday evening and will return to action Monday for its 10th practice day. Hugh Freeze’s first spring on the Plains will culminate with the A-Day game April 8 (1 p.m. CST, SEC Network+).

al.com Camden Brown again turning heads, but can he deliver on potential in Year 2? Updated: Mar. 25, 2023, 12:25 p.m.|Published: Mar. 25, 2023, 12:13 p.m. 5–6 minutes Camden Brown was the talk of Auburn’s fall camp a year ago, but his freshman season didn’t bear out the kind of production to back up some of that early hype. There were flashes of his potential at times last fall, but Brown ultimately caught just nine passes for 123 yards and a pair of touchdowns for the Tigers in his first year of college football. Now as he prepares for Year two, with a new coaching staff and new offensive system, Brown is again garnering some early attention as he aims to have a breakout sophomore season for Hugh Freeze’s program. “Cam has great potential, and I am excited about having him, for sure,” Freeze said. Read more Auburn football: The next step for Kentucky transfer Justin Rogers in order to be a “factor” on Auburn’s defensive line Rivaldo Fairweather a “late bloomer,” but Auburn has high hopes for the FIU tight end transfer Auburn lands top in-state 2024 running back in Andalusia standout J’Marion Burnette The 6-foot-3, 199-pound Brown is one of the bigger — and more physically gifted — receivers on Auburn’s roster this spring. That kind of size and catch radius is something Freeze values at the position, and something he tried to emphasize with a couple of new additions to the offense this offseason (6-foot-4 tight end transfer Rivaldo Fairweather and 6-foot-6 receiver transfer Nick Mardner). While Brown isn’t quite as rangy as either of those newcomers, the sophomore out of St. Thomas Aquinas in South Florida is once again turning heads on the Plains. During the team’s first scrimmage-type situation last Friday, when Auburn held a standard practice that included some more situational work, Brown flashed some of that potential. He made what Freeze categorized as “three really nice catches” during the team situational periods that day, including a touchdown on a back-shoulder ball that particularly stood out. “That’s a guy that has changed from Year one to Year two,” cornerback D.J. James said. “He’s developed. He’s gotten bigger, faster and stronger. I like him.” Auburn still has a long way to go with its passing game, as Freeze was quick to point out Monday, with the quarterbacks and wide receivers not as far along as he’d like at this point in the spring. It has been an adjustment period for the receivers, particularly as it pertains to making the right reads on RPOs in the passing game. Yet Brown has been one of the standouts of the group this spring, and during the portions of practices that have been open to the media, the sophomore has often been first in the rotation for position drills. “The first thing that comes to my mind on him is that he’s one of the ones that’s hungry,” wide receiver coach Marcus Davis said. “He wants to get better. And he’s a younger guy. He’s a good person to have in your room. He does some good things. He’s getting better at his releases. He’s getting better at catching that thing with his hands. It’s just about continuing to build that confidence and continuing to go hard, because he’s somebody I see that can be a leader in that room, just by his approach. “As a coach, that’s your job — to cultivate that. It’s been going well so far with him.” Auburn still has five-plus months before it steps on the field for an actual game, which means plenty of time for the passing game to get up to the standard Freeze, Davis and offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery expect of it. In a relatively unproven wide receiver room — with just two returning players who had double-digit receptions last season — Davis seems confident that Brown can become a go-to option in this offense. When Davis arrived as part of the staff shortly after Christmas, he studied up on and got to know the group he was inheriting at wide receiver. What Brown showed on film was impressive, but Davis has been more surprised by the everyday approach he has seen from the sophomore in the three months since — both in offseason workouts and spring practices. If Brown can continue that through to the season, Davis likes his chances of delivering on the potential he has shown on the field. “You don’t know that from talking to a guy; it’s more of an action behind it, and so, his everyday approach is what separates him and makes him get better and makes him want to get better,” Davis said. “…Those things continue to show up on the film. So, that’s why I believe that he’s getting better, because it’s just the little things that he’s doing time after time that’s starting to show up in good moments. “It’s just about him continuing to put his best foot forward and continuing to put his head down and work.” Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.

auburnwire.usatoday.com J'Marion Burnette is already recruiting for Auburn JD McCarthy ~2 minutes Four-star running back J'Marion Burnette is the newest member of Auburn’s 2024 recruiting class but he is already working to bring some help. Just 20 minutes after he announced his commitment to Auburn on Friday, he took to Twitter to recruit four-star offensive lineman Jonathan Daniels, letting him know he needs to “Come to the AU and block for me and Walker White.” Buy Tigers Tickets Daniels, who posted a video of him running the 100-meter in track, was offered by Auburn on June 20, 2022, and was on campus on Jan. 26 for an unofficial visit. Burnette wasn’t the only Auburn commit working on Danield, four-star quarterback White tweeted “Facts!!! Need them Big boys!!!” at Daniels. The Pensacola, Florida native is currently projected to go to Florida State but with Burnette and White on the case, the Tigers have a better chance of landing the 6-foot-3, 280-pounder than they did before. Daniels is the No. 117 overall player and No. 6 interior offensive lineman in the 247Sports Composite ranking. He is also the No. 17 player from Florida. Auburn is still looking for its first commitment along the offensive line in the 2024 recruiting class but does have the No. 18 class in the country after the addition of Burnette. Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow JD on Twitter @jdmccarthy15.

al.com Freshman cornerback Kayin Lee 'like a pit bull' in Auburn secondary Published: Mar. 26, 2023, 7:05 a.m. 5–6 minutes Keionte Scott noticed something early on this spring about Auburn freshman cornerback Kayin Lee. The former four-star prospect was spending an abundance of time in defensive backs coach Wesley McGriff’s office on the second floor of the new Woltosz Football Performance Center, even when other members of the Tigers’ secondary cleared out and were done for the day. Lee, one of Auburn’s early enrollees and the second-highest rated signee in the 2023 class, has been a mainstay in McGriff’s office — and for all the right reasons. Read more Auburn football: Camden Brown again turning heads for Auburn, but can he deliver on potential in Year 2? The next step for Kentucky transfer Justin Rogers in order to be a “factor” on Auburn’s defensive line Rivaldo Fairweather a “late bloomer,” but Auburn has high hopes for the FIU tight end transfer Lee hasn’t been in trouble or anything. It’s just that he wants to get the Tigers’ defensive coverages down pat as he works to adapt to the college game during his first spring on campus. “He will not leave the building if he doesn’t understand the coverage,” McGriff said. “He’ll knock on the door and say, ‘Hey Coach, I don’t understand this coverage.’ The first thing I do, I’ll look to see if he has something to write on, and he has his notebook, and as soon as he sits down he pulls it out and is taking notes. He wants to be great. He has the attitude and demeanor where he wants to be great.” Lee’s insistence on perfecting coverages from an understanding standpoint has translated to the field this spring, as he has been one of the standouts for the Tigers through the first three weeks of practices. It’s not just that he’s impressing as a freshman who is getting his feet wet for the first time; he’s making waves in a veteran-laden secondary that is expected to be the strength of this Auburn team in Year 1 under new coach Hugh Freeze. “I would describe him as feisty,” Scott said. “If I could use one word, just feisty. Like a pit bull, kind of. He wants to be out there, and you can see it. So, every time he’s out there, he’s taking his reps and making them count, for sure.” During portions of practices that have been open to the media this spring, Lee has been getting early work with the second-team defense behind returning starters D.J. James and Nehemiah Pritchett. That’s in part because Auburn’s numbers at cornerback are thin this spring, with just four scholarship players at the position. While more reinforcements will join in the fall, Lee is making the most of his opportunity as Auburn heads into its final two weeks of spring practices. Both Scott and Puckett identified Lee as someone who has caught their attention in spring practices, while McGriff said the Ellenwood, Ga., native has been “the biggest” standout among Auburn’s younger wave in the secondary — a group that also includes sophomores J.D. Rhym, Caleb Wooden and Cayden Bridges, as well as redshirt freshman Austin Ausberry. RELATED: Auburn lands top in-state 2024 running back in Andalusia standout J’Marion Burnette “The level of style that he played in high school, I feel like he’s bringing that immediately right to the table, and I feel like that’s (not) something that a lot of high schoolers that don’t come in early do,” Puckett said. Puckett would know. He was also an early enrollee in the spring of 2019, and while he only saw the field in four games that fall while taking a redshirt, he understands the value of these 15 practices for a young defensive back, especially one of Lee’s caliber. “I feel like getting around the environment, learning the playbook early (and) learning how to maneuver through school, I feel like that’s something that’s a big thing,” Puckett said. The 5-foot-11, 184-pound Lee was rated as the 16th-best cornerback in the 2023 class and 145th-best overall recruit in the country coming out of Cedar Grove High. Lee committed to Ohio State last July, but Auburn — led by defensive backs coach Zac Etheridge, with an assist from McGriff — worked to flip him on early signing day. The effort paid off, as he committed to Auburn during the early signing period, giving the Tigers one of their two headliners in Freeze’s first class (edge rusher Keldric Faulk, who flipped from Florida State, being the other). Now Lee is carving out a role for himself in a talented Auburn secondary, and while his college experience is still in the preliminary stages, Puckett is confident the former high school All-American is going to be a “great contributor” for the Tigers this fall. “I’m excited about his progression,” McGriff said. “He’s making plays. He’s got a lot of confidence. The biggest thing about him like that is don’t put too much on his plate and make sure you coach his confidence up. But he’s doing great. I’m excited about him. He will have an impact on this football team and this program.” Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.

sports.yahoo.com Auburn football’s 2024 recruiting class tracker JD McCarthy ~3 minutes Hugh Freeze and his staff showed their recruiting mettle last year, signing the No. 18 class in the country despite only being on campus for a matter of weeks before the early signing period. With a full cycle to build relationships with recruits, expectations are much higher but so far that has been justified. The Tigers have landed four four-star recruits to start their class and pulled quite the shocker when they landed quarterback Walker White over the Clemson Tigers. Landing the classes quarterback in February gives Auburn time to recruit around him and White has not shied away from trying to bring other elite players with him to the Plains. Here is a look at every player who has committed to Auburn in the 2024 recruiting cycle so far. Quarterback Walker White Stars: 4 247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 118 overall, No. 9 quarterback, No. 1 player from Arkansas Commitment Date: Feb. 3, 2023 Hometown: Little Rock, Arkansas Career Stats 271-of-505 (53.7%), 3,985 yards, 48 touchdowns, 20 interceptions. Rushed for 1,324 yards and 21 touchdowns. Auburn pulled off quite the upset when they landed White over Clemson and it has been a major addition. He has the ability to run but he is a passer first and foremost. Running back J'Marion Burnette Stars: 4 247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 158 overall, No. 10 running back, No. 8 player from Alabama Commitment Date: March 24, 2023 Hometown: Andalusia, Alabama Career Stats: 4,038 yards, 30 touchdowns Burnette is a physical back at 6-feet-1 and 225-pounds who will have a chance to make an immediate impact once he makes it to Auburn. He was one of Auburn’s top targets at running back but will not be their only one as they look to take two this cycle. Cornerback A'Mon Lane Stars: 4 247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 326 overall, No. 25 cornerback, No. 18 player from Alabama Commitment Date: July 30, 2022 Hometown: Alabaster, Alabama Lane actually committed to Auburn’s previous staff but he is solid in his commitment after Zac Etheridge was retained. He has also been recruiting for Auburn as they look to build another impressive secondary class. Cornerback Jayden Lewis Stars: 4 247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 360 overall, No. 29 cornerback, No. 22 player from Alabama Commitment Date: Feb. 1, 2023 Hometown: Anniston, Alabama Lewis was the first member of the 2024 class to commit to Freeze’s staff and it was a big win. He has all the makings of a future cover corner in the SEC due to his 6-foot, 175-pound frame and his elite speed. Story originally appeared on Auburn Wire