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Dylan Cardwell’s rim protection a ‘factor’ for No. 13 Auburn early this season Updated: Nov. 15, 2022, 8:38 a.m.|Published: Nov. 15, 2022, 7:00 a.m. 6-7 minutes Dylan Cardwell had jokes Monday afternoon in the suites at Neville Arena. Auburn’s backup center was asked about his prowess defending the rim early this season—10 blocks through the Tigers’ first two games—and he couldn’t help but crack a joke with one of his point guards, Tre Donaldson, sitting at his side. “My guards getting driven by helps a whole lot,” Cardwell said, trying to keep a straight face. “The fact that we can stay in front of nobody, it feels good to block some shots.” Read more Auburn basketball: Auburn signs four-star 2022 point guard Aden Holloway Bruce Pearl: ‘There’s a chance’ freshman Chance Westry debuts vs. Winthrop Auburn basketball moves up in AP poll after opening week Cardwell was jesting, of course, but the 6-foot-11 center’s defense at the rim early this season has been no laughing matter. Cardwell has provided a defensive spark off the bench for Auburn through its first week of action, and he’ll look to maintain it Tuesday when No. 13 Auburn (2-0) hosts Winthrop (2-1) at Neville Arena for a 6 p.m. tip on SEC Network. It’s early yet this season, but Cardwell has carved out a spot as one of the top rim protectors in college hoops through one week of games. His 10 blocks are tied for second-most in the nation, trailing only Oral Roberts’ Connor Vanover (14 blocked shots) and tied with USC’s Joshua Morgan. Cardwell’s block percentage of 29.8 percent would be tops in the nation — ahead of Vanover’s 23.8 percent and Mogan’s 20.3 percent — if he played enough minutes to qualify. But Cardwell has done his damage on the defensive end coming off the bench for Auburn while averaging 16 minutes per game. As such, his per-40-minute (12.5 blocks) and per-100-possession (17.6 blocks) numbers are eye-popping so far. “He and I talked a little bit about his conditioning, his rest,” Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said last week. “Just because — look, for a man his size, he moves about as good as anybody his size. Period. In college basketball. He really does. And so that’s the key to his effectiveness. He’s been really good to coach. He’s very accountable. I got on him a couple times pretty hard, but he knows how to take it. But it’s very important that Dylan brings that physicality.” It has been welcome for Auburn through two games, especially as starting center Johni Broome has battled through a lingering ankle injury. Broome’s effectiveness has been hampered by the ankle, and while he was moving a little better during Sunday’s practice, it remains to be seen how long it takes for him to get full speed. That has made Cardwell’s effectiveness off the bench even more crucial to Auburn’s early success: He has stepped up, particularly defensively, and provided relief for Broome, who was the OVC Defensive Player of the Year last season at Morehead State. “Me and Dylan go at it every day in practice,” Broome said. “So, I know what he’s about. He’s a monster. He’s physical. He’s strong. You know what I’m saying? He got all the moves around the basket. His defense is amazing. You know he’s a monster. We’re a very good duo together.” Essentially, Auburn hasn’t lost a step at center when Broome checks out and Cardwell comes in. Along with his five blocks per game, Cardwell has made all three of his shot attempts this season while averaging 4.5 points and 5.5 blocks per game. He has also posted a 71.1 defensive rating, which leads the team and is just ahead of Broome’s 71.4. As Pearl put it after the win against USF, Cardwell has been “a factor” so far this season. The 6-foot-11 big man has taken a considerable step forward as a junior, with Pearl at one point this summer calling him the Tigers’ most improved player. He benefited from an offseason of physical development, as well as from spending last season learning behind Walker Kessler, last year’s national Defensive Player of the Year who also spent time training on the Plains this offseason ahead of his rookie year in the NBA. “I learned a lot,” Cardwell said. “I learned when not to jump and I learned when to jump. He made a lot of nonbusiness decisions, but he didn’t get dunked on that many times. He had no fear when jumping. I’ve got a little bit, I second guess. If somebody is already up, I’m not going to jump late, but that’s something I did learn, just to jump with no fear. If you get dunked on, you’re still going to get drafted one day. You get put on Bleacher Report or something, but it’s not the end of the world. He was a fearless jumper, and he still is.” Cardwell has tried to inherit that same mindset from Kessler, who led the nation in total blocks (155), block percentage (19.1 percent) and defensive box plus/minus (8.0), was tied for most blocks per game (4.6) and finished with the third-highest defensive rating (83.0) in the country last season. “I feel like that’s my biggest improvement as far as defense goes, not jumping at every single pump fake and staying on the ground and being taken off the floor,” Cardwell said. “That’s something the coaches have been preaching this year, in nonconference especially, is staying on the floor and being second, because I’m so much bigger and more athletic than all the other people in the play, just not getting in foul trouble, not picking up stupid fouls. Just working on the timing and stuff this year has been a very big focal point for me.” No joke, it has paid off for Cardwell in an already-expanded role for Auburn this season. Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation.

The saga of Cadillac Williams moves from ‘nice story’ to ‘legit contender’ Taylor Jones 2 minutes The turnaround that Auburn Football has experienced in two weeks under Cadillac Williams is unfathomable. The interim head coach has appeared to have united a passionate fanbase, and has all but healed a broken roster full of talented athletes who just want to succeed on the field. Has Williams done enough to be considered a legitimate head coaching candidate? Many fans believe he has, as has one college football expert. In a recent episode of “McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning” on Jox 94.5 in Birmingham, SEC Network’s Paul Finebaum says that Williams’ price has risen drastically in a short span. “A week ago, I said it was a nice story but I didn’t think it would change anything. I think it has changed things now because you’re getting an opportunity to see what a coach’s impact is on players,” Finebaum said Monday. “I think, first of all, you have to determine, are we overreacting to the moment, because of the comatose level of excitement that Bryan Harsin brought? Yeah, probably. But that doesn’t matter if it’s real. Only the people on that campus can tell if it’s real.” Williams sold himself well last Saturday, as he led the Tigers to its first win since Sept. 24, a span of six games. He did so in front of a sold-out crowd filled with energetic fans and former teammates. The performance was well-received. So much so, that several current players are calling for Auburn athletic director John Cohen to “remove the tag” from Williams’ title. Williams has two more opportunities to “interview” for the head coaching job. His next chance will come Saturday when Auburn hosts Western Kentucky at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

caddy is parents ace in the hole that their kids will be treated right. no one has stopped to think of all the kids that maybe were mistreated and left the team auburn has an investigation and harsin was found innocent? i am not sure but i think auburn dropped the ball in their investigation and i would bet my butt against third base there are parents poor mouthing us and i can only imagine it is just another issue recruiters can bring up. it is a very dirty business and folks will use any edge they can get to out recruit us.

because i am still stunning good looking?

wright brings that mean streak we have been needing.

it is if he does not get caught............lol

that is fine. you are not changing your viewpoint and i am not changing mine. let us do something remarkable on this board and agree to disagree.

we have no idea if sanders even wants to come do we? he said he would review all offers and he never singled auburn out. and i do not doubt he would be a great coach. has he ever said anything directly about auburn and their coaching search? and how would he handle the money guys and all that? trust me this is no bash on him i am just not convinced he wants to come to auburn.

i posted for fun a short video of a tennessee guy all upset because he heard huepel might be leaving.........it is in todays football articles.

yes yes i understand this dude i am 67 years old so i have a little bit of a clue. but you people are looking at it wrong. punt bama punt. kick six. you guys know the list and i think caddy belongs on that list for how he turned the team around on short notice and gave auburn their pride back. i stand by my words.

a new coach could win a lot of goodwill from auburn fans. not only did caddy give us a little bit of hope he also continues to bring in great running backs. why would a coach really disagree? folks on here claim running back coach is the easiest job on a coaching staff. i understand coaches want their own picks but at the end of the day it is a small thing. i hope wherever caddy ends up or if he stays i hope he finds a coach to help mentor him and keep moving him forward. he is such a refreshing change and he really does care about his kids. to some that is a cliche but i believe caddy would be a great role model and teacher. his love is genuine and in my opinion caddy is the type of person that makes auburn so special. alabaster do we really want a coach that is scared? weak sauce my man weak sauce. auburn needs a great coach that understands the auburn culture. and right now to me caddy defines that. and we would also probably get bashed if we let caddy get away from us.

Here's what Cadillac Williams said about Robby Ashford, Auburn football's passing game Richard Silva, Montgomery Advertiser Mon, November 14, 2022 at 5:27 PM AUBURN — Auburn football defeated Texas A&M last week to secure its first win in over a month, and did it with interim head coach Carnell "Cadillac" Williams leading the way. A win is a win, but the Tigers (4-6, 2-5 SEC) definitely didn't make it look pretty. The offense consistently drove into A&M territory, but couldn't finish drives, or even get into field goal range, ultimately only mustering 13 points. Quarterback Robby Ashford completed just 6-of-13 passes for 60 yards, and only one of those completions was with a wide receiver — the lone Auburn touchdown of the game. Auburn welcomes Western Kentucky (7-4) to Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday (3 p.m. CT, SEC Network) for a chance to redeem itself, and Williams wants the onus to be on him "It starts with me," Williams said Monday. "Some way, somehow we've got to put those guys in better positions. But we've also got to make those throws whenever they're there and take advantage of the looks, collectively. Myself, coach (Will) Friend, coach (Ike) Hilliard and coach (Mike) Hartline, we have to be better." BASKETBALL:Aden Holloway, 4-star recruit in 2023, signs NLI with Auburn basketball WOODEN'S STRIP-SACK:Inside Colby Wooden's late-game play to seal Auburn football's win The Tigers ran for over 200 yards and running backs Tank Bigsby and Jarquez Hunter led the way with 121 yards apiece, but the lack of a passing game made Auburn one dimensional and easy for the Aggies to stall. Texas A&M has one of the worst run defenses in the country, so despite the Aggies knowing the ball was going to be run more often than not, the Tigers still asserted themselves. But against Alabama (8-2, 5-2) in two weeks? That's a different story. Stopping the run isn't exactly a strength for the Crimson Tide this season, but Alabama is better against the run than A&M is. Auburn Tigers interim head coach Carnell "Cadillac" Williams reacts to a call as Auburn Tigers take on Texas A&M Aggies at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Nov. 12, 2022. Auburn Tigers lead Texas A&M 7-0 at halftime. "I think the offensive line in the run game did a lot of good things," Williams said. "We've still got to shore up the pass protection. We have to get better in that aspect. ... Robby, that kid is a fighter. He's going to play hard. He's a competitor. (We've) just got to continue to settle him down and harness that energy that he has out there. "I thought we did a lot of good things on offense, but we've got to get better in the red zone. We kept the ball for 36 minutes, which is huge. (We also had) 270 yards. Whenever when we can get that passing game rolling, we're going to have a chance to be lethal." Richard Silva is the Auburn beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at rsilva@gannett.com or on Twitter @rich_silva18.

and then i found this.................lol

2022 Iron Bowl kickoff time, TV announced Updated: Nov. 14, 2022, 1:50 p.m.|Published: Nov. 14, 2022, 12:00 p.m. 2 minutes Auburn and Alabama will reunite for another Iron Bowl on Nov. 26, 2022 in Bryant-Denny Stadium.AP By Michael Casagrande | mcasagrande@al.com The 2022 Iron Bowl will pit Alabama and Auburn in a familiar time slot. The game on Nov. 26 will kick off at 2:30 p.m. CT in Bryant-Denny Stadium. It will air live on CBS for the eighth straight season. The last Iron Bowl that didn’t land that prime SEC timeslot was the 2014 game when Alabama won 55-44. That aired at ESPN with the game kicking off at 6:45 p.m. This will be a unique Iron Bowl for another reason. It will be the first time since 2007 neither team has a path to play for a national title after Alabama suffered its second loss of the season Nov. 12 at LSU. The Crimson Tide (8-2) enter this week’s 11 a.m. CT game with Austin Peay ranked No. 8 in the latest AP poll. A 30-24 win at Ole Miss avoided a third loss in four games for a team that entered the season No. 1 in every preseason ranking. Auburn is 4-6 heading into a 3 p.m. CT Saturday visit from Western Kentucky. It broke a five-game losing streak Saturday with a 13-10 win over Texas A&M under interim coach Cadillac Williams. Alabama holds a 48-37-1 advantage in the rivalry history having won the last two games over the Tigers. A 24-22 overtime thriller last November in Auburn kept the Crimson Tide’s national title hopes alive a week before beating then-No. 1 Georgia in the SEC championship. Michael Casagrande is a reporter for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @ByCasagrande or on Facebook. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of

Cadillac Williams opens up on his favorite moment from Auburn’s win over Texas A&M Sydney Hunte 3-4 minutes Cadillac Williams couldn’t get a win in his 1st game as Auburn’s interim head coach at Mississippi State on Nov. 5. On Saturday, with the former program great on the sideline at Jordan-Hare Stadium for his 1st home game as a coach, the Tigers squeezed out an emotional 13-10 win over Texas A&M. Williams, 2nd to only Bo Jackson on Auburn’s career rushing yards list, certainly had his share of memories to choose from as the Tigers snapped a 5-game losing streak. But which one was his favorite? When asked the question during his Monday press conference, Williams paused to ponder it. “Wow, that is a loaded, great question,” he said to laughter from media in attendance. “Honestly, my favorite moment was to see…those former players on the sideline…guys that I fought with, trained with…lot of good memories, and it was just replaying in my mind.” Williams mentioned his former teammates gathering in the locker room as he gave his pregame speech to his players. “Honestly, [I] think that was the coolest thing, seeing the smile on their face, all them guys being in the locker room when I addressed the team, and then after the game, having all those players in the locker room. Like, it was crazy to see…it just came full-circle,” he said. Auburn will look to ride the wave of emotions to bowl eligibility, needing to win its final 2 games to claim a spot in the postseason. It next hosts Western Kentucky on Senior Day before traveling to Tuscaloosa for the Iron Bowl against Alabama. TRENDING 58,148 READS 51,772 READS 23,016 READS Sydney (@SHWrites on Twitter) is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.

Cadillac on run game: 'We want to be tough, we want to be physical' Jason Caldwell 3-4 minutes AUBURN, Alabama—Since Bryan Harsin was fired on November 1, Auburn has had to revamp things on offense with Will Friend and Ike Hilliard taking over the role of co-coordinator for the Tigers. With an offensive line coach calling plays and involved in the development of the gameplan, the Tigers have put more emphasis on running the football and the results have shown that to be the right move. In two games with the new offensive staff in charge, Auburn has rushed for 256 yards against Mississippi State and 277 yards against Texas A&M. That’s the first time the Tigers have rushed for more than 200 yards in back-to-back games against SEC teams since 2020 under Gus Malzahn. With junior Tank Bigsby running for 210 yards on 36 carries the last two weeks and sophomore Jarquez Hunter adding 175 on just 25 carries, it harkens back to the days when Auburn interim coach Cadillac Williams was sharing the load on the Plains with a loading running back room. “Jarquez, Tank, those guys feed off each other, man,” Williams said. “I know that feeling of being Jarquez or Tank, or Ronnie Brown out there doing good or Brandon Jacobs out there running the rock or Tre Smith. And it's like you're happy for them, but you're like I want some of that action. That is how it's going down. And man, they're picking each other up. And what a really good 1-2 punch. They definitely complement each other.” Cadillac Williams leads the way for Tank Bigsby down the sideline. (Photo: Jason Caldwell/Auburn247, 247Sports) In addition to Bigsby and Hunter, Auburn also has a weapon in Robby Ashford, who has 155 yards on the ground the last two weeks on 34 carries. With the mindset now firmly on running the football, Auburn has gotten back to the physical play that Williams said the Tigers have always been known for. “I kind of want to get back to Auburn old-school football,” Williams said. “Auburn to me is about work, hard work. Auburn is about toughness, perseverance, We want be tough and we want be physical. So I think one of the greatest things about the game of football is when your opponent knows you are running the ball, but you still impose your will. It takes the fight out of a lot of teams.” That starts with the play of the offensive line. A group that has been much maligned over the course of the last few years, Williams said he’s seen them take their game to another level recently. “Once again, as running backs, we get all the attention because we're carrying the ball,” Williams said. “But honestly those guys up front, they're moving people, they're fighting, they're together. They're straining out there and getting a hat on a hat.” 1COMMENTS With back-to-back games where weather played a part in the success of the passing game, Auburn has leaned on the running game to get the job done. Zierer said that no matter if it’s rain, snow, sleet, ice, or sunny, that has to be the calling card for the Tigers. “I think we all know we’re going to run the football no matter what,” he said. “If it was 80 degrees outside with no wind, we still would have done the same thing.” ">247Sports

Report: T.J. Finley to sit out remainder of season Taylor Jones 2 minutes Junior quarterback T.J. Finley has made a decision on his immediate future. According to a report from Jason Caldwell of Auburn Undercover, Finley has elected to sit out the remaining two games of the regular season. Finley’s opt-out leaves Auburn with three scholarship quarterbacks on its depth chart. Buy Tigers Tickets A source has told Caldwell that Finley will sit out the remaining games in an effort to heal a shoulder injury that has given him complications since Auburn’s loss to Penn State on Sept. 17 at Jordan-Hare Stadium. He was diagnosed with a grade 2 sprain to his AC joint, which is believed to have happened during the later stages of the first half of that game. Since that game, Finley has only appeared in one game, taking just three snaps in Oct. 15th’s game at Ole Miss. He did not attempt a pass in the game but lost seven yards of rushing thanks to a sack. Finley started three games for Auburn this season, where he completed 33-of-55 passes for 431 yards, throwing four interceptions to just one touchdown. He only appeared in four games this season, so Finley could still take a redshirt option and have three years of eligibility remaining says Caldwell. Speculation of Finley’s future with the program began swirling last week when a report surfaced that suggested that he was looking to enter the transfer portal. It grew on Monday when Finley’s name was left off of the two-deep depth chart ahead of Auburn’s game with Western Kentucky on Saturday. With Finley’s news, Auburn is down to Robby Ashford, Holden Geriner, and trey lindsey as scholarship quarterbacks.

Gus Malzahn weighs in on state of Auburn, Cadillac Williams Sam Marsdale 3-4 minutes Gus Malzahn keeps tabs on his former program at Auburn even though he is at UCF, as his former assistant Cadillac Williams led the Tigers to their first win in his interim tenure. With Auburn firing Malzahn’s successor Bryan Harsin in the middle of Year 2, je was going to be asked about things on The Plains at some point. Speaking with Chris Vannini of The Athletic regarding a story around UCF, Malzahn was asked about the current state of things at Auburn, as the Tigers. “I’ve got a lot of my former players there that I root for on a weekly basis,” Malzahn said. “I love Auburn and I wish them nothing but the best. I hope everything goes well. I’m so proud of Cadillac Willias what he’s done, man. It’s been fun to watch him do his thing.” Auburn fired Malzahn after a 6-4 regular season in the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign. In eight seasons as Auburn’s head coach, he went 67-35 overall and 38-27 in SEC play. Malzahn led Auburn to a berth in the 2013 BCS National Championship game, where it fell to Florida State. The Tigers (4-6) came so close to an upset victory over Mississippi State in Williams’ debut a week ago, but got the job done Saturday night on The Plains. "There are so many people that have laid hands on these kids,” Williams said after the win. “I truly am thankful for — just believing in a small-town guy who was as scared as a puppy last week. I'm just telling you, I was scared. And I let them know I was sacred. I needed y'all. I've never done this. I'm going to lean on you all. Last but not least, this Auburn brand and this Auburn family, this place is special. We changed the whole trajectory of the way of family, from a player and the undefeated season to going to the draft, from the rookie of the year to the relationships — the whole 2004 team and guys I was with, to see how happy they were is unreal. This place is special. To see the support from the fans, they put a battery in my back and they energize me." "Early on, I was trying to be like a lot of coaches. I was going to try to be the big boss and cross my arms. Maybe I'd look serious as typical coaches do. But thank God for (our players). They saw how nervous I was. I'm telling you guys, I was scared guys. And they just said, 'Coach, be you.' It's like, 'We've been telling you for the longest, just the same way you approach us and pour into our lives, you're doing it for the whole team.' It's like 120 people now and along with coaches. It's different. To hear them tell me to 'be you,' I got some sleep. That's what I decided to do. I'm going to be vulnerable and transparent with them." Subscribe to 247Sports YouTube for the latest college football, basketball and recruiting news including live college commitments. Auburn concludes its season with its home finale against Western Kentucky and the Iron Bowl at Alabama. Dean Straka contributed to this report. ">247Sports

i would love there to be guarantees he will not be kicked to the curb with the new hire. we were so down and he gave us hope. i am not sure we bought in so much since we hired dye. i think it would be a bad look for us to allow caddy to leave after he pretty much resurrected our program. plus he can recruit and he genuinely loves auburn. i do not think auburn would let him get away. i wonder how many kids caddy talked out of leaving when harsin was spewing his poison. and i still think harsin thinks southerners are stupid as hell.

screw harsin. either pride or stupidity had him almost destroying our football program. dye was known for his hell on earth practices but only a few left his program. as hard as he worked his teams the players knew he loved them. i cannot say that about harsin. the only person harsin cared about was himself. if he cannot treat kids right when he coaches them i hope he never coaches again. and before some of you jump me just remember all the horror stories have not come out yet. i do not believe he should be allowed to destroy kids self esteem and pride. ever...........

Cadillac Williams’ vulnerability resonates with a reinvigorated Auburn Updated: Nov. 13, 2022, 11:43 a.m.| Published: Nov. 13, 2022, 11:30 a.m. Auburn interim head coach Carnell Williams, right, and Auburn safety Caleb Wooden (21) react as they start the fourth quarter during the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 12, 2022, in Auburn, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)AP NEW! 148 shares By Tom Green | tgreen@al.com Cadillac Williams was scared, but he wasn’t afraid to let his team know it. He had never been in a situation like this before; it was one he never could have imagined would present itself. Yet there he was on Halloween, tabbed as the interim head coach at his alma mater — with no prior head coaching experience on his resume — after Auburn’s firing of Bryan Harsin, taking over a program mired in a nightmare season and on a five-game losing streak. “(I) was scared as a puppy last week,” Williams said late Saturday night. “I’m just telling you. Scared.” Read more Auburn football: The scene inside and outside Jordan-Hare Stadium on a surreal day for Cadillac Williams Scarbinsky: Go crazy and stick with Cadillac? Auburn wouldn’t do that... would it? Grading Auburn’s 13-10 win against Texas A&M Williams didn’t hide that fear behind some façade of false bravado, though the thought certainly crossed his mind — to be like other coaches, the “big boss” with a serious demeanor and arms crossed. Instead, he chose to embrace that fear. He chose to be vulnerable. He told his assistant coaches and support staff as much shortly after he was elevated to interim head coach. Williams needed them, and he wanted them to know it as he waded into unfamiliar waters. That wasn’t all he confided in them, either. “I told my staff when I took this job, and I’m part of it — we have failed these kids,” Williams said. “It’s our job to elevate them, to inspire them, to empower them, to get them going, and we ain’t done a good enough job.” Williams felt a duty to his players, one that had been sorely lacking during this tumultuous season. Maybe it was because he intimately understood what things were capable at Auburn; as he has said multiple times over the last two weeks, it’s “a place where dreams come true,” and his own story is a testament to that. Or maybe it was because he learned through a lifetime of experience — from peewee football through a career in the NFL — what it meant to have coaches personally invest in you. He wanted to pay it forward. It’s why he transitioned into coaching in the first place. So, he challenged his players early last week: Be vulnerable. Open your heart. Let the coaches in. “Coach Lac really just brought us all in and got us to really fight for each other and come together,” defensive lineman Morris Joseph Jr. said. “The team is closer than we can imagine right now, and we’re being vulnerable with each other, sharing our stories and actually just being there for each other, so that’s a great thing.” Takeaways from Auburn's 13-10 win against Texas A&M Auburn snapped its five-game losing streak and delivered interim head coach Cadillac Williams his first win. First, though, Williams had to do the same for them, which wasn’t difficult. The 40-year-old former All-American is an accomplished poker player but presenting a poker face to mask his own doubts and insecurities about his burdensome new role was an impossible ask. The players who are closest to him, Auburn’s running backs — Tank Bigsby, Jarquez Hunter, Damari Alston, Sean Jackson, Jordon Ingram. Luke Reebels and Justin Jones — recognized it early on, and they spent last week checking in on Williams, making sure he was in a good place after a bombshell rocked the program. “They could see how nervous I was,” Williams said. “I would tell them, ‘Yeah, I’m scared guys.’” Williams’ own vulnerability resonated with them, and they offered up their own challenge to him in return: Just be you. They told him to take his same approach to the running backs room and use it for the whole team.

Auburn interim coach Cadillac Williams assures: 'We're gonna be OK' ADAM COLE acole@oanow.com 6-8 minutes ADAM COLE AUBURN - Drenched in Gatorade, in near-below freezing temperatures, Carnell “Cadillac” Williams got to take it all in on Pat Dye Field. The stands were still packed post-game. The lights strobed and changed colors. Some of his players even hopped into the student section for a celebratory swag surf. It was the aftermath of Williams’ first win as Auburn’s interim head coach on Saturday night. His Tigers took down a struggling Texas A&M team loaded with talent, 13-10, to give the program its first win since September. “We're gonna be OK,” Williams said in his postgame interview on SEC Network. “Auburn football — It ain't dead." The win was Auburn’s first since beating Missouri 17-14 in overtime on Sept. 24. Since then, the Tigers had gone on a five-game skid with losses to LSU, Georgia, Ole Miss, Arkansas and Mississippi State. People are also reading… Defense played the difference-maker in the snapping of that losing streak. The Tigers' defensive performance was highlighted by a shutdown third quarter in which Auburn (4-6, 2-5 SEC) held the Aggies scoreless and allowed minus-2 yards on 14 plays. Texas A&M (3-7, 1-6 SEC) didn’t generate positive yards in the second half until the 6:56 mark of the third quarter with a four-yard gain that became insignificant. Aggie quarterback Conner Weigman attempted 11 passes in the frame and only completed one, which went for minus-3 yards. In total, the Aggies were held to 215 yards, 94 of which came on the ground with the other 121 through the air. Weigman finished with a 14-for-36 line and one passing touchdown. Texas A&M’s leading rusher was Amari Daniels, who logged 83 rush yards on 11 attempts. Auburn’s defensive front followed up a havoc-wreaking effort the week prior in Starkville — one in which it had a season-high 10 tackles for loss and five sacks — by logging three sacks and six tackles for loss to go along with six quarterback hurries. Defensive lineman Colby Wooden — who posted one tackle and three quarterback hurries — had perhaps the play of the game. He strip-sacked Weigman, creating a fumlbe that was recovered by Memphis transfer Morris Joseph Jr., and it gave Auburn the ball back with 5:34 remaining. According to multiple teammates, Wooden called the play before it happened. “He said he was going to do a club and rip,” linebacker Cam Riley said. “But nobody in the huddle was really paying attention. The next play, he went out and did exactly what he said he was going to do. “I was shook about it. I'm still shook right now that he actually did that.” It was the second strip sack in two weeks for Wooden, and set up a scoring drive that put the Tigers back up two scores with 3:02 remaining. Riley totaled five tackles, the most he’s had in a game since the Penn State loss in September. Linebacker Owen Pappoe had a team-high six tackles, and was Auburn’s only player to log two or more tackles for loss. Auburn’s offense was carried by the run. The Tigers ran 68 plays, 55 of which were scrambles or rushing attempts. Tank Bigsby and Jarquez Hunter each generated a game-high 121 yards. Bigsby did so on 23 attempts, averaging 5.3 yards per carry, and Hunter did it on 13 carries to average 9.3 yards per carry. Bigsby passed Ronnie Brown for No. 9 in the program record books in career rush yards, and Hunter bested his previous season-high of 80 yards before the end of the first half. Quarterback Robby Ashford finished with 47 rush yards on 13 carries. Ashford’s passing line was 6-for-13 for 60 yards. He threw one touchdown pass to two interceptions. Nine of Auburn’s 13 drives ended in Texas A&M territory. Only three of those ended with points. Five ended with a punt, three ended with a turnover and one ended in a missed field goal from freshman Alex McPherson. McPherson, who made his first career start in place of an injured Anders Carlson, was 2-of-3 on field goals. He hit from 24 and 36 yards while missing from 54. Following a locker room celebration and slight clothing change, Williams came to the lectern for his postgame interview. He was asked about his words on TV — “Auburn’s gonna be OK.” What’d that mean? “Why wouldn’t you want to come to Auburn?” Williams said. “ .. Along with the new facility and the Auburn people, this place has always been on top of college football. Because, I can tell recruits, it’s truly the people within the walls. People that are serving, people that are in the community. And this is a place where you can develop, not only on the field, but also off the field. "People that’s passionate about Auburn, about Auburn football, but also humanity — love, care, work, hard work. ... It’s a place where dreams come true. Look at me. First African-American to be in this lead position. Something I never even thought of. Never crossed my mind. “So not only do dreams come true here, but the things that you don’t even think of can come true. Who would have ever thought that I’d be standing here? Because Lord knows I didn’t.” Auburn/Texas A&M Stats Texas A&M 0 0 0 10 — 10 Auburn 7 0 3 3 — 13 First Quarter AUB_Ja.Johnson 16 pass from Ashford (McPherson kick), 1:33. Third Quarter AUB_FG McPherson 34, :39. Fourth Quarter TXAM_FG Bond 48, 10:48. AUB_FG McPherson 26, 3:02. TXAM_Preston 17 pass from Weigman (Bond kick), 1:33. A_87,451. TXAM AUB First downs 12 18 Total Net Yards 215 330 Rushes-yards 24-94 55-270 Passing 121 60 Punt Returns 0-0 2-7 Kickoff Returns 1-6 0-0 Interceptions Ret. 2-0 0-0 Comp-Att-Int 14-36-0 6-13-2 Sacked-Yards Lost 3-26 2-12 Punts 9-37.889 5-44.2 Fumbles-Lost 2-1 1-1 Penalties-Yards 8-66 8-45 Time of Possession 23:34 36:26 INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING_Texas A&M, Daniels 11-83, Moss 5-7, Weigman 8-4. Auburn, Hunter 13-121, Bigsby 23-121, Ashford 16-47, Alston 1-(minus 1), (Team) 2-(minus 18). PASSING_Texas A&M, Weigman 14-36-0-121. Auburn, Ashford 6-13-2-60. RECEIVING_Texas A&M, Preston 3-43, E.Stewart 3-9, Price 2-42, B.Smith 2-1, Wright 1-18, Moss 1-8, Thomas 1-3, Daniels 1-(minus 3). Auburn, Bigsby 2-20, J.Johnson 1-16, Hunter 1-12, Fromm 1-11, Deal 1-1. MISSED FIELD GOALS_Auburn, McPherson 54. 0 Comments Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!

Auburn opens as single-digit favorite over Western Kentucky Nathan King 2-3 minutes Even in the glow of his first win as a head coach Saturday night — fireworks popping, student section going crazy and Jordan-Hare Stadium's light show flashing — interim coach Cadillac Williams had a clear answer when SEC Network reporter Cole Cubelic asked him after the victory, "What's next for this program?" "Western Kentucky," Williams replied. After an energy packed day on the Plains parlayed into a cathartic win for an embattled Tigers team, 13-10 over Texas A&M, Williams knows they can't afford a hangover next weekend. Auburn has a tricky Group of Five opponent to prepare for in its last home game of the season. On Sunday afternoon, Auburn opened as a 6-point favorite, per Circa Sports, over the Hilltoppers, who boasts the nation's No. 4 passing offense and a top-30 yards-per-play defense. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. CST on SEC Network. Under fourth-year coach Tyson Helton, Western Kentucky is 7-4 on the year, fresh off 45-10 win over Rice on Saturday. They've played one other Power Five team this season, Indiana, and only lost by a field goal, 33-30 on the road. ESPN FPI presently gives Auburn only a 55.3% chance to win. ESPN's SP+ ratings have the Hilltoppers as the fifth-best Group of Five team in college football through 11 weeks. 12COMMENTS The teams haven't met since 2005; Auburn has won both games in the series handily under Tommy Tuberville. Auburn snapped a five-game losing streak Saturday and will likely avoid last place in the SEC West by handing Texas A&M its sixth straight defeat this season. The Tigers' defense held the Aggies to just 211 yards of offense, including only 85 and four first downs in the second half. ">247Sports