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Auburn football Friday practice observations Zac Blackerby 3-4 minutes The Auburn Tigers took to the practice field for the first organized practice this fall camp. Several key storylines are brewing throughout the roster including a quarterback battle, what's the wide receiver rotation look like, who are the five starting offensive linemen, and what will the defensive backfield look like? Keep in mind that these are just observations from 20 minutes of the first practice of fall camp. Read into what you want. Observations - TJ Finley was with the starters first. Next to Tank Bigsby and John Samuel Shenker. He threw a great pass to Shenker, the to his left to Malcolm Johnson Jr., then had a great pass on an outbreaking route to Shedrick Jackson. - Zach Calzada went with the second unit. Threw to Ze'Vian Capers for a touchdown. - Then Calzada went with the first team offense in the same drill. - From left to right, the starting offensive line was Kilian Zerier, Kam Stutts, Nick Brahms, Keiondre Jones, Austin Troxell. - From left to right, the second offensive line was Zerier, Brandon Council, Tate Johnson, Alec Jackson, Austin Troxell. - Bryan Harsin then came over to the media and made a "No hat" joke referring to the one-year anniversary of Hat-Gate and then gave media members a t-shirt that said, "I went to Auburn Football practice and all I got was this War Dam Shirt." - Capers looks huge. - Jackson looks like he has put in a ton of work this summer. - Auburn linebacker Cam Riley is very physically impressive. - Cornerback Jaylin Simpson took a vocal role with the DBs. - In the tight ends vs linebackers drill, the order that the tight ends went was Shenker, Luke Deal, Tyler Fromm, and Brandon Frazier. In the same drill, linebacker Eugene Asante went first for the defense. - Zion Puckett moved well. Looks bigger. In 1 on 1s - WRs vs DBs - Simpson beat out Jackson on a pass from Calzada. - Johnson Jr. had a great snag vs Nehemiah Pritchett from Calzada - Ja'Varrius Johnson beat Marquis Gilbert on a pass from Calzada. - Capers got a ton of separation on a route vs DJ James on a pass from Finley. - Moore was wide open in a rep from Cayden Bridges on a pass from Finley. - JD Rhym got the best of Tommy Nesmith on a pass from Finley. - Donovan Kaufman won a rep vs Ta'varish Dawson. - Finley missed an easy slot completion to Ja'Varrius Johnson. - Calzada threw a great ball to Johnson Jr. - The last rep we saw was Calzada throwing a strike on a seam route to Koy Moore. It was beautiful. We will have a similar post after Saturday's practice. Engage with Auburn Daily on Socials!

Bryan Harsin: 'Physically, we’re much better than we were a year ago.' Taylor Jones 6-8 minutes When Auburn football hits the field on Sept. 3 against Mercer at Jordan-Hare Stadium, they will look to erase the sour taste of ending last season with a five-game losing streak. To do that, the team needs to showcase more physicality in order to win the battles in the trenches. On Thursday, head coach Bryan Harsin spoke with the media ahead of Auburn’s first session of fall camp, where the topic of physicality was discussed. Harsin says that he is pleased with where the team is in that aspect. “That’s one thing about this game – we can talk about mindset, is a guy tough enough and all that – if you physically can’t whoop somebody, it’s hard to go out there and have confidence,” Harsin said. “We needed to physically get ourselves better, and we did that. So, we’re physically better now and as we get through these 25 practices or so, we’ll find out what we look like in pads and how physical we really are. That will tell us more about this team.” With a team that features a quarterback battle and unknown identities at wide receiver and in the defensive backfield, Harsin stresses the need to have both lines as strong as possible, to better carry the load. “As our o-line and d-line prepare through this training camp, that’s really going to be how this team goes – up front with those two groups,” Harsin said. “I think we’ve got some good d-linemen. I think we improved in those areas, and that will help our o-line improve as well.” Harsin addressed several topics during Thursday’s media availability, here are a few highlights: AP Photo/Vasha Hunt It’s training camp for a reason. Everything that we’re doing over the course of this next month is all to get prepared for the season. We’re putting everything in. We’re talking about the rules. We’re talking about situations. We’re going through just about everything that will come up. At least we hope we’re hitting most of those things, and that’s what we’re going to be focused on. We’ve got seniors on this squad that this will be their last time to get a chance to do this here. For us, it’s a big day. So, opening day, (we) get everybody here, make sure everybody is good, and then we start practice on Friday because right now everybody is 0-0. Nobody has won a game. Nobody has played a game. The opportunity is right in front of us, so what we do in training camp is going to be extremely important to our success for the rest of the season. If you haven’t been through it, it’s hard to appreciate the day-to-day grind that these guys go through. I know the NFL players, you get to see on some ‘Hard Knocks’ and things like that, but for coaches and players to lock in and really come together and build that chemistry through the game of football and spend this much time together, it’s a really, really important time. Jake Crandall/ The Montgomery Advertiser It’s talking season, so while we’re practicing and all that, there’s speculation of what could happen and what everybody thinks until you actually go out there and play, and the beauty of playing is you get to settle the score in the arena. You don’t talk about it — you get to actually go out there and play — so all of this work that we’re doing and what our guys have been doing since January, it’s all going to come together; hopefully that shows up on September 3rd and we go out there and play, and then from that point on, we’re into the season. Todd Van Emst/AU Athletics I’m proud of our guys for the work they’ve put in. I’m excited where this team is at. I like this squad. We’ve got a lot of work to do, a lot of things to improve. Most spots are open for competition. Our guys know that and they’re going to go out there and compete, but they’re also going to help each other out. They’re going to bring value to whatever their role is. They’re going to bring value to their teammates and coaches and then we’ll go out there and make the decision on who the starters are going to be, but everybody on this team is going to help us win. That is a message I want to make sure they understand. You may not think so, other people may not think so, but the guy waving the towel on the sideline — they don’t know he was the scout team linebacker that week playing against a really good defense that we’re probably going to face — they’re really important to our success and they matter. AP Photo/Butch Dill All of these guys going through this for three, four, five years, there’s a reason why when they leave here, they’re going to be successful. They’re not afraid to grind. They know how to work, and they can push themselves. Through the game of football, we’re developing a lot more than just wins on the football field. We want that. We’ll get that. I know this team is capable of it. But that is what camp is all about. We’re going to talk about those things tonight, then, we’ll get ready to go tomorrow and get into that schedule I just told you. Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports For two days we’re split, just having the young guys in the afternoon — They get to kind of see it installed, they get to see the practice that the older guys have a chance to go through, and they get to go out there and execute it. And then they get to watch themselves later that evening. With the older guys, we’ve been doing things all summer, the OTAs — it gives you a chance to kind of slow it down a little bit and teach a few more things, some of the details that our guys have already heard that were here in January and guys that were here last year. It just gives us a chance for two days to really make sure what we need to emphasize because I think the first two or three days is kind of your DNA that you’re getting in. Photo by Michael Chang/Getty Images You want to make sure you’re very clear on the expectations, what we need to get done, and the questions get answered. And so having the two practices, for the coaches it’s a little bit of a grind to get back out there and have the two practices. But that second one is really good for us to be able to teach. And then I think what you find out from your older guys, too, is some of those guys get out there and they’ve already practiced earlier in the day, but they come out and help. They get a chance to be around, and the younger guys are like, ‘What do I do on this?’ You start getting that player-to-player coaching. And that helps. Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images He was here. He’ll be here tonight. He’ll practice tomorrow. We’re aware of what’s going on.

247sports.com Experienced players say Auburn football can exceed expectations Mark Murphy 3-4 minutes QBs and DLs drill on Opening Day of Auburn Football Practice AUBURN, Alabama–A pair of the Auburn football team’s most experienced players said following their first day of preseason practice on Friday they realize that predictions of their demise in the SEC West are out there regarding the 2022 season, but they aren’t buying into that narrative. Austin Troxell, a returning starter who can play both offensive tackle spots, has been a part of the team going back to the 2017 season when the Tigers won the divisional championship. “I think there is a high ceiling for this offense,” Troxell said. “There are play-makers everywhere. We have an offensive line with plenty of experience up front. I expect us to have a really good year this year.” The offensive tackle, who noted that he currently checks in at 315 pound on his six-foot-seven frame, has overcome three major knee operations. Going into his final season he said that he is in good health and good shape as he and his teammates deal with the physical and mental challenges of preseason camp.” He also pointed out that the players aren’t dwelling on where they have been picked to finish this year. “We don’t really talk about it. We know what we are capable of so that is just noise on the outside.” A team captain last season, who was severely limited by an injury, senior linebacker Owen Pappoe said he is full speed again and has high expectations for himself and the entire defense. Pappoe, who is a 6-1, 225 senior, started every game as a true freshman and again as a sophomore. He was limited to action in five games last year as the Tigers started the season 6-2 before dropping their final five games. Asked about the 2022 defense’s potential, he said, “We have got vets everywhere, guys who are hungry, guys who are playing with a chip on their shoulder. We are relentless. That is one word to describe the defense this year.” Asked what he sees are the keys are for this year’s group to reach its potential, the linebacker said, “It is to be as consistent as we can. You are never going to play a perfect game, but just minimizing any of the mistakes that show up.” Pappoe noted that last year’s performance didn’t set well with him and other members of the 2021 team that are back this season. One of those is defensive lineman Colby Wooden, who noted that he had never been on a team with a losing record until last fall. 3COMMENTS “I graduate in December so I kind of want to go out with a bang,” he said. “Started with Owen and Derick (Hall) and Luke (Deal), all the other guys that came in with me and we have just got to finish the deal. That's basically it–finish the deal.” Preseason Football Camp Premium Subscription Special Deal ">247Sports

I'm tired of losing:' Tigers draw motivation from 'tough' 2021 finish Nathan King 3-4 minutes QBs and DLs drill on Opening Day of Auburn Football Practice AUBURN, Alabama — The 2021 season was a first for Colby Wooden — and not one he ever wanted to experience. “I've never in my life had a losing record,” Wooden said on the first day of preseason practices Friday. Wooden hasn’t exactly experienced immense success with the Auburn program yet. He was a seldom-utilized true freshman on the 2019 team that went 9-3 in the regular season and beat Alabama. But since emerging as a leader along the defensive front, the Tigers’ on-field results have been less than optimal. Wooden is likely entering his final college season after opting not to declare for the NFL draft this past winter. He, of course, has designs on being a highly rated draft pick this time around. But the kind of impact he has on Auburn’s 2022 success is paramount. “That was a tough pill to swallow,” Wooden said of last season. “So I had to go back to the drawing board: 'OK, what can I do better to get myself better, not only for draft purposes but as far as the team?' I feel like this team can go so far and do so much. We owe it to Auburn.” The combination of last year’s sour finish and the dramatics of the early offseason inquiry into Bryan Harsin — which left the entire program in limbo for a week — is now serving to create unity for the squad, as Auburn is entering its first weekend of preseason practices. “I graduate in December, so I kind of want to go out with a bang,” Wooden said. “Started with Owen (Pappoe) and Derick (Hall) and Luke (Deal), all the other guys that came in with me. And we've just got to finish the deal. That's basically it. Finish the deal." Hall, a senior edge rusher who tied for third in the conference in sacks last season, echoed similar sentiments as an SEC Media Days representative last month. “Why would I leave and miss out on the college experience?" Hall said. "You never get that back. Just being able to play with my brothers one more time. ... I love Auburn, and Auburn loves me back, for sure. Everybody takes care of me. … I wanted to give back to them one more time. If I had to make the decision again, I’d definitely still come back for 2022.” While the offense may be working out some kinks in the early season, Auburn's defense is littered with veteran pieces on each level. Pappoe knows it's on him, a 2021 team captain, and other experienced Tigers to set the tone for a bounce-back campaign — one in which external expectations are low, with Auburn picked to finish last the SEC West in the preseason media poll. “Me, personally, I’m tired of losing, and that’s the message we’ve all been preaching to the team,” Pappoe said. “We want to come out and make a difference this year, so we’re going into this season with a chip on our shoulder. I can’t wait to see what happens, man. “Things feel different this year, for real.”

Auburn defenders point to ‘unfinished business’ in returning after 2021 letdown Updated: Aug. 05, 2022, 6:10 p.m.|Published: Aug. 05, 2022, 3:07 p.m. 5-7 minutes Colby Wooden never experienced a losing season in his life, at least not until last fall. Auburn’s 6-7 campaign, which saw the team lose five straight games to end the season, marked the program’s first losing record since 2012. It was a difficult season for Wooden and many of his teammates to endure. “That was a tough pill to swallow,” Wooden said. Read more Auburn football: Observations from Auburn’s first veterans practice of preseason Projecting Auburn’s 2022 depth chart to open fall camp Tar’Varish Dawson Jr. “might be the most improved young player” for Auburn this preseason In the wake of that season, Bryan Harsin’s first as head coach of the Tigers, Auburn saw considerable turnover both on its roster and its coaching staff. Nineteen players transferred out of the program after the season, and the staff was overhauled, all part of a tumultuous offseason that cast uncertainty over the direction of the program. Wooden was one of a trio of Auburn defenders who considered leaving, not through the transfer portal, but to declare early for the NFL Draft. Wooden, edge defender Derick Hall and linebacker Owen Pappoe all weighed their options but ultimately chose to return for another season on the Plains—a chance to improve their stock individually, as well as an opportunity at redemption for the program. “It’s just unfinished business, man,” Pappoe said. “We didn’t want to go out like that, for real, bro. Me, personally, I’m tired of losing, and that’s the message we’ve all been preaching to the team. We want to come out and make a difference this year, so we’re going into this season with a chip on our shoulder.” For Pappoe, the decision was a simpler one. He has been a starter at linebacker since the first game of his freshman season, and he entered last year as a potential early-round NFL Draft pick. Those hopes were dashed, though, as he dealt with an injury that sidelined him for all but five games and required postseason surgery to correct. Hall seriously considered bolting for the NFL after putting together a second-team All-SEC campaign as a junior. He led Auburn in tackles for loss (12.5) and sacks (nine), putting together the best pass-rushing season the program has seen since Jeff Holland in 2017. Hall was so convinced he was bound for the NFL that, following Auburn’s quadruple-overtime loss to Alabama in last year’s Iron Bowl, he told his mom he planned to declare for the draft. Hall reconsidered before ever making a public announcement, and he ultimately chose to return for his senior year in part because he wanted to finish his degree. “That was my biggest thing, education,” Hall said at SEC Media Days. “The next-biggest thing was why would I leave and miss out on a college experience? Because you never get that back. Just being able to play with my brothers one more time and put in the hard work and grit and toughness, the blood, sweat and tears one more time — that was a big thing for me as well. “You know, I love Auburn, and Auburn has loved me back for sure…. Auburn is a very special place, so I wanted to give back and do it one more time. If I had to make a decision again, I would definitely come back for 2022.” That’s a sentiment that Wooden echoed after the first day of fall practices Friday. The 6-foot-5, 284-pounder was spent, exhausted from the first practice under the brutal August sun, but the exhaustion was worth it, he felt. It’s all part of the process and the goal after choosing to return for his senior season. Wooden finished his junior season with 61 tackles, 8.5 for a loss, five sacks, seven quarterback hurries and a blocked field goal, but the personal achievements were overshadowed by the 6-7 team record. So, after weighing his future, he chose to return to take a long look in the mirror and ask himself what he needed to do better, not just to improve his draft stock but to help Auburn bounce back and avoid another disappointing season. “I had to go back to the drawing board,” Wooden said. “…I feel like this team can go so far and do so much. We owe it to Auburn. Auburn, you see it. We ain’t been to an SEC championship (and won) since 2013. Like, we owe it to Auburn. And I graduate in December, so I kind of want to go out with a bang…. We’ve just got to finish the deal. That’s basically it. Finish the deal.” It’s a steep mountain to climb for the program, which has been counted out by many prognosticators and outside observers. The Tigers were predicted to finish last in the SEC West this season for the first time since 1999 and just the second time since the league split into two divisions in 1992. Combine that with the optics of the turbulent offseason and questions about who will take over at quarterback, and it’s understandable why outside expectations for the program are where they are. Players have tried to drown out that noise, though they know they still have something to prove after last season’s disappointment. “I can’t wait to see what happens, man,” Pappoe said. “Things feel different this year, for real.” Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.

i could vote for liz as well. she is so much different than her dad who we know is a piece of crap as well.

i forgot about pete and i like him so far. i could vote for him right now. as an aside have you seen trump lately? he looks like he has agrd twenty years in the last two golfing photo's i have seen. i think all this is getting to him.

Johnny Casey, Asheville Citizen Times 6-7 minutes Sheriff Buddy Harwood and Lt. Coy Phillips meet with school system administration July 13 to brief them on the enhanced security procedures coming to Madison County Schools in 2022-23. MARSHALL - In response to the Texas school shooting that left 19 children dead May 24, the local school system and Sheriff's Office are rolling out some beefed up security measures in 2022-23, including putting AR-15 rifles in every school. Madison County Schools and Madison County Sheriff's Office are collaborating to enhance security in the schools for the upcoming school year after the Uvalde, Texas, tragedy revealed systemic failures and poor decision-making, with responding police disregarding active-shooter trainings, according to a report from the Texas state house. "Those officers were in that building for so long, and that suspect was able to infiltrate that building and injure and kill so many kids," Sheriff Buddy Harwood said. "I just want to make sure my deputies are prepared in the event that happens." Madison County Schools Superintendent Will Hoffman said MCS administration has been meeting regularly with local law enforcement officials, including Harwood, to discuss the updated safety measures. On July 26, he met with school officials and the county's Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to assure that law enforcement can monitor school camera systems. On July 28, administration met with the school attorney to get briefed on Title IX - sexual harassment and discrimination - as well as enhanced supervision and other safety procedures. According to Harwood, the county's school resource officers have been training with instructors from Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College. AR-15 rifles, safes and breaching tools in the schools "We were able to put an AR-15 rifle and safe in all of our schools in the county," Harwood said. "We've also got breaching tools to go into those safes. We've got extra magazines with ammo in those safes. "The reason we put the breaching tools in the safes is that in the event we have someone barricaded in a door, we won't have to wait on the fire department to get there. We'll have those tools to be able to breach that door if needed. I do not want to have to run back out to the car to grab an AR, because that's time lost. Hopefully we'll never need it, but I want my guys to be as prepared as prepared can be." Harwood said he feels while the optics of the SROs potentially handling AR-15s in schools may be discomforting to some, it is a necessary response given the state of the country. "I'm a firearms instructor. We carry a (9 mm) 135-grain bullet," Harwood said. "We've got the maximum 50 rounds that my SROs are carrying throughout the school to protect that school. "I hate that we've come to a place in our nation where I've got to put a safe in our schools, and lock that safe up for my deputies to be able to acquire an AR-15. But, we can shut it off and say it won't happen in Madison County, but we never know. I want the parents of Madison County to know we're going to take every measure necessary to ensure our kids are safe in this school system. If my parents, as a whole, want me to stand at that door with that AR strapped around that officer's neck, then I'm going to do whatever my parents want as a whole to keep our kids safe." Harwood said his staff have met with SBI officials, as well as Kevin West, Mars Hill University's director of safety and security, as well as other local law enforcement officials and first responders to conduct training throughout the summer. On Aug. 17, the school system and Sheriff's Office will conduct a live scenario to replicate a high-impact incident requiring emergency response. "The scenario will incorporate all of our teachers, just to prepare them what to look for in the event we have to come into a school," Harwood said. "We've got helicopters that will be there. It will be a live situation. We'll do the classroom portion of it in the morning." According to Harwood, his staff have participated in two training sessions for the upcoming live scenario. "I've got a whole host of people that are very capable of putting this training on," Harwood said. "It is sponsored through A-B Tech, so my guys will get training hours for it, including the fire departments." Other initiatives According to Hoffman, the school system is conducting a number of other safety initiatives in 2022-23. There will be SROs at each school, and the school system will also have a school safety liaison. School social workers and school counselors will be assigned to each school, also. There will be a panic button system that reports to monitoring center and the Sheriff’s Office in each building, the superintendent said. In the fall, MCS will coordinate with the FBI in Asheville to present to middle school and high school students and their parents/guardians about internet safety, especially relating to online enticement and "sextortion." Additionally, the school will continue its partnership with the Department of Public Safety to conduct safety checks of its schools, Hoffman said. "Contacts are typically drive-thru and surveying of parking areas and touching base with staff outside of our buildings," Hoffman said. "In total, 96 contacts have been completed with our six schools." "Our partnership with law enforcement is a critical part of our daily preparations," Hoffman said. "We have to be vigilant and prepared for any possibility at any time. Our students have to feel safe in order to be safe. "No organization can do this alone. That’s why strong community partnerships are integral to our safe school efforts, they are more important now than ever." This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Madison County schools add AR-15 rifles to enhance security

i am gonna pass on biden and trump if i can help it. i have never been big on romney as i understand he was a corporate raider and took pensions form folks who worked all their lives to get them. dennis K might be a good one. not gonna vote for cruz. probably not gonna vote for the gov or cali. with their homeless problems and weird laws. all i know about santos is he seems like a super jerk but i would have to study him some. who ya leaning towards and why?

these jokes are here as a take a breath for a minute in case anyone gets wound up plus i wanted to show the first real picture of david on aufam. he was a handsome rascal until his dog got hungry.................grins

will this nip watch pic do until our girl shows up?

Bryan Harsin: T.J. Finley will practice on 1st day fall camp after misdemeanor charge Updated: Aug. 04, 2022, 6:33 p.m.|Published: Aug. 04, 2022, 4:24 p.m. 4 minutes Auburn quarterback T.J. Finley (1) scrambles for yardage during the A-Day NCAA college spring football game at Jordan-Hare Stadium, Saturday, April 9, 2022, in Auburn, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)AP Auburn quarterback T.J. Finley is expected to practice with the team when it takes the field for the first day of fall camp Friday following his misdemeanor charge Thursday. Auburn coach Bryan Harsin addressed the situation with Finley, who turned himself in to Auburn police Thursday morning after being charged with “attempt to elude” stemming from a traffic violation for failure to wear his helmet while driving his scooter. Harsin was brief in his remarks regarding Finley but said he was aware of the situation with the junior quarterback. Read more Auburn football: Everything Bryan Harsin said about the start of fall camp The Auburn position battles, key players to watch this preseason The five biggest questions facing Auburn this season “He’s here,” Harsin said. “He’ll be here tonight, he’ll practice tomorrow. We’re aware of what’s going on.” According to Finley’s attorney, Davis Whittelsey, the pending charges against the quarterback are a result of “a misunderstanding” and are being handled in Auburn municipal court, like all traffic citations are. In a statement Thursday afternoon, Auburn Police claimed that Finley eluded police on two separate occasions while driving on campus on July 26, with police terminating their pursuit in both instances “as a matter of safety” after Finley “committed several other traffic offenses” in the process. After turning himself into police Thursday morning, and being “arrested in obedience” at Lee County Jail, Finley was issued traffic citations, booked and subsequently released after being made eligible for a $3,000 recognizance bond that he signed himself. Finley was back on campus and at Auburn’s athletics complex early Friday afternoon before Harsin spoke with the media to preview the start of fall camp. Auburn players reported for the start of camp Thursday and will have team meetings in the evening. The Tigers will take the field for the first time Friday, with a split-squad practice that will see veterans practice in the morning and rookies and other selected returning players participating in an evening session. Finley is one of four quarterback competing for Auburn’s starting job this fall. The lone returning player at the position for Auburn, Finley is competing with Texas A&M transfer Zach Calzada, Oregon transfer Robby Ashford and four-star freshman early enrollee Holden Geriner for the mantle. “Split practices really help the quarterbacks, so they get a ton of throws in there, even if they’re just thrown to a spot,” Harsin said. “But those guys will bounce around. Coach (Eric) Kiesau’s got all that ironed out.” After transferring from LSU a year ago, Finley served as the backup to Bo Nix last season and started the final three games of the year following Nix’s season-ending ankle injury. In nine games, he completed 70-of-128 passes for 827 yards, six touchdowns and an interception. He also came off the bench in the second half of an early-season game against Georgia State and led Auburn to a last-minute comeback victory at home. Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.