aubiefifty

i might have said that badly. let him play a few snaps and then give him that extra rest for penn state. that just seems like a great strategy to me. we have good running backs and it lets worm get more carries in case we need him more down the road.

i know he probably wants that heisman. that is more than fine with me. and i do not think harsin will overwork him like gus has done to some of our running backs in the past but i think the guy is right. if tank gets hurt every single one of you would take back your opinions. my take is let him play some and sit him quick. but then i am a fan and not an expert. birng it on guys because i stand by what i said.

saturdaydownsouth.com Sit Tank Bigsby? Why Auburn should give the star running back a week off vs. Alabama State Connor O'Gara | 24 hours ago 6-7 minutes If I’m Bryan Harsin, I’m not letting Tank Bigsby even suit up Saturday against Alabama State. No, that’s not a disciplinary issue. The star Auburn tailback didn’t do anything to earn a spot in his new coach’s doghouse. It’s the opposite. Bigsby is too good and too impactful to see a single snap against an FCS foe that had to grind out a 14-13 overtime win against Miles College in Week 1. Does that sound soft? I don’t care. Any other position, I say those reps are important. But Bigsby isn’t just another position player. He’s not just one of the nation’s best running backs. He’s the heart and soul of that Auburn offense. If the Tigers are going to keep their heads above water in the SEC West, it’ll be because Bigsby took that Year 2 step and broke tackle after tackle. There are 2 obvious reasons Bigsby shouldn’t play Saturday. One is that a gauntlet awaits Auburn in the next month. After Saturday, the Tigers will face Penn State (in Happy Valley), Georgia (at home) and LSU (in Death Valley) in 3 of the following 4 weeks. Ya think Auburn might want/need Bigsby to score a touchdown or 2 to win those games? I’m not sure if you saw the beef that Georgia and Penn State have up front in Week 1. It’s, um, just a touch different from Akron, which probably could’ve had 22 defensive players and still not stopped Bigsby. Georgia was the No. 1 run defense in college football last year, and all Jordan Davis and Co. did was hold Clemson to 2 rushing yards. For the entire game. Penn State, meanwhile, held Wisconsin to 3 yards per carry in Camp Randall, which I didn’t think was physically possible. And say what you want about LSU’s defensive woes, but even at its worst, a trip to Death Valley is still always an uphill battle for an Auburn team that hasn’t won in Baton Rouge since the Bill Clinton administration. You know what would be nice? Making sure Bigsby is at 100% for that stretch. We saw Saturday that Auburn can dominate weak competition without Bigsby getting 20 touches. Between Jarquez Hunter and Shaun Shivers, the ground game is more than capable of moving the chains without unnecessarily having Bigsby take 10-plus hits. Even if Bigsby often delivers the blow on his carries, he’s still absorbing contact. You only get so many hits as a tailback, especially if you take on hits like Bigsby does. The bonus would be seeing how Bo Nix functions when the defense isn’t entirely locked in on Bigsby. Nix looked comfortable in his first game in Mike Bobo’s offense. Would he look as comfortable without Bigsby? Against Alabama State, I’d hope he’d be comfortable stepping into throws in the pocket. Encouraging performance aside, there are things Nix still needs to figure out in the passing game. This would expedite that process a touch. Will Harsin ever make such an unconventional move? Probably not. Harsin spits out coaching clichés like sunflower seeds. He’s not exactly someone you’d expect to consider the non-football guy approach. The football guy approach is Alabama State is a capable opponent, even though as far as I can tell via the program’s official media guide, it hasn’t ever beaten an FBS opponent. This isn’t Dan Mullen sitting a mostly healthy Kyle Pitts against LSU and then watching the Tigers stun the Gators in The Swamp. Still, though. Maybe Harsin would consider it disrespectful to Alabama State to rest Bigsby. Or perhaps he did briefly consider it, but then thought about how the last thing he’d want is his team in a close game late against an FCS team with his star player on the bench. For what it’s worth, Harsin still had Bigsby listed as RB1 on Monday’s depth chart. I fully expect Bigsby to play, and if I’m betting on an outcome, it’s that he makes it through Saturday’s game just fine. If he went untouched for a 70-yard touchdown run, that wouldn’t be surprising. But think about this. If you’re an Auburn fan, do you want to see Bigsby on the field on Saturday? Like, for anything other than your own entertainment value? And if you’re a fan of Penn State, Georgia or LSU, wouldn’t you prefer to see Bigsby on the field on Saturday? That’s the argument that carries more weight than any. Bigsby doesn’t need reps in this offense, and if there’s any push to pad his stats so that he can earn some season-end accolades, that’s a pretty flimsy justification, too. If you’re mapping out the scenarios for the wheels to fall off in Year 1 of the Harsin era, basically all of them include Bigsby getting hurt, right? So then if that’s the case, why risk it against Alabama State? And for anyone saying it’s extremely unlikely because of just how inferior the opponent is, do non-contact injuries mean anything to you? It certainly did for Minnesota’s Mohamed Ibrahim, who was expected to be one of the best running backs in college football until he went down with a non-contact, season-ending leg injury in Week 1: That happened while Minnesota was in a dog fight against No. 4 Ohio State. Imagine if that happened to Bigsby in a game against Alabama State with the schedule that awaits. Harsin would get blasted for that. Hindsight would say Bigsby shouldn’t have been out there in the first place, but shouldn’t foresight also say that? There’s nothing wrong with being a little extra conservative with Bigsby, given the nature of the task ahead. Maybe it’ll cause a stir if Bigsby suits up and doesn’t play, but if Harsin simply says in the postgame press conference “we ask a lot of Tank, and I wanted to make sure his body is ready to handle this long season,” then there’s nothing to figure out. I want to see plenty of Bigsby in 2021. I’d just rather see him in sweat pants on Saturday.

247sports.com After near-perfect opener, how can Bo Nix keep improving in Week 2? ByNathan King 5-6 minutes AUBURN, Alabama — They’re certainly not overlooking Alabama State this weekend, but Bo Nix and his opponents were glad they got an opportunity to watch their Week 3 foe, Penn State, live in its first game. In the hotel before heading over to Auburn for Tiger Walk, Nix said he was able to watch the beginning of the Nittany Lions’ win at Wisconsin and get some early scouting takeaways. Penn State won, 16-10, by forcing three turnovers but had less than 300 yards of total offense. “A lot of offenses kind of get going and find their identity,” Nix said on his weekly appearance on The Next Round radio program in Birmingham. “A lot of defenses usually have it easier.” Of course, that was not the case for Nix and Auburn. Their opponent had one of the worst defenses Auburn football has seen in recent years, but a few hours after watching Penn State, Nix and the Tigers’ offense obliterated Akron, 60-10 in the first win of the Bryan Harsin era on the Plains. In the victory, Nix was nearly flawless, starting out hitting his first 11 passes and finishing 20-for-22, good for a new program record for completion percentage. “85 (percent) is a goal I had set for the entire year,” Nix said. Nix said he wasn’t paying attention to his unblemished start to the game, but by the second quarter or so, he realized he hadn’t missed a completion yet. He said, of course, he wants 100% completion percentage every game, but there was pressure relieved when he could stop focusing on his perfect start. “When the first corner ball I threw — I missed — I was like 'All right, I can just play ball now,'” Nix said. “That was one I should have hit, so that was frustrating. But you can’t always play the game trying to go for perfect; anything can happen on any given play. You have to throw it away, and that counts as an incompletion. Just playing sharp and just playing ball was one of my focal points.” Sure, 85 is a lofty number for Nix; it’s one he probably realizes is realistically unachievable. The junior has yet to complete at least 60% of his passes in either of his two seasons as Auburn’s starting quarterback. But he’s aiming high as the leader of Harsin’s offense, in which Nix says he feels as comfortable as he’s ever been. Throws were on time, pocket presence was solid and execution was, generally, top notch against Akron. Surely, with a middle-to-low-tier FCS team coming to town this weekend, none of that will change for Auburn’s passing game. And adjustments were made as the night progressed, according to Nix’s receivers. Even after touchdown drives, the QB was finding his pass-catchers on the sideline and working through possible miscommunications or blips in execution — on his part or the receivers’. “I feel like if (Nix) makes a mistake, he can come back and fix it the next time,” senior receiver Demetris Robertson said Tuesday. “That's the type of guy you want as a quarterback and also a great leader for our program." For Nix and the rest of coordinator Mike Bobo’s offense — and the team overall, for that matter — Harsin wants another blank slate this week. It’s his whole mantra, of course, to go 1-0 each week. He allowed his players to celebrate and relish in a well-rounded win Saturday night and into Sunday. But once Sunday night film study came around, there was no more back-patting. “… Everybody to stay focused on the things we need to do and not get caught up in all the hype that goes along with as the season begins and wins and losses and all that,” Harsin said this week. “Just trying to be as consistent as possible and also staying focused on the things that matter.” That includes Nix. On the surface, there don’t appear to be many mistakes to correct on film from Auburn’s first-team passing game. But the coaches will find plenty. For Nix, another tune-up game against Alabama State will be about showing that his season-opening performance wasn’t a fluke, and that this truly could be the year everything clicks for the former five-star recruit. He’ll be thinking about 85%, and trying to elevate the offense as a whole the “national-stage game” at Penn State, as he called it. Alabama State’s defense shouldn’t give Nix many problems in the pocket once again. And when he has time to dissect a defense, his teammates said, he’s capable of being one of the SEC’s best passers. “Bo showed what he could do; Bo's been doing that,” running back Tank Bigsby said after the game. “He's always been a great player. With the O-line just blocking and doing what they had to do to give him time to throw — you know, Bo's been doing that. It was no surprise to us. We've seen what he's capable of doing. There's gonna be a lot of that this year.” 5COMMENTS *** Subscribe to Auburn Undercover for the latest news and intel, podcasts, recruiting coverage and more ***

A reflective T.D. Moultry finds new confidence at Auburn AUBURN, Alabama — T.D. Moultry had never quite felt like himself at Auburn. The Birmingham native admitted as much. Still, when options arose for him to play elsewhere with his fifth and final year of college eligibility, the only option for Moultry was to return for one last ride with his teammates. "I don't see nowhere else for T.D. to play at," Moultry said when asked why he came back for his "super senior" season. But the past couple seasons haven't sat right with Moultry. The former top-flight recruit from Auburn's 2017 class hadn't produced highly since his underclassman seasons. He'd been passed up on the depth chart by younger players and been pushed down in the defensive front's rotation. With the guidance of Auburn's new coaching staff, however, Moultry is flourishing in 2021. He's a starter alongside Derick Hall at Auburn's edge rusher position. He tallied a career-high three tackles for loss in the team's season opener. Heading into Week 2's matchup with Alabama State (11 a.m. CST, SEC Network), he's one of two rotating team captains. Moultry admitted he never had much faith in his own abilities. Now playing a new position for coordinator Derek Mason, he feels like a new man and a new player. "I ain’t never seen it in myself, for real, and the confidence was never there," Moultry said Wednesday. "But now I’ve got the confidence and I believe I can do all the positions." Fifty games into his Auburn career — the most on the Tigers' roster — last week was Moultry's first start. He expected to have jitters, but when he stepped on the field, he felt that confidence he'd been lacking. Moultry said he used to get anxious before games because he knew he hadn't practiced or prepared enough to effectively contribute for the defense. "Years in the past, I was nervous the day before because I wasn’t prepared," Moultry said. "When I walked on the field, that’s when the nerves kicked in just a little bit — the day before the game, throughout before the game. It wasn’t any nervousness before I got on the field (on Saturday)." Moultry attempted to manifest a bigger role for himself in his first few seasons. "I'm a walking millionaire," Moultry used to tell himself. But he admitted he never took the necessary steps to elevate his contributions to the team. For Moultry, becoming a more well-rounded student-athlete has been gratifying. He now motivates himself with his grades, of which he's proud of how he's grown. "I think it all started in the classroom, as well," Moultry said. "With the best athletes, it starts in class. Most definitely last year, I didn't have a great year, and I didn't have a great year in class, either. So I was just making sure that after this season, just make sure my grades got back to where they should have been. I had my best GPA last year after football season ended at 3.2. I think it started in the classroom." Moultry is glad to see his lifestyle changes and offseason efforts pay off in Game 1, but he's nowhere near satisfied. He wants to be Auburn's best defensive lineman: "I'm a selfish player," he said. He wants to keep his grades high. He said he wants to be a captain for Auburn's other five home games, as well. Most of all, he wants to stay grounded and stay within himself. "I am grateful for the attention right now, but I just know when things are good, things are good," Moultry said. "But when things are bad, people tend to talk about you and forget the person and player that you are. And I have to remember the person and player who I am today. I just can't forget what I am."

Versatility and depth the keys for success for Auburn's edge position ByJason Caldwell 15 hours ago AUBURN, Alabama—When Auburn’s T.D. Moultry decided to return to the team for the 2021 season in an attempt to finish his playing days with the Tigers on a high note, he wasn’t sure what his role would be in Derek Mason’s defense or how he would be used. Following a full spring and preseason plus his first game experience in the new scheme, it’s safe to say that Moultry is more than pleased with how things have turned out so far with this defense and how it plays into the strengths of the players on the roster. “It showed up in a scrimmage when I was supposed to go in a certain gap, but Coach said I can make those plays,” Moultry noted. “If I don’t get in the gap, just make the play so just like my high school coach, ‘just play football,’ and he tells me the same thing, ’T.D., just go play football.’ That means a lot when a coach tells you that as a player, just play football. You ain’t got much to think about, just play football.” Making the play is something that Moultry did plenty of on Saturday night in the season opener against Akron when he finished tied for the team lead in tackles with seven while also adding a team-high three tackles for a loss. Part of a deep and talented group of players at the edge position that includes Derick Hall, Romello Height as well as Northwestern transfer Eku Leota, Moultry led the way for Coach Bert Watts’ crew to finish with 17 tackles, a pair of sacks and five tackles for a loss. It wasn’t just one player seeing action at a time either with Moultry and Hall getting the start together and two edge players on the field for a good portion of Auburn’s defensive snaps against the Zips. Moultry said it’s that depth and ability to send different types of players at an offense that has him so excited about the group in 2021. “It’s been really hard because of all of our different skill sets,” Moultry said. “It’s hard when you’re going to get a consistent player coming off the edge and just really willing to whoop somebody’s tail like an offensive tackle. Now that me and Derick and Leota and Romello get in there it’s the same thing so the rotation is different. It won’t go down. It’s going up.” While Moultry and Hall got much of the attention following the opener, Moultry said everyone better be on the lookout for Height and what he can do on the field. "He's really special," the Birmingham native said. "He has got speed off the edge. He has got a natural spin he can just hit you with--it's so fast. You think he's coming, then he'll hit you with it so fast. He is special, and he has got long arms. He is so fast off the edge. The tackle will bail out on him, then he'll hit you with a quick, long arm." Height is a redshirt freshman for the Tigers, who is coming back from shoulder surgery that sidelined him in 2020. "There's a lot of stuff we all have to work on as a group, but Romello is really special as a player," Moultry declared. With a strong performance to build on coming out of week one, Hall said for the guys up front the message is always the same. If the Tigers can force the opponent to be one-dimensional and then get after the quarterback and good things will happen. “The first thing is you’ve got to stop the run to rush the passer,” he said. “I think we did really good at getting some run stops. Then when we got a chance to pin our ears back and rush the passer, I think keeping the edge and bringing edge pressure is very important. “Keeping them in the pocket and let the guys in the middle work while we work. We work hand-in-hand. Bringing pressure off the edge is very beneficial. Those guys on the back doing their job by holding coverage enough for us to get home.” 8COMMENTS Kickoff for Saturday’s game against Alabama State is scheduled for 11 a.m. CDT at Jordan-Hare Stadium on the SEC Network.

al.com Statistically speaking: Adding context to Auburn's Week 1 win By Tom Green | tgreen@al.com 9-12 minutes A disclaimed should probably be added whenever discussing Auburn’s lopsided season-opening win in Bryan Harsin’s first game as head coach: Yes, it was Akron... But it’s difficult to deny how impressive the Tigers looked in their 60-10 eviscerations of the Zips. Yes, Akron is projected to be among the worst teams in FBS this season and has just one win in its last 24 games, but Auburn took care of business in Harsin’s debut, which is no small feat considering how some other marquee programs struggled against lesser competition in Week 1 -- and considering how smoothly things went for the Tigers in their first game in new systems on both sides of the ball. So, let’s add some context to the team’s Week 1 win, shall we? Auburn’s 60 points were the most the team has ever scored in its first game under a new head coach, easily surpassing the 37-point debut under Gene Chizik in 2009. The Tigers’ 60 points were tied for the fifth-most in a season opener in program history, and they were the most by the team in its first game in the last 50 years. This season, only Buffalo (69 points against FCS opponent Wagner) and Rutgers (61 points against Temple) put more points on the board than Auburn did in its opener. Meanwhile, only two teams -- FIU and Coastal Carolina -- averaged more yards per play than Auburn’s 10.39 against Akron, as the Tigers put up more yards of total offense (613) than any FBS team in Week 1. It was the second-most yards of total offense for Auburn in an opener in program history. Defensively, Auburn overwhelmed Akron. The Tigers allowed minus-2 rushing yards against the Zips, which marked the fewest surrendered in a game since holding then-No. 1 Florida to minus-36 yards on the ground in 2001. Auburn’s six sacks against Akron also matched the team’s high mark from last season. Here’s a closer look at where Auburn ranks in the SEC and among FBS teams statistically after its Week 1 win: RUSHING OFFENSE (SEC rank, FBS rank) 2013: 328.3 (1st, 1st) 2014: 255.5 (2nd, 13th) 2015: 196.4 (5th, 35th) 2016: 271.3 (1st, 6th) 2017: 218.3 (4th, 26th) 2018: 167.5 (10th, 68th) 2019: 199.1 (4th, 33rd) 2020: 162.5 (7th, 67th) 2021: 316.00 (3rd, 11th) Why: Auburn rushed for 316 yards against Akron, with two players eclipsing the 100-yard mark. . PASSING OFFENSE 2013: 173.0 (11th, 106th) 2014: 229.5 (7th, 66th) 2015: 173.6 (12th, 110th) 2016: 169.5 (14th, 112th) 2017: 233.4 (5th, 65th) 2018: 222.5 (9th, 74th) 2019: 207.5 (9th, 87th) 2020: 220.3 (10th, 71st) 2021: 297.0 (6th, 29th) Why: Auburn had 297 passing yards against Akron, including 275 from Bo Nix. . PASS EFFICIENCY OFFENSE 2013: 149.63 (6th, 24th) 2014: 156.79 (1st, 8th) 2015: 124.47 (10th, 79th) 2016: 135.17 (6th, 54th) 2017: 153.59 (5th, 13th) 2018: 140.11 (8th, 51st) 2019: 128.35 (9th, 89th) 2020: 122.96 (11th, 89th) 2021: 210.55 (1st, 9th) Why: Auburn completed 22-of-27 passes, with Bo Nix going 20-of-22 for 275 yards and three touchdowns. . TOTAL OFFENSE 2013: 501.3 (2nd, 11th) 2014: 485.0 (2nd, 16th) 2015: 370.0 (10th, 94th) 2016: 440.8 (6th, 43rd) 2017: 451.6 (3rd, 26th) 2018: 389.9 (11th, 78th) 2019: 406.5 (6th, 64th) 2020: 382.8 (9th, 77th) 2021: 613.0 (1st, 1st) Why: Auburn had 613 total yards against Akron. . SCORING OFFENSE 2013: 39.5 (2nd, 12th) 2014: 35.5 (4th, 35th) 2015: 27.5 (8th, 75th) 2016: 31.2 (6th, 49th) 2017: 33.9 (4th, 27th) 2018: 30.9 (8th, 47th) 2019: 33.2 (3rd, 28th) 2020: 25.1 (9th, 89th) 2021: 60.0 (1st, 3rd) Why: Auburn scored 60 points against Akron. . SACKS ALLOWED 2013: 18 sacks, 1.29 per game (3rd, 22nd) 2014: 15 sacks, 1.15 per game (3rd, 15th) 2015: 19 sacks, 1.46 per game (4th, 33rd) 2016: 19 sacks, 1.46 per game (3rd, 27th) 2017: 36 sacks, 2.57 per game (10th, 100th) 2018: 23 sacks, 1.77 per game (6th, 39th) 2019: 18, 1.38 per game (4th, 18th) 2020: 20, 1.82 per game (6th, 41st) 2021: 0, 0.00 per game (1st, 1st) Why: Auburn did not allow a sack against Akron. . THIRD-DOWN CONVERSIONS 2013: 46.5 percent (4th, 24th) 2014: 52.5 percent (1st, 2nd) 2015: 41.3 percent (6th, 49th) 2016: 41.8 percent (4th, 53rd) 2017: 45.5 percent (3rd, 15th) 2018: 36.9 percent (11th, 90th) 2019: 40.5 percent (6th, 60th) 2020: 44.9 percent (6th, 32nd) 2021: 66.7 percent (2nd, 2nd) Why: Auburn converted 4-of-6 third-down attempts against Akron. . RED ZONE OFFENSE 2013: 88.5 percent (2nd, 21st) 2014: 87.9 percent (4th, 31st) 2015: 90.2 percent (2nd, 13th) 2016: 85.5 percent (5th, 52nd) 2017: 88.1 percent (6th, 36th) 2018: 81.1 percent (11th, 88th) 2019: 90.4 percent (3rd, 21st) 2020: 85.0 percent (6th, 50th) 2021: 100.0 percent (1st, 2nd) Why: Auburn was 4-for-4 in the red zone with four touchdowns. . RUSHING DEFENSE 2013: 162.1 (10th, 62nd) 2014: 168.8 (10th, 67th) 2015: 182.7 (11th, 81st) 2016: 132.8 (3rd, 27th) 2017: 137.0 (5th, 35th) 2018: 135.9 (6th, 32nd) 2019: 123.2 (4th, 25th) 2020: 163.4 (8th, 62nd) 2021: -3.0 (1st, 2nd) Why: Auburn held Akron to minus-3 yards rushing, which was the fewest allowed by the program since 2001. . PASSING DEFENSE 2013: 258.6 (13th, 100th) 2014: 230.1 (12th, 68th) 2015: 222.5 (11th, 63rd) 2016: 229.2 (9th, 67th) 2017: 182.4 (5th, 18th) 2018: 219.5 (7th, 58th) 2019: 213.8 (8th, 47th) 2020: 242.6 (4th, 79th) 2021: 191.0 (8th, 53rd) Why: Auburn limited Akron to 191 yards passing. . PASS EFFICIENCY DEFENSE 2013: 126.88 (9th, 63rd) 2014: 124.19 (10th, 52nd) 2015: 116.99 (8th, 31st) 2016: 116.83 (4th, 22nd) 2017: 113.84 (4th, 19th) 2018: 118.12 (6th, 31st) 2019: 120.71 (9th, 32nd) 2020: 139.34 (7th, 75th) 2021: 153.13 (13th, 98th) Why: Akron completed 22-of-27 passes for 191 yards and a touchdown. . TOTAL DEFENSE 2013: 420.7 (12th, 86th) 2014: 398.8 (9th, 64th) 2015: 405.2 (13th, 71st) 2016: 361.9 (5th, 28th) 2017: 319.4 (5th, 14th) 2018: 355.4 (8th, 38th) 2019: 337.0 (7th, 28th) 2020: 406.0 (6th, 63rd) 2021: 188.0 (4th, 10th) Why: Auburn’s defense allowed just 188 total yards against Akron. . SCORING DEFENSE 2013: 24.7 (9th, 48th) 2014: 26.7 (10th, 62nd) 2015: 26.0 (11th, 54th) 2016: 17.1 (4th, 7th) 2017: 18.5 (3rd, 12th) 2018: 19.2 (4th, 14th) 2019: 19.5 (6th, 17th) 2020: 24.7 (4th, 38th) 2021: 10.0 (4th, 21st) Why: Auburn held Akron to 10 points. . SACKS 2013: 32 sacks, 2.29 per game (4th, 46th) 2014: 21 sacks, 1.62 per game (11th, 95th) 2015: 19 sacks, 1.46 per game (13th, 104th) 2016: 25 sacks, 1.92 per game (8th, 75th) 2017: 37 sacks, 2.64 per game (5th, 25th) 2018: 38, 2.92 per game (3rd, 16th) 2019: 28 sacks, 2.15 per game (9th, 64th) 2020: 26 sacks, 2.36 per game (6th, 53rd) 2021: 6 sacks, 6.0 per game (2nd, 3rd) Why: Auburn recorded six sacks against Akron. . THIRD-DOWN DEFENSE 2013: 33.0 percent (1st, 13th) 2014: 36.0 percent (4th, 29th) 2015: 44.9 percent (13th, 109th) 2016: 34.8 percent (4th, 25th) 2017: 32.9 percent (3rd, 20th) 2018: 34.7 percent (6th, 30th) 2019: 29.9 percent (2nd, 8th) 2020: 50.3 percent (14th, 121st) 2021: 40.0 percent (3rd, 14th) Why: Auburn held Akron to 2-of-5 on third-down conversions. . RED ZONE DEFENSE 2013: 73.1 percent (2nd, 10th) 2014: 74.1 percent (4th, 13th) 2015: 75.5 percent (5th, 15th) 2016: 74.4 percent (3rd, 11th) 2017: 83.3 percent (6th, 64th) 2018: 82.9 percent (9th, 64th) 2019: 71.8 percent (2nd, 8th) 2020: 76.3 percent (3rd, 27th) 2021: 100.0 percent (7th, 62nd) Why: Akron scored on both its trips inside the red zone against Auburn, with one touchdown and one field goal. . NET PUNTING 2013: 40.54 (2nd, 9th) 2014: 37.44 (12th, 67th) 2015: 37.58 (7th, 54th) 2016: 39.90 (5th, 21st) 2017: 35.61 (14th, 115th) 2018: 41.91 (2nd, 5th) 2019: 38.50 (9th, 63rd) 2020: 38.70 (9th, 64th) 2021: 31.0 (11th, 114th) Why: Auburn punted two times for a net average of 31 yards per attempt against Akron. . KICK RETURNS 2013: 23.40 (5th, 27th) 2014: 20.03 (11th, 82nd) 2015: 27.94 (2nd, 4th) 2016: 19.04 (12th, 100th) 2017: 23.22 (3rd, 25th) 2018: 21.52 (6th, 48th) 2019: 20.50 (7th, 67th) 2020: 21.96 (6th, 43rd) 2021: 20.33 (6th, 42nd) Why: Donovan Kaufman had three kick returns totaling 61 yards, with a long of 30. . KICK RETURN DEFENSE 2013: 25.79 (14th, 121st) 2014: 21.73 (9th, 84th) 2015: 21.17 (12th, 61st) 2016: 18.00 (1st, 13th) 2017: 27.20 (14th, 129th) 2018: 19.44 (3rd, 39th) 2019: 22.30 (11th, 96th) 2020: 26.67 (13th, 121st) 2021: 15.33 (4th, 48th) Why: Akron returned three of Auburn’s 10 kickoffs, totaling 46 yards on those returns. . PUNT RETURNS 2013: 11.78 (2nd, 22nd) 2014: 17.82 yards per return (1st, 4th) 2015: 11.93 yards per return (7th, 28th) 2016: 10.69 (5th, 24th) 2017: 8.52 (8th, 51st) 2018: 10.75 (6th, 39th) 2019: 12.83 (4th, 18th) 2020: 9.11 (6th, 44th) 2021: 15.0 (2nd, 16th) Why: Auburn returned two punts against Akron totaling 30 yards. . PUNT RETURN DEFENSE 2013: 7.0 (8th, 51st) 2014: 7.79 (10th, 72nd) 2015: 12.43 (11th, 110th) 2016: 3.17 (1st, 8th) 2017: 11.43 (14th, 108th) 2018: 3.36 (3rd, 9th) 2019: 17.29 (14th, 130th) 2020: 2.75 (3rd, 17th) 2021: 1.0 (10th, 66th) Why: Auburn gave up one 1-yard punt return. . TURNOVER MARGIN 2013: even, 0.0 per game (9th, 61st) 2014: plus-seven, 0.54 per game (4th, 27th) 2015: plus-two, 0.15 per game (8th, 51st) 2016: plus-three, plus-0.23 per game (6th, 42nd) 2017: minus-one, 0.07 per game (7th, 71st) 2018: plus-nine, 0.69 (3rd, 16th) 2019: plus-six, 0.46 per game (3rd, 27th) 2020: plus-four, 0.36 per game (6th, 38th) 2021: zero, 0.0 per game (7th, 60th) Why: Auburn did not force a turnover against Akron. . PENALTY YARDS PER GAME 2013: 40.64 (7th 30th) 2014: 68.92 (14th, 112th) 2015: 46.38 (7th, 34th) 2016: 36.54 (1st, 6th) 2017: 38.36 (2nd, 13th) 2018: 56.69 (9th, 75th) 2019: 55.23 (10th, 74th) 2020: 49.82 (7th, 56th) 2021: 25.0 (3rd, 15th) Why: Auburn committed three penalties totaling 25 yards against Akron.

it is so much fun enjoying football at auburn again without all the arguing. i swear sometimes when i think about auburn now i might start dancing where i stand. i have missed that joy.it might be at wally or the docs. it does not matter. and of course my dancing sucks but it has been a rough road and then with covid on top of that i lost my joy for auburn. i always retained my love for auburn for the record but most of the joy slipped away. now it is back and i am enjoying it so much.

i hope he was playing with sir charles. i would hate to think he is being made fun of.

let us not be disiin sir charles. also i think allen greene did a hell of a job hiring out new coach. i did not truly realize how down i was with auburn football until coach started showing me the way back up with just common sense little things. i believe he honestly cares about his players and i think they realize that. there is hardly a day goes by i do not read or hear something that makes me go wow! and now giving the lesser among the team in the pecking order of things is getting extra coaching to help them succeed. that is just outstanding. but i come back to greene with him hiring harsin and bruce he might have just signed two of the greatest coaches ever at auburn. i know it is early for harsin but he sure is headed in the right direction. plus we might not have to ever see that prairie dog look on offense any more. i hated to see our kids line up and then just stop and look at the side lines like someone broke gas or something.

another thing is how many coaches out there are really fair? i am not downing coaches in general but they are human. they get mad and make bad decisions sometimes. cam got let go after a misunderstanding. and i heard coach b say it himself. it was a misunderstanding but he was still let go and they sure did not run snatch him back up. maybe i am missing something but that falls in my coaches are human and do screw up category. or maybe coach b was trying to make it look better than it does.

i just try to be fair and i might not post them anymore. i have never pour mouthed auburn and i dare anyone to show proof i did because it does not exist. if i post an article no one likes neg the hell out of it. it makes a wonderful reminder.lol

since we have another cupcake why not do one for us drunk or stoned? and you forgot the cheerleaders.........lol. thanx for posting.

when you look at a and m barely surviving kent state i thought that might help us in a way. and seems like we struggled some against them for most of the game with gus? it has been a while and i do not want to look it up.

you are probably right but my take was the losers were the fans doubting bo and the kids should have waited to leave. it was less brutal than the other one so i added it.

depends are gold eh my auburn friend? lol

since we are having fun bird if i might inject some humor? have you ever laid an egg? do you eat eggs? and if you do does it make you feel weird? and i am not high yet just warped.

if you blow this up to full screen it is foggy. small screen is great it is just small. sorry guys but it is all they had................OK THEY FIXED IT OR I HAD A MINOT GLITCH. enjoy!

247sports.com Auburn focused on making tight ends a priority on offense ByJason Caldwell 3-4 minutes AUBURN, Alabama—When Bryan Harsin was named Auburn’s head football coach what he said certainly got the attention of the returning tight ends on the 2021 roster. "One of the things about the tight end position, that was the first position I coached as a full-time coach, and I think in my opinion that's a very important position,” Harsin said. “When you see that position utilized in the NFL, if it's good enough for those teams in the NFL, then it's certainly good enough for us.” On Saturday night that showed up in a big way with senior John Samuel Shenker catching five passes as part of a balanced Mike Bobo attack that saw nine different receivers catch a pass against Akron. It’s a huge step in the right direction for an offense that had become a black hole for tight ends in recent years. Last season the group caught just 20 total passes in 11 games with seven of those coming from J.J. Pegues on mostly specialty plays. The number was just 19 in 2019 and that came in 13 games. The last time Auburn had a tight end catch more than 14 passes in a season came 10 years ago when Philip Lutzenkirchen finished with 20 receptions for 238 yards and seven touchdowns for the Tigers. With an emphasis on the position and an offense that can use three or even four tight ends together at times, Harsin said it’s something the Tigers want to continue to work on as they get deeper and deeper into the 2021 season. “I think we have got a good group of tight ends,” the coach said of the group that includes Shenker, Luke Deal, Brandon Frazier, Tyler Fromm and Landen King. “I think they are smart and they work hard. Shenker had a chance to get a couple opportunities in the pass game, but that was created by what he was doing in the run game, and some of those type of things. It was good to utilize him, and that position, I think, can continue to keep developing for us in the run game, in the pass game. “Those guys, now that we got a chance to get out there and actually play live, we got to see some things, and they got a chance to go out there and execute some of the schemes that we had in, and they were effective so we will continue to utilize our tight end position. We will continue to find ways to get those guys involved in what we ae doing, and certainly that includes the pass game and those opportunities. They showed that in this last game, and I think that will continue moving forward." 12COMMENTS Auburn returns to the practice field on Tuesday to begin prep work for Saturday’s game against Alabama State. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. CDT on the SEC Network.

The top Auburn Tigers from Saturday according to PFF Zac Blackerby September 6, 2021 3:49 pm CT There were a ton of impressive individual performers for the Tigers on Saturday night but it’s worth looking at what the analytics say. Auburn had a ton of really strong performances but who were the top guys? According to PFF, Auburn had 32 players participate on offense and 31 guys play on defense. Four players scored over a 90 overall grade, all four were offensive players. The Tigers had 11 players score higher than an 80 by PFF’s evaluation of their performances. An 80 overall grade is a really solid performance. Here are the top eleven Tigers from Auburn’s season-opening win over the Akron Zips according to PFF. Brodarious Hamm Todd Van Emst/AU Athletics PFF Offensive Grade: 80.7 Chandler Wooten Todd Van Emst/AU Athletics PFF Defensive Grade: 80.7 Luke Deal Todd Van Emst/AU Athletics PFF Offensive Grade: 81.5 Sean Jackson John Reed-USA TODAY Sports PFF Offensive Grade: 81.8 Ja'Varrius Johnson Jake Crandall via Imagn Content Services, LLC PFF Offensive Grade: 82.9 Derick Hall Jake Crandall via Imagn Content Services, LLC PFF Defensive Grade: 85.5 Zykeivous Walker Jake Crandall via Imagn Content Services, LLC PFF Defensive Grade: 85.7 Landen King Todd Van Emst/AU Athletics PFF Offensive Grade: 90.5 Tank Bigsby John Reed-USA TODAY Sports PFF Offensive Grade: 91.4 Jarquez Hunter John Reed-USA TODAY Sports PFF Offensive Grade: 92.4

Bo Nix aces season's first test with record-setting performance Auburn University Athletics 4-5 minutes AUBURN, Ala. – Making his 25th career start at Auburn, quarterback Bo Nix did something he's never done Saturday. He completed 90 percent of his passes (20 of 22), setting the Auburn record for highest completion percentage (90.9) in a game with a minimum of 20 attempts. His previous high was 76.7 percent set last year against Ole Miss. Nix completed his first pass to Shedrick Jackson for seven yards, then connected with Jackson again for nine yards. On the next drive, he found John Samuel Shenker and Tank Bigsby on back-to-back plays. The junior quarterback completed 11 straight passes before throwing his first incompletion midway through the second quarter. "Our guys did a great job of getting open today," Nix said. "Our coaches put us in a great situation to succeed. Our game plan was good for what they were doing on defense. As a team, I feel like the whole offense kind of contributed to that. It was definitely not just me." Nix played a little over two quarters in Saturday's 60-10 win over Akron and threw for 275 yards and three touchdowns. The Tigers scored touchdowns on six of his seven drives, and the only drive that didn't finish in the end zone was at the end of the first half when Nix ran the two-minute offense and helped set up a last-second field goal from Anders Carlson. Had Nix played a full game, he might have surpassed his father's record of passing yards in a season opener (392). Still, he earned some bragging rights as he moved past his father in career passing yards and is now seventh in program history with 5,232 yards. But for a player who had his fair share of critics in the offseason, Nix could not have responded any better Saturday in his first game with new head coach Bryan Harsin. "I thought he had fun," Harsin said after the game. "It was good, he had a smile on his face, he had good energy out there, he was executing well. So all the work that he's been putting in – he's a dedicated player – he got a chance to show some of that tonight. Now we can build from that going to the next game and hopefully continue with that type of decision-making and that type of execution. He knows what kind of work it takes to do that. "I'm proud of him. It was good to just watch him operate tonight, to see him handle all the things thrown at him. I thought Coach (Mike) Bobo and the offensive staff did a good job of having these guys prepared and ready." The numbers from Saturday were obviously impressive for Nix, who added 32 yards rushing on three carries, but for Harsin, it went beyond that. He saw leadership from Nix, presence in the huddle, poise on the two-minute drive – all the things you want from your quarterback. It was no different after the game. When the offense struggles, Nix takes the blame a lot of times. But Saturday, when it was clicking, he was quick to credit those around him. Asked what was working so well in the first half when the offense scored touchdowns on its first five drives, Nix responded with, "That question is easy because it was up front." "We started running the ball really well early, and that opened up everything else," he added. "The (offensive line) kind of had their way tonight – protection, run game, all that stuff. They communicated great. We didn't really have busts. We didn't really have many penalties, if any. Those guys did a really good job up front, and those guys, with all the experience they have, they're just going to continue to get better." Nix passed his first test of 2021 with flying colors. The next test comes Saturday at home against Alabama State, and then the biggest challenge to date will come in two weeks when the Tigers travel to Penn State. "There's a lot that goes into it, a lot of hard work," Nix said. "I'm excited to move forward and go into Week 2 and carry the momentum that we have."

saturdaydownsouth.com New and improved Bo Nix is just beginning to show what he can do Dave Hooker | 21 hours ago 4-5 minutes Bo Nix’s performance against Akron is proof that an offensive system and coaching staff can make or break a quarterback. A colleague that knew I was monitoring the Auburn game on Saturday asked me what’s going on with Nix. Just how is he playing so well? The statistics were daunting early in the 60-10 win over Akron. Those following online were a bit perplexed by Nix’s outstanding play. “He doesn’t complete 70 percent of his passes in warmups,” my colleague said via email as Nix completed one pass after another. Now, let’s clear something up. Nix did, indeed, complete over 70% of his passes in warmups last year. While I don’t have official documentation that is the case, I feel pretty confident that is the case. Nix, however, has never been described as an accurate passer. He was the 10th of the 12 SEC quarterbacks rated in completion percentage last season, completing just 59.9% of his passes in actual games, but Nix caught much of the heat from Tiger fans. Auburn was a sinking ship and Nix was a popular choice to be deemed the anchor. Former Auburn coach Gus Malzahn got a pass for much of his career thanks to his success as an offensive coordinator at Auburn when he and quarterback Cam Newton guided the Tigers to a national title and an undefeated season. The equity that Malzahn had built up finally ran out last season when he was fired. That came just in time for Nix. The junior needed a new start and, especially, a new coaching staff. Malzahn’s limited approach had become dated. Defenses had caught up. Malzahn couldn’t adjust. Auburn turned to Bryan Harsin. His first job was to fix Nix. Harsin began that process by putting Nix in situations he could thrive in. With Harsin, Nix has been able to show off his ability to read passing progressions and passing lanes, which was never emphasized under Malzahn. The Akron game was scheduled long before Harsin was named the head coach. He was fortunate to have the Zips for the opener and his first game. Harsin is trying to rebuild Nix’s confidence. What could be better than a matchup against Akron, which is expected to be among the worst teams in the FBS this season? Nix took advantage. He only needed about a half to show what he could do. Nix completed 20-of-22 passes for 275 yards and 3 touchdowns. Harsin and offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Mike Bobo had Nix dialed in early as he completed his first 11 passes. Nix even set an Auburn record for the best completion percentage with at least 20 pass attempts. He completed 90.9% of his passes. That topped Jarrett Stidham’s previous high of 86.5%. If you think Nix was just so good because Akron was so bad, think again. Nix was one of the highest-rated quarterbacks in the nation Saturday, according to Pro Football Focus. To make Nix comfortable, Harsin and Bobo are making sure that Auburn has check-down options in place. The Tigers will often depend on tight end John Samuel Shenker in the passing game. The returning starter had 5 catches for 38 yards on Saturday. Shenker wasn’t the only tight end involved. The Tigers utilized multiple tight ends on several occasions, even 4 at Akron’s goal line. That versatility and depth will allow Auburn to be less predictable throughout the season. Auburn’s tight ends are also taught to play fullback. Harsin wouldn’t have chosen such a path if he didn’t believe in Nix early. Harsin may have been alone in that assessment, but outside opinions don’t mean much once the season starts. After all of the volatility throughout Nix’s career at Auburn, Harsin has to rebuild Nix’s confidence and make football enjoyable again. The Tigers seemed to take a major step in that direction on Saturday. “I thought he had fun,” Harsin said. “He was good. He had a smile on his face. He had good energy out there. He was executing well. So, all the work that he’s been putting in—he’s a dedicated player—he got a chance to show some of that tonight. “Now we can build from that going to the next game and hopefully continue with that decision-making and that type of execution. He knows what kind of work it takes to do that. I’m proud of him. It was good to just watch him operate tonight, to see him handle all the things thrown at him. I thought Coach Bobo and the offensive staff did a good job.” That’s something that hasn’t been said at Auburn in quite some time. SCROLL DOWN for another bo article...............

The added value Auburn found in 2 of its Week 1 scoring drives By Tom Green | tgreen@al.com 5-7 minutes Auburn put 60 points on the board in its season-opening win against Akron, which was the most ever for a Tigers team in their head coach’s first game with the program. The team had 11 drives in its Week 1 win, with nine of them producing points. It’s difficult to read too much into a 50-point win against one of the worst teams in the FBS, but Auburn coach Bryan Harsin found some added value in two of his team’s nine scoring drives Saturday night — the ones that came at the end of each half. Auburn’s two end-of-half possessions against Akron resulted in a 44-yard field goal by Anders Carlson in the waning seconds of the first half to give the Tigers a 37-0 lead, and a 9-yard rushing touchdown from freshman running back Jarquez Hunter with 28 seconds to go for the final score of the game. It wasn’t so much those 10 points that provided the additional value for Auburn, but it was the situational value of those two possessions that Harsin wanted to take advantage of. Although Auburn had the result against an overmatched Akron team in hand well before halftime, the Tigers had a chance to work on their 2-minute offense late in the first half after getting the ball back with 66 seconds on the clock. “The end of half, the goal is always to try to get points or keep the other team from getting points, depending on what side of the ball you’re on,” Harsin said. “So, that’s always the mentality.” Auburn forced an Akron punt inside the final two minutes of the first half and took over at its own 8-yard line. The Tigers went to work, with Bo Nix quickly moving the offense down the field. He completed a 7-yard pass to Demetris Robertson, followed by a 10-yarder to John Samuel Shenker to move the chains. Nix then completed a 14-yard pass to Shedrick Jackson, who got out of bounds at the Tigers’ 39-yard line and stopped the clock. Nix scrambled on the ensuing play, picking up 15 yards before getting out of bounds at the Akron 46-yard line. After a 13-yard completion to Kobe Hudson, Nix tried to go back to the receiver again—but this time it fell to the turf as one of Nix’s two incompletions on the night. After a 6-yard pass to Shenker, who ran out of bounds at the Akron 27-yard line with 7 seconds left in the half, Auburn trotted Carlson onto the field for the 44-yard field goal with 2 seconds left. Auburn covered 65 yards in eight plays while getting into scoring range in just 1 minutes and 4 seconds of game time. “I thought we did a good job of executing down the field,” Harsin said. “We put ourselves in a position with 7 seconds left to kick a field goal. Anders did a great job; we finished the drive and we got points. And so, it was a good opportunity for Bo and the offense to go out there and execute in kind of a 2-minute situation. And we spent a lot of time on that, so that gave us an opportunity to do that.” Then late in the game, with Auburn leading 53-10 following an Akron field goal, the Tigers got the ball back with 2:38 left on the clock at their own 35-yard line. The night ended for Auburn’s starters well before that point, and Harsin and his staff wanted to get valuable game reps for the team’s reserves. “That was a chance for our guys to keep playing, to get reps,” Harsin said. “We had some other players in the game, and so those guys, it’s important that they get a chance to get out there and play and to have a chance to run the ball, to make decisions, to block, to do all the things on the offensive side that we need to just be able to do in live games and we haven’t had a chance to do that.” Auburn could have sat on the ball late with Akron out of timeouts, but that wasn’t the case. The Tigers kept the ball on the ground—but they also kept the chains moving. The reserves put together a five-play, 65-yard scoring drive that was capped by Hunter’s vicious 9-yard touchdown run. The freshman running back did much of the heavy lifting on the drive, carrying it four times for 49 yards to cap his 110-yard rushing debut. “Those guys were able to finish, and we scored in that situation, but ultimately it’s more about our guys having a chance to play and being able to take those valuable reps that they all get, you know, into the season because you never know what’s going to happen,” Harsin said. “Those guys get a chance to play in the game, they get an opportunity to go against an opponent, things happen in football, and before you know it one of those guys could be in there playing a whole lot more. And so, every bit of reps that we can get I think matter as far as our development goes.” It was a message that Harsin carried over into practice Sunday, when the Tigers focused on getting their reserves in full pads and developing them further with game-like situations. Harsin’s message afterward? “I told those guys, our entire goal is to figure out ways, if you’re not a starter, to get you in a role where you can contribute and you can play,” he said. “And that’s all about development. That’s all about becoming a better football player, and so those opportunities in games or practice — you know, whenever you get it, take advantage of it. And hopefully those are going to help you be a better football player and give you a chance when you get in the game to go execute at a high level. When you do that, more opportunities will come.” Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.

Three Auburn football players that gained the most stock after Akron Share this article Lance Dawe September 7, 2021 7:00 am CT Auburn had their way Saturday night. Everything was clicking. Offensively, Auburn had their way in the ground game early, and then quickly opened the passing attack up. Defensively, Auburn held the Zips to essentially nothing for the majority of the game until a late touchdown and field goal in the fourth quarter prevented the Zips from getting shut out. Auburn’s faces of the program (Bo Nix, Tank Bigsby, Owen Pappoe) played well, but there were some sleepers on the depth chart that gained some stock after playing Akron. Here are three players that gained stock after Auburn’s 60-10 win over the Akron Zips last weekend. 1. Jarquez Hunter John Reed-USA TODAY Sports Hunter entered the game in the third quarter and still finished the night with 110 yards and one touchdown on nine carries. His blend of power and speed as a freshman was very intriguing to watch. He looked like a baby Nick Chubb. If Auburn keeps him healthy, he’s going to be a massive weapon in the future. Pay attention to no. 27. 2. Brodarius Hamm Todd Van Emst/AU Athletics Hamm was Auburn’s highest-graded offensive lineman on Saturday according to PFF. Auburn needs their o-line to continue to put out solid numbers in order for this passing game to continue to take steps forward. 3. TD Moultry Jake Crandall via Imagn Content Services, LLC Moultry had an exceptional night. seven total tackles, three TFLs, and one sack. The Tigers have depth on that defensive line. Consistency from a guy like Moultry throughout the season would be welcomed. Lance Dawe Nobody lost on Saturday night except for Akron. Maybe Alabama fans as well. Auburn is looking like the second-best team in the SEC West right now and that does not bode well for the Crimson Tide, who travel to Jordan-Hare at the end of the season. Every player that touched the ball for Auburn looked fantastic Saturday night. Bo Nix, Tank Bigsby, Shaun Shivers, the receivers, and even the tight ends got involved. The defense was just as clean. No major mistakes, a great pass rush, and good sideline-to-sideline pass coverage. Keeping that in mind, here are three “losers” from last nights dominating 60-10 performance over Akron 1. Seth Williams and Anthony Schwartz Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports Seth Williams and Anthony Schwartz missed out. This Mike Bobo offense would have been absolutely perfect for them. Auburn's passing game would have been elevated to another level had Schwartz and Williams been able to stick around. It's sad to no longer see the duo in orange and blue. 2. Bo Nix's haters John Reed-USA TODAY Sports Yes, it was Akron, but Nix looked the most comfortable he's ever looked in-game. There's no way to criticize 20 for 22 and three touchdowns, regardless of the opponent. His completion percentage (91%) set a single-game Auburn record, previously held by Jarret Stidham (32 of 37 against Mercer in 2017). Obviously, Nix won't be able to have efficient stats as he did against Akron when SEC play hits. But he's now proven that he has the ability to be that kind of quarterback. I'm excited to see this passing offense continue to develop under Nix as the season progresses. 3. The rest of the SEC John Reed-USA TODAY Sports LSU lost to UCLA in embarrassing fashion. Texas A&M struggled to put Kent State away, with new Aggies QB Haynes King throwing three interceptions in the process. It took Arkansas three and a half quarters to pull away from Rice. Mississippi State was down 31-14 to Louisiana Tech and had to come back. Here's an overreaction for you. Auburn is the clear-cut second-best team in the SEC West. If Auburn's passing game steps up and the pass rush is as formidable as it was against Akron, watch out. Just a reminder that Auburn gets their two most difficult opponents in Georgia and Alabama at home. Contact/Follow us @theauburnwire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. two articles for the price of one.............