aubiefifty

he and peterson were really close so maybe peterson is pushing for him behind the scenes. just a guess and nothing more.

i am not upset because i am not totally sold on harsin. i like him but the dd thing bothers me. he came out and said when playing against the second string he was tearing it up. and now they think he might not fit? this just bothers me. the kid played high school ball in the toughest league in texas and texas is as big as a lot of countries. and i am pretty sure they talked about how accurate he was and what a pretty ball he throws. i know this because i posted the article. that might not have been word for word but it was close. so to me something is not right unless it was just the normal crap talk coaches do about certain players that are not starting.

not sure why folks are giving you negs but the rumor is all over the rant so their might be something to it.

he beat them last year but he might have those jitters. but i am sure it is like my band days. i would be scared but once those first couple of songs were played i could rock the house. this is what i hope for tj.

all i know is he is a super great kid and i hope he shines. i hate bo got hurt but tj deserves a shot so now we will see what we have with him. i doubt coach o recruits him if he sucks.

What Bryan Harsin said about replacing Anders Carlson on ‘Tiger Talk’ By Nubyjas Wilborn | nwilborn@al.com 4-5 minutes Auburn travels to South Carolina trying to bounce back from a two-game losing streak. After Bo Nix suffered an injury during the Mississippi State loss, the Tigers will have a new starting quarterback. TJ Finley will start Auburn (6-4, 3-3) against the Gamecocks (5-5, 2-5) at Williams Brice. Head coach Bryan Harsin will discuss Finley and several other factors for Auburn during his weekly radio appearance with the Tigers’ broadcast crew. Here are some highlights from Harsin’s chat. Harsin on not having Nix and kicker Anders Carlson It’s disappointing for both guys. Let me say that both of those guys are doing well. I appreciate that we have great people here in the medical area and surgeons and all that, so they’ve done a great job. They’re in great spirits. We have to move forward. That’s the thing about football, and I’ve told guys that too. Unfortunately, guys get hurt. When you come off the field, the game goes on. We’ve been back in practice, and TJ is doing a good job leading the guys. Harsin on replacing Anders Carlson. Ben Patton and Evan McGuire will both get opportunities. Those guys have done a good job this week up to this point. And you know, the big thing is, they’ll get their opportunities in the game. We tell them don’t be nervous when you go out there, be excited like this is the chance you’ve been waiting for this is the opportunity you want when you stand on the sidelines and you know, every player that’s not playing always thinks they should be playing and then so, you know. It’s unfortunate when things happen like this, but nonetheless, you have a chance to go out there and play, so take advantage of it, prepare properly and then, you know, go out there and do your job and do it to the best of your ability. What stands out about the Gamecock defense? I think they play hard. I think they’ve got their edge rusher number one(Kingsley Enagbare). He’s got five or six sacks. I think their linebackers are all solid as far as just where they need to be, and I think they play sound and are physical. I think they play hard. I think they do a good job and their schemes and structure, and I think they got good players and inside of the ball that, you know, are developing and getting better, and you see that as the season goes on there. There’s an improvement on that football team, and that’s what you got to prepare for. Harsin on how Finley playing against South Carolina last season helps this year. I know that our offensive staff is looked at that. And there are certainly some things from that that we could probably take away and that we’ve seen this week. For me, it’s, you know, it’s so different. It was such a long time ago. And so many things have changed for TJ, the schemes and all that, and he’s a different player. Is it a different system? Now I know for him he remembers it. Sure. And, you know, I think that’s part of it too. Like just in his mind that he had that opportunity at LSU, and he has an opportunity here, and so that’s his own story. However, you know, what I do like about TJ is he’s always he’s very focused. He’s very determined, and he doesn’t get caught up in too many things that aren’t the most important, and the most important things are, we need to have a really good day of practice. On Auburn handling road games. The awesome thing about being in the SEC is that you know every game you go to has that energy. As far as being on the road goes, it’s not so much about that any longer. It’s about what we have to do to go out there and execute our assignments and play good football, and I think the challenge of being on the road. We have to handle adversity from a mentality standpoint; you got nobody in there cheering for you. You got nobody there that’s in your favor. Sometimes that can be the best environment to walk in there and have that mentality, kind of like a SWAT team. Just get in there. Do your job and go home. Nubyjas Wilborn covers Auburn for Alabama Media Group.

In Mississippi State meltdown, Tigers 'got ahead of ourselves' on defense ByNathan King 4-5 minutes How Coaching Changes Around Nation Will Impact Signing Day AUBURN, Alabama — Auburn players weren't surprised at all by what Mississippi State was doing on offense. They just couldn’t find a way to stop it. Auburn allowed Bulldogs quarterback Will Rogers to complete 44-of-55 passes — including 24-of-26 in the second half — and dissect Auburn’s defense en route to 40 unanswered points and a 43-34 comeback win. The 25-point blown lead is the largest in Auburn history. How did Derek Mason’s defense — which had been superb over the past two games, not allowing a touchdown in its previous six quarters and holding opponents out of the end zone on nine straight red-zone trips — get peeled apart inside Jordan-Hare Stadium in such stark contrast to its recent successes? Only one defensive player, edge rusher Derick Hall, was made available to discuss the loss after the game. Wednesday was the first time multiple players on Auburn’s defense were able to review the gutting performance at length. And like most things in football, it came down to execution, said senior cornerback Roger McCreary, who thinks his teammates on defense eased off the accelerator once Auburn grabbed a 28-3 lead in the second quarter. “We knew it was going to come — it's just that some players just weren't focused and some people just weren't doing their job,” McCreary said. “So I feel like it was a lack of focus, and we got ahead of ourselves. The first half we did good and we thought it was going to be easy.” Auburn held Mississippi State’s air-raid offense to just one touchdown across five drives in the first half, including two punts and a forced field goal in the red zone. The Tigers were getting stable pressure and weren’t letting the Bulldogs break away for long gains when they hauled in receptions from Rogers in the short passing game — their bread and butter. Rogers torched Auburn out of the locker room, though, mounting five straight touchdown drives. “We just started executing, and one successful drive just led to another,” Mississippi State coach Mike Leach said Wednesday. More than 84% of Mississippi State’s offensive output in the second half came via the passing game, as Rogers completed 24 of his last 25 passes for the game. Auburn allowed nine explosive plays of 15 yards or more through the air in the second half as opposed to only three in the first half, yet Mississippi State’s drives were still strenuous and methodical, ending with touchdowns from 3, 3, 6, 3 and 6 yards out. “Everything we did worked in the first half; we just didn’t execute in the second half,” said senior linebacker Chandler Wooten. “It’s totally up to us as players to hold each other accountable. I think we had a great plan. Like I said, it worked in the first half, so there was no reason it couldn’t work in the second half. It just came down to execution, people doing their jobs and doing it with physicality.” Auburn will get back to a more traditional opposing offense this week when it travels to South Carolina, averaging 35 runs to 29 passes per game. The Gamecocks are on their third quarterback of the season: Jason Brown, a transfer from FCS Saint Francis who’s completed 57% of his passes this season, with five touchdowns to three interceptions. Auburn’s defense has been an above-average group in the SEC for the majority of the season. To return to its prosperous roots in a bounce-back effort this weekend, the key is carrying out the game plan for the entirety of a game, not just a half or a quarter, according to a pair of its senior leaders. “I feel like that's going to be great against this offense,” McCreary said of the game plan for South Carolina this week. “We just have to execute it.”

Bo Nix talks season-ending injury, offers thoughts on TJ Finley taking over at QB Chris Wallace | 20 hours ago 2 minutes A broken ankle and subsequent surgery will sideline Bo Nix for the rest of Auburn’s season. It had been an up-and-down year for the junior quarterback, but most objective observers would agree that the positives outweighed the negatives. Nix finishes the 2021 season having completed 197-of-323 passes for 2,294 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions. He also added 168 yards and 4 TDs on the ground. The 6-3, 214-pounder will now be forced to watch Auburn’s remaining games this season. On Wednesday while meeting with reporters he said it won’t be easy. “I can’t stand missing games,” Nix said. “I can’t stand not being out there.” Bo Nix on emotions after learning extent of injury: “I’d kind of known in the back of my mind the news was going to come….When they told me, it was obviously very heartbreaking b/c of the kind of season it’s been…I can’t stand missing games. I can’t stand not being out there” — Tom Green (@Tomas_Verde) November 17, 2021 Nix was also asked if he would be involved in helping TJ Finley adjust to the starting QB role, but Nix said he’s going to leave that task to the coaching staff and that he is confident Finley will do just fine. Auburn plays at South Carolina on Saturday night at 7 p.m. EST on ESPN.

What's Auburn football coach Bryan Harsin's approach to 2-point conversion attempts? Bennett Durando, Montgomery Advertiser Wed, November 17, 2021, 4:27 PM AUBURN — Hope wasn't completely lost when Auburn football scored with 3:37 remaining against Mississippi State last week. It snapped a 40-0 run by the Bulldogs and set up an extra point that would cut Auburn's deficit to 43-35 — a one-possession game. But at some point, a 2-point conversion would be required if Auburn wanted to catch Mississippi State. Coach Bryan Harsin elected to go for it after the first touchdown. An injured Bo Nix threw an interception on the attempt, and Auburn remained two scores behind. The final was 43-34. On one hand, that decision stung extra after Mississippi State missed a field goal. Auburn could've had possession in an eight-point game with a chance to tie. On the other, missing the 2-point conversion would likely cost the game no matter when it was attempted. So was it the right call to go for it early? "The old chart question," Harsin called it Wednesday. "Yes, there is a chart that everybody in America uses (to determine when to go for two). I think that tends to be made fun of when it doesn't work out. But everybody has the same one. It's pretty standard." The decision against Mississippi State was the first time of Harsin's Auburn tenure that he has been scrutinized for a 2-point decision. But in that specific scenario, strategic opinions differ even among experts. Here's what Ryan Paganetti, a former Philadelphia Eagles assistant coach who specialized in analytics and game management, had to say in a message to the Advertiser: "There has been a lot of discussion of why 'in theory' it makes sense to go for (two) when down (nine) late (in the game) because you gain information on if you are going to succeed on the 2-point conversion earlier and can at least adjust your strategy going forward if you do or don’t get it. For example, if you don’t get it, you are almost certain to want to kick onside. But if you do get it, you’d be more likely to kick deep. "Despite it sounding right in theory, the win probability difference between down (nine) and down (eight) has been so large that my suggestion would be to kick the extra point. There may be other factors at play where your team continues to play really hard when down (eight) as opposed to almost giving up, down (nine)." Paganetti also pointed out that college 2-point conversion success rates are lower than in the NFL, which can factor into the "when" question in a number of ways, depending on how coaches and analysts view it. AUBURN FOOTBALL: For cornerback Jaylin Simpson, clutch interception of Corral was validation after injuries While Paganetti would've suggested Auburn kick instead of chasing the two points early in that spot, Football Outsiders founder and statistician Aaron Schatz was on the same page as Harsin. "My feeling is that you want the most information as soon as possible," Schatz wrote in a message to the Advertiser. "You know you are going to have to make a 2-point conversion to tie. So you might as well try it first. If you miss it, you know you have to try to do the almost-impossible and score two more times. "If you try the 2-point conversion after the second touchdown and you don't get it, the game is also over and you also lose. But you don't have the opportunity to TRY to score twice more." It's clear the down-nine situation is one of the more nuanced debates in the go-for-it-or-kick debate. Either way, Harsin cited the chart, but he elaborated that a coach needs to consider other elements when it comes to his general decision-making philosophy. "You know if you have to go for two and what that's going to put you down by or up by. And then really it comes down to, just for us, if you've got momentum," Harsin said. "Are you going to do it at the end of the last drive when you have to, or are you going to do it during a drive where you can? That's really what it comes down to. I think it's a big swing in momentum. And that is a determination in the game. So you see teams do it: They'll go for it earlier, they'll go for it later. QUARTERBACK: Bryan Harsin: Auburn football will start TJ Finley after Bo Nix's season-ending surgery "And also, you have player availability. You have, just as far as the play selection, did you use it before? Do you need to come up with something different? There's a lot of different things that come up in the game, so it's not just one standard process I think everybody uses from that standpoint — other than, there's a chart that people look at, or a guy on the sideline has, that says you should go for two if you're down by this or up by this. And then you get to make that decision as a coach." This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: How Auburn football coach Bryan Harsin approaches 2-point conversions

TJ Finley was always ready for this. Will the super suit fit Auburn football’s backup QB? Bennett Durando, Montgomery Advertiser Thu, November 18, 2021, 7:26 AM·5 min read In this article: AUBURN — T.J. Finley wore his mom’s homemade homecoming slacks. His relatives wore his No. 1 on the back of Auburn football shirts that would have been sacrilegious a year ago. In a gravel RV parking lot in the shadow of LSU’s Tiger Stadium, a dozen of those Finleys struggled to cram into one camera frame. They eventually gave up on the selfie and opted for a video. That way they could dance, flex and show off the Auburn swag in a pregame text to Finley, who was preparing to face his former team. An aunt received a text from a family friend: “I hope TJ has a good game. Just not a win.” “We’ve been getting those texts all day,” Shannon Finley, his mom, said. “They don’t want my baby to win.” They didn’t bother replying with what they already knew: Finley would not be starting that night. Auburn coach Bryan Harsin had decided to stick with Bo Nix the week after Finley entered off the bench and led Auburn to a comeback win. The family didn’t mind. They stayed overnight in the parking lot and celebrated Finley’s homecoming all the same. Auburn Tigers quarterback T.J. Finley (1) celebrates after the game at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Sept. 25, 2021. Auburn Tigers defeated Georgia State Panthers 34-24. Making the familiar 45-minute drive from Finley’s hometown of Hammond, Louisiana, his mom could take pride in Finley’s game-day outfit, even if he wasn’t starting. She tapered his navy blue slacks that he wore to the stadium. It’s a mother-son tradition that will take on greater importance now, almost two months later. Finley has a look-good, feel-good mentality on Saturdays. His mom’s craftsmanship is the key. And confidence will be key for Finley in Auburn’s last two games of the season, including the Iron Bowl, as he is suddenly thrown into the starting quarterback role after a season-ending injury to Nix. His journey to this point has featured frustration, patience, vigilance and a collection of new suits. The model His legs were too long. Too skinny at the bottom. He didn’t like the way flared pants looked. But with Finley’s bulkier upper-body, he had no choice but to buy larger suits. The fit was always rough. Mom came to the rescue. While he was in high school, Shannon Finley taught herself to sew and taper pants. From the knee down, she slimmed every pair of slacks to her son’s liking. It continued into college. Auburn’s weekly pregame tradition is Tiger Walk, in which the players dress to impress on the stroll through Auburn’s campus into Jordan-Hare Stadium. Shannon always buys Finley’s suits — three new ones this season. His favorite was blue and gray with pinstripes. She knows her son’s taste, and T.J. trusts hers. They’ve shared a bond since he was a baby, when she brought him to pharmacy school exams while getting her doctorate. COACHING DECISIONS: What's Auburn football coach Bryan Harsin's approach to 2-point conversion attempts? AUBURN BASKETBALL: Wendell Green Jr. takes torch as Bruce Pearl's next audacious point guard Finley’s appreciation of fashion also started as a toddler, when his parents entered him in a local baby modeling contest. He won. So he moved on to the state competition. He won that, too. Finley was suddenly on the national stage for the first time, judged against other babies for his personality, communication skills and runway costumes. His mom helped assemble those. His Louisiana-themed crawfish outfit was a hit. Photos from TJ Finley’s child model shoot hint at the importance of fashion to the future Auburn quarterback. Finley won the national baby championship. “I think he won because he’s so smart because he went to pharmacy school,” Shannon said. The reward included a photo shoot. Finley's portfolio was sent out for products in need of a baby model. “He’s always had that charisma and that model gene,” she said. Auburn quarterback TJ Finley appears as a child model for a photo paper company. The muck When Finley isn’t wearing fashionable clothes, he’s coated in mud. A Louisianan at heart, he and his family share a hobby of mud-riding in four-wheelers. During Auburn’s off week in October, he returned home and went for a day. “He got extra muddy,” his mom said. “His escape from football is the mud.” Finley needed an escape that week. After his heroic moment against Georgia State, his routine had changed. The first few weeks of the season, Finley never worked with the first-team receivers in practice. But even after Nix won back the starting job at LSU, Harsin and offensive coordinator Mike Bobo decided to put Finley in the first-team rotation during practices, just in case. It made Finley realize that being a backup quarterback is more challenging than being a starter. He started studying the playbook more intensely. He was more alert. It was just as exhausting as starting but less rewarding. It was its own slog through the mud. “It really taught him a lot about endurance and patience,” his mom said. “There are a lot of emotions that go with it. He’d get so amped up because you’re practicing like you’re the starter, then the game comes and you don’t touch the field at all.” Auburn Tigers quarterback T.J. Finley (1) during warm ups at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Nov. 13, 2021. The final suit Just when Finley had embraced that role, Nix went down with an injury last week during Auburn’s loss to Mississippi State. X-rays after the game showed a broken ankle. He had season-ending surgery Monday. When Auburn kicks off at South Carolina at 6 p.m. CT Saturday, Finley will face the same opponent from his college debut, when he led LSU on 17-of-21 passing. Then comes the Iron Bowl. Finley was 14-for-28 in LSU’s loss to Alabama last year. When Finley was in the transfer portal, Alabama coach Nick Saban recruited him but warned him in advance that he would be behind quarterback Bryce Young. When Auburn hired Bobo, he invited Finley to compete with Nix, promising a fair shot. Now Finley is set to start by necessity against Saban’s Crimson Tide next week. It’s a historic rivalry and will be Finley’s first home start at Auburn. It calls for a new suit. “Last week in Auburn I did some shopping and got him a turtleneck to wear underneath,” Shannon Finley said. “I haven’t put my hands on the suit just yet, but I’m sure it’ll have some stripes.” This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Auburn football's TJ Finley was always ready for this

man i love me some cam! i watched him walk by some homeless white dude sitting on the sidewalk. cam was picking up some food i assume from some swanky place and when he came out he had a sack full of food for him. i bet the guy never knew who he was. but cam giving handicapped his cletes or giving footballs yo kids at the games and getting fined for it? i just think he is an awesome person and i hope he wins a super bowl.

i will say this. if dd should happen to leave i would be very disappointed in harsin. this season has been hard enough already. but to continue the rumor thing the rant is saying the university of washington is interested in hiring harsin. and it was stated by some cat that harsin did not realize what he was up against in the sec and is not happy. not i do not believe it at all but i thought someone might get a laugh out of it. now i am gonna start a rumor. harsin goes to washington and takes dd with him................grins. oh snap! i forgot harsin will also require all assistants to dye their hair purple.lol and if any of you believe that lord help us.

the rumor started on facebook. lol it seems he took down everything auburn related on his page but has not said a word. but he said this on instagram with no link so take it for what it is worth. supposedly DD has shut down the transfer rumors on his Instagram.so if anyone can look that up we probably have an answer. i do not do instagram not twitter......................

william brice sounds like the name of an insane asylum...am i right?

What Bryan Harsin said about Bo Nix's injury, Auburn's QB situation By Tom Green | tgreen@al.com 20-25 minutes The final stretch of Auburn’s first season under Bryan Harsin took a difficult turn following the team’s loss to Mississippi State. Not only was the 43-34 setback against the Bulldogs the biggest collapse in program history, with the Tigers letting go of a 25-point first-half lead, but Auburn also lost its starting quarterback and starting kicker in the process. Auburn coach Bryan Harsin confirmed Monday that Bo Nix (ankle) and Anders Carlson (ACL) are out for the remainder of the season after sustaining injuries in the second half of Saturday’s game. Nix underwent successful surgery Monday, while Carlson will undergo surgery this week. Harsin discussed the impact of those injuries, as well as what they mean for Auburn entering the final two games of the regular season, during his Monday press conference. Here’s a complete look at everything Harsin said about Nix, Carlson and the fallout of last weekend’s loss: BRYAN HARSIN Opening statement… “We had a couple of players in the last game that were injured, Bo Nix being one of them, who had a successful surgery today on his ankle. So that’s positive. He’s out. “Anders Carlson had an ACL in this last game as well, so he’ll have surgery here shortly. And a couple of our starting players that were injured in the game and now we’re just moving forward, getting those guys healed up. “We’ll have some guys who will have to step up and get their opportunities as we go into this week against South Carolina. “Both of those guys are in good spirits, and it’s unfortunate what happened to them. Those guys have handled it well. Guys on the team know what we need to do to have guys step up and be able to fill those roles and get ourselves ready to play in this next game. “As far as the last game goes, just a little recap on that. I thought we were ready to play in the first half. We came out and started fast, did some really good things. And then at halftime, really from that point on, I thought in the second half when Mississippi State went down and scored, they created some momentum. We needed to get that momentum back in the second half. “The execution just overall, finishing, making plays like we did in the first half didn’t show up in the second half. There’s some penalties, blown plays, missed opportunities. But at the end of the day we needed to finish the game. That was what we had talked about going into it and competing for four quarters and playing our best footbal for 60 minutes. All the things you talk about each and every week, making sure that was a mission of every player that stepped on the field. “And that did not happen in the game. So we’re going to learn from that. We’ve already watched it and put it away. We take that and use that information against South Carolina and get ourselves ready to play this week.” On what it says about Nix that he played through the injury for three-plus drives… “Well, the first thing you talk about at the quarterback position is toughness and there’s no question with that with Bo. And I’ve said that before. He was injured on a long throw that he had made. Continued that drive, came out, got looked at, was able to go back in the game and play, and was available to do that. “He’s a tough individual, No. 1. He wants to win, he wants to succeed, he wants to be a part of that. It says a lot about his desire to be out there with his teammates and to provide whatever he can from that position to try to help us win. I love that. I love the attitude. Unfortunately, he was injured and he’ll be out the rest of the season. But he’s got a great attitude.” On who will take over at kicker, and what he has seen from T.J. Finley since Saturday… “Yeah, we’re going to work through that with our specialists, so not right now. I’m not ready to make that decision yet on exactly what direction we’re going to go. “As far as T.J., he’s like every other backup quarterback that I’ve been around. He prepares like a starter, he goes out there and practices like a starter and then you never know when your opportunity is going to happen and so he just happened to be ready for that. Unfortunately an injury, it’s going to be a chance to get in the game and try to go make a difference. You never know what that is so you’re always preparing. So he’s done all those things so now it’s his opportunity to go out there and play the entire game and have a chance to prepare and practice with the reps this week like the starter, or as the starter, I should say, and get himself ready to go through a great week of preparation going into this game. So as far as his mindset and all that, he’s been very good. Now he’s going to go out there and do it in practice then it needs to show up in the game.” On if freshman Dematrius Davis could factor into QB spot, with his redshirt still intact… “No, not right now. We haven’t had those conversations.” On if Nix got reinjured in the fourth quarter after initial third-quarter hit… “I don’t really know that. He played obviously after he went back in. I don’t recall if there was another hit or something else in there but after the game when they went back and evaluated it, that’s what they found. I think it was on that play, I don’t think there was something else that happened in there. But moving around and running around and doing all those things, even taking a drop and stuff like that, I don’t know how much more that aggravated what had happened to him. “The injury came on that play in the third quarter where he got hit. Bo, as he went back in there, he looked, he stood in the pocket, he threw the ball well. He gave us opportunities to make plays, there’s no doubt about it, and we didn’t make those plays in those moments for us to continue drives and have a chance to go down there and do the things like we did in the first half.” On what goes into decision to let Nix play after initial injury… “Listen to the medical staff. That’s it. That’s why they’re there.” On medical staff clearing Nix after initial injury… “Yeah, that’s what the medical staff assesses our players, and then those guys make decisions whether guys are able to go back in or not during a game. And then there’s assessments after the game.” On decision to bring Finley in for final drive… “Yeah, I didn’t think that he could go anymore at that point, and then, you know, with TJ, trying to get a little bit of a spark -- but really, it came back to Bo, just could he go or not. He was limping around pretty good at that point in the game. So, we got TJ ready -- he had been ready, too [inaudible for several seconds] at that point in the game, it’s just, didn’t feel like where it looked like Bo could really go. So, TJ was obviously going to be ready to go and get him in the game. At that point too, you know, could we get a spark? Can we get the ball down the field and make something happen? Because we needed to: you know, we were now in that situation where we’ve got to score and get the ball back and try to score again quickly -- get a field goal at that point. So, really, it came down to that.” On discussions with Nix since Saturday, and his role moving forward… “Well, those conversations are between Bo and I, but he’s in good spirits. You know, I’m there to support him like his teammates and the other coaches on this staff are doing. You know, when guys get injured, that’s what you do: you support them. The next step is, you know, go have your surgery and get yourself healthy. You know, there is a human element to this, and so that part of it, that’s the focus. And then after the surgery, you know, we’ll regroup and we’ll focus on what comes next and what he has to do and those types of things. But, that wasn’t the initial conversation right after he was injured; like, what we have to do moving forward. It was just, ‘Hey, take care of yourself, make sure you’re good, family’s there. Let’s get through the surgery and then we’ll get on the other side of it, and we’ll figure out what the plan is moving forward.” On second-half defense vs. Mississippi State… “Yeah, I got you on State. Yeah, as far as the things that we had done early, yeah, we felt like those things would work, and they showed up on tape. You know, if you go back and study the game, those things that we had called in the first half were there in the second half. We didn’t execute and make the plays in some of those situations. Defensively with the pass rush, I thought we had the best players on the field at that time to get after the quarterback. Their o-line did a good job, and there were some things that we did to mix up some of the ways to get pressure on the quarterback. “You know, to not take anything away from the QB — he played really well in the second half, too. He threw the ball well. Their receivers, you talk about momentum, they made plays. What you have to do in a game is understand that when momentum shifts, you’ve got to find a way to get it back. You need to make the play. You need to get yourself in a position to get them off the field. “And on offense, you’ve got to continue scoring. That’s kind of the tale of two halves in this game. Come out playing hard, playing fast, making plays — in the second half, that has to continue. That’s what we have to understand as a team. You can’t coast your way through the rest of the game once you come out there and have a great first half. Put points on the board and expect somebody else to make plays as they gain momentum and put themselves back in a position to get themselves back in the game. They had however many drives for unanswered points. You’ve got to score. You’ve got to score points, and you’ve got to be able to keep scoring. You’ve got to be able to do that. That’s the responsibility of the offense. You’ve got to stop teams from scoring and get them off the field. That’s the responsibility of the defense. And in special teams, you’ve got to try to create field position and opportunities to change the game. “We had some penalties in special teams that took that momentum out of what we were doing. So there were a few of those in the game that allowed Mississippi State to stay on the field, which we’ll get the review on that. I’m sure we’ll know what the answer is once we look at it. But that doesn’t help you in the middle of the game. There are some factors in there that you have to overcome, and that is something as a team that we’ve got to do a better job with. I’ve got to do a better job with helping our team and helping everybody understand those things in a game going to happen. How we’re going to respond and how we overcome those is part of our development as a team right now. We didn’t do a good job of that. “So as far as our discipline and focus and our ability to finish — we took a step back. That’s two games now where we haven’t had the performance as a team that we want. That falls back on me. That falls back on how this team operates leading into the game, how we’re going to perform. Before we ever step on the field, understand the factors it takes to actually go out there and win games in this league. And, then ultimately, consistently, when you go out there and play. “We work hard. The effort and the stuff like that is there. But those other factors that really make teams, in my opinion, great, we’re not showing that. We’ve got to continue to keep working on that. Guys have to focus on it. Staff has to focus on it. I’ve got to do a better job of making sure the things we emphasize are getting through to everybody and it shows up on game day and we actually do those things through the course of the game.” On what he saw on the play Nix injured his ankle… “What you said there, just one of their guys fall into him. It’s one of those, as the quarterback throws it, you’re throwing the ball down the field, you’re in the pocket a little bit longer, somebody falls into the QB. And a lot of times you just get knocked over, you get knocked back, whatever it is, as you stand in the pocket and deliver it, things like that will happen. Somebody maybe gets pushed into you. In this case, he got pushed into his leg and just fell on his ankle there. Those things happen, too. It’s not always when you come out, you fall down and you get up. It’s kind of one of those routine plays where you get hit, you get back up and go on to the next play, and there’s not an injury there. But you never know. “That’s one of the things about the game: You just never know. Guys get injured, and sometimes it looks like something he’s done a thousand times, and just as a result of that play, it was an injury. So, that’s really what it came down to. I don’t think there was anything, you know, much out of the ordinary when it came to that play right there. It just happened to be kind of wrong spot, wrong time and probably positioning as a player. That’s kind of what happens when you get those types of injuries. When your feet are planted in the game, you always try to run your feet, you’re always trying to move your feet, because guys get wiped out and that helps you, keeps you from hopefully having like a lower-leg injury throughout a game and even through practice. Sometimes when you’re planted, you get hit just right and things happen. I think that’s what happened after watching it.” On if the biggest focus this week is tailoring offense to Finley and figuring out what he’s comfortable with… “We kind of know what he likes. That’s been part of every single week. You want to know what those guys are thinking, and that’s part of their preparation, that’s part of the process where you get quarterbacks’ and players’ opinions on things. Most of the time, it ties into what the coaches are thinking too. There’s a lot of similarities there, but as far as T.J., we’ve already been doing it. You kind of know what he likes and, again, we’re going to have to still run our offense and do things we feel are going to be successful. He’s going to have to be able to execute those (things), and he’s going to have done everything that we have in our gameplan. It’s just a matter of Bo’s had more reps at it in practice, and obviously more reps in games. T.J.’s seen it, he’s done it. He’s going to get all the reps, all those starting reps this week and have himself prepared from that standpoint. “Yeah, certainly his opinion and some of the things he sees as he studies the film, because each player’s a little bit different in what they do like, so it might be a little more of this, a little less of that. But at the end of the day, we’re still going to operate our system and execute it and make sure that everybody else that’s been in and playing, those guys raise their level of play as well. So, that’s the thing when somebody gets injured, I don’t just think that player has to come in there and be the guy that brings everything. It’s the guys that have been playing, the Nick Brahms, Tank Bigsby, Kobe Hudson. Those guys have been playing. Those are the guys that have to raise their level of execution when you have a new player come in that hasn’t had as many reps and the same experience as some of those guys that are going to play for us in the game. I’m counting on those guys to raise their level this week and their execution and make sure they’re doing their job so T.J. can go in there and operate and do what he’s asked to do and play quarterback the way we know he can and go out there and get himself ready and prepared and come game day go out there and cut it loose and take advantage of your opportunity to play.” On if Grant Loy is the backup quarterback now… “Yeah, he’s been in that position there. Grant has been there, and Dee has gotten some reps in there. Trey Lindsey has been doing a good job. We’ll work through that this week on what that’s going to look like and let those guys get some reps in there. The majority of the reps will go to T.J. because you want to get as many as you can. We’ll have our backup plan as well for those guys. They’ve got to be able to execute it and they’re going to have less than anybody between Bo and T.J. They’re going to have very few, so they’ve got to stay into it mentally. They’ve got to be prepared and do some things extra on their own from a physical standpoint so they’re ready to play. They’ve got to now take on that role of being the backup and understanding what it is we’re trying to accomplish. “Grant understands that, and he knows. Trey has really done a good job, in my opinion, of preparing himself. Our Sunday practices are where our guys that don’t play as much get a chance to go out there and compete a little bit. I think he’s done a good job of that. Just as far as physically preparing themselves, they’ve all got some scout team reps and gotten a few reps here or there. They have thrown the football and done those things. They’ve just got a little bit more this week and be more in-tune to what the actual game plan is if they’ve got to get in there and execute it.” On how Nix’s injury impacts the run game… “With Bo in there the run game is different. I think more so when Bo would take off and run with the scramble and just his ability to escape and do some of those things. Bo is obviously very athletic. T.J. showed his wheels in a few games as well. He can pull it and he makes good decisions. A lot to me as far as being a good runner if you ever have that option when you’re reading, is being a good decision maker as well. You’re trying to take advantage of the defense if you’re running those types of plays. We’ll have those things in the game plan and T.J. can execute it. It changes a little bit on some of the other quarterback run game stuff that we’ve done, but there will be opportunities for that still in this game plan. “As far as are we taking that next step in the run game, we’ve improved throughout the season in areas. I wouldn’t say that we’ve taken the next step yet because we need to be more consistent. You’ve got to run the ball and be able to get yourself in more manageable down and distances. We didn’t do it in the second half in the last game. When you run two times and it’s still a 3rd-and-9, that’s not very effective in that situation there. So we still have, in my opinion, a ways to go in improving to where the level we want to be at consistently in the run game. We’ve shown flashes. We’ve done some good things and that’s expected. But where we need to go is we can run the ball the way we want to in those critical moments and get the yards that we need to sustain drives and keep ourselves on the field.” On special teams and kicker Ben Patton… “As far as teams go, we’ve had penalties. I think they’re questionable but for some reason we’ve got to be perfect on special teams on any type of return that we have. I think our guys give really good effort. I think guys are playing hard. But we feel like you’ve got to be perfect in those areas if you’re going to try to be aggressive in returning. From a field position standpoint, that hurts you when you have those penalties. I thought we did some really good things and earned a lot of yards in this game that came back and negated a lot of those returns. “As far as Ben and all those specialists. We’re going to work through that this week. Right-footed, left-footed, we’ve got guys that are both. So we’ll work through our kicking game and who’s going to kickoff and who’s going to kick field goals and who’s going to do all those things with Anders being out. But we’ve got to get through this week of practice before we get too far into who’s doing what and where we’re going to go as far as our specialists go with Anders being out. “But Ben’s done a good job. I like Ben. Ben works hard. He’s prepared. I know he’s going to get his opportunity. If that’s the case, then he’s going to be ready to go. He’s going to go out there and practice well and put himself in position to mentally go in the game and be ready to kick. So we’ll see what that looks like this week of practice and go from there.” On the blocked field goal against Mississippi State… “Yes, yea. We got beat inside. Between the center and the guard there, we didn’t position ourselves like we normally do. Poor technique. When you have poor technique and the player across from you is going hard, that’s going to result in a block. The kick was a little bit low in that situation as well, but we gave up penetration that you can’t give up on special teams. That’s a problem and it comes back to us, technique, and doing things consistently. But that was the result. It was a longer kick but those types of issues shouldn’t come up in protection. It’s just something that we didn’t do a very good job of that they took advantage of.” Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde. Note to readers: if you purchase something through one of our

they disclosed what that was on the rant and past problems of the same nature and it supposedly was not football related. i have no idea if it is true being a rumor and i do not care to smear anyone.

Despite consistent criticism over targeting enforcement, college football has limited paths forward Dennis Dodd 12-15 minutes On an average prime-time Saturday night telecast, the game continues to be the star. TV ratings for college football are up across the board in 2021. We cannot turn away from the nation's No. 2 most-watched sport. Targeting, though, might be the uninvited guest to one hell of a televised party. Week after week, analysts inevitably climb a soapbox to scream at the moon. That is, to rail against the targeting rule: how it's applied, why it's applied, and how it is ruining the game and football careers of young adults. That's all assuming those analysts -- in fact, all targeting critics -- know what they're talking about. "That's the argument you get from ADs, 'This kid worked his tail off,'" said Steve Shaw, national officiating supervisor and secretary-editor of the NCAA rules committee. "'He only gets 12 playing opportunities, and you're going to take half a game away from him [by ejecting him]. It's not right.''" While the critics bleat, little is said in the moment about the victims of those hits. That's why the 13-year-old targeting rule is there in the first place, to address the ongoing concern regarding head trauma. But criticizing targeting has become a media sideshow echoing across current amplified landscape. Those who scream the loudest get their point across. It just doesn't mean they're right. Away from those primetime lights, battle lines are being drawn. On one side are those who believe the targeting rule must at least be adjusted. The other side is worried about going too far. The middle ground is littered with the possibility of lawsuits, concussions, recriminations and no clear way to proceed. "This is a fight for our game," Shaw said. "If we just walk away, that would be the wrong answer. The commissioners [who oversee the game] are not going to let us do that. The question is: Can you create a penalty structure that keeps the same impact as the penalty now?" The answer will be determined in the next few months. While the targeting rule will be addressed by Shaw's committee this offseason as a matter of course, any change will be highly scrutinized considering what's at stake. "I don't want to sound overly dramatic," Shaw reiterated, "but the future of football is in this discussion." That's because any targeting change that is perceived as less restrictive will be raw meat for lawyers. The rule was instituted in 2008 as a reaction to increasing concern about head and neck injuries. While head trauma may have faded from view and become less compelling to the average fan, it remains a chief concern of athletic and NCAA medical interests. When the NCAA's chief medical officer, Brian Hainline, was asked to comment on the targeting penalty, he declined. "The NCAA loses almost all P.R. battles anyway," said Stanford coach David Shaw, who was not specifically referring to Hainline. "Let's not lose the health and safety P.R. battle. If the worst-case scenario is we err on the side of protecting players, we'll take that." One legal source told CBS Sports there are least 20 single-plaintiff cases challenging any combination of the NCAA, schools and conferences. The number of existing class-action cases are in the "hundreds", according to that source. "I think everybody has forgotten about it because there's NIL," Steve Shaw said. "There's the transfer portal, there's student-athlete voice, there's conference realignment, there's [College Football Playoff] expansion. … Everybody has quit talking about concussion litigation." In 2013, the NCAA settled a class-action head trauma suit for $75 million. A large portion of that money was targeted for research and screening of former and current players. However, it doesn't pay for treatment. That didn't end the legal challenges. As late as August, two former Purdue players from the 1990s filed a class-action lawsuit against the Big Ten and NCAA that would seek plaintiffs from as far back as 1952. Any backtracking on targeting could be a disaster for an already-diminished NCAA and its member schools. "No doubt, you can't put in safety rules and then take them away without people like me getting in your kitchen," said Houston-based attorney Eugene Egdorf, who has led some of the highest-profile head trauma cases against the NCAA. "Make the rules better but making it less important, I would argue, [is not good]." At issue for critics is not only the subjective nature of the targeting call itself but the result. At worst, a team gets a 15-yard penalty and the offending player is ejected after the penalty is confirmed by replay. The player misses the remainder of the game if the penalty occurs in the first half. If it occurs in the second half, the player misses the rest of the game and the first half of the next game. A player is suspended for a full game separate from the one in which he's playing after three targeting calls in a season. So far this season, five FBS players have been hit with two targeting fouls. In the shortened 2020 season, two players had three targeting fouls. Another seven had two. The issue is grinding on the stewards of the game on multiple fronts. The numbers show that targeting rules have indeed changed on-field behavior. There are less targeting penalties. The game is seemingly safer. Nevertheless, the American Football Coaches Association supports a rule change that would resemble the flagrant foul call in basketball. Targeting 1 would be a 15-yard penalty. Targeting 2 would be applied for malicious hits and result in for ejection. Steve Shaw already has concerns. Heaping the decision between Targeting 1 and 2 on officials adds another complicated, subjective layer to an already complicated job. Then there is human nature. Here's how Shaw predicted a two-level targeting system would work: "This is what you will see. Officials don't want to disqualify players. We're all human and we have learned responses. … It's not going to take long, as an official, to think, 'You know what? If I put my flag away and just penalize this guy 15 yards, life is easier, my grade is better. Fans won't attack me.' That's going to be the learned response." For three years, AFCA coaches have unanimously supported two levels of targeting. But even that proposal doesn't remove that subjective nature of the game's most controversial rule. The latest definition of targeting calls for a series of "indicators" for officials to judge in real time before throwing a flag. The replay official confirms from the booth any targeting call. That AFCA proposal remains a significant talking point. The NCAA rules committee will meet early next year. Any change could come by early summer. "We're not against targeting," Berry said. "What we're against is the fact that a young person is [sometimes unfairly] disqualified from the game. These plays tend to be very quick and happen very fast. … We've reached that critical mass." Changes being explored by the rules committee include an offending player having to sit out equally as long as a player injured by targeting. But the committee is already aware of the possibility of a star defender being "set up" by an opposing team. The thinking being, if that backup goes into the medical tent, that's a competitive advantage to eliminate a star player on the other side. That smacks of a form of flopping that is already distressing the game's leaders. "I'm not going to tell you have the answer yet," Shaw said. "I think the rules committee will look at ways to modify the penalty without losing the impact of player safety and behavior." He added: "We can't have anything that immediately looks like, 'Football said, 'We're OK with targeting.' Anything backtracking is not only not good for the game … certainly some of these plaintiff lawyers would love that. They would want to show a pattern of behavior that the NCAA really does not respect player health and safety." As mentioned, the targeting rule has changed behavior. Statistics obtained by CBS Sports back up the assertion that targeting has reduced those massive hits. Through Week 10 of the 2021 season, the number of targeting fouls enforced was 140. That's the lowest figure since 2015 (120). So far this season, there is an average of only 0.22 targeting fouls enforced per game. That's one every 4.5 games, an improvement of 22% over the COVID-19-impacted 2020 season when there was one every 3.70 games. "Fans think there's one in every game, and there's just not," Shaw said. To this point, 41% of the targeting calls have been initiated by the replay booth, taking the decision out of officials' hands. That's the highest rate since replay was allowed in the process to create a targeting foul in 2016. To some, this is proof that the entire system is working. "Absolutely it has worked," said David Shaw, also an AFCA board of trustees member. "When you emphasize something, that's when you get more calls. … [That message] now goes into the offseason. It goes into spring football and training camps. Coaches are changing what they're teaching." David Shaw said a sign of progress is ejected players no longer having to take "the walk of shame" to the locker room. They are allowed to stay on the sidelines with their teammates. Retired college official Mike Defee agreed that targeting penalties have changed behavior. "I know it has worked," he said. "Players have done a much better job for the most part avoiding those hits. It's like making an omelet. You have to break a few eggs. We're never going to be perfect, but we are working hard to preserve the [mental] faculties of these players." The targeting penalty was instituted in 2008. Numbers weren't tracked until 2011. The rule has been modified three times since 2013 when ejection was implemented. "That's when you saw an enlightenment," Steve Shaw said. The revelation basically came from the 2012 SEC Championship Game. In the first half of that Alabama victory, Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray threw an interception. As the ball was being returned, Bama nose tackle Quinton Dial blind-sided Murray. No penalty was called. "He knocked my block off, that's for sure," Murray said. "There's some great pictures of it, too. I [saw] him about to hit me, literally, at the last millisecond. You see my body facing one way and my eyes are looking to my right like, 'Oh my God, I'm about to die.'" Murray didn't suffer a concussion, but he couldn't catch his breath for a large majority of halftime. There was immediate outcry with Alabama headed to the BCS Championship Game that Dial be suspended. There was no public announcement of Dial being disciplined. In the offseason, former SEC commissioner Mike Slive and former Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany -- the sport's two most powerful figures – met, beginning momentum for the targeting ejection rule. Steve Shaw loves to tell the story of former Ole Miss safety Trae Elston. In a 2012 game, Elston famously lined up a UTEP wide receiver coming into his territory for a big hit that knocked out the player. Elston chest bumped his teammates in celebration. That was the last year before targeting ejections. After a similar play in 2013, flags came flying in after an Elston hit laid out another receiver. Elston immediately put his hands on top of his helmet in shame. "If there is not a penalty, why would anybody change their behavior," Egdorf asked rhetorically. "We don't want the 1987 Miami Hurricanes' let's-go-take-everybody's-head-off mentality." Targeting has heaped a lot more responsibility on officials. There was already the bang-bang nature of the game. Then add the judgements regarding what constitutes a defenseless player, lowering the head, indicators for targeting, etc. Because of all that, it is difficult to track statistics year over year since there is no consistent control group. Like the block/charge call in basketball, targeting has become one of the most contentious officiating calls in sports. Adding to the debate, the NFL doesn't eject players for targeting. Instead, the league issues fines. "It's impossible to get out of the game, so I don't think kids should [necessarily] be thrown out of the game," Cincinnati coach Luke Fickell said. "You don't need to have the highlight knockout. You can do better. The NFL doesn't throw people out. They fine them. I guess maybe we could fine college players now that they have NIL." Reflecting those Saturday night prime time shamefests, maybe too much is being made out of all this. Officials make mistakes. As long as players are protected, maybe it's better to leave it all alone. "The game is better off if we err on the side of safety," Steve Shaw said. "If that means a player here or there gets disqualified that maybe shouldn't be, [that's ultimately] for the greater good. "But that doesn't translate well if you're that player."

mike bobo has been brilliant in some games this year. and he has made some head scratching calls. do you think the calls are wrong or was it execution like harsin harps on? we know out o line is struggling with the run game and it appears to have hurt our chances in games. lets remember tank was supposed to be one of the best running backs in football this year. so is it fair to get rid of bobo or is it too quick to pull the trigger? and what about coach mason? that three man front against msu is just baffling to me. they were just killing us so why not take a chance and go out swinging? i really like mason and i am not sure if his D is that hard to grasp in one season or maybe we do not have the horses we need to take that next step. and he has shown flashes of brilliance as well. when state began their run why not make the correct adjustments and make them in a timely manner? does harsin make the call of unleashing the dogs so to speak? so what do we do and how do we do it?

i wish harsin would explain more about what is happening. it would probably keep fans from panicking as much. gus gave us "a good week of practice" and harsin repeats the fundamentals thing which is not telling us anything. i think harsin is a great coach but it takes a special kind of coach to come into the sec and have great success. so many good coaches have failed in the sec. i am still behind harsin because it is the first year and he was handed some huge problems that i am thinking will take two or three years to work out. this alone bums me out. but if harsin is not the answer then we go through all this mess again.

there is always hope. tj led lsu to a win last year against south carolina.

Auburn Tigers football statistical leaders From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to navigation Jump to search The Auburn Tigers football statistical leaders are individual statistical leaders of the Auburn Tigers football program in various categories,[1] including passing, rushing, receiving, total offense, defensive stats, and kicking. Within those areas, the lists identify single-game, Single season and career leaders. The Tigers represent Auburn University in the NCAA's Southeastern Conference. Although Auburn began competing in intercollegiate football in 1892,[1] the school's official record book considers the "modern era" to have begun in 1947. Records from before this year are often incomplete and inconsistent, and they are generally not included in these lists. These lists are dominated by more recent players for several reasons: Since 1947, seasons have increased from 10 games to 11 and then 12 games in length. The NCAA didn't allow freshmen to play varsity football until 1972 (with the exception of the World War II years), allowing players to have four-year careers. Bowl games only began counting toward Single season and career statistics in 2002.[2] The Tigers have played in 14 bowl games since this decision. The Tigers have had two seasons, 2010 and 2013, in which the Tigers run a high-octane offense that racked up 6,989 and 7,018 offensive yards, respectively. In fact, eight of the Tigers' ten seasons with the highest offensive output have come since 2000 under head coaches Tommy Tuberville, Gene Chizik, and Gus Malzahn.[1] These lists are updated through game 1 of the 2021 season. Contents 1 Passing 1.1 Passing yards 1.2 Passing touchdowns 2 Rushing 2.1 Rushing yards 2.2 Rushing touchdowns 3 Receiving 3.1 Receptions 3.2 Receiving yards 3.3 Receiving touchdowns 4 Total offense 4.1 Total offense yards 4.2 Total touchdowns 5 Defense 5.1 Interceptions 5.2 Tackles 5.3 Sacks 6 Kicking 6.1 Field goals made 6.2 Field goal percentage 7 References Passing Cam Newton set the single-season school passing touchdowns record in 2010, his only season with the Tigers. Passing yards Career Rank Player Yards Years 1 Stan White 8,016 1990 1991 1992 1993 2 Jason Campbell 7,299 2001 2002 2003 2004 3 Bo Nix 7,251[3] 2019 2020 2021 4 Jarrett Stidham 7,217 2015 2017 2018 5 Brandon Cox 6,959 2004 2005 2006 2007 6 Pat Sullivan 6,284 1969 1970 1971 7 Dameyune Craig 6,026 1994 1995 1996 1997 8 Patrick Nix 4,957 1992 1993 1994 1995 8 Reggie Slack 4,697 1986 1987 1988 1989 10 Nick Marshall 4,508[4] 2013 2014 Single season Rank Player Yards Year 1 Dameyune Craig 3,277 1997 2 Jarrett Stidham 3,158 2017 3 Cam Newton 2,854 2010 4 Jarrett Stidham 2,794 2018 5 Jason Campbell 2,700 2004 6 Pat Sullivan 2,586 1970 7 Patrick Nix 2,574 1995 8 Bo Nix 2,542[3] 2019 9 Nick Marshall 2,532[4] 2014 10 Brandon Cox 2,324 2005 Single game Rank Player Yards Year Opponent 1 Nick Marshall 456[5] 2014 Alabama 2 Ben Leard 416 1999 Georgia 3 Ben Leard 394 2000 Michigan[6] 4 Dameyune Craig 394 1996 Mississippi State 5 Patrick Nix 387 1995 Arkansas 6 Daniel Cobb 381 2001 Louisiana Tech 7 Jason Campbell 374[7] 2004 Tennessee[8] 8 Jarrett Stidham 373 2018 Purdue 9 Patrick Nix 372 1995 Ole Miss 10 Dameyune Craig 370 1996 Army[9] Passing touchdowns Career Rank Player TDs Years 1 Pat Sullivan 53 1969 1970 1971 2 Jarrett Stidham 48 2015 2017 2018 3 Jason Campbell 45 2001 2002 2003 2004 4 Brandon Cox 42 2004 2005 2006 2007 5 Stan White 40 1990 1991 1992 1993 6 Dameyune Craig 39 1994 1995 1996 1997 Bo Nix 39[3] 2019 2020 2021 8 Nick Marshall 34[4] 2013 2014 9 Patrick Nix 31 1992 1993 1994 1995 10 Cam Newton 30 2010 Single season Rank Player TDs Year 1 Cam Newton 30 2010 2 Chris Todd 22 2009 3 Pat Sullivan 20 1971 Jason Campbell 20 2004 Nick Marshall 20[4] 2014 6 Dameyune Craig 18 1997 Jarrett Stidham 18 2017 Jarrett Stidham 18 2018 9 Pat Sullivan 17 1970 10 Pat Sullivan 16 1969 Bo Nix 16[3] 2019 Rushing Rushing yards Career Rank Player Yards Years 1 Bo Jackson 4,303 1982 1983 1984 1985 2 Carnell Williams 3,831 2001 2002 2003 2004 3 James Brooks 3,523 1977 1978 1979 1980 4 Joe Cribbs 3,368 1976 1977 1978 1979 5 Ben Tate 3,321 2006 2007 2008 2009 6 Tre Mason 2,979 2011 2012 2013 7 Stephen Davis 2,811 1993 1994 1995 8 Brent Fullwood 2,789 1983 1984 1985 1986 9 Ronnie Brown 2,707 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 10 Onterio McCalebb 2,586 2009 2010 2011 2012 Single season Rank Player Yards Year 1 Tre Mason 1,816 2013 2 Bo Jackson 1,786 1985 3 Cameron Artis-Payne 1,608[10] 2014 4 Rudi Johnson 1,567 2000 5 Cam Newton 1,473 2010 6 Brent Fullwood 1,391 1986 Kerryon Johnson 1,391 2017 8 Ben Tate 1,362 2009 9 James Brooks 1,314 1980 10 Carnell Williams 1,307 2003 Single game Rank Player Yards Year Opponent 1 Curtis Kuykendall 307 1944 Miami (FL) 2 Tre Mason 304[11] 2013 Missouri[8] 3 Bo Jackson 290 1985 Southwestern Louisiana 4 Bo Jackson 256 1983 Alabama 5 Joe Cribbs 250 1978 Georgia 6 Rudi Johnson 249 2000 Louisiana Tech 7 Stephen Davis 246 1994 Arkansas 8 Bo Jackson 242 1985 Georgia Tech 9 Bo Jackson 240 1985 Ole Miss 10 Kamryn Pettway 236[12] 2016 Ole Miss Rushing touchdowns Career Rank Player TDs Years 1 Carnell Williams 45 2001 2002 2003 2004 2 Bo Jackson 43 1982 1983 1984 1985 3 Joe Cribbs 34 1976 1977 1978 1979 4 Tre Mason 32 2011 2012 2013 Kerryon Johnson 32 2015 2016 2017 6 Stephen Davis 30 1993 1994 1995 7 Ronnie Brown 29 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 8 James Brooks 24 1977 1978 1979 1980 Brent Fullwood 24 1983 1984 1985 1986 Ben Tate 24 2006 2007 2008 2009 Onterio McCalebb 24 2009 2010 2011 2012 Single season Rank Player TDs Year 1 Tre Mason 23 2013 2 Cam Newton 20 2010 3 Kerryon Johnson 18 2017 4 Bo Jackson 17 1985 Carnell Williams 17 2003 6 Joe Cribbs 16 1978 7 Joe Cribbs 14 1979 Stephen Davis 14 1995 9 Rudi Johnson 13 2000 Ronnie Brown 13 2002 Cameron Artis-Payne 13[10] 2014 Peyton Barber 13[13] 2015 Single game Rank Player TDs Year Opponent 1 Carnell Williams 6[14] 2003 Mississippi State 2 Kerryon Johnson 5[15] 2017 Missouri Receiving Receptions Career Rank Player Rec Years 1 Ryan Davis 178[16] 2016 2017 2018 2 Courtney Taylor 153 2003 2004 2005 2006 3 Karsten Bailey 150 1995 1996 1997 1998 4 Terry Beasley 141 1969 1970 1971 5 Tyrone Goodson 136 1994 1995 1996 1997 Eli Stove 136[17] 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 7 Seth Williams 132[18] 2018 2019 2020 8 Emory Blake 128 2009 2010 2011 2012 9 Frank Sanders 121 1991 1992 1993 1994 10 Anthony Schwartz 117[19] 2018 2019 2020 Single season Rank Player Rec Year 1 Ryan Davis 84[16] 2017 2 Ryan Davis 69[16] 2018 3 Darvin Adams 60 2009 4 Seth Williams 59[18] 2019 5 Frank Sanders 58 1994 Willie Gosha 58 1995 7 Ronney Daniels 56 1999 8 Terry Beasley 55 1971 9 Courtney Taylor 54 2006 Anthony Schwartz 54[19] 2020 Single game Rank Player Rec Year Opponent 1 Willie Gosha 17 1995 Arkansas 2 Seth Williams 13[20] 2019 Georgia 3 Ryan Davis 12 2018 Georgia Darvin Adams 12[21] 2009 Northwestern[22] 5 Terry Beasley 11 1971 Southern Miss Ryan Davis 11 2017 Alabama 7 Thomas Bailey 10 1994 Florida Tyrone Goodson 10 1996 Mississippi State Willie Gosha 10 1996 Army[9] Ronney Daniels 10 1999 Central Emory Blake 10[23] 2012 Arkansas Ricardo Louis 10[24] 2015 Jacksonville State Anthony Schwartz 10[25] 2020 Arkansas Receiving yards Career Rank Player Yards Years 1 Terry Beasley 2,507 1969 1970 1971 2 Tyrone Goodson 2,283 1994 1995 1996 1997 3 Karsten Bailey 2,174 1995 1996 1997 1998 4 Seth Williams 2,124[18] 2018 2019 2020 5 Courtney Taylor 2,098 2003 2004 2005 2006 6 Emory Blake 2,022 2009 2010 2011 2012 7 Frank Sanders 1,998 1991 1992 1993 1994 8 Darvin Adams 1,978 2008 2009 2010 9 Freddy Weygand 1,946 1985 1986 1987 1988 10 Lawyer Tillman 1,808 1985 1986 1987 1988 Single season Rank Player Yards Year 1 Ronney Daniels 1,068 1999 2 Terry Beasley 1,051 1970 3 Darvin Adams 997 2009 4 Darvin Adams 963 2010 5 Frank Sanders 910 1994 6 Tyrone Goodson 906 1997 7 Sammie Coates 902[26] 2013 8 Terry Beasley 846 1971 9 Frank Sanders 842 1993 10 Karsten Bailey 840 1997 Single game Rank Player Yards Year Opponent 1 Alexander Wright 263 1989 Pacific 2 Ronney Daniels 249 1999 Georgia 3 Willie Gosha 222 1995 Arkansas 4 Darvin Adams 217[27] 2010 South Carolina[8] 5 Sammie Coates 206[5] 2014 Alabama 6 Terry Beasley 194 1971 Kentucky 7 Terry Beasley 176 1970 Florida 8 Frank Sanders 175 1994 9 Frank Sanders 173 1994 East Carolina 10 Robert Baker 161 1996 Ole Miss Seth Williams 161[28] 2019 Mississippi State Receiving touchdowns Career Rank Player TDs Years 1 Terry Beasley 29 1969 1970 1971 2 Ben Obomanu 18 2002 2003 2004 2005 3 Karsten Bailey 17 1995 1996 1997 1998 Darvin Adams 17 2008 2009 2010 Seth Williams 17[18] 2018 2019 2020 6 Emory Blake 16 2009 2010 2011 2012 7 Byron Franklin 15 1977 1978 1979 1980 Frank Sanders 15 1991 1992 1993 1994 9 Lawyer Tillman 14 1985 1986 1987 1988 Philip Lutzenkirchen 14 2009 2010 2011 2012 Single season Rank Player TDs Year 1 Terry Beasley 12 1971 2 Terry Beasley 11 1970 3 Darvin Adams 10 2009 4 Byron Franklin 9 1980 Ronney Daniels 9 1999 6 Emory Blake 8 2010 Seth Williams 8[18] 2019 Total offense Total offense is the sum of passing and rushing statistics. It does not include receiving or returns.[29] Total offense yards Career Rank Player Yards Years 1 Bo Nix 8,120[3] 2019 2020 2021 2 Stan White 7,920 1990 1991 1992 1993 3 Jason Campbell 7,606 2001 2002 2003 2004 4 Jarrett Stidham 7,441 2015 2017 2018 5 Pat Sullivan 6,843 1969 1970 1971 6 Brandon Cox 6,543 2004 2005 2006 2007 7 Dameyune Craig 6,455 1994 1995 1996 1997 8 Nick Marshall 6,374[4] 2013 2014 9 Patrick Nix 4,957 1992 1993 1994 1995 10 Reggie Slack 4,652 1986 1987 1988 1989 Single season Rank Player Yards Year 1 Cam Newton 4,327 2010 2 Nick Marshall 3,330[4] 2014 3 Jarrett Stidham 3,311 2017 4 Dameyune Craig 3,277 1997 5 Jarrett Stidham 3,186 2017 6 Nick Marshall 3,044 2013 7 Bo Nix 2,855[3] 2019 8 Bo Nix 2,803[3] 2020 9 Jason Campbell 2,730 2004 10 Patrick Nix 2,638 1995 Single game Rank Player Yards Year Opponent 1 Nick Marshall 505[5] 2014 Alabama 2 Dameyune Craig 445 1996 Army[9] 3 Jason Campbell 431[7] 2004 Tennessee[8] 4 Patrick Nix 422 1995 Arkansas 5 Dameyune Craig 417 1997 Central Florida 6 Cam Newton 408[30] 2010 Kentucky Cam Newton 408[27] 2010 South Carolina[8] 8 Dameyune Craig 405 1997 Louisiana Tech 9 Jarrett Stidham 387 2017 Mercer 10 Pat Sullivan 384 1970 Florida Total touchdowns Career Rank Player TDs Years 1 Pat Sullivan 71 1969 1970 1971 2 Dameyune Craig 58 1994 1995 1996 1997 3 Nick Marshall 57[4] 2013 2014 Jarrett Stidham 57 2015 2017 2018 Bo Nix 57 2019 2020 2021 6 Jason Campbell 54 2001 2002 2003 2004 7 Stan White 51 1990 1991 1992 1993 8 Cam Newton 50 2010 9 Carnell Williams 46 2001 2002 2003 2004 Brandon Cox 46 2004 2005 2006 2007 Single season Rank Player TDs Year 1 Cam Newton 50 2010 2 Nick Marshall 31[4] 2014 3 Pat Sullivan 26 1970 Nick Marshall 26 2013 5 Dameyune Craig 24 1996 6 Pat Sullivan 23 1969 Jason Campbell 23 2004 Bo Nix 23[3] 2019 9 Pat Sullivan 22 1971 Dameyune Craig 22 1997 Chris Todd 22 2009 Jarrett Stidham 22 2017 Defense Interceptions Career Rank Player Ints Years 1 Buddy McClinton 18 1967 1968 1969 2 Dave Beck 14 1970 1971 1972 3 Don Webb 13 1967 1968 1969 Brian Robinson 13 1992 1993 1994 5 David Langner 12 1971 1972 1973 David King 12 1981 1982 1983 1984 7 Bobby Freeman 11 1951 1952 1953 1954 Larry Willingham 11 1968 1969 1970 Jim McKinney 11 1972 1973 1974 Clifford Toney 11 1978 1979 1980 Single season Rank Player Ints Year 1 Buddy McClinton 9 1969 2 David Langner 8 1972 Brian Robinson 8 1994 4 Larry Willingham 7 1969 5 Rusty Harris 6 Tackles Career Rank Player Tackles Years 1 Freddie Smith 528 1976 1977 1978 1979 2 Gregg Carr 453 1981 1982 1983 1984 3 Darrel Crawford 424 1988 1989 1990 1991 4 Anthony Harris 400 1992 1993 1994 1995 5 Quentin Riggins 398 1986 1987 1988 1989 6 Chris Martin 374 1979 1980 1981 1982 7 Tracy Rocker 354 1985 1986 1987 1988 8 Dontarrious Thomas 351 2000 2001 2002 2003 9 Marcellus Mostella 336 1993 1994 1995 1996 10 Takeo Spikes 331 1995 1996 1997 Single season Rank Player Tackles Year 1 Freddie Smith 193 1977 2 Kurt Crain 168 1987 3 Quentin Riggins 165 1989 4 Freddie Smith 162 1979 5 Kurt Crain 156 1986 6 Darrel Crawford 153 1991 7 Ben Thomas 141 1984 8 Gregg Carr 139 1984 9 Gregg Carr 136 1983 Takeo Spikes 136 1997 Single game Rank Player Tackles Year Opponent 1 Kurt Crain 26 1986 Georgia 2 Freddie Smith 24 1976 Tennessee 3 Freddie Smith 23 1977 Auburn Chris Martin 23 1980 Alabama Quentin Riggins 23 1989 Florida Mike Pelton 23 1991 Vanderbilt 7 Freddie Smith 22 1976 Baylor Freddie Smith 23 1977 Arizona Freddie Smith 22 1979 Auburn Darrel Crawford 22 1989 Alabama Sacks Career Rank Player Sacks Years 1 Gerald Robinson 26.0 1982 1983 1984 1985 Quentin Groves 26.0 2004 2005 2006 2007 3 Antonio Coleman 24.5 2006 2007 2008 2009 4 Tracy Rocker 21.0 1985 1986 1987 1988 Craig Ogletree 21.0 1986 1987 1988 1989 6 Dee Ford 20.5 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 7 Reggie Torbor 18.5 2000 2001 2002 2003 8 Willie Whitehead 17.0 1991 1992 1993 1994 Leonardo Carson 17.0 1996 1997 1998 1999 Corey Lemonier 17.0 2010 2011 2012 Marlon Davidson 17.0[31] 2016 2017 2018 2019 Single season Rank Player Sacks Year 1 Nick Fairley 12.0 2010 2 Kevin Greene 11.0 1984 Craig Ogletree 11.0 1989 Gary Walker 11.0 1994 5 Dee Ford 11.0 2013 6 Gerald Robinson 10.0 1985 Mike Pelton 10.0 1994 Antonio Coleman 10.0 2009 9 Reggie Torbor 10.0 2003 Jeff Holland 10.0 2017 Quentin Groves 10.0 2006 Kicking Field goals made Career Rank Player FGs Years 1 Daniel Carlson 92[32] 2014 2015 2016 2017 2 Wes Byrum 60 2007 2008 2009 2010 3 Anders Carlson 54[33] 2018 2019 2020 2021 4 John Vaughn 50 2003 2004 2005 2006 5 Win Lyle 45 1987 1988 1989 Damon Duval 45 1999 2000 2001 2002 7 Al Del Greco 42 1980 1981 1982 1983 8 Cody Parkey 39 2010 2011 2012 2013 9 Jorge Portela 38 1977 1978 1979 10 Scott Etheridge 34 1992 1993 Single season Rank Player FGs Year 1 Daniel Carlson 28[32] 2016 2 Daniel Carlson 23[32] 2015 Daniel Carlson 23[32] 2017 4 Scott Etheridge 22 1992 5 John Vaughn 20 2006 Anders Carlson 20[33] 2020 7 Daniel Carlson 18[32] 2014 Anders Carlson 18[33] 2019 9 Jim Von Wyl 17 1990 Wes Byrum 17 2007 Wes Byrum 17 2010 Single game Rank Player FGs Year Opponent 1 Al Del Greco 6 1982 Kentucky Daniel Carlson 6[34] 2016 LSU Field goal percentage Career Rank Player FG% Years 1 Daniel Carlson 80.7%[32] 2014 2015 2016 2017 2 Scott Etheridge 79.1% 1992 1993 3 Matt Hawkins 78.8% 1994 1995 4 Win Lyle 76.3% 1987 1988 1989 5 Wes Byrum 75.0% 2007 2008 2009 2010 6 Anders Carlson 74%[33] 2018 2019 2020 2021 7 Cody Parkey 73.6% 2010 2011 2012 2013 8 Jaret Holmes 73.0% 1996 1997 9 John Vaughn 72.5% 2003 2004 2005 2006 10 Ed Dyas 70.8% 1958 1959 1960 Single season Rank Player FG% Year 1 Wes Byrum 93.8% 2009 2 Anders Carlsonn 90.9%[33] 2020 3 Daniel Carlson 87.5%[32] 2016 4 Matt Hawkins 86.7% 1995 5 Daniel Carlson 85.2%[32] 2015 6 Win Lyle 84.2% 1989 7 Gardner Jett 83.3% 1970 John Vaughn 83.3% 1986 9 Jaret Holmes 82.4% 1997 10 Scott Etheridge 80.0% 1993 John Vaughn 80.0% 2004 References "2016 Auburn Football Media Guide" (PDF). AuburnTigers.com. Retrieved 2016-08-20. "NCAA changes policy on football stats". ESPN.com. AP. 2002-08-28. Retrieved 2014-09-11. "Bo Nix". ESPN.com. "Nick Marshall". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2015-01-03. "No. 1 Alabama rides WR Amari Cooper's 3 TDs by No. 15 Auburn". ESPN.com. 2014-11-29. Citrus Bowl "Tigers undefeated, likely out of title game". ESPN.com. 2004-12-04. SEC Championship Game Independence Bowl "Cameron Artis-Payne". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2015-01-03. "Tre Mason, No. 3 Auburn beat No. 5 Missouri in SEC title game". ESPN.com. 2013-12-07. "Pettway runs wild, No. 15 Auburn beats Mississippi 40-29". ESPN.com. 2016-10-29. "Peyton Barber". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2015-12-30. "Williams spikes SEC TD record". ESPN.com. 2003-10-18. "Johnson's career-best 5 TDs lead No.15 Auburn past Missouri". ESPN.com. 2017-08-23. "Ryan Davis". ESPN.com. "Eli Stove". ESPN.com. "Seth Williams". ESPN.com. "Anthony Schwartz". ESPN.com. "Georgia vs. Auburn Box Score". ESPN.com. November 16, 2019. Retrieved January 8, 2021. "Auburn's field goal in OT holds up as Northwestern's trick play fails". ESPN.com. 2010-01-01. Outback Bowl "Arkansas forces 5 turnovers, 8 sacks in win against Auburn". ESPN.com. 2012-10-06. "Auburn survives FCS' Jacksonville State with dramatic OT victory". ESPN.com. 2012-10-06. "Arkansas vs. Auburn Box Score". ESPN.com. October 10, 2020. Retrieved October 12, 2020. "Sammie Coates". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2015-01-03. "Cam Newton's 6-TD day leads Auburn to SEC championship and BCS title game". ESPN.com. 2010-12-04. "Mississippi State vs. Auburn Box Score". ESPN.com. September 28, 2019. Retrieved September 28, 2019. "Official 2007 NCAA Division I Football Record Book" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. August 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-12-01. Retrieved 2008-01-03. "Auburn skirts Kentucky stunner with last-second field goal". ESPN.com. 2010-10-09. "Marlon Davidson". ESPN.com. "Daniel Carlson". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2017-01-15. "Anders Carlson". ESPN.com. "Carlson's 6 field goals lift Auburn past No. 18 LSU 18-13". ESPN.com. 2016-09-24. v t e Auburn Tigers football v t e Southeastern Conference football statistical leaders

ok guys i am mostly done for the day because all the sports articles are nothing but doom and gloom.

Auburn Football Baffling day at Auburn ends with serious questions Updated: Nov. 14, 2021, 7:31 a.m. | Published: Nov. 13, 2021, 5:13 p.m. Auburn head coach Bryan Harsin waits for an video replay review during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Mississippi State, Saturday, Nov. 13, 2021, in Auburn, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)AP 553 shares By Joseph Goodman | jgoodman@al.com It’s impossible to know if Auburn’s stunning collapse to Mississippi State on Saturday would have been different based on one play. Maybe, but probably not. When a team blows a 25-point lead, and that collapse is the worst in school history, and it’s Mississippi State that’s on the other sideline inside Jordan-Hare Stadium, one play probably isn’t going to mean that much to anyone on the silent drive home. That doesn’t mean this one play in particular is any less significant, though. Auburn’s season under first-year coach Bryan Harsin fell off the cliff with its 43-34 loss to Mississippi State, and it was painful to watch a team with so much promise at halftime blow it all like that, but tucked inside that historically bad second half was the controversial ejection for targeting on Auburn pass rusher T.D. Moultry. Where to begin? How about here? The call by the replay booth was violently awful. The decision to kick Moultry out of the game was unforgivably unnecessary. Somebody, please help it make sense. Harsin wasn’t that guy after the game. He indicated that the field officials didn’t see anything to qualify it as targeting. “They saw what I saw,” Harsin said, who added that it was a “momentum-changing play” that “wasn’t called on the field.” Somebody, anybody, please explain how the evolution of targeting — a very important rule in college football — has evolved to the point that arguably the best defensive play in an SEC football game is instead penalized for 15 yards, an automatic first down and, most egregiously of all, an ejection from the game. No, that play isn’t why Auburn lost, but it could have been the thing to resuscitate Auburn’s chances in one of its most important games of the season. It was either rage inducing, soul crushing or frightening for the Auburn supporters still watching the game at that point. As a mostly unbiased observer, I wanted to throw my laptop at the windows inside the David E. Housel press box. It was a beautiful football play. Moultry broke through the Mississippi State offensive line, left his feet as if trying to position himself to deflect a pass but then registered a sack when Bulldogs quarterback Will Rogers pulled the ball down. Yes, it was helmet to helmet. No, there was no intent to injure Mississippi State’s quarterback. Moultry was called for targeting, but he did not “target” the quarterback. It was not a “dirty” play, and it didn’t even seem like a dangerous play. Earlier in the second half, the helmet of Mississippi State defensive back Emmanuel Forbes Jr. collided painfully with the helmet of Auburn receiver Kobe Hudson on a questionable play. A flag was thrown for targeting, but upon review, despite it being helmet to helmet, it was overturned because, clearly, Forbes’ intent wasn’t to harm and he was going for the interception. It was a football play, in other words … just like Moultry’s. Y’all, again, please help it make sense. There was a lengthy review after Moultry’s sack, too, and third and 21 turned into first and 10 and Moultry, who had rightly celebrated the sack, was, just that fast, gone. Kicked out of the game. I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve written about “bad calls” determining the outcomes of games, and this horrendous call, in my opinion, doesn’t qualify as that, but it does help me understand the difficult job defenders and defensive coaches now have in this game. They can’t play it the way they were taught their entire lives. Again, Moultry was innocent of targeting, and everyone knew it, but he was booted for a play because intent isn’t supposed to matter (unless it does) and because — trust me, I get it — preventing brain injuries and keeping players healthy has to matter more than anything else. Auburn quarterback Bo Nix saw the replay, and got it right. “Just getting to the quarterback is all you’re thinking about,” Nix said. “It’s one of those frustrating things, but that’s football and it happens.” Remember the circumstances before the play for context. Auburn was still in the game, and trailing by eight, with 6:35 left on the clock. After the first down for targeting, Mississippi State scored its sixth straight second-half touchdown to go up 43-28. For Auburn (6-4, 3-3), it was a devastating second half for its chances to remain in the hunt for the SEC West crown. Auburn led this game 28-3 in the first half thanks to excellent performances by both the offense and defense. What happened at halftime? Long will we be asking that question. It will forever remain a mystery, but it seemed like everyone on Auburn’s sideline emerged from the locker room with the same kind of energy level people might experience after eating an entire turkey and three pecan pies while slamming back whiskey sweet tea. Lethargic doesn’t even begin to describe the offensive line. Tired is what Auburn fans call questions about Harsin’s vaccination status. This team was sleep walking towards the edge of oblivion and didn’t seem to care. Until Moultry’s sack. And then that shot of momentum lasted long enough to review a play and seal the fate of a game. The defense allowed 40 unanswered points, so it shouldn’t have even been in that situation at all. For Moultry, though, it was the heartbreaking conclusion to a sequence of events that should have been, or could have been, his single greatest on-field contribution to Auburn football in his entire career. He’s a senior, and he has been through a lot while at Auburn, but he has worked and worked, and his persistence was supposed to pay off on that field against Mississippi State. Instead, the replay booth took that all away. Joseph Goodman is a columnist for the Alabama Media Group.

A closer look at a troubling trend for Auburn’s offense By Tom Green | tgreen@al.com 5-6 minutes A disturbing trend has plagued Auburn’s offense for three weeks now. In each of the Tigers’ last three games, they’ve struggled to find any sort of offensive consistency after halftime, scoring a total of nine second-half points against Ole Miss, Texas A&M and, most recently, Mississippi State. It has played into Auburn dropping two of those games, with back-to-back losses to the Aggies and Bulldogs -- the most recent of which produced the biggest collapse in program history. Read more Auburn football: Goodman: Baffling day at Auburn ends with serious questions Tigers’ defense surrenders 40 unanswered points in loss to Bulldogs Auburn’s offense loses momentum in second half “We’re not as consistent in the second half, let me say that,” Auburn coach Bryan Harsin said. “I think we do some things early in the first half. We’ve got to continue to keep attacking in the second half as aggressively -- just playing and executing -- as we do in the first half. It doesn’t seem like we do that in the second half.” Auburn’s second-half offensive struggles of late have resulted in the team putting up points on just two of its 18 possessions after halftime the last three weeks. The Tigers had a second-half field goal against the Rebels on Oct. 30 to help secure a 31-20 win at home, were shut out in the second half of the loss at Kyle Field last week and then mustered a lone late touchdown Saturday during a complete collapse against the Bulldogs. Of the Tigers’ 16 second-half drives that have not produced points during that stretch, six have ended in punts, three have resulted in missed field goals (including a 35-yarder Saturday that was blocked by Mississippi State), four resulted in giveaways (with three lost fumbles and an interception), while two more concluded with turnovers on downs and one saw Auburn run out the clock to seal the win against Ole Miss. Beyond the struggles in scoring points after halftime, Auburn’s offense has been largely ineffective at sustaining drives during the second half of this stretch of games. Only three of those 18 second-half possessions have produced drives of at least 50 yards and five have lasted more than seven plays. Auburn is averaging 4.7 yards per play in the second half the last three weeks, but it has managed to go just 6-of-21 on third-down tries (and 2-of-5 on fourth downs) during that stretch. “It’s not okay to go out there and punt, you know,” Harsin said. “You want to have the mindset of an offensive player that we want to score every time we get the ball in our hands. It’s a little bit of execution; it’s mentality; it’s keeping the pedal down and being aggressive coming after the defense in the run game and the pass game and guys playing hard and finishing through fourth quarters. It’s just that mentality and having that same attacking attitude for four quarters of football.” Those issues were accentuated in Saturday’s historic loss against Mississippi State, when Auburn’s offense admittedly didn’t do its part to keep pace when the Bulldogs scored 40 unanswered points — including five straight touchdown drives after halftime — and erased what was once a 28-3 Tigers lead. “For whatever reason, we sputtered again and couldn’t get an explosive play,” quarterback Bo Nix said. “We couldn’t really get a drive going and sustain it. Once we did, we got stopped on downs and they blocked a field goal. We’ve got to find ways to get ourselves out of that kind of hole and move forward.” In the second half against Mississippi State, Auburn’s offense cooled off after a blistering start to the day — when it scored touchdowns on each of its first four drives of the morning. Once seemingly out of their recent funk on that side of the ball, the Tigers couldn’t maintain that momentum in the second half. Their first three drives after halftime included the aforementioned blocked field goal, which was sandwiched between a pair of punts. RELATED: Talty: Auburn’s collapse dampens momentum; Vultures circling Florida’s Dan Mullen That was followed by a turnover on downs before Auburn finally found the end zone on a Tank Bigsby 1-yard rush that ended Mississippi State’s run of 40 unanswered points. The damage was already done, and it was too little, too late. The Tigers then fumbled away their final possession, when T.J. Finley — who entered for an injured Nix — lost the ball as he was sacked in the waning minutes. Auburn finished with 4.9 yards per play in the second half but had minus-14 rushing yards on eight carries (minus-4 on seven runs, when discounting the late sack) and had possession for just 9:43 after the break. “What it comes down to is you got to finish in games,” Harsin said. “…An 18-point lead, it’s not enough. That’s what we talked about at halftime. That’s not enough. You got to keep playing, and at the end of the day it’s still about our execution and the things we’re trying to accomplish every time we step on the field, and it didn’t happen. It wasn’t good enough.” Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.