More observations from open practice

[aubiefifty 18,231]

al.com

Observations from Auburn’s open practice ahead of 1st game of season

By Tom Green | tgreen@al.com

9-12 minutes

The college football season officially kicked off Saturday, with a handful of Week 0 games taking place across the country. On the Plains, though, Auburn’s season opener is still one week away -- but the Tigers were still in Jordan-Hare Stadium and in front of fans.

Ahead of Auburn’s debut under first-year head coach Bryan Harsin, the team held a full practice open to the public Saturday afternoon. It was an hour and a half of offense-on-defense, individual position drills, special teams reps and situational work in front of fans as part of Auburn’s “Family Football Preseason Kickoff.”

Here’s a look a everything we saw and learned during the open practice, broken down by each of the 14 periods:

-- Bryan Harsin remains in isolation at his home while recovering from a positive COVID-19 test last week, and he’s expected to rejoin the team in full come Monday. The rest of Auburn’s assistant coaches were all in attendance and accounted for Saturday, with assistant head coach/linebackers coach Jeff Schmedding running the show. Defensive coordinator Derek Mason, who dealt with a breakthrough case of COVID-19 recently, was also back on the field with the team and handling the defensive side of the ball.

-- Defensive tackle Jeremiah Wright (ACL), cornerback Jaylin Simpson and defensive end Caleb Johnson were all off to the side during Saturday’s practice an doing some individual rehab work. Simpson and Johnson appear to be dealing with undisclosed injuries.

-- Players who did not appear to be in attendance at practice included defensive backs Ladarius Tennison, A.D. Diamond and Ahmari Harvery, as well as wide receiver Tar’Varish Dawson. It is unclear why those four players were absent.

-- Auburn opened practice by simulating its pregame routine in terms of stretching and position drills after coming out of the locker room. The team wanted to get used to what things will be like starting next weekend when it hosts Akron at 6 p.m. Saturday.

PERIOD 1

-- Auburn did positional work, followed by some 7-on-7 reps.

-- During individual work on special teams, Jacob Quattlebaum was the long snapper for Anders Carlson on field goals, with Jackson McFadden as holder. Kyle Vaccarella was long-snapping for punter Oscar Chapman, while Reed Hughes handled snapping duties for punter Aidan Marshall.

-- Among the players fielding punts and kickoffs were Demetris Robertson, Donovan Kaufman, Ja’Varrius Johnson, Jarquez Hunter, Shaun Shivers, Kobe Hudson, Tank Bigsby, Devin Guice and Malcolm Askew.

-- The interior offensive linemen rotated reps with position coach Will Friend. Brandon Council, Nick Brahms and Keiondre Jones were paired together, followed by Alec Jackson, Jalil Irvin and Tashawn Manning.

-- In 7-on-7 work, the first-team group included Bo Nix with wide receivers Shedrick Jackson, Demetris Robertson and Ja’Varrius Johnson, tight ends John Samuel Shenker and Luke Deal, and running back Tank Bigsby. The first group on defense included cornerbacks Roger McCreary and Nehemiah Pritchett, nickelback Donovan Kaufman, linebackers Owen Pappoe and Zakoby McClain, and safeties Smoke Monday and Bydarrius Knighten.

PERIOD 2: PACE

-- Auburn’s second period of practice saw the offense and defense go head to head in pace drills. Here’s a breakdown of the first- and second-team units on each side of the ball during this period:

-- First-team offense had LT Austin Troxell, LF Brandon Council, C Nick Brahms, RG Keiondre Jones and RT Brodarious Hamm along the offensive line. Bo Nix was at QB, with Tank Bigsby in the backfield. John Samuel Shenker lined up at TE, with Ja’Varrius Johnson, Demetris Robertson and Shedrick Jackson split out at wide receiver.

-- First-team defense had T.D. Moultry and Derick Hall at the two edge spots, with Colby Wooden and Marcus Harris along the defensive line. Zakoby McClain and Owen Pappoe were at linebacker, with Nehemiah Pritchett and Roger McCreary at corner, Donovan Kaufman at nickel, and Smoke Monday and Bydarrius Knighten at safety. Chandler Wooten and Desmond Tisdol both rotated in at linebacker with this group, while Zion Puckett swapped in at nickel.

-- Second-team offense had LT Kilian Zierer, LG Alec Jackson, C Jalil Irvin, RG Tashawn Manning and RT Brenden Coffey, with T.J. Finley at QB and Shaun Shivers at RB. Tyler Fromm was at TE, with Caylin Newton, Malcolm Johnson Jr. and Ze’Vian Capers split out at wide receiver.

-- Second-team defense had Romello Height and Eku Leota on the edge, with J.J. Pegues and Marquis Burks on the defensive line. Wesley Steiner and Cam Riley repped at linebacker, with Malcolm Askew and Eric Reed Jr. at cornerback, Devin Guice at nickel, and Smoke Monday and Trey Elston at safety.

-- Anders Carlson closed the pace period with a 43-yard field goal in the rain.

PERIODS 3-4

-- During these periods, Auburn did offensive and defensive circuits. The offensive circuits focused on balance and finishing plays after contact.

-- Other work during these periods saw the quarterbacks working on throws to the back of the end zone from about 10 yards out. There was also one punt-fielding rep, with Ja’Varrius Johnson back deep to catch a punt from Aidan Marshall.

PERIOD 5: RED ZONE

-- This period saw the team focus on red-zone situational work, with the offense trying to convert third-and-8 from the 16-yard line against the defense.

-- The first-team offense, led by Bo Nix, saw its drive stall due to an incomplete pass from Nix intended for Ja’Varrius Johnson on a double-move to the corner; the pass was errant from Nix. Anders Carlson came on and drilled a 28-yard field goal.

-- The second-team offense, led by T.J. Finley, also failed to convert on third down. Finley completed a pass to Shaun Shivers out of the backfield, but he was stopped short of the first-down marker. Ben Patton came on and kicked a 30-yard field goal.

PERIODS 6-8: INDIVIDUAL POSITION DRILLS

-- Auburn spent these 15 minutes broken down into positions. The linebackers worked on recovering fumbles that bounced off the field. Quarterbacks spent this time working on handoffs to running backs and keeping/pulling the ball on other reads. Defensive backs worked on tight coverage, pass-breakups in the open field and interception drills.

PERIOD 9: “BACKED UP”

-- During this period of situational work, Auburn’s offense was backed up to its own 5-yard line while facing a third-and-7. They had to try to convert the first down against Auburn’s defense.

-- The first-team offense converted its third down, when Bo Nix connected with Ja’Varrius Johnson over the middle of the field. This was followed by another punt rep, with Oscar Chapman punting it to Devin Guice.

-- Here’s a look at the defensive lineup during the second-team rep in this period: Eku Leota and Romello Height at edge, with Tony Fair and Zykeivous Walker on the interior of the line. Chandler Wooten and Cam Riley lined up at linebacker, with Ro Torrence and Trey Elston at cornerback, Devin Guice at nickel and Smoke Monday at safety. Unsure of the 11th player on the field during this rep.

PERIODS 10-11: SPECIAL TEAMS

-- Auburn spent these 10 minutes focusing on special teams work, namely kickoff coverage/returns and punt coverage/returns.

-- The first kickoff return rep had Shaun Shivers and Donovan Kaufman back deep. Then Nehemiah Pritchett and Jarquez Hunter got the second rep.

-- Among the options fielding punts were Demetris Robertson, Donovan Kaufman, Devin Guice and Ja’Varrius Johnson.

PERIODS 12-14: OFFENSE VS. DEFENSE

-- Auburn spent the final three periods of practice doing some good-on-good offense vs. defense drives, but not full contact; only touch. Here’s a look at the first- and second-team units on each side of the ball during these periods:

-- First-team offense: LT Austin Troxell, LG Brandon Council, C Nick Brahms, RG Keiondre Jones, RT Brodarious Hamm, with QB Bo Nix and RB Jarquez Hunter, TEs John Samuel Shenker and Luke Deal, and WRs Demetris Robertson and Ze’Vian Capers.

-- First-team defense went with a three-linebacker look with a single-high safety: T.D. Moultry and Derick Hall at edge, Dre Butler and Zykeivous Walker on the interior of the defensive line, LBs Chandler Wooten, Owen Pappoe and Zakoby McClain, CBs Roger McCreary and Nehemiah Pritchett, nickelback Zion Puckett and safety Bydarrius Knighten. Tony Fair and J.J. Pegues rotated in at defensive tackle, while Donovan Kaufman subbed in at nickel.

-- Jarquez Hunter fumbled during this drive.

-- Second-team offense: LT Kilian Zierer, LF Alec Jackson, C Jalil Irvin, RG Tashawn Manning and RT Brenden Coffey along the offensive line. QB T.J. Finley, with running back Sean Jackson, tight end Tyler Fromm and wide receivers Kobe Hudson, Malcolm Johnson Jr. and Elijah Canion. Jarquez Hunter rotated in at running back during this drive.

-- Second-team defense was back in its nickel look: Eku Leota and Romello Height at edge, with Lee Hunter and Garrison Walker on the interior of the defensive line. Chandler Wooten and Desmond Tisdol at linebacker. Ro Torrence and Malcolm Askew at corner, with Devin Guice at nickel, and Smoke Monday and Trey Elston at safety. Daniel Foster-Allen and Ian Mathews rotated in along the defensive line, while Cam Riley and Kameron Brown subbed in at linebacker.

-- West Virginia cornerback transfer Dreshun Miller has a pass-breakup during this period.

-- Late in this portion of practice, T.J. Finley got a drive with the first-team offensive line, while Malcolm Johnson Jr., Ze’Vian Capers, Kobe Hudson and Luke Deal were the receivers and tight end, with Caylin Newton and Tyler Fromm rotating in.

-- Freshman quarterback Dematrius Davis got the final drive of practice with the third-team offense.

Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.

[aubiefifty 18,231]

nice name victree! reminds me of duval in apocalpyse now.

[Tigerpro2a 5,650]

Interesting that a couple of walk ons are getting reps on second team D. Makes me think that CDM is confident in what he has in the secondary and just trying to get the 3rd and 4th string guys a little work. 

[Mikey 16,781]

15 hours ago, aubiefifty said:

-- Players who did not appear to be in attendance at practice included defensive backs Ladarius Tennison, A.D. Diamond and Ahmari Harvery, as well as wide receiver Tar’Varish Dawson. It is unclear why those four players were absent.

Gee, what could be causing players to miss practice at this critical stage? Oh, wait..... It's the thing they could have prevented with a free vaccination!

[Mikey 16,781]

9 hours ago, Tigerpro2a said:

Interesting that a couple of walk ons are getting reps on second team D. Makes me think that CDM is confident in what he has in the secondary and just trying to get the 3rd and 4th string guys a little work. 

Three DB's being out for causes that are "unclear" (Ha-ha) almost certainly has something to do with it.

[Tigerpro2a 5,650]

6 hours ago, Mikey said:

Three DB's being out for causes that are "unclear" (Ha-ha) almost certainly has something to do with it.

Considering only one of those out is expected to be anywhere near the two deep, I don't think it has that much to do with it.  JMO

[W.E.D 11,071]

8 hours ago, Mikey said:

Three DB's being out for causes that are "unclear" (Ha-ha) almost certainly has something to do with it.

They are def probably covid cases, but it has nothing to do with the DB rotation, those guys weren't 2 deep players.

[Mikey 16,781]

2 hours ago, Tigerpro2a said:

Considering only one of those out is expected to be anywhere near the two deep, I don't think it has that much to do with it.  JMO

You know that they are behind the walkons? Because I was responding to the observation that walkons are practicing with the 2nd team D. See below.

19 hours ago, Tigerpro2a said:

Interesting that a couple of walk ons are getting reps on second team D.

 

[Tigerpro2a 5,650]

6 minutes ago, Mikey said:

You know that they are behind the walkons? Because I was responding to the observation that walkons are practicing with the 2nd team D. See below.

 

I am not really understanding this? Who are you saying is behind the walk ons? The 3 players out? If so then no. I do not know they are behind them. I do know that the walk ons repping with 2nd team D are not the guys that are on the 2 deep nor the guys that are out which was my point the whole time.

[Mikey 16,781]

2 minutes ago, Tigerpro2a said:

I am not really understanding this? Who are you saying is behind the walk ons? The 3 players out? If so then no. I do not know they are behind them. I do know that the walk ons repping with 2nd team D are not the guys that are on the 2 deep nor the guys that are out which was my point the whole time.

What I'm saying is if the guys who are out were available, the walkons wouldn't be practicing with the 2nd team D.

[Tigerpro2a 5,650]

4 minutes ago, Mikey said:

What I'm saying is if the guys who are out were available, the walkons wouldn't be practicing with the 2nd team D.

How do you come to that conclusion when the guys that are 2nd team are not the guys that are out with the exception of L. Tennison?

[Mikey 16,781]

2 minutes ago, Tigerpro2a said:

How do you come to that conclusion when the guys that are 2nd team are not the guys that are out with the exception of L. Tennison?

I come to that conclusion because in the normal course of events, those who are out would be filing in on the 2nd team defense in practice. Instead, walkons are having to do what the MIA's would normally be doing.

[W.E.D 11,071]

12 minutes ago, Mikey said:

I come to that conclusion because in the normal course of events, those who are out would be filing in on the 2nd team defense in practice. Instead, walkons are having to do what the MIA's would normally be doing.

Having a completely open practice a week before the season isn't "normal events".  This was nothing more than a fan event and nothing should be concluded from what was seen

[RHN1975 302]

10 hours ago, Mikey said:

Gee, what could be causing players to miss practice at this critical stage? Oh, wait..... It's the thing they could have prevented with a free vaccination!

Oh you mean the free vaccination their DC got? I seem to recall he was out for a while. Some folks seriously can't help it. Cannot have a single conversation without vaccinations or covid being involved. It's ok to have a normal conversation even Joseph Goodman wrote an article today without one mention of the disease. 

[Mikey 16,781]

12 hours ago, RHN1975 said:

Oh you mean the free vaccination their DC got? I seem to recall he was out for a while. Some folks seriously can't help it. Cannot have a single conversation without vaccinations or covid being involved. It's ok to have a normal conversation even Joseph Goodman wrote an article today without one mention of the disease. 

When the topic is walkons practicing with the 2nd team and four players that should be ahead of those walkons are missing from practice, the subject is pretty much going to come up.

[AuburnTiger4Life 2,225]

I really think people spend way too much time analyzing scrimmages. Remember when Cam threw like three interceptions in a scrimmage? The defense wins scrimmages 9 times out of 10 because they know what’s coming. 

[SRBautigerfan 1,040]

5 hours ago, AuburnTiger4Life said:

I really think people spend way too much time analyzing scrimmages. Remember when Cam threw like three interceptions in a scrimmage? The defense wins scrimmages 9 times out of 10 because they know what’s coming. 

Yep.  It's fun to watch and speculate about scrimmages but until it's game time you really don't know how players will react.  Some guys turn it up a notch when the lights come on and for some the game speed just never slows down enough for them.  

[WFE12 9,350]