Pappoe ‘ready to get after it

[aubiefifty 17,487]

Owen Pappoe ‘ready to get after it’ following injury-related exit vs. Penn State

By Tom Green | tgreen@al.com

3-4 minutes

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Sep 18, 2021; University Park, PA, USA; Owen Pappoe (0) tackling between Auburn and Penn State at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Todd Van Emst/AU AthleticsTodd Van Emst/AU Athletics

Bryan Harsin was optimistic Monday about the status of one of Auburn’s team captains for this weekend’s homecoming game against Georgia State.

Junior linebacker Owen Pappoe exited last weekend’s loss to Penn State in the second half with an apparent leg injury and did not return to the game. Harsin did not have an update on Pappoe’s status after the game, but during his weekly press conference Monday afternoon, the first-year coach said Pappoe was “doing good” and that he felt good about the linebacker’s availability this weekend.

“He’s a tough guys, and he’s ready to go back and get after it,” Harsin said.

Auburn will know more about Pappoe’s status for this weekend’s game on Tuesday, when the team reconvenes for practice. Auburn (2-1) will host Georgia State (1-2) for a 3 p.m. kickoff at Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday, with the game airing on SEC Network.

How much Pappoe will be able to play against the Panthers will be determined by his progress throughout the week in practice. Though Harsin noted Pappoe’s toughness, the team will also have to determine how much it wants to use him against Georgia State and whether it’s best not to push him too much with the team’s SEC opener at LSU on the horizon Oct. 2.

Still, it sounds as though Pappoe’s injury is nothing serious, which is promising news for Auburn. The junior is the team’s third-leading tackler this season, with 15 stops through three games, including two for a loss. He has also been credited with two quarterback hurries.

Having him available against Georgia State would also be good news for Auburn’s linebacker corps, which will already be without Zakoby McClain for the first half of Saturday’s game after being ejected for targeting in the fourth quarter of last week’s loss to Penn State.

“There’s going to be guys that get nicked up in games and you’re going to have to manage that throughout the week,” Harsin said. “But they’ll be ready to go come game time. So that’s really going to be the case as we move forward, and hopefully nobody’s going to be out for the season. But you’re going to have some guys that have got to get in that training room and really spend time in there and really be a pro. Just taking care of their body. Getting themselves back into practice and then obviously preparing for the game.”

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

[TigerPAC 993]

forgot about zakoby being out 1st half.  need some LBs to step it up, as GA state likes to run it, i think

[SRBautigerfan 1,040]

6 hours ago, TigerPAC said:

as GA state likes to run it, i think

I think so, as they avg 40 rushes and 20 pass att per game and total yds around 290 per game.