Harsin Sees Familiar Foe

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Auburn Head Coach Bryan Harsin Sees Familiar Foe as San Jose State Visits - Alabama News

Alabama News Network Staff,

2-3 minutes

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Posted: Sep 9, 2022 2:02 PM CDT

by Alabama News Network Staff

Auburn head coach Bryan Harsin speaks during NCAA college football Southeastern Conference Media Days, Thursday, July 21, 2022, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

The Auburn Tigers are hosting San Jose State this weekend. Both teams won their openers.

Auburn coach Bryan Harsin is familiar with the Spartans after facing them while in the Mountain West Conference with Boise State.

The Tigers played quarterbacks T.J. Finley and Robby Ashford in their opener and both seem likely to play roles again. Hawaii transfer Chevan Cordeiro ran for two touchdowns and passed for a third in his debut with the Spartans.

Auburn is trying for a successful five-game home stand to open the season. That means avoiding a misstep against San Jose State, especially with Penn State looming next. The Spartans are hoping to pull off the upset against a Southeastern Conference team.

A key matchup is Auburn’s running game vs. San Jose State’s defense. The Tigers racked up 285 yards on the ground against Mercer. Tank Bigsby ran for 147 yards and two touchdowns, Jarquez Hunter scored on three of his eight carries and backup quarterback Robby Ashford ran for 68 yards. San Jose State’s defense is led by preseason Mountain West Conference co-defensive player of the year Cade Hall.

Auburn quarterbacks T.J. Finley and Robby Ashford both saw significant action in the opener. But Finley was intercepted twice while Ashford flashed his dual-threat capabilities with a 49-yard run. Harsin said Finley remained the starter after the game, but playing time and roles will be something to watch.

Auburn has won 16 straight nonconference home games dating back to the 2016 season. Harsin went 3-1 against San Jose State while at Boise State, where he won three Mountain West Conference titles and six division championships.

Kickoff is at 6:30PM CDT on ESPNU.