Auburn recovers but may have found its QB

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Auburn football recovers to escape San Jose State but may have found its quarterback

Bennett Durando, Montgomery Advertiser

4-5 minutes

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AUBURN — For an entire half and then some, the game unfolding at Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday night had eerie shades of a September headache from one year ago: quarterback controversy swirled and Auburn football trailed an ambitious, blue-clad Group of Five program.

The difference is coach Bryan Harsin stuck with his chosen starter this time – the same guy who unseated the starter last year against Georgia State.

T.J. Finley rebounded from a disastrous start and Auburn sailed in the second half, but the Tigers' 24-16 win against San Jose State was still a wake-up call one week before the Power Five schedule arrives at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Auburn (2-0) ran 13 times for 108 yards in the second half to outscore San Jose State (1-1) 17-3 and secure the win.

A quarterback here, a quarterback there ... does Auburn have a quarterback anywhere? (Yes.)

Auburn's first-half quarterback play could be best described with one word: ick.

And fittingly, that's close enough to "INT." After Finley started with a three-and-out that went backward 16 yards, Auburn students chanted, "We want Robby!" They got their wish: Robby Ashford started second series, like he did the previous week when he only ran the ball in his first-half reps. The script changed this time: Auburn asked him to throw. His second attempt missed badly and was intercepted.

That was his last pass.

When Finley reentered, he matched Ashford.

At that point, Auburn quarterbacks had thrown 28 passes this season. Four (14%) had been picked off.

Finley turned it around. After his interception, he completed his next five passes and 10 of his next 13, capped by a 24-yard dime to Ja'Varrius Johnson on the field side. It set up a Finley rushing touchdown the next play.

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Auburn's defensive front is a force

Auburn uses two defensive formations: a traditional 3-4 front with two edge rushers and a nose tackle, and a 2-4-5 nickel alignment. The third defensive lineman was rarely necessary against San Jose State. Marcus Harris and Colby Wooden are a vicious duo inside. Harris led the way this time with three tackles for loss by halftime. On the edges, Derick Hall finished with a team-leading eight tackles and Eku Leota had his first sack of the season.

One of the most pivotal sequences was early in the second quarter, when San Jose State earned first-and-goal at the 1 in a scoreless game. Auburn stuffed two run plays, with Harris gobbling up the first. The Spartans called a timeout. Then Jordan-Hare's crowd volume created two false starts. Then Harris arrived again with a sack. Suddenly it was fourth-and-goal at the 16, and Auburn regained marginal confidence only trailing 3-0.

Auburn's defensive front is as good as advertised, with a chance to be one of the SEC's best.

The rest of the defense needs a lot of work

The back two levels of the defense are a work in progress, though. San Jose State quarterback Chevan Cordeiro gave future Auburn opponents a template: quick throws over the middle. Receivers easily found space with simple slants and mesh patterns. The Tigers were prone to missed tackles on SJSU's scoring drives.

At linebacker, the Tigers tried alternating backup Wesley Steiner with starter Owen Pappoe more. Cam Riley has emerged as the next big play-making linebacker, but the position group as a whole is struggling in coverage. Juco transfer Keionte Scott made his first start at nickel with Donovan Kaufman moved to safety. Scott chased down Cordeiro for a sack.

But he and cornerbacks Jaylin Simpson and Nehemiah Pritchett lost one-on-one matchups downfield. Both corners had pass interference flags. Auburn allowed 275 passing yards.

Coverage inconsistencies loom large over next week's Penn State matchup, one year after Nittany Lions quarterback Sean Clifford finished a blistering 28-for-32 to beat Auburn.

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Auburn football recovers from disastrous start against San Jose State