9/17/22 Auburn articles

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Auburn wants to ‘expand’ Robby Ashford’s role beyond ‘niche’ running QB

Updated: Sep. 16, 2022, 9:26 a.m.|Published: Sep. 16, 2022, 9:11 a.m.

5-6 minutes

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Robby Ashford has been utilized as a change-of-pace quarterback for Auburn through the first two weeks of the season, with the redshirt freshman running the ball more often than he has thrown it so far.

Auburn offensive coordinator Eric Kiesau said the former Oregon transfer is akin to being the Tigers’ “third running back” behind Tank Bigsby and Jarquez Hunter, since he has supplemented the rushing attack with his ability to pull the ball and create with his legs. Entering Week 3, he’s the team’s second-leading rusher, with 129 yards on 13 attempts.

Just because Ashford has been used more as a running option thus far, it doesn’t mean Auburn plans to continue using him in solely that manner.

Read more Auburn football: Can Auburn cut back on “bonehead” mistakes against Penn State?

Auburn add Georgia’s No. 1 receiver to 2023 class

Bryan Harsin “felt for” former colleague Manny Diaz after Miami ouster

“We’re going to use him in more than just a running capacity,” Kiesau said Thursday night during an appearance on Tiger Talk. “That was kind of his niche and his role in the first two games, but now we have to expand his horizons at the quarterback position.”

That could come as soon as Saturday against No. 22 Penn State. The Tigers (2-0) host the Nittany Lions (2-0) at 2:30 p.m. in Jordan-Hare Stadium (CBS).

It’s important to remember that Ashford, despite being in his third year of college football, is still developing. He didn’t see the field in either of his two seasons at Oregon, and Auburn’s season-opening win against Mercer represented Ashford’s college debut. Through two games with the Tigers, he has played 36 snaps—26 in the opener and then just 10 last weekend against San Jose State, according to Pro Football Focus.

In that Week 1 win against Mercer, Ashford was used primarily as a change-of-pace option behind starter T.J. Finley in the first half, and then in the second half, he had an opportunity to run more of Auburn’s full offense for the team’s final three full possessions of the game. He finished 4-of-7 passing for 100 yards and ran six times for 68 yards. He was also responsible for Auburn’s two longest plays from scrimmage — a 49-yard run on the second snap of his career and a 56-yard completion to Ja’Varrius Johnson on his third career pass attempt.

Ashford stole the show in Week 1 for Auburn, his play impressive enough to warrant he and Finley being listed as co-starters at quarterback on gameday against San Jose State. That game, however, was a more difficult experience for Ashford. He completed 1-of-3 passes for 1 yard and an interception while leading the team with 61 rushing yards on seven attempts.

His playing time was sparse after his first-quarter interception, which came on an underthrown ball into coverage in the first quarter. Ashford only played two total snaps in the second and third quarters combined, and then had a handful in the fourth quarter after Auburn was well in control of the game.

“(He was) disappointed,” Auburn coach Bryan Harsin said of Ashford’s interception. “Wasn’t a great throw in that situation there. What do you do? You just respond, right? You come back, get on the sideline, get some Gatorade, sit down and figure out, ‘Alright, what do I have to do next?’ Because you’re still in the gameplan. I think both guys are doing a really good job of that. That’s what I like about where our quarterbacks are at. I think they can handle that.

“We got to be better, but I think they’re handling some of those situations well. We want to eliminate that, but you’re going to have negative plays that happen. How you respond is going to be the key to our success moving forward in the games.”

Though Finley has asserted himself as Auburn’s starting quarterback—his bounceback after two first-quarter interceptions last week was notable, completing 12 of his final 15 passes against SJSU—it’s clear Ashford will still have a role moving forward. The Tigers appear set on using the two-quarterback system in some capacity so long as it benefits the offense. The longer it remains in place, the more opportunity there will be for Kiesau and Harsin to further develop Ashford’s role within it and not just rely on him as a runner in certain situations — though that’s certainly a benefit of having him on the field.

“When you have two styles of quarterback — T.J. more the pro-style, drop-back type of guy, which you need, and then Robby who can run in there and be kind of your third running back, so to speak — it makes it really difficult for the defensive coordinator really to defend,” Kiesau said. “What kind of defense are you going to do when T.J.’s in there, versus when Robby’s in there? Because Robby gives you an element in there that really is what we call un-gameplan yards — you’re gameplanning, but he can get those yards because he can pull the ball down and go. So, I think it’s really important to use Robby in the right way.”

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

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Auburn football fan guide for home game against Penn State

Published: Sep. 16, 2022, 12:00 p.m.

12-15 minutes

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Auburn is undefeated. Two games, two wins. They went to Penn State and fell just short of a huge non-conference road win in 2021. Will the Tigers get payback against the Nittany Lions inside a raucous Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday?

Will there be orange uniforms? Are we prepared for this?

Here’s what you can expect in Auburn this Saturday.

THE GAME!

TIGER WALK: 12:30 p.m.

GATES OPEN: 12:30 p.m.

EAGLE FLIGHT: 2:10 p.m.

KICKOFF: 2:30 p.m.

TV: CBS

VENUE: Jordan-Hare Stadium

TICKETS: Available on StubHub, Vivid Seats and Seat Geek.

After winning the season opener against Mercer, Auburn beat San Jose State inside Jordan-Hare. It wasn’t pretty, but it’s still early and a win is a win.

Penn State enters Saturday with an undefeated record, including a conference win over Purdue. Last week, they dismantled Ohio 46-10 at home ahead of this week’s showdown.

The Auburn defense allowed a touchdown in every quarter in last year’s game in State College, while running back Tank Bigsby did all he could with 23 carries, 102 yards and two touchdowns.

Saturday could mark a turning point for each program, with Auburn and Penn State looking to ride a wave of momentum ahead of the rest of their respective conferences schedules.

It’s also the first CBS 2:30 p.m. broadcast, so if you can’t make the game in person, you have your old pals Brad Nessler and Gary Danielson to guide you through.

"SEC Nation" analysts Roman Harper (far left), Tim Tebow (center) and host Laura Rutledge on set before Alabama-Ole Miss kickoff Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021. (Ben Flanagan / AL.com)

SEC NATION | THE PAUL FINEBAUM SHOW | MARTY & MCGEE

The SEC Network’s weekly pre-game show “SEC Nation” travels to The Plains to preview Auburn and Penn State this Satuday. The show will broadcast live from the Wellness Kitchen Green Space from 9-11 a.m. CST, Saturday, Sept. 17, on SEC Network.

Laura Rutledge hosts the show, her sixth season in the role and her seventh on the show overall, joined by Paul Finebaum, Roman Harper, Jordan Rodgers and Tim Tebow for a weekly breakdown of the SEC football action to come.

Additionally, “Marty & McGee” will broadcast live on Saturday morning from 8-9 a.m., with Smith and Ryan McGee blending Southern lifestyle and college football, on the road with “SEC Nation” every Saturday this fall.

The Wellness Kitchen Green Space will also host “The Paul Finebaum Show” Friday from 2-6 p.m.

ORANGE JERSEYS?!

Auburn plays said they want their Tigers in throwback orange jerseys for Saturday’s nonconference showdown with No. 22 Penn State for the “All Auburn, All Orange” game at Jordan-Hare Stadium, and an AL.com poll posted to Instagram showed 72 percent of fans (or 283 of the 395 fans who took the poll) want to see the throwback orange jerseys over the classic blue.

Auburn will wear orange facemasks Saturday in the spirit of the “Orange Out,” and even head coach Bryan Harsin said this week he’s for it. “I might like it,” Harsin said Wednesday when asked about potential orange jerseys during the weekly SEC coaches teleconference. “I’ve seen the orange jerseys, from the past, and yeah, I think that’s something that Auburn’s done, so it’s not too farfetched, but at the same time, I also think too it’s something that people would be excited about, especially your younger crowds, I’m sure, would be excited about it.”

The Orange Out is Auburn’s answer to Penn State’s traditional “White Out,” when nearly 110,000 fans wear all-white to Beaver Stadium for the team’s biggest home game of the year -- which they did last season when Auburn came to town.

Do you want to see orange jerseys in Jordan-Hare on Saturday?

CASH-FREE

All transactions for tickets, concessions and merchandise locations at Jordan-Hare Stadium will be cashless (credit cards only).

PARKING & TRAFFIC

Season-Long and Single-Game Public Parking Passes are on-sale now and can be purchased online You can contact the Bruno Event Team: auparking@brunoeventteam.com or (205) 262-2848. Additional single-game parking passes are also on sale now through RevelXP.

Fans can park in two newly constructed parking lots in downtown Auburn with one located on Wright Street and the other on Burton Street. Access to the lots is open to the public and available for purchase in-person on a day of game basis.

An exit has been added to the Public Safety Lot. Those parked in the west side of the lot should exit toward Wire Road and follow the direction of law enforcement at intersections leading to Shug Jordan Parkway. Learn more about parking on the Auburn website.

Auburn shared the following updates for the 2022 season:

• Duncan Drive - Extension: Duncan Drive has been extended between Samford Avenue and Woodfield Drive. The extension will provide an additional south bound outlet to S. College Street.
• Donahue Drive - Northbound: Northbound traffic on Donahue Drive from Magnolia Avenue to MLK Drive (Alabama Highway 14) will be three lanes one way. The change will allow for more efficient egress for Tiger Transit Buses, as well as those that park in the business school and public safety lots.
• Crosswalk Assistance - North and South Donahue: Attendants will be in place at Lem Morrison Drive and Donahue Drive, as well as Donahue Drive and Magnolia Avenue to assist with post-game traffic egress for fans on foot.

During home games, Tiger Transit runs special routes. Buses run for four hours prior to kickoff, intermittently throughout the game and for two hours post-game to return fans to their stops. You may face delay in arriving from and returning to all locations due to pre- and post-game traffic.

Tiger Transit also utilizes Doublemap/Transfer technology to let fans view buses in motion and the routes in real-time via internet and smartphone. Learn more.

TAILGATING

Home Plate Tailgate is located in the Plainsman Park parking lot. According to the Auburn gameday website, the space is free of charge and open to the public as a tailgating destination close to the action of Jordan-Hare Stadium. The site will open four hours prior to kickoff and feature TVs for live college football game viewing and tailgate games. Once in the area, fans will have access to restrooms and tents for shade. Food and beer will be available for purchase.

The Tiger Tailgate Show will again originate from the east side of Jordan-Hare Stadium three hours prior to kickoff.

Coke Fan Fest is a free pre-game entertainment area located in front of the Nichols Center on Donahue Drive. It opens four hours prior to kickoff and includes inflatable games, a live DJ, TVs for live college football game viewing and more.

Tailgating begins at 4 p.m. on Friday except for Mell Street Corridor, which begins at 6 p.m.

Reserving tailgating spots in grass areas using stakes, ropes, ribbons, tape, chairs, tables, tents, vehicles or other items is not allowed until 4 p.m. on Friday, except for Mell Street Corridor and specially permitted university events. Monitors will be placed in Mell Street areas to ensure that driving lanes and entrances to certain parking areas remain clear.

TIGER FAN FEST

Coca-Cola Tiger Fan Fest is Auburn’s free pregame interactive entertainment area located in front of the Nichols Center on Donahue Drive, just north of Auburn Arena and Jordan-Hare Stadium. Fan Fest offers fun for everyone in the family, from parents to young children. Features inflatable games for the kids and a live DJ.

STADIUM ENTRY / METAL DETECTORS

Fans are encouraged to arrive early to avoid delays. Gates and all stadium services open two hours prior to kick-off. Pre-game begins 20 minutes prior to kick-off. Walkthrough metal detectors will be in operation for the 2021 season. The units will be placed at gates 1 and 12 that do not require individuals to empty their pockets to expedite stadium entry. These gates will be express lines for individuals without bags. Individuals with bags will need to proceed to the next closest gate.

PROHIBITED ITEMS

The following items are prohibited from being brought into the stadium: Artificial noise makers, cameras with lenses over four inches, non-clear bags, outside food and drink, pets, stadium seats with arms, umbrellas, video cameras, and weapons (including pocket knives).

CLEAR BAG POLICY

The clear bag policy will remain in effect for the 2022 football season. Fans are encouraged to bring as few items as needed into the stadium. Bags must be clear plastic and not exceed 12-inches-by-6-inches-by-12-inches. One-gallon clear resealable plastic storage bags and small clutch purses not exceeding 4.5-inches-by-6.5-inches may be permitted into the stadium. Read the full policy.

FREE WATER

The weather has cooled some, but it will still in Auburn. Complimentary water refill stations are available throughout Jordan-Hare Stadium. Fans are allowed to bring in one empty water bottle for use at the complimentary water refill stations or one unopened factory-sealed bottle of water (up to one liter in size). You can also find cooling and hydration stations throughout the stadium.

CONCESSIONS

All transactions for concessions, merchandise and chairback locations at Jordan-Hare Stadium will be cashless (credit cards only).

Fans can even skip lines and order digitally for pickup at the stand nearest you by using your smartphone to select “CONCESSIONS” from the sidebar menu on the Auburn Athletics Official app. The dedicated pick-up window for Mobile Express orders will be available at concessions stands located behind sections 3, 28, 58, and 106.

WEATHER

Friday: Sunny skies with a high near 87, followed by mostly clear skies and an overnight low around 64.

Saturday: Sunny skies with a high near 88, followed by clear skies and an overnight low around 67.

Sunday: Sunny skies with a high near 89, followed by clear skies and an overnight low around 66.

-- The National Weather Service

TWITTER

Stay up to date before, during and after the game by following AL.com’s Tom Green, Nubyjas Wilborn, aldotcomTigers or aldotcomSports on Twitter.

You can also follow live gameday updates with Auburn’s new social media accounts, which will post information such as road closures, traffic delays, gate opening reminders and more:

• Twitter: @auburn_gameday
• Instagram: @auburn_gameday
• Facebook: Auburn Gameday
• App Store: Search for Auburn Tigers

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Penn State vs. Auburn by the numbers

Published: Sep. 17, 2022, 6:30 a.m.

5-6 minutes

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No. 22 Penn State (2-0) at Auburn (2-0)

2:30 p.m. CDT Saturday (CBS)

Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn

0 Big Ten teams have played in Auburn before Saturday’s game. Auburn and Ohio State played to a 0-0 tie on Nov. 24, 1917, in Montgomery in the Tigers’ first game against a Big Ten opponent before Auburn and Wisconsin tied 7-7 in Madison, Wisconsin, on Oct. 10, 1931. The Tigers’ next 13 games against Big Ten members came in bowls until they visited Penn State for a regular-season contest last year. Auburn has a 7-7-2 record against Big Ten opponents with losses in the past three meetings.

2 Previous games for Penn State coach James Franklin against Auburn. Franklin guided Vanderbilt to a 17-13 victory on Oct. 20, 2012, and Penn State to a 28-20 victory on Sept. 18, 2021.

MORE SEC FOOTBALL BY THE NUMBERS:

· TOP 10 FOR WEEK 3

· TOP 10 FROM WEEK 2

3 Previous games between Auburn and Penn State. The Nittany Lions defeated the Tigers 43-14 in the Hall of Fame Bowl on Jan. 1, 1996. Auburn defeated Penn State 13-9 in the Capital One Bowl on Jan. 1, 2003. In their only previous regular-season meeting, Penn State won a home game against Auburn 28-20 on Sept. 18, 2021.

3 Victories in 10 games on the home fields of SEC opponents for Penn State, which has visited Alabama six times (four games in Tuscaloosa, two in Birmingham) and Kentucky and Tennessee twice apiece. The SEC road wins for the Nittany Lions came 30-0 in 1978 at Kentucky and 23-3 in 1986 and 9-0 in 1990 at Alabama. Saturday’s game will be the first for Penn State in an SEC stadium since a 24-3 loss at Alabama on Sept. 11, 2010.

4 TD passes are needed by Penn State QB Sean Clifford to become the school’s career leader. Trace McSorley holds the Penn State record with 70 TD passes from 2015 through 2018.

13 Consecutive Auburn games have featured at least 16 points for the Tigers’ opponent, tied for the longest such streak in Auburn history. The first 13-game streak was ended by a 17-14 victory over Mississippi State on Sept. 9, 2010. The current streak started after Auburn’s 62-0 victory over Alabama State in the second game of the 2021 campaign. In the current 13-game streak, Auburn has a 6-7 record. Auburn won eight times during the first 13-game streak.

14 Consecutive non-conference regular-season games have been won by Penn State since the Nittany Lions lost to Pitt on 42-39 on Sept. 10, 2016.

17 Consecutive non-conference home games have been won by Auburn, the fifth-longest such streak in school history. The Tigers started the current streak with a 51-14 victory over Arkansas State on Sept. 10, 2016, after falling to Clemson 19-13 the previous week at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Auburn’s longest streak for home victories against non-conference opponents is 29, which started with a 55-20 win over New Mexico State on Sept. 22, 2007, and was ended by the season-opening loss to Clemson in 2016. Auburn has won 46 of its past 47 non-conference home games.

17 Victories and 22 losses for Penn State against SEC opponents. The Nittany Lions have a 7-13 regular-season record and a 10-9 bowl mark against SEC members. The average score of the games has been 18-18.

102 Rushing yards and two TDs on 23 carries for Auburn RB Tank Bigsby in the Tigers’ 28-20 loss to Penn State last season. With 2,131 rushing yards, Bigsby ranks 17th on Auburn’s career list.

119 Consecutive games without being shut out for Auburn, the second-longest streak in school history. Auburn’s most recent shutout loss came 49-0 to Alabama on Nov. 17, 2012. Auburn’s record scoring streak lasted 149 games, starting with a 55-16 victory over Richmond on Oct. 4, 1980, and ending with a 17-0 loss to Alabama on Nov. 26, 1992.

179 Yards and two TDs on 10 carries for Penn State RB Nicholas Singleton in the Nittany Lions’ 46-10 victory over Ohio last week. Singleton had the most rushing yards for a Penn State player in his Beaver Stadium debut and was the first for Penn State with three runs of at least 40 yards in the same game in the past 20 seasons. Singleton scored on runs of 44 and 70 yards and also had a 48-yard carry.

364 Points for Auburn K Anders Carlson, who moved into second place on the school’s career scoring list with six in the Tigers’ 24-16 victory over San Jose State last week. Carlson replaced Wes Bynum as the second-leading scorer in Auburn history. Bynum scored 363 points from 2007 through 2010. Daniel Carlson, Anders Carlson’s brother, is the Tigers’ career leader with an SEC-record 480 points from 2014 through 2017.

FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE SEC, GO TO OUR SEC PAGE

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.

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Speculating on Auburn's rushing attack vs the Penn State Nittany Lions

Zac Blackerby

2 minutes

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Auburn's rushing game will be a considerable part of Auburn pulling off the win on Saturday. 

But what will it look like? 

Going into week three, Auburn has 79 total rushing attempts on the season for 495 yards. Here's how that breaks down.

Player	Carries	Rush yards
Tank Bigsby	29	198
Jarquez Hunter	16	75
Robby Ashford	13	129
TJ Finley	7	19
Damari Alston	6	45
Tar'Varish Dawson Jr,	2	10
Ja'Varrius Johnson	2	9
Koy Moore	1	8
Malcolm Johnson Jr.	1	3

When looking at just the 51 running back carries, Bigsby is receiving 56 percent of the touches. Hunter is getting 27 percent with Alston landing just 10 percent. 

While that percentage is probably the most ideal regarding the market share of touches in the running back stable, the total number of carries by running backs should likely increase against Penn State. If the percentages are going to shift at all, it'll be interesting to see if Bigsby receives more touches or if Altson finds a way onto the field more. 

The Nittany Lions defense ranks 53rd in college football in yards allowed per carry at 3.6 yards. 

Auburn is currently 20th in college football in yards per carry at 5.5 yards. 

With just two games for each team, the sample size is small but identities can be formed in big games early in the season. The SEC/Big 10 showdown in Jordan Hare Stadium will give more context to these numbers before Auburn starts conference play against Missouri next week. 

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Auburn's Schmedding says he 'feels strongly' about game plan for Penn State

Mark Murphy

4-5 minutes

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AUBURN, Alabama–After playing 60 minutes of football last season without producing a quarterback sack in a 28-20 loss to Penn State, Auburn’s  defensive coordinator Jeff Schmedding will try to do something to change that statistic in Saturday’s rematch at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

On a night the Auburn defense was credited with just one quarterback hurry on Penn State's home turf, Sean Clifford completed 28-32 passes for 280 yards. Clifford still leads the Penn State offense and will arrive in Auburn as a sixth-year senior with a chance to move into second place in Nittany Lions history for passing yardage.

“I feel strongly about our game plan and the guys executing it,” Schmedding, who is in his first season as Auburn’s defensive coordinator after coaching linebackers in 2021, said Thursday night on Tiger Talk, Auburn's weekly call-in show. Our guys are hungry to get after the quarterback. I can promise you that."

Both Auburn and Penn State will bring 2-0 records into Saturday’s game that will be televised on CBS beginning at 2:30 p.m. CDT.

“You try to mix up your coverages, man and zone, but a lot of times at the top of the zone it turns into man," Schmedding said. "We believe we have a secondary that is on the rise. We are going to mix it up ... especially against at team that will turn on the tempo.”

The Tigers will go into the Penn State game with four quarterback sacks for 23 yards in losses this season to go with 11 quarterback hurries.

“I am very confident in our front,” Schmedding said. “There is no question on that. We have some really good players up front, but we always talk about this: You have to make them one-dimensional. We talk about stopping the run first to earn the right to pressure the quarterback. That is what we are trying to do.”

Commenting on the Penn State ground game that was held to 89 yards on 33 carries last year vs. Auburn, Schmedding said, “It is early in the season and things like that, but I think it is very similar.

“They do have a stable of backs and they do have some veterans on the offensive line. I think they do a great job and one thing I think is they are extremely well coached up front. It won’t be the biggest O-line we will see, although it is very good, but they are very well coached. They understand what they are doing and how to do it–how to pass things off on pass stunts.”

The Nittany Lions are averaging 166 rushing yards at 5.0 per carry this season and passing for 323 yards per contest. Schmedding pointed out that the linemen have played a major role in Penn State averaging 489 yards per contest.

Derick Hall (29) has one of Auburn's quarterback sacks this season after making nine in 2021. (Photo: Greg Williams, Inside the Auburn Tigers, 247Sports)

“I think when you look at a good offensive line they are like a machine,” he said. “What I consider a good offensive line is when they are playing together like one heartbeat moving. I do think they do that well. They stay on the same page.

“I think they communicate well pre-snap in the run game and the pass game. That is the challenge. When you get some guys when they are all working together on that front five, you have got to do a great job. You are not expecting them to make a lot of mistakes. You have to go take it from them.”

Auburn will try to take its third victory of the season with help from its fans. In last year’s game at Beaver Stadium the Nittany Lions benefitted from a crowd of just under 110,000 making plenty of noise for the home team.

26COMMENTS

“We are expecting a great crowd on Saturday,” said Schmedding, who added that he believes Auburn has the “best atmosphere in college football. I think the players have challenged them to break the noise record and all of those things.”

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Auburn’s defense wants to make an improved Sean Clifford feel ‘uncomfortable’

Published: Sep. 16, 2022, 12:06 p.m.

6-7 minutes

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The first name out of Bryan Harsin’s mouth this week when previewing Penn State wasn’t a surprise. After all, it was the same player who gave Auburn’s defense fits during its trip to Happy Valley last September.

“Their quarterback, Sean Clifford, very good player and was last year, continues to be,” Harsin said, succinctly.

Clifford had one of the best games of his now six-year career during Penn State’s 28-20 win against Auburn last season. He completed 28-of-32 passes — a career-best 87.5 percent clip — for 280 yards and a pair of touchdowns to lead the Nittany Lions to the big-time nonconference win.

Read more Auburn football: Auburn wants to expand Robby Ashford’s role beyond that of “niche” running quarterback

Can Auburn cut back on “bonehead” mistakes against Penn State?

Bryan Harsin “felt for” former colleague Manny Diaz after Miami ouster

Now the Tigers’ defense is tasked with a rematch against Clifford, who they believe has improved from last season, when he finished the year completing 61 percent of his passes for 3,107 yards, 21 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Auburn (2-0) will get its second shot at slowing Clifford on Saturday, when it welcomes No. 22 Penn State (2-0) to Jordan-Hare Stadium for a 2:30 p.m. kick (CBS).

“Sean Clifford looks a lot better than people assume,” Auburn edge defender Derick Hall said. “Just watching his mechanics and watching the game last year and the way he’s played this year, he’s definitely grown as a quarterback. We have to be aware of that.”

Through two games this season, Clifford has completed 39-of-64 of his passes (60.9 percent) for 495 yards, five touchdowns and an interception. He had a bad pick-six in the fourth quarter of the season-opener against Purdue, but he bounced back and led a game-winning touchdown drive and threw the go-ahead touchdown with 57 seconds to play on the road. That capped a four-touchdown performance for the sixth-year senior, who completed 54.1 percent of his passes for 284 yards against the Boilermakers.

He followed it up with an abbreviated day of work in an easy win against Ohio last week. Clifford completed 19-of-27 passes (70.9 percent) for 213 yards and a touchdown. On the season, he is averaging 7.7 yards per pass attempt, which ranks 55th nationally.

The interception in the opener was a rarity for Clifford, who has been able to cut back on mistakes as his career has progressed. He had just three interceptions across Penn State’s final seven games last season. He has thrown multiple interceptions in a game six times across his four-year career as a starter — and just twice in his last 19 starts.

“Veteran guy, man, so you’ve got to be on your toes with guys like that,” Auburn senior linebacker Owen Pappoe said. “He doesn’t make a lot of mistakes, doesn’t throw a lot of picks. He actually throws the ball out of bounds rather than go for the 50-50 ball. You’ve just got to be on your P’s and Q’s, man, with a smart quarterback like that…. Obviously, we can’t afford to make mistakes in this game; we’ve got to be on point the whole time.”

That’s easier said than done for an Auburn team that has struggled defending the pass so far this season. Harsin holds the Tigers’ secondary to a high standard, and he has been unenthused by its play in tune-ups against lesser opponents in Mercer and San Jose State.

In Week 1, Harsin harped on wanting the defensive backs to compete for more passes when they’re in the air and produce more breakups and, more importantly, takeaways. The Tigers have yet to force a turnover this season. While the defense surrendered two passing touchdowns in the opener, the bigger issue came in Week 2 against SJSU, when Auburn’s secondary allowed a bevy of chunk plays. The Spartans completed seven passes of at least 15 yards, including five of 22 yards or more — with a long completion of 40 yards. On top of that, Auburn committed two defensive pass interference calls in coverage that aided San Jose State’s go-ahead touchdown drive just before halftime.

“We just have to keep doing a better job,” Harsin said. “We’ve got to play better on the back end at the end of the day.”

Both Mercer and SJSU capitalized on a quicker passing attack, getting the ball out of their quarterbacks’ hands before Auburn’s pass rush had a chance to get home. The Tigers managed just one sack against the Bears, but that number improved with three against the Spartans.

Clifford similarly benefited from shorter passes and quick releases in last year’s matchup, and Auburn was unable to register a sack in that loss. It was one of just two games last season in which the Tigers failed to record a sack; the other came in a loss at Texas A&M.

Auburn knows it will need to do better to affect Clifford on Saturday. As Hall and safety Donovan Kaufman have both said recently: rush and coverage work hand in hand. The Tigers will need that Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

“I hope we can make him feel uncomfortable,” Hall said. “I hope this environment is something that he hasn’t been used to before. But up front, we do have to get home, and that’s huge for us because we know those guys in the back end can’t cover all day. So, when we do have those opportunities to get home and get sacks, get a pressure or a knockdown, we have to be very diligent at work, and I think we will be.

“I mean, like I said, last year was a hard pill to swallow for us because we knew we could have won that game and we made mistakes along the way to help us lose that game. So, I think guys are ready and we’re fired up and ready to get after it.”

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