9/26/22 Auburn Articles

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Auburn linebacker coach sees defensive progress in Mizzou game

Mark Murphy

3-4 minutes

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AUBURN, Alabama–Following a miserable second half for the Auburn defense the previous week vs. Penn State, the Tigers had more success against Missouri. Auburn’s new coach of the linebackers, Christian Robinson, said he saw progress from his starters in a 17-14 overtime victory.

“Coming off last week we spent a lot of time getting back to the basics, working on little things that add up each week,” Robinson said. “I thought Owen (Pappoe) did a great job moving around–Cam Riley as well–just handling the motions and the shifts.

“They are a well-coached team and it is going to take four quarters, and maybe a little bit more,” Robinson said of the effort needed to subdue the Missouri offense.

Pappoe led Auburn in tackles with seven solos and one assist on Saturday as the Tigers improved to 3-1 overall and 1-0 in the Southeastern Conference.

For the season Pappoe is the team’s second-leading tackler with 16 solo stops and nine assists. Riley, who was credited with two solo tackles and two assists vs. Missouri, is Auburn’s top tackler in his first season as a starter. The junior has 20 solo stops and 11 assists.

Robinson said a highlight of the game for the defense was getting Auburn’s first two takeaways of the season. The drought ended in the first quarter on Missouri’s second possession when quarterback Brady Cook’s pass was deflected by cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett and caught by defensive end Derick Hall, who returned the football 19 yards to the Mizzou 24-yard line. Five plays later Tank Bigsby scored to put Auburn up 14-0.

As a team captain, Pappoe said it was important for him to make sure the defense had a good week in practice after the loss to Penn State. He said he believes that happened after the Tigers gave up 17 points in the third quarter vs. Penn State and 10 more in the fourth quarter in a 41-12 loss to the Nittany Lions.

Asked what his message was to his defensive teammates, Pappoe said, “Just execute, man, just lock in and focus when you are tried. There are going to be times when there are long drives. We have got to be able to trust our technique. We can’t misfit and fit in the gap you are not supposed to be in.”

Next up for the linebackers and their teammates is a fifth consecutive home game, this time vs. LSU, a team  Auburn will be trying to beat for a third consecutive year. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. CDT and the contest is scheduled to be televised on ESPN.

16COMMENTS

Like Auburn the Bayou Bengals are 3-1 overall and 1-0 in the Southeastern Conference. LSU’s league victory came in game three vs. Mississippi State, a 31-16 decision at Baton Rouge. LSU’s loss was a one-point setback in its opener vs. FSU.

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Jason Caldwell's Monday morning quarterback column

Jason Caldwell

4-5 minutes

Taking a deep breath

That’s the goal for everyone this week as LSU comes to town in what promises to be a huge game for both sets of Tigers in week five of the 2022 season. Already with losses and a tough schedule still ahead, a second setback for either would be a tough pill to swallow at this point.

For Auburn the opportunity for a victory probably comes down to the play of the offense, and the offensive line in particular. Against Missouri the inability to run the ball was startling with the offense averaging just 0.3 yards per carry in the second half and overtime.

LSU’s defense is allowing just 111.3 yards per game on the ground and has done a good job since the opening night loss to Florida State. In that game the Bayou Bengals gave up 137 yards to the Seminoles. Overall, LSU is 12th nationally in total defense despite playing Florida State and Mississippi State. 

One of the biggest keys for Auburn in my book is getting T.J. Finley back. We’ll see if that’s a possibility this wee because the offense has to be able to make plays down the field in the passing game and Finley is still the best option in that department.

Defensively, Auburn did some good things in the second half against Missouri, but still gave up some plays to an offense that’s just not very good. LSU will bring in a much more talented group on Saturday with Arizona State transfer quarterback Jayden Daniels playing at a very high level.

He’s 11th nationally in completion percentage at 73 percent and has six touchdowns with no interceptions. 

How much Auburn’s defense can impact him is going to be an important part of Saturday’s game because Daniels is also a dangerous runner. He’s leading LSU with 44 carries for 262 yards and still has two touchdowns. In four games, Auburn’s defense has allowed the quarterback to break a few runs. Daniels will be the biggest challenge yet.

Setting up for another wild Auburn-LSU game?

We’ve had some wild Auburn-LSU games over the years with last season's just the latest in the chapter with Bo Nix leading a wild comeback for the first win in Baton Rouge side 1999. Now Auburn is looking for three-straight wins in the series for the first time since the Terry Bowden days.

And we may have to witness it with the remnants of a hurricane impacting the weather. It’s a long way off and we’ll know more later in the week, but it looks like there could be some rain and wind around even on Saturday night for the 6 p.m. kickoff.

With LSU a team that wants to spread the field and throw the football, it might not be bad news for Auburn if this game gets a little sloppy and is on the lower scoring side of things. Maybe there’s more wild things ahead. We’ll find out soon enough.

Around the league

23COMMENTS

I wrote a few weeks ago that I thought Texas A&M was playing the wrong quarterback and while there are still some issues, Max Johnson definitely gives the Aggies a lift on that side of the ball. He was instrumental in a big win over Arkansas that came thanks to a big fumble return for a score. Texas A&M suffered a huge blow in the win with the loss of dynamic wide receiver Anias Smith. Already an offense that struggled to make explosive plays, that’s a huge for the Aggies.

While Tennessee’s defense leaves plenty to be desired, that offense is dangerous and I’m still of the belief that the Vols are one of the teams that can put a scare into Alabama and Georgia this season with Hendon Hooker doing his thing at quarterback.

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Auburn opens as touchdown home underdog against LSU

Nathan King

2-3 minutes

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Auburn closes out its five-game home stretch to start the season against an SEC West rival — and in desperate need of a strong showing on offense.

According to VegasInsider.com's opening spread Sunday afternoon, Auburn has opened as a touchdown-plus underdog in Week 5 division showdown. The VI Consensus line opened at LSU -7.5. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. CST on ESPN.

Auburn has failed to cover the spread in every game so far this season.

Last year, Auburn broke its Baton Rouge curse, beating LSU on the road for the first time since 1999. In the 2020 COVID season, Auburn blasted Ed Orgeron's team — quarterbacked by now-Auburn starting QB T.J. Finley — 48-11 for the orange and blue Tigers' largest margin of victory in the series' history. Auburn hasn't won three straight games in the series since 1992-94 — at the end of the Pat Dye regime into the first two years for the program under Terry Bowden.

Both teams are 1-0 in SEC play, with LSU holding serve at home against Mississippi State two weeks ago, and Auburn surviving Missouri, 17-14 in overtime Saturday afternoon.

29COMMENTS

With a paltry 95 yards of offense and six punts in the second half, Auburn stared an SEC-opening loss in the face twice — before Missouri faceplanted both times and failed to secure the victory. Harrison Mevis missed a 26-yard, possible game-winning field goal as time expired in regulation, and running back Nathaniel Peat fumbled the ball into the end zone while extending for what would have been the clinching touchdown in overtime. Instead, Auburn walked away with what could end up being the most improbable win in college football this season.

"You get into SEC play, it's going to be every single week," Harsin said. "And it's really like that. You're playing good opponents every week that are well coached, that have great players. And sometimes, you've got to find a way. And we did that. We found a way to win the game. And I'm really proud of our guys for that."

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Exit Survey: Final thoughts on Auburn's wild win over Mizzou

ByNathan King 9 hours ago

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In an improbable finish even by Auburn standards, Bryan Harsin's team was quite literally handed a victory Saturday afternoon, when Missouri choked away two separate chances to clinch the game and gave way to a 17-14 Auburn win in overtime.

Three of our football reporters — Jason Caldwell, Mark Murphy and Nathan King — took another look at Auburn's wild but ultimately unimpressive SEC-opening win with some superlatives and final thoughts from the game in the Auburn Undercover Exit Survey.

Dive in for our plays of the game, helmet stickers, areas of concern and exiting analysis on the win inside Jordan-Hare Stadium — and what our Week 4 observations could mean for an Auburn team that struggled mightily with what will likely be its easiest SEC opponent of the season.

Play of the game (offense)

Jason: "I would have to go with the 12-yard completion from Robby Ashford to true freshman Omari Kelly on third-and-6 to set up Auburn’s second touchdown of the game. Settling for a field goal there would have been tough after forcing the first turnover of the year."

Mark: "Ashford’s 11-yard quarterback draw for his first college touchdown because it was executed very well."

Nathan: "Not a ton to choose from here. Koy Moore had three receptions of 20-plus yards in the second half, and all three were impressive, but none ended up being consequential. I'll go with Ashford's third-and-6 completion to Kelly in the first quarter. Auburn would have been bummed to settle for a field goal after its defense finally created a turnover, and the true freshman Kelly did a nice job snagging a quick slant into the red zone. Tank Bigsby scored two plays later."

Play of the game (defense)

Jason: "Auburn had a zone blitz on when Nehemiah Pritchett deflected the pass that Derick Hall intercepted on the second series of the game for Missouri. It was a huge play in a game for Auburn and they needed it in the worst way."

Mark: "Hall’s interception and 19-yard return to set up Auburn’s second touchdown."

Nathan: "You have to give the nod to Hall for Auburn's first takeaway of the year — off which Auburn reached the end zone five plays later. In addition to the importance of the Tigers' defense getting off the schneid, it was an impressive play by Hall to hone in on the tipped ball, slip the first tackler and rumble 19 yards. For me, an honorable mention has to go to Hall's second sack of the game. Missouri crossed midfield and got inside the 40-yard line at the start of the fourth quarter in a tie game, but Hall sacked Brady Cook on second-and-long to push Missouri back and turn what looked like a field-goal drive into the visitors' fourth straight punt."

Helmet sticker (offense)

Jason: "It has to go to the LSU transfer Moore. He caught four passes for 74 yards and accounted for a huge chunk of Auburn’s offense for the day."

Mark: "Koy Moore finished with 34 percent of Auburn’s total offense on his four receptions."

Nathan: "Three of Moore's four receptions went for 20-plus yards, including a 24-yard grab along the sideline late in the fourth quarter that looked as if it was going to be key in setting up a go-ahead score for Auburn — until Bigsby was stuffed on fourth-and-1. Auburn desperately needs playmakers out wide who can be shifty and explosive after the catch. Can Moore emerge as one in SEC play?"

Helmet sticker (defense)

Jason: "This is an easy call to go with Hall. In addition to his interception, Hall added a pair of sacks and three tackles for a loss and six total tackles. That’s a day’s work."

Mark: "Derick Hall is the obvious choice with two sacks, another tackle for lost yardage and the first takeaway of the season with his interception."

Nathan: "Hall had the best individual performance for an Auburn defender this season, with two sacks and a pick, plus three TFLs in total and six sacks. He closed off running lanes and consistently affected Cook in the pocket."

Helmet sticker (special teams)

Jason: "In a game that field position played a big part, punter Oscar Chapman again came up big for Auburn. On eight punts, the Australia native averaged a hefty 45.9 yards per attempt."

Mark: "Oscar Chapman continues to perform at a high level as a punter."

Nathan: "Chapman got plenty of work Saturday, booting away eight punts, the second-most of his Auburn career (10 in last year's Iron Bowl). He maintained a strong average (45.9), had a long of 61 and pinned Missouri inside its 15-yard line three times."

Where Auburn took a step forward

Jason: "For the second straight game it’s hard to find much of anything, but the defense getting two turnovers was definitely a bright spot. When your offense is struggling, getting the ball back to them is a big deal."

Mark: "As a whole the Tigers played better on defense in the second half than the previous game vs. Penn State."

Nathan: "Auburn's defense put the clamps down in the second half, despite the dam nearly breaking on the final drive. Four sacks, two takeaways — though the last one was more of a giveaway — eight punts and six three-and-outs is a good day at the office."

Where Auburn took a step back

Jason: "The offense went from bad to worse on Saturday following a strong first quarter. Auburn had 19 plays for 88 yards of offense in the first 15 minutes. In the final three quarters and overtime those numbers were 47 plays for 129 yards. Woof."

Mark: "The Tigers didn’t run the ball well vs. Penn State, but still managed to take a step or two in the wrong direction with their ground attack vs. Mizzou."

Nathan: "After the first quarter, it was just an unfathomably bad day for Auburn's run-blocking against an average-at-best Missouri defensive front. Running backs were getting touched as soon as they took the handoff, and holes closed almost immediately. After the first quarter, Auburn had just 11 rushing yards the rest of the game, with not a single handoff going for double-digit yardage."

Biggest surprise?

Jason: "It has to be Auburn’s inability to run the football at all after the first quarter. They just couldn’t get any push against Missouri. That’s not a great sign with what’s ahead on the schedule."

Mark: "Although only one of his misses counted, it was not expected to see Anders Carlson not make three of his field goal attempts."

Nathan: "The inability for Auburn to make effective second-half adjustments continues to be puzzling. In its last seven games against Power Five opponents, dating back to last year, Auburn hasn't scored more than 6 points in the second half a single time. Missouri clearly found some defensive fixes after a 14-0 first quarter, and Harsin's staff never found any semblance of consistency."

How did this outcome affect your thoughts on Auburn's 2022 outlook?

Jason: "Following the last two weeks, it’s just tough for me to find many more wins on the schedule for Auburn at the moment. I absolutely still have questions about LSU and several others on the schedule, but unless the defense can begin to turn teams over at even a higher rate it’s hard to find enough points to win games moving forward."

1COMMENTS

Mark: "It confirmed my belief that unless the Tigers improve on offense and defense they are going to have a difficult time of winning again in league play."

Nathan: "Saturday was one of the most uninspiring games I've seen for a team in a winning effort. Auburn's offensive line has major, major issues, and I find it hard to believe a comparable offensive turnout in any of the Tigers' remaining SEC games will result in a win — or even a competitive game. The next two matchups against LSU and Georgia will feature a massive uptick in defensive talent. Harsin and his offensive staff need answers — and more importantly, they need a lot more points."

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Auburn football notebook: It Just Means (Koy) Moore

Auburn University Athletics

10-12 minutes

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AUBURN, Ala. – In his fourth game at Auburn, Koy Moore produced more than half of the Tigers' receiving yards against Missouri, totaling 74 yards on four receptions, including an impressive 57 yards after catch.

"Koy is a baller," said quarterback Robby Ashford, who completed 12 of 18 passes for 127 yards and rushed for 46 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries. "We've been working in practice, really since he got here. I knew when he got his chance he was going to do something with it. I had the faith in him. Put it there, No. 0 is going to go get it. That's what I did. He made the plays."

The 6-1, 192-pound sophomore transferred to the Plains this season after starting his career at LSU, adding an extra measure of significance to this Saturday's visit by the Bengal Tigers.

'FIGHT FOR EACH OTHER'

In any other stadium, Saturday's remarkable ending might have represented the wildest finish on record, but at Jordan-Hare Stadium, thanks to the Kick Six, that bar is uncommonly high.

Anders Carlson's overtime field goal and Cayden Bridges' game-ending end zone fumble recovery secured a Southeastern Conference victory worth savoring, especially given how unlikely it appeared before the final plays of regulation and overtime.

"It's a huge celebration," said tight end John Samuel Shenker, one of Auburn's three captains. "A win's a win, especially an SEC win. That's how you want to start in this league, so it was awesome just to get that win."

"Shout out to the defense and our team for persevering and never giving up," Ashford said. "I love this team. It's a great win. No matter how hard it was. No matter how ugly it was. It was a great team win."

With Auburn's Keionte Scott in pursuit, Missouri's running back fumbles into the end zone on the final play of overtime

"It feels great," edge linebacker Eku Leota said. "I feel like it brought the team together a lot. Especially after last week's game, we had to fight for each other a lot. We have to keep fighting. And that is what we did."

  "Everybody was ecstatic," defensive lineman Colby Wooden said. "We had a water shower as our tradition. Everybody was excited and wanted to get back to work, but we are going to enjoy this tonight. We are going to get to work and get ready for LSU next week."

  UP NEXT: LSU

Seeking its third straight victory against LSU, Auburn plays its first SEC West opponent Saturday at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN and the Auburn Sports Network, concluding the Tigers' season-opening five-game homestand.

"We have [Sunday] to go back to work, and we'll do that," said head coach Bryan Harsin, who last season led Auburn to its first victory in Baton Rouge since 1999. "That's the one thing you get in SEC play. It's going to be every single week. It's really likely that you're playing good opponents every week that are well coached and have great players.

  "Sometimes you have to find a way. We did that and we found a way to win the game. I'm really proud of our guys for that."          

Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff_shearer

Players Mentioned

#26 Anders Carlson

K 6' 5" 215 lbs Junior Liberal Arts

#47 John Samuel Shenker

TE 6' 3" 241 lbs Junior Business

#25 Colby Wooden

Buck 6' 4" 268 lbs Redshirt Freshman Business

#20 Cayden Bridges

S 6' 2" 202 lbs Redshirt Freshman Education

#55 Eku Leota

Edge 6' 4" 257 lbs Senior Liberal Arts

#9 Robby Ashford

QB 6' 3" 212 lbs Redshirt Freshman Liberal Arts

#0 Koy Moore

WR 6' 1" 192 lbs Sophomore Liberal Arts

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AuburnSports - BMatt’s Monday musings

Bryan Matthews AuburnSports BMatt’s Monday musings 21m ago

5-7 minutes

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AUBURN | One way to look at Saturday’s SEC opener against Missouri is a bad win is a heck of a lot better than a bad loss.

And that’s true, especially for Auburn’s players, who continue to bring a lot of effort on both sides of the ball. They clearly care and want to perform well. They deserve your support.

I can’t say the same for a number of current coaches and former administrators. They’ve brought Auburn to this point, which I can plainly say is one of the worst football programs in the SEC.

And I don’t say that lightly.

What I saw at Jordan-Hare Saturday were two teams that are going to struggle to win another conference game although Mizzou has the fortune of hosting Vanderbilt on Oct. 22.

Auburn will likely be an underdog in its remaining games expect for Western Kentucky Nov. 19. Barring a sudden and major uptick in performance on the offensive side of the ball, I expect Bryan Harsin will be long gone by then.

Had first-team All-SEC kicker Harrison Mevis made a 26-yard field goal at the end of regulation or running back Nathaniel Peat just held onto the ball inside the 1-yard line or Missouri not commit a number of other crucial errors, the Harsin era may have already ended.

The talent deficit between Auburn and the top teams in the SEC has only widened under Harsin and having the 51st recruiting class in the country (12th in the SEC) is just another step in the wrong direction.

Auburn is worse now than it would have been had Gus Malzahn been retained or Kevin Steele hired. I don't think either of those two moves would have been good for the future of this program either, but AU's leaders chose the worst of the three options.

The optimist can point to the transfer portal and the opportunity to quickly turnaround a football program like Auburn with the right leadership. I don’t disagree.

But it’s important to point out that there’s no guarantee of a quick turnaround and the transfer portal works both ways. Tennessee has gone 15 years without winning 10 games and has an 85-88 record during that stretch. Finally, under second-year coach Josh Heupel, the Volunteers are beginning to return to relevance.

Several other SEC programs appear to be on the rise including Texas A&M, Arkansas and Kentucky. Add Texas and Oklahoma in a couple of years and Auburn could be falling farther and farther behind.

That’s what makes the next couple of weeks and months so important to the future of the program.

Auburn needs decisive and smart leadership. They can’t afford to mess this up. The leadership at the University from the BOT, President and AD have to work together for once and put a competent and motivated leader in charge of Auburn’s football program.

Auburn’s peers in the SEC, which are also its biggest rivals, are supposed to be Alabama and Georgia. Auburn is not in the same orbit as those two programs right now.

It’s going to take a special coach and everybody working together to have a fighting chance to get back.

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Everything Bryan Harsin, players said after beating Missouri

JD McCarthy

10-12 minutes

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Even the Auburn coaches and players could not believe the ending in the Tiger’s 17-14 win over Missouri in Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Auburn took a 17-14 lead in overtime after a 39-yard field goal from Anders Carlson and Missouri had a chance to win the game with a touchdown. Running back Nathaniel Peat was inches away from scoring a walk-off touchdown but dropped the football just before crossing the goal line and Auburn recovered in the endzone to secure the win.

Despite another poor performance from the offense, Auburn is 1-0 in SEC play and 3-1 overall. Here is everything Bryan Harsin and the players had to say about the game, the celebration, and more.

Opening statement...

“I think everybody in that locker room is exhausted in a good way. I told our players I’m proud of them. They did what they needed to do to win the football game. And that was the message this week. Play every play. It’s simple. That’s really what happened. If you look at the game, towards the end… First of all, Missouri is a very good football team. They’re very well coached, their staff has been prepared. I knew Eliah would do that, and he did exactly that. And they did some really good things. We had to overcome a tough opponent.

“There were certainly some tough circumstances, at the end of the game. They put themselves in a position to win the game. And we were able to have that play go our way with the (missed) field goal, and then go into overtime, and then have an opportunity for Anders to go out there and make the kick, which he did. At the very end of it we played that last play, and the ball comes out. That’s really the tale of the game right there. The ball comes out, and we’re able to recover. Two turnovers, today we were plus two on the turnovers, which is what we wanted to be. That was a big factor in the game.

“Overall just the effort of our guys, and the sideline and the energy, the focus each and every play, the execution part of it. And we’ll go back and look at that, we know that that’s the message that we’re going to have from me and our coaches, everybody in that room is the execution. We’re going to have to figure out how we do those things better. That’s the beauty of having another week to go prepare for another SEC opponent. But overall that was a great game, our crowd was fantastic. To get up early and be here at 11 a.m., to go out and have the energy that we did. We started off fast, and you can feel that momentum early in the game. Things started to slow down, and it became just a back and forth slugfest at that point.

“I thought our defense did some really good things, they got the turnover early in the game, and then we were able to get them out. They made a few plays, and then in the second half we got ourselves into some behind the chains situations. We want to stay ahead of the chain, and we got behind the chains. So second and 12, second and 15, we didn’t recover from that as well as we’d like to. We’ve got to learn and we got to learn from that. Overall in that locker room up there, there’s a lot of guys in there that I am very proud of. I appreciate the effort and the coaches not panicking and sticking with the plan, and making adjustments that we needed to. We’ll learn from that.

“We have today to sit back and just watch some other teams and take in what occurred in this game. We have tomorrow to go back to work. And we’ll do that. That’s the one thing you get in SEC play. It’s going to be every single week. And it’s really likely that you’re playing good opponents every week that are well coached and have great players. Sometimes you have to find a way. We did that and we found a way to win the game. I’m really proud of our guys for that.”

On the wild ending...

“No. There have been some crazy games, but no, not like that. As you look at the end of the game there, when they went to take a knee under center, that’s what they were going to do. They were going to center the ball, and that was the right thing to do. You don’t put yourself in a position where you’re going to put the ball in harm’s way, so I think they executed what they needed to do. They put themselves in a position to win. We went out there and we applied some pressure. I couldn’t tell you what caused the kick to go wide right. Maybe it was the pressure that we were bringing, and one of the things about that is just accumulation of the game right as you’re out there and you have a chance to get your field goal block team. Sometimes that does affect the kicker but when you get into overtime, you want to score a touchdown. We end up scoring a field goal, you think that might be a pick right there. It ends up not being a pick, and so we get another chance, which was huge. It comes down to a game of inches, that’s what it comes down to. Their kids were out there trying to make plays too. It went our way. We were able to get the field goal out of it, and at the end, that’s one of those things where I know it’s taught on our end. I know it’s taught at Missouri as well. As you put the ball out there, things can happen. The guy’s trying to make a play and the ball rolls into the end zone and fumbles and we recover and that’s the end of it. Crazy finish, but both teams fought hard to win the football game and we were able to find a way to get it done.”

On the offensive line...

“We struggled. I also think (Missouri) did a good job. That’s an area that we’re going to emphasize and keep working on. It’s not going to go away until we fix some of our own problems, and that’s the focus that you have on your own football team. Our guys know that. A lot of our week in preparation still was just about us. We played Missouri today, but a lot of it was about what we had to do, how we had to execute. The message during the week was focus and execution. Focus on the task at hand and then execute the plays. We’ve got to be better on the offensive line. We’ve got too much pressure. Overall, we’ve got to fix some of those things up front. Those guys are going to work hard at it this week. We’ve got to make sure we do our jobs as coaches to make sure we’re working on those things and getting better in those areas.”

LB Owen Pappoe

On the win…

“A win is a win. The guys played hard, and we fought to the very end, and we went out with the results.”

On his teammates…

“Guys like Derick (Hall) are out there making plays and getting sacks when we need them. The big guys are just showing up when they need to show up. Obviously, we notice that there are corrections that we’re going to have to make, but I feel like we made all the plays that we needed to make. We need to practice utilizing your help and knowing where you need to fit in because we have some ideas.”

TE John Samuel Shenker

On the game…

“We just found a way to win, I guess. We had a few chances, and they jumped offsides. Just playing the play at the end. We do what we have to do to finish the game. It’s not giving up on the guy and giving him his last-ditch effort, and that was great.”

On the locker room celebration…

“It’s a huge celebration. A win’s a win, especially an SEC win. That’s how you want to start in this league. So it was awesome just to get that win.”

QB Robby Ashford

On bouncing back from a loss…

“It was great. Our defense played their butts off. You can’t thank them enough. We didn’t have a great game on offense. It was slow. Missouri played a great game on defense. They played a heck of a game on defense. Our defense totally trashed them and it’s all we could do. Shout out to the defense and our team for persevering and never giving up. I love this team. It’s a great win. No matter how hard it was. No matter how ugly it was. It was a great team win.”

On starting…

“I go into every week preparing like I’m the starter. It was just going out there and going off my preparation. Since I’ve played in three games already, I knew there was a chance I could be the starter this week. I had to step up and be that guy for my team.”

EDGE Derick Hall

On the last play…

“It was crazy. They ran an inside zone but it was more of a stretch look. I am running behind him trying to get him down. He sticks the ball out and all I see is it come out. I am like, ‘oh my gosh, oh my gosh.’ I mean that’s all that went through my head. The rest is history.”

On if he crossed the goal line…

“I kind of saw it, but I was at a 45-degree angle. I wasn’t at a good angle to see it. After the replay showed I was like yes we got it.”

DE Colby Wooden

On the final play…

“He called a slant, I slanted, I got back there, and I missed the tackle. So, when I missed the tackle I had the same view he had. I watched (Cayden Bridges) recover it and when I saw him recover I thought, ‘Yeah that’s us,’ and then the jumbotron confirmed it.”

On if he crossed the goal line…

“I’m not going to lie, it was 50/50. I didn’t know whether he had it or not but he got in then fumbled it, but I was not sure.”

On the locker room celebrating…

“Everybody was ecstatic. We had a water shower as our tradition. Everybody was excited and wanted to get back to work, but we are going to enjoy this tonight. We are going to get to work and get ready for LSU next week.”

EDGE Eku Leota

On the locker room celebration…

“It feels great. I feel like it brought the team together a lot. Especially after last week’s game, we had to fight for each other a lot. We have to keep fighting. And that is what we did.”

On fighting until the end…

“Like Coach Robinson said, ‘we have to keep pounding.’ Every single drive, especially on the defensive side, we must hold ourselves to a high standard in terms of not letting them drive down the field. Whenever that happens, we have to lock in on the sideline.”

K Anders Carlson

On the second chance in over time…

“I was thinking through what I wanted to do, and the first thing was adjusting the tempo issue. I kind of saw him come offsides twice and that’s on me. I freaked out, but when my tempo was good I was on point.”

On overcoming a rough offensive performance…

“I think it is belief. It is something we have talked about a lot. Things are not going to go your way sometimes. I did not have my best game at all today, but I believed in myself and was able to do what I wanted to do, and the same thing goes for the team. Some drives were shortened and did not go the way we wanted them to, but if we believe we are going to win the game, we will find a way.”

Story originally appeared on Auburn Wire

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For Auburn football's offense, a historically bad win as pressure mounts on Bryan Harsin

Bennett Durando, Montgomery Advertiser

4-5 minutes

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AUBURN — Coach Bryan Harsin and Auburn football were blessed with good fortune in the SEC opener, a 17-14 overtime win Saturday against Missouri that required special teams intervention and an all-time unusual walk-off.

"Honestly, it was just a grimy game," quarterback Robby Ashford said.

Seconded. Now let's take your questions.

Q: Was this a worse win than that dreaded 3-2 game? (2008 vs. Mississippi State)

Related questions I received: "What the (heck) was that?" Or: "Is this like the end of 'Lost' where we realize we were dead all along?" Or: "Why? Why?!"

Auburn averaged 4.44 yards per play in the infamous 3-2 win. Against Missouri, Auburn averaged 3.29 yards per play. As noted by the Auburn Observer's Justin Ferguson, it's the program's worst offensive efficiency in a win since the 2006 Cotton Bowl (3.18).

Auburn ran the ball on all 14 plays of its first possession, a 59-yard touchdown drive. By the end of the first quarter, running back Tank Bigsby had 10 carries, already surpassing his game total from the previous week.

Auburn took 47 offensive snaps after the first quarter. It averaged 2.74 yards per play.

The run game suffered the most. As it became clear that Auburn didn't trust Ashford to throw frequently, Missouri countered Eric Kiesau's one-dimensional offense. Excluding Missouri's four sacks, Auburn averaged 1.92 yards per carry on 24 rushing attempts after the first quarter. Bigsby only added seven yards on nine attempts (0.78 average) after the first quarter. (If you want to be mean and include sacks toward the rushing total, then Auburn actually averaged 0.39 YPC after the first.)

According to Pro Football Focus, Bigsby finished the game with 62 yards after contact. He had 44 total rushing yards.

The PFF run blocking grades for Auburn's offensive line weren't pretty either.

Kilian Zierer, LT: 47.1

Brandon Council, LG: 56.8

Jalil Irvin, C: 46.4

Kameron Stutts, RG: 57.3

Austin Troxell, RT: 49.3

John Samuel Shenker, TE: 49.3

When the Tigers ran outside of the tackles (23 attempts), they totaled 46 yards − exactly two per carry − despite fighting for 70 yards after contact.

So yes, this was worse.

INSIDE THE FINAL PLAY'I thought he was in': How much time can 1 yard buy Bryan Harsin on Auburn football hot seat?

REPORT CARDAuburn football and Bryan Harsin didn't deserve to beat Missouri. Our grades reflect that.

Q: How is it the media and fans' fault for (Auburn's) performance?

This is in reference to Harsin's postgame presser, when he was asked about "outside noise." The Harsin quote that ruffled a few feathers: "I think our biggest challenge is keeping our guys focused on what happens in our facility. ... That is − that really is − that’s our biggest challenge."

This has been a consistent refrain from him recently, shifting the source of Auburn's adversity to media reports and fan speculation. Obviously that's not true, or if Harsin actually thinks it is, then his skin isn't thick enough for the SEC.

But it's not like Harsin is the only coach who has ever said this. It's a cliché. We shouldn't read it as anything more than that.

My take on what "really is" his biggest challenge? Recruiting against Nick Saban and Kirby Smart, developing the quarterbacks he brought to Auburn and praying that he has mega-talented receivers and offensive linemen hidden on his roster.

Q: Who would hold the press conference for Harsin's dismissal?

Obviously depends on timing. There's no indication yet that Auburn is close to making a permanent athletics director hire. The university trusts interim AD Rich McGlynn's experience. If AU decided to fire Harsin before moving on to a new AD, I'm sure it would be McGlynn addressing the situation publicly.

New university president Chris Roberts was asked by the Montgomery Advertiser's Jemma Stephenson in May what his role will be in coaching decisions. "Well, football coaching decisions are the decision of an athletics director," he said. If that was his public stance, I imagine he would leave the talking to McGlynn.

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: For Auburn football offense, a historically bad win after first quarter

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Auburn's Derick Hall earns SEC weekly honor for effort vs. Missouri

Published: Sep. 26, 2022, 11:20 a.m.

2-3 minutes

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Auburn linebacker Derick Hall (29) carries the ball as Missouri offensive lineman Javon Foster (76) tries to tackle him after an interception during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 24, 2022 in Auburn, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)AP

Auburn edge defender Derick Hall was honored by the SEC for his performance in his team’s conference-opening win against Missouri last weekend.

Hall was named the SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week, the league announced Monday as part of its weekly awards. Hall is the first Auburn player to be recognized by the league for an individual performance through the season’s first four weeks.

Read more Auburn football: Statistically speaking: Auburn’s offense among worst in FBS through Week 4

Auburn’s defense finally ends turnover drought, but work remains

What went wrong for Anders Carlson before his game-winning field goal against Missouri?

The senior and team captain had six total tackles, with five solo stops during Auburn’s 17-14 overtime win against Missouri at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Hall had a season-high three tackles for loss and two sacks against Missouri, as he put together the second-best game of his career; he had 3.5 tackles for loss and three sacks in last season’s Iron Bowl against Alabama.

With his effort against Missouri, Hall has now surpassed the 15-sack mark for his career and has eclipsed 20 career tackles for loss. He enters this weekend’s game against LSU with 22.5 career tackles for loss and 15. sacks.

On top of his menacing performance off the edge, Hall also recorded his first career interception against Missouri. He picked off a tipped ball thrown by Brady Cook intended for Luther Burden and returned it 19 yards to set Auburn’s offense up with a short field. Auburn scored on the ensuing drive to take a 14-0 lead in the first quarter.

The interception was Auburn’s first forced turnover of the season, ending a drought that spanned the first three games of the year.

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