19/7/22 Auburn articles

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Everything Bryan Harsin said on 'Tiger Talk' about upcoming Georgia game

Updated: Oct. 06, 2022, 6:46 p.m.|Published: Oct. 06, 2022, 6:07 p.m.

6-7 minutes

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It’s time for Auburn to hit the road.

Following a five-game homestand to open the season, Auburn (3-2, 1-1 SEC) will play it first game away from Jordan-Hare Stadium when it travels to Athens, Ga., on Saturday for its cross-division rivalry game against No. 2 Georgia (5-0, 2-0). The Tigers and Bulldogs will square off at Sanford Stadium for the 127th installment of the stories rivalry, with kickoff set for 2:30 p.m. CT on CBS.

Read more Auburn football: Auburn bracing for fistfight against “bully on the block” Georgia

Brandon Council confident Auburn offensive line can “demolish” Georgia defensive front

Auburn trying to build on Robby Ashford’s best game to date heading into QB’s first road start

Before Auburn embarks on its first road trip of the season, looking to snap a seven-game losing streak between the hedges, coach Bryan Harsin previewed the matchup during his weekly radio appearance on “Tiger Talk.” Harsin joined hosts Andy Burcham and Brad Law for his final public comments ahead of the game.

Below is a quick recap of Harsin’s remarks on Thursday’s show:

BRYAN HARSIN

-- Says the team is looking forward to getting on the road and experiencing that for the first time this season.

-- Game prep doesn’t change much during the week, at least until Friday, because they need to factor in travel. That part -- and navigating all the variables that come with it -- is the most challenging part of the week when playing a road game.

-- On Robby Ashford’s start against LSU: Stood in the pocket, kept his eyes downfield and operated the offense well. Needs to improve taking care of the football. Ashford threw an interception and fumbled four times, losing one of them.

-- On Brandon Council’s shift to center: His physicality and experience brought a lot to the table. Notes the run game needs to keep improving -- “it was feast or famine.” Believes the line did better protecting the quarterback but needs to be more consistent there too.

-- On losing Eku Leota for the season: “His presence is exactly what we want to have on this football team. He’s a leader. He prepares. He does everything right.” Notes depth at edge is a concern beyond Derick Hall. Marcus Bragg and Dylan Brooks will see more reps moving forward. “We’ll overcome that. The guys that have been playing will need to raise their level as well.”

-- Thinks Marcus Bragg will be better, and has to be better, this week against Georgia. He had four tackles and a sack against LSU after stepping in for Eku Leota.

-- Says Wesley Steiner stepped up last week with 11 tackles, but Auburn will be getting starting linebacker Cam Riley back for the Georgia game.

-- Defense “has played well” in SEC play. Tigers allowing 14 points per game. They’ve given up just 14 points total in the last six quarters, plus overtime. “You can’t have just one phase playing at a high level; all three have to.”

-- Notes Auburn needs to win the turnover battle at Georgia. Auburn has one of the nation’s worst turnover margins this season at minus-nine.

-- On the rivalry games he grew up watching: Boise State-Idaho “was a big one” when both teams were at the FCS level. NFL rivalry: Seahawks-Broncos. He also knew when the Iron Bowl was going on, also the Alabama-Georgia games, as well as the Red River Rivalry between Texas and Oklahoma (which he was part of while he was OC at Texas a decade ago).

-- Quick aside: Bryan Harsin has played in Athens before. Boise State traveled there in 2005. Harsin was Boise State’s tight ends coach that year. It was also the last year that Auburn won a game at Georgia.

-- On what he has seen from this Georgia team compared to last year’s CFP title winner: “They’ve reloaded.... The standard continues to be the same for that team. They have a very high standard in all three phases.... I don’t think there’s much of a drop-off whatsoever, from what I’ve seen, from this team.”

-- Harsin says Georgia has been more creative offensively. He has mentioned tight end Brock Bowers a couple times now. Clearly a player Auburn will need to focus on this weekend.

-- On Georgia QB Stetson Bennett: “He’s a winner.... He can throw it plenty good enough. He’s fast enough. He’s elusive.... The reason they won a national championship is because he was playing for them.”

-- Believes Auburn’s front seven matches up well against Georgia’s offensive line. Harsin thinks Auburn can slow down the Bulldogs’ run game, but gotta see how they do in terms of pass rush (especially without Eku Leota).

-- Harsin reiterates that defensive lineman Colby Wooden will see more time on the outside of the line with Eku Leota out. Wooden has the versatility, and before he bulked up to be more of an interior lineman, he was an edge defender early in his Auburn career.

-- On approaching noise on the road: Pump it in at practice and work on silent counts offensively. Tell players to assume they won’t be able to hear each other. Of course, there’s a trade-off: Defense should be able to communicate better/hear each other because crowd will be quiet when Georgia has the ball.

-- On the importance of the rivalry, especially for the players from Georgia and Alabama: “There’s certainly an emotional factor and a pride that comes with it.”

-- “One of the best parts of being on the road is getting the opportunity to go into somebody’s house and get a win.”

-- Key to run game: Consistency. Can’t be discouraged by shorter gains but need to eliminate the negative plays.

-- Defensive keys this week: Win one-on-one battles, do well against the run, force Georgia into obvious passing situations. “Ultimately on the defensive side, it’s playing fast and violent.”

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

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Auburn bracing for fistfight against ‘bully on the block’ Georgia

Published: Oct. 06, 2022, 4:22 p.m.

5-6 minutes

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Colby Wooden’s respect for Missouri has only grown the last two weeks.

A week removed from scrapping it out with Missouri for a 17-14 overtime win at Jordan-Hare Stadium, Wooden watched as Missouri had defending national champion and then-No. 1 Georgia on the ropes in Columbia, Mo., last Saturday. Missouri held a double-digit halftime lead against Georgia and was in front until late in the fourth quarter of an eventual 26-22 loss.

Read more Auburn football: Colby Wooden expects to turn back clock with a “slight change” in his role

Brandon Council confident Auburn offensive line can “demolish” Georgia defensive front

Auburn trying to build on Robby Ashford’s best game to date heading into QB’s first road start

To Wooden, it showed that Missouri wasn’t scared of the daunting challenge Georgia represented. If anything, it showed the Bulldogs are human and not just some inevitable force. That glimmer of vulnerability from Georgia provides some hope for Auburn in its upset aspirations this weekend, but the Bulldogs’ resiliency on the road last weekend also taught Wooden something about Auburn’s longstanding rival — there’s some bite behind the Bulldogs’ bark.

“Any time you have a bully on the block — if you stand up to them, nine times out of 10, they’re not going to want to fight back,” Wooden said. “But Georgia was able to fight back and find a way to win that game. So, kudos to them.”

Wooden and the rest of Auburn’s roster are bracing for a similar fight Saturday when the two cross-division rivals meet for the 127th iteration of The Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry. No. 2 Georgia (5-0, 2-0 SEC) will host Auburn (3-2, 1-1) at 2:30 p.m. CT at Sanford Stadium, with the game airing on CBS.

Just about every indicator favors the Bulldogs ahead of Saturday’s clash between the hedges. Georgia is currently a 30-point favorite against Auburn, according to VegasInsider.com. The Bulldogs have won five in a row against the Tigers since Auburn’s regular-season win at Jordan-Hare Stadium in the 2017 meeting, with Georgia outscoring Auburn 137-47 during that stretch.

Auburn also hasn’t won in Athens, Ga., since 2005, returning home with a loss in each of the last seven trips to Sanford Stadium. Auburn has averaged just 12.6 points per game in those seven losses and has scored 10 points or fewer in each of its last five trips between the hedges.

Even with Georgia looking vulnerable the last two weeks against Kent State (a 39-22 win) and Missouri, the defending national champion’s on-field issues have paled in comparison to Auburn’s. The Tigers continue to struggle in the middle eight — the four minutes on either side of halftime — and the offense has failed to produce in the second half of games against quality competition. Not to mention the turnover issues that continue to plague Auburn, which carries the distinction of one of the nation’s worst turnover margins (minus-nine) entering Week 6.

Still, Wooden expects his team to show the same kind of resolve Missouri did heading into its matchup with Georgia—a fearlessness that was best personified by offensive lineman Brandon Council’s bravado this week, when he said Auburn’s offensive line “could demolish” Georgia’s defensive front and that the Tigers are approaching the assignment like “a SWAT team.”

“It’s going to be an old-fashioned fistfight,” Wooden said. “Roll up your sleeves, and let’s get it on.”

Wooden fully expects Georgia to make Saturday’s clash a battle in the trenches, with an eye on establishing the run game after a less-than-stellar effort on the ground against Missouri. Georgia had just 62 rushing yards on 20 attempts (3.1 yards per carry) through the first three quarters against Missouri last weekend but posted 107 yards and two touchdowns on 16 attempts (6.7 yards per carry) in the final period while pulling in front for the win.

“They’re looking to show dominance after last week, and they’re going to get back to their bread and butter, which is running the ball,” Wooden said. “Good old-fashioned counters, duos. All that. So, we’ve got to get back to our fundamentals and playing ball, recognizing your technique, playing behind your pads, you know, getting it on.”

Council expressed a similar outlook on the other side of the ball for Auburn, which is confident it will be able to attain success on the ground against Georgia despite some issues in the run game in recent weeks—and despite the fact the Tigers have averaged just 77 rushing yards per game during their five-game losing streak to the Bulldogs. During the seven-game skid in Athens, Auburn has mustered just 103.4 rushing yards per game.

“You’ve got to strap it up and go play your best,” Council said. “We have a chance to be 2-1 in the SEC and still competing in the West. That’s all it’s about and that’s our goal. We’re going to win, we want to win, and our goal is to get to the SEC Championship.”

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

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Five ways Auburn could struggle against Georgia

These five things could give Auburn fits against Georgia.

• Andrew Stefaniak
• 18 hours ago

 

We head to week six of the college football season, where the Auburn Tigers are set to do battle with the number two Georgia Bulldogs.

Georgia has had Auburn's number of late, but the Tigers are looking to change that narrative this weekend. 

This will be an incredibly difficult upset for Auburn to pull off on the road in Athens, Georgia. 

Let's look at five ways Auburn could struggle against the Georgia Bulldogs. 

It's Auburn's first road game of the year

 

Eric Starling/Auburn Daily

Playing on the road is difficult in the first place, but when you mix in the fact that this is Auburn's first road test of the year, it adds to the difficulty. Not to mention the team Auburn has to do it against is the second-best team in the country. If Auburn can settle in and have a good game plan, they might be able to hang with the Bulldogs. If Robby Ashford and the rest of the team don't settle in, this could be a long Saturday afternoon for Auburn fans. 

Georgia's tight end room is dominant

Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Georgia has three tight ends on the roster who all have a chance of being first-round picks in the NFL Draft. What is so unique about these tight ends is that they can do it all; they block at a high level and catch passes at a high level. Auburn has struggled to defend tight ends so far this year, as they just run routes right up the seam and burn the Tigers. If Auburn can't keep this tight end room under control, it could lead to Auburn struggling mightily in this ball game. 

Stetson Bennet can sling it

Bryan Lynn-USA TODAY Sports

Bennett and this Georgia passing game have been lights out so far this year, averaging 342 yards per contest.

If Auburn wants to slow down Bennett and the Bulldog passing game, the edge rushers for the Tigers will need constant pressure, and the Auburn cornerbacks will need to be able to shut down the pass catchers. If these things don't happen, and Georgia has a lot of time to throw, Bennett will pick this Auburn defense apart. 

 

Auburn's offensive line needs to show up

Eric Starling/Auburn Daily

The only way for Ashford to settle in properly in this game is for the offensive line to give him time in the pocket. If the offensive line doesn't give him the time he needs to make smart decisions, he will turn the ball over, and turnovers are upset killers.

The offensive line looked better last weekend against LSU with Brandon Council at center and Alec Jackson at guard, but another giant leap will be needed for Auburn to win this game. The Tigers will also need Tank Bigsby and Jarquez Hunter to have holes to establish the run game, which falls on the shoulders of the offensive line. If the offensive line has a bad day, this will be an ugly game for Auburn fans to watch. 

The in game coaching needs to be better

Eric Starling/Auburn Daily

Bryan Harsin has shot himself in the foot a few times this season with bad decisions and bad play calls. A great example is when he tried to get cute and have Koy Moore throw a pass in the red zone and he got picked off. If Auburn is going to go to Athens and beat the Bulldogs, not only will the players need to execute, but Coach Harsin needs to put together a solid game plan to help his football team play to its strengths. 

If Harsin puts together a solid game plan and the players execute, this could be a fun football game. But if the game plan doesn't pan out, Auburn could get raced out of the stadium.

Click here to see what Vegas thinks of Auburn vs. Georgia.

Click here to see where Auburn stands in the ESPN FPI rankings. 

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Georgia vs. Auburn: Prediction, pick, spread, football game odds, live stream, watch online, TV channel

The Bulldogs are heavy favorites over the Tigers in the Deep South's Oldest Rivalry

By Barrett Sallee

18 hrs ago • 4 min read

 

 

 

 

USATSI

No. 2 Georgia and Auburn will square off on Saturday afternoon in this year's version of the Deep South's Oldest Rivalry. The Bulldogs have looked sloppy in each of their last two wins and needed a fourth-quarter comeback to top Missouri last week in Columbia. The Tigers have dropped two of their last three, including last week's 21-17 loss to No. 25 when they blew a 17-point lead. 

The Bulldogs are led by quarterback Stetson Bennett IV,who, despite the Bulldogs' struggles the last couple of weeks, is second in the SEC in passing (307.2 yards per game) and has only tossed one interception through five games. The Tigers' have settled on redshirt freshman Robby Ashford under center. The dual-threat weapon had his best day through the air in Week 5 when he racked up 337 yards and tossed two touchdowns.

What will happen on Saturday in one of the biggest rivalries in college football? Let's break down the game and make picks straight up and against the spread.

Georgia vs. Auburn: Need to know

Where are the wide receivers?: Georgia tight end Brock Bowers has been the star of the receiving corps this year. The sophomore has a team-high 342 yards and is the only Bulldog with multiple touchdowns, even though he only has two. Georgia has to find some weapons outside, and that might hinge on the status of Adonai Mitchell, who has only played in two games due to an ankle injury. The sophomore made the trip to Missouri last week, but didn't see the field.

"AD is hopeful again," said coach Kirby Smart. "He was close to being able to go we thought last week. We took him with the intention of seeing if he could go. Pre-game thought he looked pretty good, but didn't feel comfortable putting him out there. We are hopeful he's able to this week, and we don't know until we get out there and get closer to the game. He is much closer this week than he was last week. Getting Arian [Smith] back helped with that. All the reps the freshman got helped. Got to continue to get those guys better."

This could be a great chance for Smart to develop his downfield threats. Auburn is ranked middle-of-the road in virtually every meaningful passing defense stat, and a couple of weapons outside of Bowers will go a long way toward the Bulldogs repeating as national champions.

Coffee is for closers: That classic scene the movie "Glengarry Glen Ross" also applies to Auburn's offense in the worst possible way. In the last eight games against Power 5 opponents, the Tigers are averaging 2.6 points per game in the second half (excluding overtime). It didn't score a single point in either of the last two games in that same timespan. Coach Bryan Harsin addressed the problem during his Monday press conference.

 

"To me, it really comes down to trying to eliminate those negative plays, and then just being more consistent," he said. "That's play calls. That's execution. That's all those things, and not just one in particular. That's just the glaring reason why it's things that we all have to improve on and get better. Our adjustments come out at half. We have to be able to find ways to continue to put points on the board. It's not just the half of football, you get to play all four quarters."

It's one thing to lay goose eggs against Missouri and LSU, it's an entire different thing to do it against the defending national champs. If coach Bryan Harsin doesn't earn a trip to the coffee pot, he might have to abandon his small piece of real estate in the Auburn football complex by the end of the weekend.

Where's the offensive line?: Georgia's offensive line play had been solid through the first four games, but was dreadful last weekend against Missouri. It gave up nine of its 16 tackles for loss this season, and that was the biggest reason why it averaged just 4.69 yards per carry -- its worst mark against a Power Five opponent this year. 

"We didn't play really well up front," Smart said. "They had a lot of momentum. We got to do a better job preparing our guys, but we also got to do a better job in-game of making good decisions and putting ourselves in a situation to be successful or more successful at least."

Auburn's defensive line hasn't exactly been impressive this year. But if the Bulldogs' offensive line has a repeat performance of what it did last week in Columbia, it could open the door for a front seven that has been playing better lately. 

How to watch Georgia vs. Auburn live

Date: Saturday, Oct. 8 | Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Location: Sanford Stadium -- Athens, Georgia
TV: CBS | Live stream: CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App (Free)

Georgia vs. Auburn prediction, picks

Featured Game | Georgia Bulldogs vs. Auburn Tigers

 

Moneyline

Spread

Total

UGA

-15000

-29.5

-110

o49.5

-110

AUBURN

+2200

+29.5

-110

u49.5

-110

Auburn couldn't have hand-picked a worse time to catch the Bulldogs in Sanford Stadium. Ashford won't have the same production through the air due to a stout Georgia defensive front and a secondary that will take advantage of pressure that front seven generates. The sloppy play the last two weeks will force Smart to keep his foot on the gas more than he normally wood, and lead the Bulldogs to an easy cover. Prediction: Georgia (-30)

 

 

 

	Dennis Dodd	Tom Fornelli	Chip Patterson	Barrett Sallee	Shehan Jeyarajah	David Cobb	Jerry Palm
ATS	Auburn	Auburn	Georgia	Georgia	Auburn	Auburn	Auburn
SU	Georgia	Georgia	Georgia	Georgia	Georgia	Georgia	Georgia

Which college football picks can you make with confidence in Week 6, and which Top 25 favorite will go down hard? Visit SportsLine to see which teams will win and cover the spread -- all from a proven computer model that has returned more than $3,100 in profit over the past six-plus seasons -- and find out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Cam Newton, Bo Jackson, 10 other great Auburn performances vs. Georgia

• Published: Oct. 07, 2022, 6:30 a.m.

Auburn quarterback Ben Leard took time to pat the hedges after throwing for 416 yards and four touchdowns in a 38-21 victory over Georgia in Athens in 1999. (Press-Register file photo by G.M. Andrews)Mobile

 

 

 

NEW!

 

By

• Creg Stephenson | cstephenson@al.com

Auburn and Georgia renew the “Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry” this weekend, with the 127th meeting taking place on Saturday in Athens.

 

The top-ranked Bulldogs are a heavy favorite to beat the struggling Tigers for the sixth consecutive time and the eighth time in nine meetings. But it’s been a close rivalry over the years, with Auburn winning 56 times and tying Georgia on eight other occasions.

 

Some of the greatest individual performances in Auburn history have taken place vs. Georgia. Here are 12 of them, listed in chronological order:

 

Auburn fullback Tom Bryan, left, is shown in 1966 with teammates Carl Hardy and Richard Plagge. Bryan ran for 162 yards and a touchdown in a 21-19 victory over Georgia in 1965. (Birmingham News file photo by Ed Jones)The Birmingham News

 

1. Tom Bryan (1965)

 

Bryan began his career as a quarterback before moving to fullback late in his junior season of 1965. His best game came at Georgia on Nov. 13, as he ran for 162 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries in a 21-19 Auburn victory. His 42-yard touchdown dash gave the Tigers an early lead, then runs of 25 and 24 yards set up Auburn’s final touchdown in the third quarter. Georgia’s Ronnie Jenkins fumbled inside the 5 in the closing minutes, with Auburn’s Robert Fulton pouncing on the ball to preserve the win. The victory left Auburn with a shot at the SEC title, but the Tigers lost 30-3 to eventual national champion Alabama in the regular-season finale.

 

 

Auburn's Terry Beasley (88) and Pat Sullivan hooked up for a pair of touchdown passes in a 35-20 victory over Georgia in 1971. (Birmingham News file photo by Charles Nesbitt)The Birmingham News

 

2. Pat Sullivan & Terry Beasley (1971)

 

There’s no more celebrated catch-and-throw combination in Auburn history than Sullivan-to-Beasley, and the two All-Americans had one of their greatest days in a 35-20 victory over previously unbeaten and seventh-ranked Georgia in 1971. Sullivan completed 14 of 24 passes for 248 yards and four touchdowns, two of them to Beasley, who had four receptions for 130 yards. Sullivan hit Beasley on a 34-yard strike to make it 14-0 in the first quarter, then the two connected on a 70-yard score to put No. 6 Auburn up 28-20 after Georgia had pulled within a point early in the fourth. The victory kept Auburn unbeaten and probably clinched the Heisman Trophy for Sullivan, who was voted as the Tigers’ first winner of college football’s top individual award a few weeks later. Auburn got to 9-0 and ranked fifth in the country before a 31-7 loss to No. 3 Alabama (which was also unbeaten) in the Iron Bowl.

 

Auburn's Joe Cribbs ran for 250 yards and two touchdowns in a 22-22 tie vs. Georgia in 1978. (Birmingham News file photo by Ed Jones)The Birmingham News

 

 

3. Joe Cribbs (1978)

 

In one of Auburn’s all-time workhorse performances, Cribbs barreled through the Georgia defense 34 times for 250 yards and two touchdowns at Jordan-Hare Stadium in 1978. The Tigers needed every inch of it to emerge with a 22-22 tie and play spoiler against the heavily-favored Bulldogs. Cribbs ran for touchdowns of 60 and two yards, the last giving Auburn a 22-15 lead late in the third quarter. He also caught a two-point conversion pass from Charlie Trotman, and had a 62-yard run to the Georgia 1. The eighth-ranked Bulldogs eventually salvaged a tie, but that half-blemish was just enough to keep them from claiming a share of the SEC championship after Alabama beat Auburn in two weeks later in Birmingham. Cribbs’ rushing total was second in school history at the time, and remains fifth on the all-time list.

 

James Brooks ran for 200 yards and two touchdowns on just 13 carries as Auburn beat Georgia 33-13 in 1979. (Birmingham News file photo by Charles Nesbitt)The Birmingham News

 

4. James Brooks (1979)

 

Brooks ran for 200 yards on 13 carries in a 33-13 victory in Athens in 1979. Of the 29 Tigers who have rushed for 200 yards or more in a game, his came on the fewest attempts. Brooks scored on runs of 67 and 44 yards, the first giving the Tigers the lead at 15-10 in the third quarter, the latter icing the game in the fourth. Cribbs added 166 yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries, making he and Brooks the first set of SEC teammates to each eclipse the 1,000-yard rushing mark in the same season. The victory improved 15th-ranked Auburn to 8-2 and kept alive the possibility of forcing a three-way tie for the SEC title two weeks later against unbeaten Alabama. That game ended in a 25-18 victory for the Crimson Tide, which went on to win its second straight national championship. Auburn finished 8-3, locked out of a bowl game due to NCAA sanctions.

 

 

Auburn's Bo Jackson (34) carries the ball during a 33-13 victory over Georgia in 1985. He ran for 121 yards and touchdowns despites suffering cracked ribs during the game. (Birmingham News file photo)

 

5. Bo Jackson (1985)

 

Jackson’s 121 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries vs. No. 12 Georgia in Athens in 1985 seem pretty pedestrian by his lofty standards (and the standard of some others on this list), but they must be considered in context. First, 105 of those yards came in the first half as Auburn built a 10-point lead on the way to a 24-10 victory. Second, it was later revealed that Jackson suffered cracked ribs at some point during the game. Jackson scored on a 67-yard cross-field run in the second quarter to put the 14th-ranked Tigers up 10-7, then salted the game away with a 6-yard TD sweep in the fourth. He also added 48 yards on two receptions. As with Sullivan 14 years earlier, Jackson’s performance went a long way toward his winning the Heisman Trophy, which he did by the slimmest of margins over Iowa quarterback Chuck Long. Auburn’s season, meanwhile, ended a disappointing 8-4 after back-to-back losses to Alabama and in the Cotton Bowl to Texas A&M.

 

Auburn linebacker Kurt Crain, shown here with coach Kurt Crain, totaled 26 tackles (19 solo) in a 20-16 loss to Georgia in 1986. (Birmingham News file photo)The Birmingham News

 

6. Kurt Crain (1986)

 

Never has any Auburn player stood taller in defeat than Crain, who racked up a program record 26 tackles (19 of them solo) in a 20-16 loss to 16th-ranked Georgia at Jordan-Hare Stadium in 1986. The Tigers came in 8-1 and ranked No. 9 nationally, with a solid shot at winning the SEC championship. They left the field having blown that opportunity, but it was no fault of Crain, the 210-pound junior linebacker from Birmingham who was all over the field. Receiver Lawyer Tillman also had a fine day in the loss, catching nine passes for 150 yards and a 13-yard touchdown that made it a four-point game with 2:51 to play. Auburn got the ball back with a chance to win, but Jeff Burger was intercepted at the Georgia 33 in the closing moments. The game is perhaps best remembered for what happened afterward, as Auburn’s stadium security crew turned on the sprinklers to disperse a crowd of Georgia fans celebrating on the field. Auburn recovered to win its final two games of the season over Alabama and in the Citrus Bowl over USC — with Tillman scoring the winning touchdown and Crain totaling 20 tackles in the 21-17 Iron Bowl victory — to finish at 10-2 and ranked No. 6 overall.

 

James Bostic, shown here vs. Alabama in 1993, ran for 183 yards and three touchdowns in a 42-28 victory over Georgia the previous week. (Birmingham News file photo)bn

 

 

7. James Bostic (1993)

 

After being benched in favor of fellow running back Stephen Davis due to a persistent fumbling problem, Bostic ran angry vs. the Bulldogs in Athens to help keep Auburn’s perfect season alive. He didn’t enter the game until late in the first quarter, but still managed 183 yards and three touchdowns on 19 carries in a 42-28 Tigers victory. Bostic’s 41-yard touchdown run put Auburn up 14-7 in the second quarter, his 3-yarder made it 21-7 at halftime. After Georgia pulled within 35-28 in the final four minutes, Bostic broke loose for a 28-yard score that put the game away. Auburn — prohibited from playing on television or competing for the SEC championship due to NCAA sanctions — improved to 10-0 on the season, and would finish off its perfect record by beating defending national Alabama 22-14 a week later at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

 

Auburn's Dameyune Craig passed for three touchdowns and ran for two more in a 56-49, four-overtime loss to Georgia in 1996. (Birmingham News file photo by Steve Barnette)BN

 

8. Dameyune Craig (1996)

 

In the first overtime game in SEC history, Craig put forth one of the greatest quarterback performances in the annals of Auburn football. He completed 22 of 35 passes for 290 yards, and also ran for 72 yards and two scores on 17 carries in the Tigers’ 56-49, 4-OT loss at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Craig’s three touchdown passes — two to Robert Baker and one to Karsten Bailey — all came in the first half, as Auburn built a 28-14 halftime lead. After Georgia scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns to tie it after regulation, Craig’s 13-yard scoring run briefly put the Tigers back up 35-28. He also scored on a 1-yard run to begin the third overtime, giving Auburn a 49-42 lead. After Torrin Kirtsey’s 1-yard run in the fourth overtime put the Bulldogs on top by seven, Craig was stopped a yard short of a first down at the Georgia 16-yard line to end the game. Auburn lost 24-23 to Alabama a week later, and finished 8-4 after beating Army in the Independence Bowl.

 

Ronney Daniels (25) caught nine passes for 249 yards and two touchdowns in Auburn's 38-21 win over Georgia in 1999. (Birmingham News file photo by Joe Songer)BN

 

9. Ben Leard & Ronney Daniels (1999)

 

Leard and Daniels conjured up memories of Sullivan-to-Beasley in a stunning 38-21 victory over No. 14 Georgia in Athens in 1999. Leard completed 24 of 32 passes for 416 yards and four touchdowns, two of them to Daniels, who had nine catches for 249 yards. Leard’s passing yardage total was the highest in Auburn history at the time (since surpassed by Nick Marshall’s 456 vs. Alabama in 2014), while Daniels’ total remains second to only Alexander Wright’s 263 vs. Pacific in 1989. Leard threw all four of his touchdowns in the first half, a 4-yarder to Clifton Robinson and an 11-yarder to Markeith Cooper in the first quarter, then strikes of 59 and 78 yards to Daniels in the second as Auburn built a 31-0 lead. Leard’s 1-yard touchdown run made it 38-0 in the third quarter. Georgia closed the game out with three straight touchdowns, but never seriously threatened to win. The victory evened Auburn’s record to 5-5 under first-year coach Tommy Tuberville, but the Tigers lost 28-17 to Alabama at home the next week to finish with a losing record.

 

Auburn freshman Carnell Williams (24) ran for 167 yards and two touchdowns — including the 1-yard game-winner in the fourth quarter — in a 24-17 victory over Georgia in 2001. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)ASSOCIATED PRESS

 

10. Carnell Williams (2001)

 

In his first game against Georgia, “Cadillac” secured his spot in Auburn lore with one of the greatest freshman performances in program history. Williams had shown flashes of the form that made him one of the most-prized recruits in the country two weeks earlier, rushing for 177 yards and a touchdown in a 42-17 loss at Arkansas. But he took it to another level “Between the Hedges,” piling up 167 yards and two touchdowns on an astounding 41 carries (then a school record) in a 24-17 Auburn victory. Both of Williams’ touchdowns came on 1-yard runs — one in the first quarter and one in the fourth, the latter of which broke a 17-17 tie with 6:47 to play. Williams had set up the touchdown by taking a screen pass from Daniel Cobb and racing 61 yards to the 1. The win lifted No. 24 Auburn to 7-2 on the season, but it would be their last victory of 2001. Williams suffered a broken collarbone in the first quarter vs. Alabama the next week, and Auburn went on to lose the Iron Bowl 31-7. The Tigers also fell to LSU 27-14 in a game rescheduled to early December by 9/11, then dropped a 16-10 decision to North Carolina in the Peach Bowl to finish 7-5.

 

Auburn's Cam Newton (2) accounted for 299 yards and four touchdowns in a 49-31 win over Georgia in 2010. (Birmingham News file photo by Hal Yeager)bn

 

11. Cam Newton (2010)

 

The 49-31 victory over Georgia at Jordan-Hare Stadium wasn’t the crowning achievement of Newton’s 2010 Heisman Trophy campaign, but it was a major step in the Tigers’ national championship run. After a week of controversy surrounding Newton’s eligibility, the multi-talented junior-college transfer accounted for 299 yards of total offense and four touchdowns as the Tigers clinched a spot in the SEC championship game with their 11th straight win (it was later revealed he was briefly declared ineligible while the school investigated pay-for-play allegations put forth by a booster at Mississippi State, the school for whom Newton had spurned to sign with Auburn). Newton ran 31 yards for a touchdown to give second-ranked Auburn an early 7-0 lead, but Georgia scored the next 21 points to lead by two touchdowns after one quarter. The Tigers tied the game at halftime with two second-quarter touchdowns, the latter an 18-yard pass from Newton to Philip Lutzenkirchen. Auburn took the lead for good at 35-28 on Onterrio McCalebb’s 4-yard touchdown run — his second of three in the game — late in the third quarter. After Georgia cut it to 35-31 heading into the fourth quarter, Newton found Lutzenkirchen again from 13 yards out and dove in for a 1-yard TD to put the game away with 2:45 remaining. Newton finished the game with 151 yards rushing on 30 carries and added 148 on 12-for-15 passing. The win also snapped Georgia’s four-game winning streak in the rivalry. Two weeks later came the “Camback” 28-27 victory over Alabama in the Iron Bowl, which Auburn followed up by smashing South Carolina 56-17 in Atlanta and then edging Oregon 22-19 for its first national title in 53 years.

 

Auburn's Jarrett Stidham (8) and Kerryon Johnson (21) teamed up to lead the Tigers past top-ranked Georgia 40-17 in 2017. Stidham threw for three touchdowns, including a 55-yarder to Johnson in the fourth quarter. (AP Photo/Thomas Graning)AP

 

12. Jarrett Stidham & Kerryon Johnson (2017)

 

The first of two victories over the country’s No. 1 team in a three-game span came largely behind Stidham and Johnson, who accounted for numerous big plays in a 40-17 Auburn victory at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Johnson rushed for 167 yards on 32 carries and also caught a 55-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter, while Stidham threw for 214 yards and two other long touchdown passes — 42 yards to Darius Slayton and 32 to Ryan Davis — and also ran for a 7-yard score. Auburn outgained Georgia 480 yards to 230, holding star running back Nick Chubb to just 27 yards on 13 carries. Kicker Daniel Carlson also had a big game with four field goals, including a 54-yarder. Auburn beat top-ranked Alabama 26-14 at Jordan-Hare two weeks later, but that victory proved costly when Johnson suffered a shoulder injury while diving for a touchdown in the third quarter. The Tigers met Georgia again the following week in Atlanta for the SEC title, and with Johnson at less than 100 percent lost 28-7 to end any national championship hopes. A 34-27 loss to Central Florida in the Peach Bowl finished off a disappointing 10-4 season.

 

Creg Stephenson is a sports writer for AL.com. He has covered college football for a variety of publications since 1994. Contact him at cstephenson@al.com or follow him on Twitter at @CregStephenson.

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Auburn hires Jeff Whitehead as senior associate AD for compliance

Updated: Oct. 06, 2022, 8:04 p.m.|Published: Oct. 06, 2022, 2:38 p.m.

2-3 minutes

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By

• Nubyjas Wilborn | nwilborn@al.com

Jeff Whitehead is Auburn’s new senior associate athletic director for compliance, the school announced on Thursday.

Whitehead comes to Auburn after serving in a similar role since 2018 at the University of South Carolina. He was the primary liaison overseeing the Office of Compliance Services operations and providing legislative interpretations to coaches and staff. He was the primary compliance liaison for the football and men’s basketball teams while assisting with all other varsity sports.

“We are extremely fortunate to have someone of Jeff’s caliber joining our staff here at Auburn,” Interim Athletics Director Rich McGlynn said via press release. “Jeff has a decade of experience in compliance at Southeastern Conference institutions and has great relationships at the conference office and among the peers in our league. Jeff will not only make Auburn’s compliance office stronger but will be a great fit with our athletic department staff.”

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Whitehead arrived in South Carolina in April 2014 after spending three years working at Troy. Before becoming an associate AD at USC, he was an Assistant Athletics Director for Compliance Services for one year, an Associate Director for two, and was an Assistant Director.

“I am honored to be joining the team at Auburn and look forward to contributing to and continuing the established success of Auburn Athletics,” Whitehead said via press release. “My family and I are excited to return to the state of Alabama and get settled here on the Plains.”

Nubyjas Wilborn covers Auburn for Alabama Media Group.

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Bo Nix's success at Oregon is another indictment against Bryan Harsin

Patrick Conn

3-4 minutes

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The Week 6 matchup in the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry is pivotal for both teams involved. On one hand, you have the Georgia Bulldogs, who are coming off a national championship.

In the last two weeks, they have looked mortal against Kent State and Missouri. They could flex their muscles and prove the last two games were nothing more than a blip on the radar. On the other hand, we have the visitors who are looking to turn things back into their favor and snap a five-game skid in the series.

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It is no secret that the Auburn Tigers’ offense has struggled this season. Through five games, the unit ranks No. 13 in the SEC in points per game against Power Five opponents. Harsin’s calling card has been offense and this week he is tasked with scoring on the SEC’s top defense. They surrender just 10.8 points per game.

It will take a Herculean effort against Kirby Smart’s defense.

Offensive Rankings under Bryan Harsin

John Reed-USA TODAY Sports

2021-22 Rankings in the SEC against Power Five opponents. Rankings are listed in parentheses.

Year	PPG	Pass YPG	Pass TDs	Rush YPG	Rush TDs	Total Off.
2021	22.4 (13)	241.1 (7)	9 (12)	125.0 (11)	14 (7)	366.1 (10)
2022	22.1 (12)	256.0 (6)	3 (6)	100.7 (11)	2 (12)	356.7 (9)

The numbers look comparable to last season’s team that finished 6-7 after the bowl game loss to the Houston Cougars. The performance on the field along with Auburn’s recruiting efforts are why Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports has the head coach at the top of his hot seat rankings.

Unfortunately, Harsin is a veteran of this space. He was third behind Frost and Edwards on the initial list. At some point, being the Auburn coach becomes less about the job you’re doing and more about those shadowy rich dudes in who decide your fate. Harsin did himself no favors in a 29-point loss to Penn State. Then that clunky game against Missouri almost felt like a loss. A home loss against LSU certainly did not help. The next two are at Georgia and red-hot Ole Miss. This is painful to say: Harsin might not make it to Halloween of Year 2

Another indictment for Bryan Harsin has to be the performance of Bo Nix with the Oregon Ducks.

Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports

Following the performance against Georgia to open the season, we have seen a very different Bo Nix. He is among the top quarterbacks in the nation through five games with his new team. A performance that is very much needed on the Plains after what we have seen from T.J. Finley, Robby Ashford, and Holden Geriner to start the season.

Bo Nix at Auburn in ’21 vs Bo Nix at Oregon in ’22

	Comp%	Yards	YPA	TDs	INTs
Auburn (10 Games)	61.0	2,294	7.1	11	3
Oregon (5 Games)	68.9	1,261	7.8	12	3
Oregon Projection	68.9	3,026	7.8	29	7
Current Auburn QBs	57.0	1,148	8.1	4	8

Why is Bo Nix having so much success in Eugene? Quite simply he is having the best season of his career since his freshman season. That year his offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach was Kenny Dillingham. Who did first-year head coach Dan Lanning put in charge of his offense? Yes, Kenny Dillingham.

As far as Harsin, he is a coach known for offensive prowess but when you look at this football team, his unit has become a liability to winning football games. Just look at how they play in the second half of football games.