10/11/22 Auburn Articles

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Finding running game the key for Auburn offense

Jason Caldwell

4-5 minutes

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AUBURN, Alabama—An offense designed to lean on the running game as the staple of a system, the Auburn Tigers find themselves sitting in neutral after six games and a 3-3 overall record. Coming off a disheartening 42-10 loss to Georgia, coach Bryan Harsin’s team prepares to face the unbeaten Ole Miss Rebels in another game where the Tigers need to be able to run the football and sustain drives to be able to pull off the upset.

Currently 75th nationally in rushing yards, averaging 148 yards per game, Auburn hasn’t been able to sustain drives and that continues to cause issues on both sides of the ball. After having 11 of 14 drives last weekend go under two minutes, the Tigers are 93rd nationally in time of possession.

Keeping the ball away from Ole Miss would be a good place to start on Saturday for the Tigers. This season the Rebels are 15th nationally in total offense and 16th in yards per play while converting 53.2 percent of its third downs, leading the SEC and sixth nationally in that category.

Already with a defense that is lacking in depth, Auburn should have Derick Hall and Marcus Bragg available on Saturday, but both could be slowed after being banged up against Georgia. That’s something that puts even more pressure on Auburn’s offense to deliver against the Rebels.

“You want to keep the ball in your offense’s hands,” Harsin said. “I think that’s one of the things that hurt our defense: You go three-and-out, three-and-out, three-and-out, and you got to think—just on the sideline and your operation; you come over after you get done, you’re probably playing on special teams as well, punt return, offense gets the ball back, you go get a drink, you sit down and make adjustments, and you’re right back on the field. You know, you want to give your defense a little bit of time to rest, but really to just go through some of the adjustments that some of the coaches in the box are seeing.

“So, sustaining drives is huge. Creating field position is huge, and then ultimately those drives turning into points, and that’s got to be something we do a much better job of. That’s the consistency piece of execution, over and over, giving our guys the best chance by our play-calls to keep ourselves on the field, put ourselves in manageable situations.”

To do that, Auburn needs to get running back Tank Bigsby going. Facing a schedule comprised of nothing but SEC teams as a true freshman, Bigsby ran for 834 yards in 2020 while averaging 6.0 yards per carry. Last season, Bigsby’s yards per carry went down to 4.9 overall and just 4.2 yards in conference action. This year it’s even worse with Bigsby’s numbers in three SEC games this season a grand total of 108 yards on 41 carries, an average of just 2.63 yards per carry. In those same games, sophomore Jarquez Hunter is averaging 3.7 yards per carry (18-68).

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That’s a grand total of 176 yards on 59 carries for Auburn’s two running backs in SEC play. Those numbers have to change in a big way if the Tigers hope to turn things around this season.

“You still got to throw it, you got to be able to hit some easy throws, you got to be able to hit some big plays, you got to be able to run the ball consistently,” Harsin said. “Like we talked about before the Georgia game, just being able to get some of those 3-, 4-, 5-yard gains at times, too, and not the negative plays. That comes back to us and just being better in those concepts, giving our guys the best chance to be successful by the schemes that we choose for them to go out there and run so that we can stay ahead of the chains.”

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Bryan Harsin previews Ole Miss, gives roster updates

Lance Dawe

20-25 minutes

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Auburn head coach Bryan Harsin spoke to the media on Monday afternoon, previewing the Tigers' upcoming matchup with the Ole Miss Rebels.

Here is everything Harsin had to say about Mississippi, Robby Ashford's development, and the offensive identity of the team.

Opening statement…

“We’ll jump right into Ole Miss. They’re 6-0 and the team is hot. They're playing really well. On the road it’s an 11 a.m. game and it’s going to be early for us. We have a little bit of a bus ride before we get to the stadium there. Just a little bit about their offense, (they’re scoring) about 40 points a game, third in the SEC. Total offense is 490 yards or so, fourth in the SEC. Rushing offense is second, 242 yards. Passing 248 yards, so you can see their balance and what they’re doing. Third downs, 53 percent, they’re first in the SEC. They’re doing a really good job on that side of the ball. Mostly 11 personnel. They are fast-tempo so we have to be ready for that. They’re going to use multiple players when they are out there in their system. Everybody, you have to be aware of who’s on the field. They might be doing some different things because they game plan you each and every game from what I’ve seen. They snap the ball with about 20 seconds remaining on the play clock. Quarterback Jaxson Dart, USC transfer, is a good athlete. He runs the ball well, throws the ball well, and he’s really tough. Quinshon (Judkins), their running back, he’s the real deal. Second in the SEC. The guy is playing well. He’s got 581 yards and eight touchdowns. Zach Evans, a TCU transfer, has really good speed and runs hard. He has 469 yards and six touchdowns. These guys are a one-two punch. Then Jonathan Mingo, their wide receiver, has 507 yards and three touchdowns. He's the top receiver in the SEC. Defensively they are really very high in their stats, fifth in the SEC in total defense. Scoring defense, a little over 14 points a game, that's third in the SEC and 11th nationally. Rushing defense, fourth in the SEC. Passing defense, ninth. Third-down defense they’re seventh in the SEC. Sacks, they've had 16. That’s third in the SEC so they're getting pressure with their D-line and also just some of the pressures they're bringing. They do a nice job with their schemes. Personnel, all three D-linemen, nickel, those guys are returning. Free safety is their strength. Really everybody all around the secondary is very good. Number 21, AJ Finley is a great player. Number three their nickel, Otis Reese is very, very good. Number 11, their middle linebacker, Austin Keys, that guy can play. They have a couple of guys that we had here before. JJ Pegues and Ladarius Tennison, those guys are playing for them and doing well, so we have to be prepared for that. Special teams wise they’re tied for sixth in blocked punts. They've had two. Their 19th in punt returns. Their specialists, Jonathan Cruz, a transfer from Charlotte, five-of-six field goals. Fraser Masin, 42-yard average as a punter. (Jordan) Watkins, a transfer from Louisville, their punt returner had a 22-yarder. That's been his longest this season. Kickoff returner Dayton Wade, a transfer from Western Kentucky, averaging 23 yards. The big thing is they blocked a couple punts. This team, like I said, they're hot. They have a lot of things going on. They're feeling it right now. They’re a very good opponent. It is going to be a challenge for us as we get ready for these guys to go on the road and again handle the noise, handle the travel. We haven’t handled all those things. We have an early ball game so it really comes back to us, what we have to do this week and our focus and how we get prepared to go out there and play another undefeated team.”

On sustaining drives on offense...

“It's always important; you want to keep the ball in your offense’s hands, and I think that's one of the things that has hurt our defense. You go three and out, three and out, three and out and you have got to think, just on the sideline, your operation. You come over after you get done, probably playing on special teams as well, then a punt return and offense gets the ball back, you go get a drink, you sit down, you make adjustments, and you are right back on the field. You want to give your defense a little bit of time to rest, but really to just go through some of the adjustments that the coaches in the box are seeing, so sustaining drives is huge, creating field position is huge, and then ultimately those drives turning into points. That has got to be something that we do a much better job of, and that's the consistency piece of just execution over and over. Giving our guys the best chance by our play calls, to keep ourselves on the field put ourselves in manageable situations. The penalties, we need to eliminate those because that creates a more difficult situation just down-and-distance. So, it's all those factors, but we want to sustain drives, stay on the field and really balance out the time of possession. The one thing for Ole Miss is that they go fast. That's not always the key factor in the game; for us, it's just about execution. It's about staying on the field and putting the ball in a position where we can sustain those drives, execute our third downs, create field position and ultimately get in the red zone and find ways to score.”

On sustaining the run game...

“I think (we need to run) the ball, but you have got to be able to balance it out to by throwing it. You don't want to get one-dimensional. You still have got to throw it and still need to be able to hit some easy throws. You have got to be able to hit some big plays. You need to be able to run the ball consistently, and like we talked about before the Georgia game, just being able to get some of those three-, four- or five-yard gains at times, too, and not the negative plays. So that comes back to us and just being better in those concepts, giving our guys the best chance to be successful in the schemes that we choose for them and to go out there and run so that we can stay ahead of the chains.”

On Robby Ashford’s growth...

“I think every quarterback, no matter who you are, throughout the season can improve. There are some guys playing at a really high level and they can all improve and get better, right? You're going to be playing stiffer competition as the season goes on. You have more film on tape of what you're capable of doing, so more teams are trying to dial into what you do well and take that away. I think his decision making has improved overall. We put the ball on the ground, and that was something we do not want to do. We want to take care of the football, but I think his decision making has gotten better. I think the operation starts with that you got to be able to operate, and it's not that simple. Just getting the play call, getting it in, making the checks, audibles, and the things we must do paying attention to the clock, making sure that we've got everything before the ball is snapped. What I've seen from him is when everybody's covered, he can pull it down and go make plays. He did that in the last game. We knew that would be a thing that would hurt Georgia and really any defense, when you have got a guy where everybody's covered, he can pull it down and make some plays with his legs. We saw that from both sides. Robby did it and we saw it from Stetson (Bennett), who was able to do some things with his feet as well. So that has helped us, and now it's not just him, but it's everybody. It's all the consistency across the board on the offensive side, and that goes back to us putting them in a position where those guys feel confident that they can execute the play successfully. We can stay ahead of the chains and just manage the offense and make sure that we're doing those things and then we have a chance to make some big plays. We'll do that as opportunities for plays to break down. The scramble, I think he's made some good decisions there and even in the last game, too, there were a couple of times he threw the ball away. That's not a bad choice and it wasn't a bad decision because there was nothing there and he was going to lose yards, so even sometimes, things don't go well. That decision, nobody likes it, but it's still the right decision.”

On how to improve ball security...

“I think that sometimes when you take off, the ball just comes out and it just came out, and I don't know if it just got knocked out necessarily, but the ball came out and that happens. I mean you carry a football a certain way and as a quarterback, you're going to palm the ball for a minute because you're trying to throw the ball and then at some point, you're going to tuck it away. There's that transition where you're going to go from palming the ball because you're moving and you might throw it, so you still have that grip and then you're going to tuck it and become a runner. In the in-between, that transition is where the ball came out. I don't think he's trying to be careless with it. I think he was in that transition and the ball slipped out of his hands. Sometimes you see a quarterback go back to throw and all of a sudden it slips out of his hands. It happens sometimes in practice; you wonder why it happens. I played the position, so I've done the same thing. It just happens, but at the same time those are things now we're clear on that it happens in games, but we can't let those things happen. So, now it did, and we can't go back, and we can't change that. So now as we move forward, what is a better option. So, now when he takes off, it's probably going to be tucked a lot sooner and is probably going to be protected better, because those things happen. Unfortunately, it happens to players, and they learn from that experience. It just happened to be on a drive, and it impacted us in a big game, because you turn the ball over. Those things become problematic and it's no different than if you're catching the ball and you're snatching that ball, ripping it down and taking it away from the defender. You're going up for it on defense and trying to take it away. It's all those things that you work on, and in the heat of the moment, it doesn’t always happen perfectly, but we’ve got to learn from that. We have got to take care of the ball, and so ball security, which has been an issue for us this year, we've got to continue to keep emphasizing that because that is the key to the game. You have got to take care of the football and every guy on this team knows that. Nobody's trying to not take care of the ball, but in order to win games, and to be a good football team, that's got to be the most important thing when you have that ball in your hands. So, we'll work on it, and he'll get better at it. That will continue to be an emphasis, and I know it's important to him. So, by no means does he run off the field shrug it off and like, ‘oh well.’ It hurts and he's going to work very hard on that to improve in that area.”

On the offense’s identity…

“Injuries happen, unfortunately. I mean, that's where your depth comes in, you want to have really good depth, that's why you're building your team. Every year, most of the time, you lose a quarter of your team, and you bring a quarter of your team in. In the middle is where your depth’s at, and probably your starters, and maybe some young guys. So, your backups have got to be ready to play and they’ve got to go in there and execute the game plan. You can't really pull back in the middle of a game. You’ve got to keep pushing forward. I think the identity right now, we want to be balanced, we want to run the ball, throw the ball, we want to have the play action off some of the run game, we want to be able to get on the perimeter, still be firm, and be able to run downhill inside the tackles, and utilize our personnel. So, that hasn't changed. Now, we've been very good at that at this point. Are we where we want to be right now? We're not, but that's what our identity is. So we're still working on building that identity. We have the vision for it, but we’ve got to actually do it. I think the game plans, what we put together each week, you don't get to every single play. Sometimes the game changes and you don't get to all the plays you had in there, you don't get to every single thing that you wanted to get to because maybe you're not in that field position, you're not in that down-and-distance. You can bump it up, but you really game-plan that for that moment. That's where sustaining drives, that's where getting more plays, that's where keeping the offense on the field is going to allow us more to get into that rhythm. If you watched a few of our drives this season early on, the LSU drive, some of those drives, that's what you want it to look like. I thought there was a good balance in there and we want to continue that.”

On the growth of the secondary…

“I think those guys are playing, they’re flying around number one, I think they're around in coverage, around the receivers. They're not giving those guys many opportunities just to be wide open or cutting a guy loose. We've gotten better at that. I think our D-line, some of the pressures, too, that we’ve put on the quarterbacks has helped, where they're not just standing back there and able to just scan the whole field and wait for a guy to open up. So I do think it's a combination of getting to the quarterback, and then also your secondary doing a good job. On some of the scramble stuff, too, we're plastering better, we're covering better, and we're getting better in the back end. I think that's one of the reasons why we've been able to maybe have some of those numbers. Now at the same time, you’ve still got to stop the run. So you want to be balanced on defense too. Don't give up the big plays. We're doing a good job there. But, at the same time, making sure that we're handling the run game.”

On handling the quarterback’s emotions as a coach…

“I think that's got to be really the same for where we want to be and that quarterback. You're the quarterback of the team, you're the leader, things get hard, guys get frustrated. But, at the same time, you got to come back, and you got to go get ready for the next drive. The process for a quarterback is when the drive is over, you go over to get a drink, get on the phone, and you start talking about adjustments. You start thinking about what the next series is going to look like, and then if you got a little bit of time, you get your guys fired up. Go tell them, ‘Hey, we're going to go out and score,’ or keep scoring, or ‘let's get back in the game,’ whatever that needs to be. I think just in your preparation, that's where the emotion and the game, if you prepared properly and you’ve experienced some of those things which he's experiencing right now, it's just a matter of getting a few more plays, and you're right back into it. You're going to have 75 plays, score, and be fine. You need five explosive plays, five big plays, so you don't know when they're coming. That's the reality of playing that position too. That drive didn't go well, we've been three and out four times in a row, come back and hit a big shot, touchdown. If you come right back again, bang, get another big shot, touchdown, we get a big run, Jarquez Hunter breaks three tackles and runs for a touchdown, we didn't expect that on the five-yard throw. That's really that type of thinking that you have to have. I think the emotion of the game, that's part of it. At the same time, you’ve still got to think and you got to keep yourself in a state of mind where you can go out there and execute because that will affect you too. That's not just him, that's really everybody, and trying to get that taught comes from experience, from guys trusting in what we're doing, and making sure that their preparation through the week, they understand we're close. That's one thing, too, when you go out there and the play isn't executed right or whatever happens on the play didn't work. Maybe they out-schemed us, but you understand why and it's like, ‘Okay, I got that, let's come back to that next time,’ or ‘Let's move away from that,’ or ‘Let's hit this play that's close to that, it's going to give us an advantage,’ you’ve got to be thinking in those terms. Otherwise, the emotion takes over and you're not thinking. In order to win a game, you’ve got to think through 60 minutes, you’ve got to really be dialed into what you have to do, especially in that position. So, he's learning. There's a fire in every competitor, and so there are moments when they're like, ‘Look, if you're upset, then you’ve got to take a second.’ But that's where, over time, that will go away. That will go away in the process, coming off a score, get over there. The same process: get on the phone, make adjustments, talk to your team, think about what you have to do get ready to get the ball back, and go.”

On adjusting the run scheme…

“Penetration slows the backs down, and depending on the run scheme, whatever it is, there are different schemes in there, but you don't want to give up penetration. I think that's what's happened to us at times. As far as adjusting, blocking is a fundamental of the game, probably the most important one. That goes back to your footwork, goes back to your aiming points, goes back to what the defense is trying to do to you. It goes back to just how you prepare yourself each and every week and how we get our guys prepared. Part of that is what we do when we are in pads every Tuesday and Wednesday, working on the run game and working on what we think the defense is going to try to give us. So, we’ve got to be better up front. You don't want to give up penetration. It's not always that you're moving and denting that defense all the time, but it gives your backs a chance when they can get to the line of scrimmage and be able to see and find a window. Sometimes it's two yards, four yards, and then you get some really good push, it can be 18. It can be big runs. That's the key to what we have to do up front is just not give up penetration, get those backs a chance to get started, and they'll do something with it.”

On improving the offensive line...

"You can do different things, and I think we do that. It's not because of talent. I think that's the number one thing. You're going to run your schemes based off what you think is best against the defense that you're playing, and then you have some of the schemes that you believe in. There's a philosophy that we have in the run game. Which is probably similar to quite a few teams. You see a lot of the same schemes, right? You see a lot of the same things in the NFL and the run game. And, you know, maybe it's a little bit different. When you've got a quarterback that can run, you've got a couple of guys you can get the ball to on fly sweeps, there's different ways to do it. But ultimately, your run game is going to come down to what your guys do up front and the fundamentals of how they play and block. And then working together on the double teams, working in the one-on-one situations, and I think knowing when you're in that situation is the key. Have I got help or am I single? That’s the difference. When you've got some help it's a little bit different of how you treat your footwork when you don't have help. It's one on one. A lot of times on the offensive line, you've got to win the one-on-one. That is what it comes down to. We've got guys that can do that. They're not perfect. We've got to help them, and there are some things we can do schematically that can help them. We know that, and we've got to do a better job of putting them in positions to be successful and at the same time, you still have to go out there and play. You've still got to go out there and execute those assignments, which our guys will do. They will do that. Which there were some good things that we did do, but now we've got to get all eleven guys doing that together. I think that's the key moving forward, is really focusing on that. But our guys, they work very hard at it. They'll get better at it. We're not where we need to be, but we've got to get back to work this week and improve in those areas."

On Ole Miss improvement from last year…

"Well, they were pretty good last year. They are better. Again, they have made improvements. You can see the guys are playing with confidence. I think they're playing fast. I think they're physical on that side of the ball. I think they're tackling well. Just look at the stats, it shows up with that right there. It's pretty good, from what I've seen. And like I said, they're on a roll right now. They've got momentum, and I think that impacts really the whole team. And certainly, as we look at their offense, we know they're going to do well on that side of the ball, and they're going to have a lot of firepower over there. Defensively, they're also very, very good. And that's something that we've seen. I felt like last year we played a good game against them last year. I thought that we did some really good things in the game, and we were balanced and we had the run and pass and all of that stuff in that one game working for us, but overall they've definitely improved. This is a good football team. That's why they're undefeated."

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Auburn's ball security now college football's worst

Nathan King

4 minutes

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AUBURN, Alabama — The Tigers’ ball security is, midway through the season, the worst in college football — and they have a sizable lead in that department.

No one in the country has more fumbles than Auburn this season (16), albeit only five have been recovered by the opposition. But no one else in college football has more than 13 on the year, and the three teams who share that number are UTEP, Akron and UConn.

Most recently in Auburn’s 42-10 shellacking at Georgia on Saturday, quarterback Robby Ashford had his sixth and seventh fumbles of the season — in only his third start. The first, which Georgia recovered, killed off Auburn’s best drive of the game to that point, and came at the end of a third-and-4 conversion by Ashford across Georgia’s 40-yard line that looked like it was going to pick up big yardage.

“I don't think he's trying to be careless with it,” Bryan Harsin said Monday. “I think he was in that transition, and the ball slipped out of his hands. And that's, you know, sometimes you see a quarterback go back and throw and the ball just slips out of his hands, right? It happens sometimes in practice. You wonder why it happens. I played the position. I've done the same thing. It just happens.

“But at the same time, those are things now, so we're clear on that, that it happens in games, but we can't let those things happen.”

Auburn’s quarterbacks alone now have 10 fumbles on the year, which is more than 108 teams in college football.

And no player in the country has fumbled more than Ashford. The redshirt sophomore quarterback has coughed up the ball seven times; the next closest player in the SEC is South Carolina’s Spencer Rattler with five.

Harsin said the biggest fix for Ashford right now is likely that the ball needs to be tucked sooner. Much of Auburn’s offense relies on Ashford’s mobility, but it can’t afford to add to its already abysmal minus-9 turnover margin this season.

Auburn QB fumbles by game

* vs. San Jose State: Robby Ashford scramble (recovered)

* vs. Penn State: T.J. Finley sack (recovered), T.J. Finley sack (lost)

* vs. Missouri: Robby Ashford sack (recovered), Holden Geriner sack (recovered)

* vs. LSU: Robby Ashford sack (lost), Robby Ashford run (recovered), Robby Ashford run (recovered)

* at Georgia: Robby Ashford run (lost), Robby Ashford run (recovered)d

Auburn's six other fumbles have come from return man Keionte Scott (three), starting tailback Tank Bigsby (one), freshman running back Damari Alston and senior receiver Shedrick Jackson (one).

“We've got to learn from that,” Harsin said. “We've got to take care of the ball, and so the ball security, which has been an issue for us this year, we've got to continue to keep emphasizing it. But that is the key to the game, you've got to take care of the football. And every guy on this team knows that. ... Nobody's trying to not take care of the ball. But in order to win games and to be a good football team, that's got to be the most important thing when you have that ball in your hands.”

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Jason Caldwell's Monday morning quarterback column

Jason Caldwell

4-5 minutes

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Starts at the line of scrimmage

If you want to look at Auburn football's issues against Georgia, it all starts and ends at the line of scrimmage. The Tigers last beat the Bulldogs in 2017 at Jordan-Hare Stadium. In that game, Auburn ran for 237 yards while holding Georgia to just 46. Each team had one rushing touchdown in that contest. Counting that game, Auburn has just three rushing touchdowns against Georgia in the last seven meetings. During that same stretch, Georgia has 13 scores on the ground. As for the yardage totals, in those seven meetings the Bulldogs have 1,423 yards, or an average of 203 yards per game. Auburn has 715 yards rushing, an average of 102 yards per game. Since that first meeting of 2017, Georgia is averaging 229.5 yards rushing against Auburn in the last six meetings while Auburn is averaging 79.7 yards per game on the ground.

Saturday’s 292-93 total was the third straight game where Georgia has been over two hundred yards rushing against Auburn while holding the Tigers to under 100.

There’s no question this is a game that requires offenses to make explosive plays in the passing game to win at the highest level, something this Georgia team better find in a hurry if it wants to win another title. But as the Bulldogs have shown in this series, if you can physically dominate at the line of scrimmage those plays aren’t needed nearly as much.

Battleground states

Alabama has been the dominant program in college football over the course of the last 15 years or so, but during that span Auburn continued to win its fair share of recruiting battles and played in some very big games. It has been the emergence of Georgia on the national stage that has done the most damage to the Auburn program during that time. 

Auburn was still able to get its fair share of top players from Georgia while continuing to add talent from Alabama, but it has been a steady decline in the Tigers getting impact players from its two most important states. That has shown up on the field. Auburn will usually play Alabama extremely well when the game is in Jordan-Hare Stadium. Except for a couple of occasions, that has been the history since the game moved to campuses. 

Since Nick Saban arrived at Alabama in 2007, Auburn is a combined 8-24 against Alabama and Georgia. If you want to play and compete for titles in the Southeastern Conference, Auburn has to start getting back on equal footing with its two biggest rivals. That starts with becoming more of a player in its own backyard.

Around the league

We’ve reached the halfway point of the SEC schedule and to this point I continue to believe that Tennessee is the one team that can challenge Alabama and Georgia in the league. The Vols still aren’t exceptionally strong on defense, but they can score points in bunches and both Alabama and Georgia are having issues on offense at the moment.

The importance of the quarterback position was on display Saturday with Kentucky and Arkansas both losing without their starters and Alabama struggling against Texas A&M while playing without Bryce Young. I don’t think there’s a more important player to his team in the league than KJ Jefferson is to Arkansas. They are a solid team with him, but just average without him. 

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Speaking of Arkansas, they don’t have a guaranteed win left on the schedule as they sit at 3-3 overall. This week they travel to BYU to play at altitude and following a bye week they are at Auburn, Liberty, LSU and Ole Miss at home before finishing at Missouri. Jefferson getting back makes them better, but there’s not a layup in the bunch.

I’m still very interested to see this Ole Miss team in person this week. They have some interesting things going on, but they were also trailing Vanderbilt at halftime on Saturday before running away in the second half. Lane Kiffin likes to go fast and use tempo, something that could really be an issue for Auburn’s defense on Saturday if the Rebels can run the football. Just a few early thoughts on what is another big road trip for the Tigers.

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Linemen injuries impactful in road loss to Georgia - The Auburn Plainsman

 

4-5 minutes

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It was already going to be tough playing in a hostile environment at the home of longtime nemesis and No. 2 team in Georgia. Combined with injuries plauging both lines of scrimmage, that adversity proved too difficult to overcome in Saturday’s 42-10 loss to the Bulldogs in Athens, Ga.

“Well you got some guys and there were guys on the offensive line, they didn't really get many reps this week but they're in tune with what we're doing,” said head coach Bryan Harsin. “That's where your depth really shows up, and so as a backup player you’ve got to be able to come in there against a really good football team.”

The impact of those injuries was never more apparent after offensive linemen Alec Jackson and Austin Troxell were forced from the starting lineup. Jackson and Troxell were replaced by Keiondre Jones and Brenden Coffey, respectively, in the third quarter.

CBS first reported that Jackson suffered a lower body injury and that Troxell was questionable to return after X-rays came back negative.

Facing a raucous crowd of 92,746, communication issues along the revamped offensive line proved costly. Three false starts and two holding calls stalled the Tigers in several crucial situations. The two most damaging of those came in the first quarter on separate drives with Auburn on its own side of the 50-yard-line.

On the ground, things were not much better with the exception of quarterback Robby Ashford’s dazzling open-field rushing display. Running backs Tank Bigsby and Jarquez Hunter finished the day with a combined 39 yards on 15 carries, good for 2.6 yards per carry.

As for the opposite side of the ball, the absence of edge defender Eku Leota was also felt, particularly in the second half. After Auburn held Georgia to just 143 total yards in the first half, the Bulldogs subsequently tacked on 357 yards following the break.

“On the defensive line, guys were banged up and coming out,” Harsin said. “So that's been a little bit of an issue this season, and some of the injuries and having some of our key players out.”

While edge defender Derick Hall could not assess everything that went wrong in yet another second half that slipped away from the Tigers, his explanation was indicative of the attrition caused by injuries.

“I missed most of the fourth quarter, so I mean I really can't speak on the ins and outs because I really don't know yet,” Hall said. “They just had a chance to get some downhill runs, strength, counter, a little bit of duos, things that we've struggled against in the past a little bit.”

Virtually all production outside the tackles came from Hall and Colby Wooden, who combined for 10 total tackles, a sack, tackle for loss, a forced fumble and fumble recovery. Outside of the tandem, only Marcus Bragg ended up on the stat sheet with a single solo tackle.

With Leota expected to miss the remainder of the season with a pectoral tear against LSU last Saturday and the status of Jackson and Troxell unknown moving forward, injuries on both sides are starting to mount.

Moving forward, the schedule also does not get much more forgiving for Auburn. After facing Ole Miss in Oxford, Miss., next Saturday at 11 a.m., the Tigers play Arkansas, at Mississippi State and return home for Texas A&M in consecutive weeks following a bye on Oct. 22.

It remains to be seen how Harsin and his coaching staff will replace these key pieces and build depth, especially amid a run of lackluster second half performances. 

Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.

[aubiefifty 18,248]

flywareagle.com

 

College football analysts take down HBO host’s Auburn football slander

Andrew Hughes

3-4 minutes

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Auburn football catches enough strays on the gridiron week in and week out these days, so there was no need for a longtime ESPN host known for covering other sports far more extensively than college football to chime in on the matter.

It’s one thing for those on the Plains, the surrounding states, or anywhere where those who bleed orange and blue reside to speak down on the lack of success the Tigers’ have experienced. It’s another for a national media talking head to do the same.

Yet there the Tigers were on Monday, October 10, getting called out for being a dead-end program that no coach worth a damn should ever consider by HBO’s Game Theory host and former Highly Questionable panelist Bomani Jones.

Here is a sampling of some of his attacks on the Auburn football program:

i’m not sure why you think that job is good. only guarantee is they’ll run your ass outta there in embarrassing fashion. https://t.co/CY7ygb6e7x

— bomani (@bomani_jones) October 10, 2022

if you think auburn is a good one, i can assume you don’t read much.

also keep in mind gus was their most consistent coach since dye, went 3-5 vs saban and they still paid him a jillion dollars to kick rocks. https://t.co/ab24fU1OhF

— bomani (@bomani_jones) October 10, 2022

what’s going on at auburn that hasn’t gone on for 30 years? serious question. somehow in the last two years, auburn became a bastion of institutional stability? seriously? https://t.co/GG0zN8zzYk

— bomani (@bomani_jones) October 10, 2022

i’ve never been as bad at anything as auburn was at football in 2012. https://t.co/vEQQqkCd51

— bomani (@bomani_jones) October 10, 2022

this all reminds me of the time i did a talk at auburn in 2012. i tried to make a joke about the season.

twas no laughing matter, guys. not. at. all. https://t.co/drCI03payI

— bomani (@bomani_jones) October 10, 2022

College football analysts take down Bomani Jones’ Auburn football critiques

Things got way uglier than they needed to get on social media, with Bomani Jones seemingly baiting the Auburn football fanbase and some taking it and blowing it far out of proportion. Truthfully, the program does have too many cooks in the kitchen making judgements based on geography instead of merit.

Still, one member of the local media, Opelika-Auburn News deputy editor Justin Lee, and CBS Sports analyst Barrett Sallee, weren’t letting those denigrating comments about the Auburn football program go without a rebuttal:

2010: Auburn went 14-0 and won national championship
2010: Alabama went 10-3

2013: Auburn went 12-2 and went to the national title game
2013: Alabama went 11-2

2017: Auburn won the SEC West
2017: Alabama won the national championship

This narrative is, in fact, false. https://t.co/uBeiUfp6Yg

— Barrett Sallee (@BarrettSallee) October 10, 2022

Auburn football will unfortunately have national media figures commenting on their comings and goings for the rest of the season. Get used to this, Tiger fans.

[aubiefifty 18,248]

In His Own Words: Lane Kiffin on Auburn matchup, Harsin's hot seat

 

Lane Kiffin has a prime opportunity to turn the tide in what's been a highly unsuccessful series of late for his Ole Miss program. Kiffin has lost his first two matchups against Auburn as the Rebels' head coach, and the Tigers overall have won six straight over their division foe since 2016. This weekend, though, No. 9 Ole Miss, which is facing Auburn as a top-10 team for only the second time ever, is currently a 14.5-point favorite. Here's everything Kiffin said Monday about preparing for Bryan Harsin's ballclub, including his thoughts on Harsin's hot seat at Auburn.

Opening remarks ...

"Huge game coming up — a team that has beat us twice and has really good players, and has played really good at times. So we're going to need to improve. We're going to need our fans to come with a lot of energy. When you watch football around the country, you see how fans matter. You watch the false starts at the end of the Alabama game. The inability for people to hear a cadence when they're trying to use verbal cadence. We affected the Kentucky game by our crowd. So we need that again."

Tight end Michael Trigg's status ...

"We don't have any public injury information, like always."

How beat up is your team at this point? ...

"It is what it is. Whatever the schedule is, don't worry about it. You never know — sometimes you wish (a bye week) would be at a certain time, and then it comes later that you actually like it better then. Everybody has issues this time of year. We have ours — seems like a lot of them. We'll do our best to move people around like we have and figure it out."

Challenge of facing Auburn ...

"I think they've got really good players that have given us problems. We haven't done really well offensively in either game (against Auburn). We've got to worry about what we can control, which is playing really well. And play a full game. Now we've shown we can do it backwards: Normally we're this first-half team and don't play great fourth quarters. We did the opposite this week. So the challenge is now to put it all together."

You've been on hot seats before; what's the challenge of keeping a team focused? ...

"I didn't do very good: I got fired after five games. So I'm probably not the one to ask how to do that. I was 3-2, so. I'm probably not the right one to ask that."

Didn't have a 100-yard rusher against Vandy for first time all season ...

"Every game is different. That's why you predict this is going to happen — you don't know. They coach, too; they play, too. People know what you're doing and they go to take it away. Otherwise it would be easy every week. Once you start running and putting up 300-yard games and stuff, people start doing different stuff to you. That opens up different things. To me, (Vanderbilt) was playing a lot of run stunts and they're running a heavy run game in the front, so you saw when we passed, we had a lot of time to throw. That's just how it always works. That's why you always want balance, so when they do take one away, you can do the other."

Offensive line has only allowed two sacks this season ...

"I think it (the O-line) is better. Not to be completely positive: Part of that is once you run the ball, they play the pass different, and you have different pass rushers in, and you don't get in a lot of third-and-longs. They have improved; that's been good. But the ability to run the ball like they have definitely helps that."

Did you explain late touchdown to Clark Lea during handshake? ...

"Yeah. Sometimes things happen in the heat of the game. You don't really feel great about it. Even though our players get mad at me, we probably should have taken a knee there. And I told him that. I wanted to explain the (Jonathan) Mingo thing. They said upstairs he needed one 1 yard to set the school record; they said that at the beginning of the series. We were really just trying to throw him a hitch and tell him to run out of bounds. They clouded it the first two times; that's why we threw him a ball at the end. I wanted (Lea) to know that, too. Matt Jones has been special teams player of the week like four weeks in a row, so we brought him on the trip and kind of caught up in that. But I didn't really like how that felt."

">247Sports

[NWALA Tiger 3,616]

11 minutes ago, aubiefifty said:

Bryan Harsin previews Ole Miss, gives roster updates

Lance Dawe

20-25 minutes

---

Auburn head coach Bryan Harsin spoke to the media on Monday afternoon, previewing the Tigers' upcoming matchup with the Ole Miss Rebels.

Here is everything Harsin had to say about Mississippi, Robby Ashford's development, and the offensive identity of the team.

Opening statement…

“We’ll jump right into Ole Miss. They’re 6-0 and the team is hot. They're playing really well. On the road it’s an 11 a.m. game and it’s going to be early for us. We have a little bit of a bus ride before we get to the stadium there. Just a little bit about their offense, (they’re scoring) about 40 points a game, third in the SEC. Total offense is 490 yards or so, fourth in the SEC. Rushing offense is second, 242 yards. Passing 248 yards, so you can see their balance and what they’re doing. Third downs, 53 percent, they’re first in the SEC. They’re doing a really good job on that side of the ball. Mostly 11 personnel. They are fast-tempo so we have to be ready for that. They’re going to use multiple players when they are out there in their system. Everybody, you have to be aware of who’s on the field. They might be doing some different things because they game plan you each and every game from what I’ve seen. They snap the ball with about 20 seconds remaining on the play clock. Quarterback Jaxson Dart, USC transfer, is a good athlete. He runs the ball well, throws the ball well, and he’s really tough. Quinshon (Judkins), their running back, he’s the real deal. Second in the SEC. The guy is playing well. He’s got 581 yards and eight touchdowns. Zach Evans, a TCU transfer, has really good speed and runs hard. He has 469 yards and six touchdowns. These guys are a one-two punch. Then Jonathan Mingo, their wide receiver, has 507 yards and three touchdowns. He's the top receiver in the SEC. Defensively they are really very high in their stats, fifth in the SEC in total defense. Scoring defense, a little over 14 points a game, that's third in the SEC and 11th nationally. Rushing defense, fourth in the SEC. Passing defense, ninth. Third-down defense they’re seventh in the SEC. Sacks, they've had 16. That’s third in the SEC so they're getting pressure with their D-line and also just some of the pressures they're bringing. They do a nice job with their schemes. Personnel, all three D-linemen, nickel, those guys are returning. Free safety is their strength. Really everybody all around the secondary is very good. Number 21, AJ Finley is a great player. Number three their nickel, Otis Reese is very, very good. Number 11, their middle linebacker, Austin Keys, that guy can play. They have a couple of guys that we had here before. JJ Pegues and Ladarius Tennison, those guys are playing for them and doing well, so we have to be prepared for that. Special teams wise they’re tied for sixth in blocked punts. They've had two. Their 19th in punt returns. Their specialists, Jonathan Cruz, a transfer from Charlotte, five-of-six field goals. Fraser Masin, 42-yard average as a punter. (Jordan) Watkins, a transfer from Louisville, their punt returner had a 22-yarder. That's been his longest this season. Kickoff returner Dayton Wade, a transfer from Western Kentucky, averaging 23 yards. The big thing is they blocked a couple punts. This team, like I said, they're hot. They have a lot of things going on. They're feeling it right now. They’re a very good opponent. It is going to be a challenge for us as we get ready for these guys to go on the road and again handle the noise, handle the travel. We haven’t handled all those things. We have an early ball game so it really comes back to us, what we have to do this week and our focus and how we get prepared to go out there and play another undefeated team.”

On sustaining drives on offense...

“It's always important; you want to keep the ball in your offense’s hands, and I think that's one of the things that has hurt our defense. You go three and out, three and out, three and out and you have got to think, just on the sideline, your operation. You come over after you get done, probably playing on special teams as well, then a punt return and offense gets the ball back, you go get a drink, you sit down, you make adjustments, and you are right back on the field. You want to give your defense a little bit of time to rest, but really to just go through some of the adjustments that the coaches in the box are seeing, so sustaining drives is huge, creating field position is huge, and then ultimately those drives turning into points. That has got to be something that we do a much better job of, and that's the consistency piece of just execution over and over. Giving our guys the best chance by our play calls, to keep ourselves on the field put ourselves in manageable situations. The penalties, we need to eliminate those because that creates a more difficult situation just down-and-distance. So, it's all those factors, but we want to sustain drives, stay on the field and really balance out the time of possession. The one thing for Ole Miss is that they go fast. That's not always the key factor in the game; for us, it's just about execution. It's about staying on the field and putting the ball in a position where we can sustain those drives, execute our third downs, create field position and ultimately get in the red zone and find ways to score.”

On sustaining the run game...

“I think (we need to run) the ball, but you have got to be able to balance it out to by throwing it. You don't want to get one-dimensional. You still have got to throw it and still need to be able to hit some easy throws. You have got to be able to hit some big plays. You need to be able to run the ball consistently, and like we talked about before the Georgia game, just being able to get some of those three-, four- or five-yard gains at times, too, and not the negative plays. So that comes back to us and just being better in those concepts, giving our guys the best chance to be successful in the schemes that we choose for them and to go out there and run so that we can stay ahead of the chains.”

On Robby Ashford’s growth...

“I think every quarterback, no matter who you are, throughout the season can improve. There are some guys playing at a really high level and they can all improve and get better, right? You're going to be playing stiffer competition as the season goes on. You have more film on tape of what you're capable of doing, so more teams are trying to dial into what you do well and take that away. I think his decision making has improved overall. We put the ball on the ground, and that was something we do not want to do. We want to take care of the football, but I think his decision making has gotten better. I think the operation starts with that you got to be able to operate, and it's not that simple. Just getting the play call, getting it in, making the checks, audibles, and the things we must do paying attention to the clock, making sure that we've got everything before the ball is snapped. What I've seen from him is when everybody's covered, he can pull it down and go make plays. He did that in the last game. We knew that would be a thing that would hurt Georgia and really any defense, when you have got a guy where everybody's covered, he can pull it down and make some plays with his legs. We saw that from both sides. Robby did it and we saw it from Stetson (Bennett), who was able to do some things with his feet as well. So that has helped us, and now it's not just him, but it's everybody. It's all the consistency across the board on the offensive side, and that goes back to us putting them in a position where those guys feel confident that they can execute the play successfully. We can stay ahead of the chains and just manage the offense and make sure that we're doing those things and then we have a chance to make some big plays. We'll do that as opportunities for plays to break down. The scramble, I think he's made some good decisions there and even in the last game, too, there were a couple of times he threw the ball away. That's not a bad choice and it wasn't a bad decision because there was nothing there and he was going to lose yards, so even sometimes, things don't go well. That decision, nobody likes it, but it's still the right decision.”

On how to improve ball security...

“I think that sometimes when you take off, the ball just comes out and it just came out, and I don't know if it just got knocked out necessarily, but the ball came out and that happens. I mean you carry a football a certain way and as a quarterback, you're going to palm the ball for a minute because you're trying to throw the ball and then at some point, you're going to tuck it away. There's that transition where you're going to go from palming the ball because you're moving and you might throw it, so you still have that grip and then you're going to tuck it and become a runner. In the in-between, that transition is where the ball came out. I don't think he's trying to be careless with it. I think he was in that transition and the ball slipped out of his hands. Sometimes you see a quarterback go back to throw and all of a sudden it slips out of his hands. It happens sometimes in practice; you wonder why it happens. I played the position, so I've done the same thing. It just happens, but at the same time those are things now we're clear on that it happens in games, but we can't let those things happen. So, now it did, and we can't go back, and we can't change that. So now as we move forward, what is a better option. So, now when he takes off, it's probably going to be tucked a lot sooner and is probably going to be protected better, because those things happen. Unfortunately, it happens to players, and they learn from that experience. It just happened to be on a drive, and it impacted us in a big game, because you turn the ball over. Those things become problematic and it's no different than if you're catching the ball and you're snatching that ball, ripping it down and taking it away from the defender. You're going up for it on defense and trying to take it away. It's all those things that you work on, and in the heat of the moment, it doesn’t always happen perfectly, but we’ve got to learn from that. We have got to take care of the ball, and so ball security, which has been an issue for us this year, we've got to continue to keep emphasizing that because that is the key to the game. You have got to take care of the football and every guy on this team knows that. Nobody's trying to not take care of the ball, but in order to win games, and to be a good football team, that's got to be the most important thing when you have that ball in your hands. So, we'll work on it, and he'll get better at it. That will continue to be an emphasis, and I know it's important to him. So, by no means does he run off the field shrug it off and like, ‘oh well.’ It hurts and he's going to work very hard on that to improve in that area.”

On the offense’s identity…

“Injuries happen, unfortunately. I mean, that's where your depth comes in, you want to have really good depth, that's why you're building your team. Every year, most of the time, you lose a quarter of your team, and you bring a quarter of your team in. In the middle is where your depth’s at, and probably your starters, and maybe some young guys. So, your backups have got to be ready to play and they’ve got to go in there and execute the game plan. You can't really pull back in the middle of a game. You’ve got to keep pushing forward. I think the identity right now, we want to be balanced, we want to run the ball, throw the ball, we want to have the play action off some of the run game, we want to be able to get on the perimeter, still be firm, and be able to run downhill inside the tackles, and utilize our personnel. So, that hasn't changed. Now, we've been very good at that at this point. Are we where we want to be right now? We're not, but that's what our identity is. So we're still working on building that identity. We have the vision for it, but we’ve got to actually do it. I think the game plans, what we put together each week, you don't get to every single play. Sometimes the game changes and you don't get to all the plays you had in there, you don't get to every single thing that you wanted to get to because maybe you're not in that field position, you're not in that down-and-distance. You can bump it up, but you really game-plan that for that moment. That's where sustaining drives, that's where getting more plays, that's where keeping the offense on the field is going to allow us more to get into that rhythm. If you watched a few of our drives this season early on, the LSU drive, some of those drives, that's what you want it to look like. I thought there was a good balance in there and we want to continue that.”

On the growth of the secondary…

“I think those guys are playing, they’re flying around number one, I think they're around in coverage, around the receivers. They're not giving those guys many opportunities just to be wide open or cutting a guy loose. We've gotten better at that. I think our D-line, some of the pressures, too, that we’ve put on the quarterbacks has helped, where they're not just standing back there and able to just scan the whole field and wait for a guy to open up. So I do think it's a combination of getting to the quarterback, and then also your secondary doing a good job. On some of the scramble stuff, too, we're plastering better, we're covering better, and we're getting better in the back end. I think that's one of the reasons why we've been able to maybe have some of those numbers. Now at the same time, you’ve still got to stop the run. So you want to be balanced on defense too. Don't give up the big plays. We're doing a good job there. But, at the same time, making sure that we're handling the run game.”

On handling the quarterback’s emotions as a coach…

“I think that's got to be really the same for where we want to be and that quarterback. You're the quarterback of the team, you're the leader, things get hard, guys get frustrated. But, at the same time, you got to come back, and you got to go get ready for the next drive. The process for a quarterback is when the drive is over, you go over to get a drink, get on the phone, and you start talking about adjustments. You start thinking about what the next series is going to look like, and then if you got a little bit of time, you get your guys fired up. Go tell them, ‘Hey, we're going to go out and score,’ or keep scoring, or ‘let's get back in the game,’ whatever that needs to be. I think just in your preparation, that's where the emotion and the game, if you prepared properly and you’ve experienced some of those things which he's experiencing right now, it's just a matter of getting a few more plays, and you're right back into it. You're going to have 75 plays, score, and be fine. You need five explosive plays, five big plays, so you don't know when they're coming. That's the reality of playing that position too. That drive didn't go well, we've been three and out four times in a row, come back and hit a big shot, touchdown. If you come right back again, bang, get another big shot, touchdown, we get a big run, Jarquez Hunter breaks three tackles and runs for a touchdown, we didn't expect that on the five-yard throw. That's really that type of thinking that you have to have. I think the emotion of the game, that's part of it. At the same time, you’ve still got to think and you got to keep yourself in a state of mind where you can go out there and execute because that will affect you too. That's not just him, that's really everybody, and trying to get that taught comes from experience, from guys trusting in what we're doing, and making sure that their preparation through the week, they understand we're close. That's one thing, too, when you go out there and the play isn't executed right or whatever happens on the play didn't work. Maybe they out-schemed us, but you understand why and it's like, ‘Okay, I got that, let's come back to that next time,’ or ‘Let's move away from that,’ or ‘Let's hit this play that's close to that, it's going to give us an advantage,’ you’ve got to be thinking in those terms. Otherwise, the emotion takes over and you're not thinking. In order to win a game, you’ve got to think through 60 minutes, you’ve got to really be dialed into what you have to do, especially in that position. So, he's learning. There's a fire in every competitor, and so there are moments when they're like, ‘Look, if you're upset, then you’ve got to take a second.’ But that's where, over time, that will go away. That will go away in the process, coming off a score, get over there. The same process: get on the phone, make adjustments, talk to your team, think about what you have to do get ready to get the ball back, and go.”

On adjusting the run scheme…

“Penetration slows the backs down, and depending on the run scheme, whatever it is, there are different schemes in there, but you don't want to give up penetration. I think that's what's happened to us at times. As far as adjusting, blocking is a fundamental of the game, probably the most important one. That goes back to your footwork, goes back to your aiming points, goes back to what the defense is trying to do to you. It goes back to just how you prepare yourself each and every week and how we get our guys prepared. Part of that is what we do when we are in pads every Tuesday and Wednesday, working on the run game and working on what we think the defense is going to try to give us. So, we’ve got to be better up front. You don't want to give up penetration. It's not always that you're moving and denting that defense all the time, but it gives your backs a chance when they can get to the line of scrimmage and be able to see and find a window. Sometimes it's two yards, four yards, and then you get some really good push, it can be 18. It can be big runs. That's the key to what we have to do up front is just not give up penetration, get those backs a chance to get started, and they'll do something with it.”

On improving the offensive line...

"You can do different things, and I think we do that. It's not because of talent. I think that's the number one thing. You're going to run your schemes based off what you think is best against the defense that you're playing, and then you have some of the schemes that you believe in. There's a philosophy that we have in the run game. Which is probably similar to quite a few teams. You see a lot of the same schemes, right? You see a lot of the same things in the NFL and the run game. And, you know, maybe it's a little bit different. When you've got a quarterback that can run, you've got a couple of guys you can get the ball to on fly sweeps, there's different ways to do it. But ultimately, your run game is going to come down to what your guys do up front and the fundamentals of how they play and block. And then working together on the double teams, working in the one-on-one situations, and I think knowing when you're in that situation is the key. Have I got help or am I single? That’s the difference. When you've got some help it's a little bit different of how you treat your footwork when you don't have help. It's one on one. A lot of times on the offensive line, you've got to win the one-on-one. That is what it comes down to. We've got guys that can do that. They're not perfect. We've got to help them, and there are some things we can do schematically that can help them. We know that, and we've got to do a better job of putting them in positions to be successful and at the same time, you still have to go out there and play. You've still got to go out there and execute those assignments, which our guys will do. They will do that. Which there were some good things that we did do, but now we've got to get all eleven guys doing that together. I think that's the key moving forward, is really focusing on that. But our guys, they work very hard at it. They'll get better at it. We're not where we need to be, but we've got to get back to work this week and improve in those areas."

On Ole Miss improvement from last year…

"Well, they were pretty good last year. They are better. Again, they have made improvements. You can see the guys are playing with confidence. I think they're playing fast. I think they're physical on that side of the ball. I think they're tackling well. Just look at the stats, it shows up with that right there. It's pretty good, from what I've seen. And like I said, they're on a roll right now. They've got momentum, and I think that impacts really the whole team. And certainly, as we look at their offense, we know they're going to do well on that side of the ball, and they're going to have a lot of firepower over there. Defensively, they're also very, very good. And that's something that we've seen. I felt like last year we played a good game against them last year. I thought that we did some really good things in the game, and we were balanced and we had the run and pass and all of that stuff in that one game working for us, but overall they've definitely improved. This is a good football team. That's why they're undefeated."

Why does he only get softball questions?

[aubiefifty 18,248]

flywareagle.com

 

Auburn football: The ‘real reason’ for February inquiry into program

Andrew Hughes

3 minutes

---

Opelika-Auburn News deputy editor Justin Lee revealed the real reason why there was an inquiry into the Auburn football program this past February (Photo by Michael Chang/Getty Images)

 

At 3-3, with a 9-10 overall record as head coach, Auburn football head coach Bryan Harsin is simultaneously under fire and under a safety umbrella as someone unlikely to lose his job until Auburn University names a new athletic director.

Until that TBD AD walks through the door, Harsin is a lucky man. He could be even luckier than most realize though, given the results of this past February’s infamous inquiry into the Auburn football program.

While teams have used the inquiry against the Tigers on the recruiting trail, the ugliest part of it — and arguably the impetus for why there was such an investigation being conducted in the first place — was largely omitted.

According to Auburn-Opelika News deputy news editor Justin Lee, who was in the middle of a lengthy rant about why Harsin is the luckiest coach in college football, that would be investigation into the possible mistreatment of Black players:

The accusations against Auburn football head coach Bryan Harsin

When it comes to mistreatment of black players, departed former Tigers like Lee Hunter and Kobe Hudson certainly made it sound like there was a real problem. “The reason I chose to leave Auburn (was) because we got treated like we wasn’t good enough and like dogs,” said Hunter. “Coach Harsin has the true mindset for a winner but has a terrible mindset as a person.”

Bennett Durando, formerly of the Montgomery Advertiser, heard this from a source in a February 4 piece about the inquiry:

“Harsin made efforts to relate to players like the ones he had at Boise State – often from a working-class white demographic – but did not always make the same effort to connect with others – often Black players from urban areas in the South. However, the source said they never heard Harsin use racist remarks or language.”

Several Black players came to Harsin’s defense following, and the lack of any substantial evidence of racist rhetoric from the Boise native certainly helps his case. Still, Justin Lee throwing this out there breathes life back into the issue.

[bigbird 60,939]

1 hour ago, NWALA Tiger said:

Why does he only get softball questions?

They tried asking harder questions but He couldn't adjust

[NWALA Tiger 3,616]

26 minutes ago, bigbird said:

They tried asking harder questions but He couldn't adjust

Sorta like in the 2nd half of games

[imaolgatiger 525]

Justin Lee is a POS! 

[aubiefifty 18,248]

12 minutes ago, imaolgatiger said:

Justin Lee is a POS! 

is he a frustrated auburn fan or just a stirrer? i know he wanted hars gone last year but this seems pretty far fetched. i guess there is little jounalistic integrity