10/24/22 Auburn Articles

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Auburn football: Predicting the final 5 games of the 2022 season

Glenn Sattell Glenn Sattell is an award-winning freelance writer for Saturday Down South.

5-6 minutes

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If any team needed a bye week, it was the Auburn Tigers. Three consecutive losses followed a 3-1 start, leaving the Tigers at the bottom of the SEC standings with Arkansas; both 1-3 in conference play.

It cemented a foregone conclusion that Bryan Harsin’s tenure at Auburn will end just as soon as a new athletic director is hired. You wouldn’t know it by the fight in the Tigers, but all indications suggest their leader won’t be back for 2023.

At 3-4 Auburn has 5 games left on the 2022 schedule and the question arises: Will the Tigers reach bowl eligibility? If the rush defense, last in the SEC and 119th in FBS allowing 204.43 yards a game on the ground doesn’t improve, it’ll be a long 2nd half of the season.

Here’s a look at each individual game and a prediction on how each one will end.

vs. Arkansas (L)

This could well be the pivotal game in Auburn’s drive for a bowl game.

It’s Arkansas’ strength – running the ball – against Auburn’s weakness. The Hogs, 2nd in the SEC, average 240 rushing yards a game. They should be able to control the tempo and put the pressure on Auburn with long drives to keep the ball away from the Tigers’ offense.

However, Arkansas has been prone to the big play this season, and that gives the Tigers hope. If Tank Bigsby can break off big runs, and if Robby Ashford can find open receivers, the game could wind up a shoot-out. It shouldn’t come as a surprise. The teams have combined for 58-plus points in 7 of the past 8 games of the series.

Still, Auburn loses a close, high-scoring game.

at Mississippi State (L)

This game also could go either way, but the Bulldogs take advantage of the home field to squeeze out a victory. Will Rogers, the SEC passing leader with 332 passing yards a game, does just enough to keep the cow bells ringing and lift State to a hard-fought victory.

It all but ends Auburn’s quest for a postseason berth. It’s the Tigers’ 6th loss and they’d have to win out, and that includes a victory in the Iron Bowl, to go bowling.

Amazingly, nothing changes, Auburn fights to the end in its final 2 games; just as it has for the first 9.

vs. Texas A&M (W)

Despite a 5-game losing streak, Harsin has the Tigers prepared for a struggling Aggies team battling for a bowl berth themselves, and upsets their visitors at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

How do they do it? The never-give-up attitude finally pays off and Auburn wins on the scrimmage line, coming out on the winning side of a tough, hard-nosed, low-scoring contest.

vs. Western Kentucky (W)

The Tigers follow the upset victory against Texas A&M, by looking as good as they have in any game this season while rolling to an easy victory against their non-conference visitor.

It’s a win that puts 5-6 Auburn in position to eye bowl eligibility with a victory against Alabama in the Iron Bowl. That’s incentive enough, as if they needed more, to get Auburn’s best effort in the regular season finale.

at Alabama (L)

The Tigers aren’t about to give up without a fight in one of the country’s more intense rivalries. Auburn outworks the heavily-favored Tide, but Alabama’s talent advantage is too much to overcome. Ultimately, Alabama is one score better when the clock reaches zeroes.

The Tide moves on to the postseason while Auburn ends the 2022 campaign at 5-7.

The decision is an easy one for the new AD concerning Harsin’s future. It’s the Tigers’ first back-to-back losing seasons this century. The last time it happened was in 1998 and 1999, in the final season for Terry Bowden (3-9) followed by the first season for Tommy Tuberville (5-6). It was Tuberville’s only losing season until his 10th and final year when Auburn went 5-7 in 2008.

Doug Barfield, in his first 2 seasons on the Plains, 1976 and 1977, was the last Tigers head coach to have back-to-back losing seasons.

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#PMARSHONAU: Sunday reflections from Auburn and beyond

Future Auburn opponents hit on hard times

Auburn’s next three SEC opponents seem to be crumbling before their eyes. Arkansas, next Saturday’s opponent, was off after winning 52-35 at BYU. But the Razorbacks lost three straight before that. Mississippi State was shut down 30-6 at Alabama after losing 27-17 at Kentucky last week. And perennially overrated Texas A&M lost 30-24 at South Carolina to fall to 3-4 overall.

Is this season’s West Division the weakest it’s ever been? I believe you can make that case. Auburn, Arkansas and Texas A&M are tied for last with 1-3 conference records. Auburn’s only win is one that was gift-wrapped by Missouri. A&M’s only win is over Arkansas. Arkansas’ only win is over South Carolina.

Alabama is going to win the division easily. Ole Miss, unbeaten going into Saturday, has given up 79 points the past two games – to Auburn and LSU. LSU is no offensive juggernaut. Auburn had not scored more than 17 points against a Power 5 opponent before losing 48-34 at Ole Miss.

LSU shows significant progress in win over Ole Miss

OK, I was wrong. LSU has improved significantly since it trailed Auburn 17-0 at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Ole Miss jumped all over the Bayou Bengals out of the gate at Tiger Stadium, taking a 17-3 lead. And then LSU took over in a big way en route to a 45-20 victory.

That game made some things obvious: LSU, now 4-1 in the SEC, might be the second-best team in the West. Quarterback Jayden Daniels is playing far better than he did against Auburn. Ole Miss does not have enough defense to stay in the championship race, though, to be fair, the Rebels lost their two leading tacklers to injuries.

LSU is going to be writing a large check to the SEC. Students stormed the field after Saturday’s win over Ole Miss. I wonder when was the last time beating Ole Miss led to field-storming.

Texas A&M’s shocking collapse

I have frequently questioned the annual lovefest for Texas A&M, but not even I expected what has happened. A 3-4 record with one SEC win on a missed Arkansas field goal and losses to Appalachian State and South Carolina  is remarkably bad for a team that was ranked No. 6 nationally going into the season. Saturday night at South Carolina, Texas A&M was called for a startling eight false starts.

I have known Jimbo Fisher since he arrived at Auburn with Terry Bowden. I like and respect him. But when you break down his career as a head coach, beyond two seasons when he had a generational quarterback in Jameis Winston, it’s pretty average. Gaudy recruiting rankings are great, but they guarantee nothing.

What led the Texas A&M administration to give him the contract of all contracts and then extend that contract is anybody’s guess. But even at Texas A&M, an $80-plus million contract buyout would be a lot to swallow.

Clemson provides a recruiting blueprint

As I watched Clemson come from behind to beat Syracuse on Saturday, I didn’t see the kind of across-the-board elite athleticism and talent that I see when I watch Alabama, Georgia or Ohio State. And that’s when it hit me.

Auburn needs to recruit like Clemson recruits, and there is no reason it can’t. What Clemson has and has had is impact players. And that should be Auburn’s focus, too. Matching Alabama and Georgia 1-85 is neither likely nor necessary. Having enough difference-makers to make plays against them is necessary.

About those star rankings

I asked a former coach who was an extremely successful SEC recruiter how important star rankings are. Here is what he said:

“The problem with star rankings is that some coaches get so carried away with them that they don’t trust their own eyes. Stars tell you something, but they don’t tell you everything. If you do a good job of evaluating and believe a guy can play, you shouldn’t let stars scare you off. If you think a guy is not what you are looking for, you don’t need to take him because somebody says he’s a 5-star.”

The Bo Show: Nix shines in Oregon victory

Former Auburn quarterback Bo Nix put on a show Saturday, throwing five touchdown passes as Oregon beat previously unbeaten UCLA 45-30. The Ducks, who started Dan Lanning’s time as head coach with an awful 48-3 loss to Georgia in the season-opener, have not lost since. Nix is a big part of the reason for that.

At Auburn, Nix had three different play callers in three seasons – Gus Malzahn in 2019, Chad Morris in 2020 and Bryan Harsin/Mike Bobo in 2021. That is problematic even for NFL quarterbacks. Now, of course, Nix is on his fourth, but he clearly connects much better with Oregon offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham.

Remember Dillingham? He was Auburn’s “offensive coordinator” in 2019. He was not even allowed to be heavily involved in game planning, much less play-calling. What he did was establish a close relationship with Nix, who was SEC Freshman of the Year. Lanning is a former defensive coordinator, so Dillingham runs the Oregon offense. Nix made what I know to have been a gut-wrenching decision to leave the school for which he’d always wanted to play. But for him, it was clearly the right decision.

A three-team race in the SEC

With one weekend remaining in October, the SEC race is essentially down to three teams – Alabama and the winner of the upcoming game between Georgia and Tennessee. Yes, LSU and Ole Miss have just one loss each, but they are long shots at best.

Could Alabama, Tennessee and Georgia all make the four-team playoff field? It is not likely, but it is certainly possible. What if the Georgia-Tennessee winner finishes the season unbeaten and Alabama has one loss? And what if Alabama wins the SEC Championship Game and three SEC teams have just one loss each? It doesn’t take much imagination to see that happening.

Leach’s air raid can’t take off against Alabama

In his third season since bringing the air raid offense to Mississippi State, Mike Leach has done some impressive things. But, man alive, he and his offense are helpless against Alabama. In three games, Alabama has outscored the Bulldogs 120-15, winning 41-0 in 2020, 49-9 in 2021 and 30-6 last Saturday.

Random thoughts

* Is it just me or are there an unusual number of penalties being called in this college football season?

* Will Auburn’s search for an athletics director be over by the end of the week? I don’t know, but I surely hope it is.

40COMMENTS

* You have to feel for Vanderbilt. The Commodores seem to have the best team they have had in a while, and they still can’t find a way to win an SEC game.

* At Florida and South Carolina, Steve Spurrier had a hard and fast rule: If you hit a girl, regardless of the circumstances, he told his players, you would not play for him again. Too bad more coaches don’t take that stance.

* I would not have thought it a few weeks ago, but I am starting to believe Ohio State might have the nation’s best team.

Until next time …

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Jason Caldwell's Monday morning quarterback column

Jason Caldwell

4-5 minutes

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Stretch run time

Following a bye the Auburn football Tigers get back into game week preparations with the Arkansas Razorbacks up next. It’s one of four consecutive games in which Coach Bryan Harsin’s team will absolutely have a chance to come away with a win with Mississippi State, Texas A&M and Western Kentucky up next. They are also four straight games that this team could lose if the Tigers don’t correct some of the issues that have plagued them the first seven games of the 2022 season.

My guess is it will be somewhere in between, but it’s going to take Robby Ashford and this Auburn offense building on the performance against Ole Miss to make that happen. Running the football is going to be the key, something that can be done against an Arkansas defense that is every bit as porous as Ole Miss was.

The Razorbacks are 120th nationally in total defense, allowing 457 yards per game. Against Power 5 opposition that number climbs to 470 yards. They are allowing 35 points per game in those same opportunities.

Auburn is absolutely going to have the chance to make plays on Saturday. Can the Tigers avoid the turnovers that have hurt them this season and can they run the football? That’s the issue for them this week because Arkansas is going to score points. Can Auburn match them? That’s the question.

The next two weeks will see better defensive teams, but both Mississippi State and Texas A&M are having their own issues on offense. At the moment those feel like the Missouri and LSU games for Auburn, games that will go down to the wire and the first team to 20 wins. 

There’s a path for this team to get back on track and build a little momentum heading towards the end of the season and the Iron Bowl, but there’s also a very real possibility that things could go from bad to worse. We’ll find out soon enough which direction things will take.

Around the league

Following a slow Saturday in SEC play, things get ramped up in a big way with the next few weeks going a long way towards deciding how the divisions are going to line up this season. After watching LSU in person in Auburn a few weeks ago, I wasn’t sure they were very good. I’m still not sure of that, but the Ole Miss defense was so bad that I picked LSU to win at home. I didn’t think it would look like that, however. LSU has improved by leaps and bounds over the course of this season. You have got to give credit to Brian Kelly and his staff because that’s not a roster loaded with NFL guys at the moment.

Alabama got back to work following a loss to Tennessee and the perfect opponent was Mississippi State. Nick Saban’s defense has just simply dominated the Bulldogs under Mike Leach and that continued on Saturday night with the Crimson Tide playing a three-man front and daring Mississippi State to run the football. They had a few plays that worked, but didn’t score a touchdown until the last play of the game. It was Mississippi State's first touchdown in Tuscaloosa since 2014.

South Carolina got a big win over Texas A&M to improve to 5-2 on the year and move back into the Top 25. With Missouri and Vanderbilt up next before a trip to Gainesville, the Gamecocks should finish 7-5 at a minimum this season and continue moving in the right direction under Coach Shane Beamer. Meanwhile, Mississippi State continues the Leach trend. They’ll be just good enough to win a solid game or two, it’s going to end in four or more losses. Leach has been a head coach for 21 seasons and has lost at least four times in 17 of those years. Another loss this season would mean 18 of 21 seasons losing at least 4 games. Just wild.

Tennessee gets Kentucky this week while Georgia plays Florida in Jacksonville. Both should be able to navigate those games without too much trouble, setting the table for what should be a wild one when the Vols head to Athens on November 5. It should be a monster game that day, not only for the SEC, but nationally.

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247sports.com

 

By the numbers: Where Auburn statistically stands after bye week

 

A surprise rushing performance for Auburn last week against Ole Miss (301 yards) lost some of its luster Saturday, when LSU became the second straight team to trounce the Rebels on the ground, this time for 252 yards on the ground. Still, what was easily the Tigers' best offensive outing of the year in Oxford served to improve a handful of their scoring, rushing and efficiency metrics, while their defense, particularly defending the run, continues to provide some of the worst marks by Auburn on that side of the ball in recent seasons.

We're past the midway point of the regular season, so the caveat of early season statistics being skewed because of a couple big performances can be lifted. Every program's current state in terms of statistical successes and shortcomings is now a relatively accurate reflection of that team.

Statistically, here is where Auburn stands in conference and national rankings as it exits its bye week and prepares to host Arkansas. Auburn Undercover will track and present these weekly statistics moving forward for the rest of the season.

Offense

QB rating: 111.97 (14th SEC, 115th nationally)

Passing offense: 207.6 YPG (13th, 102nd)

Yards per pass attempt: 7.4 YPA (10th, T-70th)

Rushing offense: 170.0 YPG (8th, 55th)

Yards per rush attempt: 4.51 (8th, 55th)

Scoring offense: 22.3 PPG (13th, 108th)

Total offense: 377.6 YPG (9th, 80th)

Points per play: 0.275 (11th, 110th)

Points per drive: 1.55 (12th, 108th)

Third-down conversions: 33.3% (14th, T-108th)

Red-zone TD rate: 63.64% (10th, T-61st)

Explosive passing plays (30-plus yards): 11 (7th, T-50th)

Explosive rushing plays (20-plus yards): 14 (T-3rd, T-16th) 

Sacks allowed: 16 (T-11th, T-76th)

Tackles for loss allowed: 43 (T-8th, T-83rd)

Fumbles lost: 6 (T-7th, T-90th)

Defense

Total defense: 391.0 YPG (10th SEC, 81st nationally)

Opposing passer rating: 119.6 (7th, 29th)

Opposing completion percentage: 58.5% (8th, 43rd)

Passing yards: 186.6 YPG (4th, 19th)

Rushing yards: 204.3 YPG (14th, 119th)

Yards per carry: 4.85 YPC (14th, 117th)

Scoring defense: 28.3 PPG (12th, 83rd)

Points per play allowed: 0.414 (11th, 81st)

Points per drive allowed: 2.36 (10th, 73rd)

Third-down conversions: 42.72% (11th, 101st)

Red-zone TD rate: 67.86% (12th, 104th)

Explosive passing plays allowed (30-plus yards): 6 (T-3rd, T-14th)

Explosive rushing plays allowed (20-plus yards): 15 (14th, T-119th)

Sacks: 13 (T-7th, T-84th

Tackles for loss: 33 (T-11th, T-115th)

Interceptions: 2 (T-13th, T-120th)

Recovered fumbles: 2 (T-10th, T-88th)

Special teams

Net punting: 42.29 (2nd SEC, 14th nationally)

Opposing punt returns: 7.0 YPR (6th, 59th)

Own punt returns: 8.92 YPR (8th, 49th)

Field goals: 80.0% (4th, T-44th)

Opposing kickoff returns: 20.45 YPR (8th, T-73rd)

Own kickoff returns: 13.36 yards (14th, 126th)

Miscellaneous

Penalties: 6.6 per game (7th SEC, T-78th nationally)

Turnover margin: -9 (14th, T-130th)

ESPN FPI

Strength of record: No. 48 nationally

Game control: No. 47

Remaining strength of schedule: No. 1 

Offensive efficiency rating: No. 77

Defensive efficiency rating: No. 46

Special teams efficiency rating: No. 72

ESPN SP+

Offensive efficiency rating: No. 42 nationally

Defensive efficiency rating: No. 61

Special teams efficiency rating: No. 35

Overall ranking: No. 48

Remaining schedule (ESPN FPI)

vs. Arkansas: 56.3% chance to win

@ Mississippi State: 20.2%

vs. Texas A&M: 46.8%

vs. Western Kentucky: 58.5%

@ Alabama: 4.1%

Individual leaders

Passing

Yards per game: Robby Ashford — 144.9 (13th SEC)

Touchdowns: Robby Ashford — 4 (T-16th SEC)

Interceptions: Robby Ashford — 5 (T-10th SEC)

Completion %: Robby Ashford — 47.9% (13th SEC)

Yards per attempt: Robby Ashford — 7.2 (11th SEC)

Rushing

Yards per game: Tank Bigsby — 74.86 (7th SEC)

Yards per carry: Tank Bigsby — 5.29 (20th SEC)

Touchdowns: Tank Bigsby — 6 (T-8th SEC)

Receiving

Receptions: Ja'Varrius Johnson — 19 (T-26th SEC)

Receiving yards per game: Ja'Varrius Johnson — 47.9 (20th SEC)

">247Sports

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26 minutes ago, aucom96 said:

lol

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Quote

there are very few auburn articles out today for some weird reason...........

 

[weagl1 1,812]

You look at those stats and you see just how bad it is.  Can’t run, can’t pass, a turnover machine, weak run defense, you name it this team is bad at it.  This is what you get when you combine poor recruiting with poor coaching.  They say numbers don’t lie.  If anyone ever doubted it is time for a change all you have to do is take a look at the numbers.  I feel sorry for our few great players they deserve better.  

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Auburn opens as home underdog against Arkansas for first time since 1998

Published: Oct. 24, 2022, 9:00 a.m.

2-3 minutes

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01 10, 2022; Auburn, AL, USA; Robby Ashford (9) Tiger Walk run out during Auburn vs Missouri Zach Bland/AU AthleticsZach Bland/AU Athletics

Fresh off the bye week, Auburn will be a home underdog for the third time in six games at Jordan-Hare Stadium this season.

Auburn opened as a 4.5-point underdog for Saturday’s game against Arkansas, according to VegasInsider.com, with the line shifting to four points as of Monday morning. It’s the first time since 1998 that the Tigers have not been favored against the Razorbacks at Jordan-Hare Stadium; Auburn was a 2.5-point underdog in that matchup, according to OddsShark’s database, and lost, 24-21.

It’s also the second straight year that Arkansas has been favored against Auburn. The Razorbacks were slight favorites at home entering last year’s matchup but Bryan Harsin’s program left Fayetteville, Ark., with a top-25 road win.

This year’s matchup on the Plains is set for an 11 a.m. kick and will air on SEC Network. Both teams are coming off open dates in Week 8. Auburn (3-4, 1-3 SEC) is mired in a three-game losing streak after a home loss to LSU and back-to-back road losses at Georgia and at Ole Miss. Arkansas’ last game was a double-digit road win at BYU, which snapped a three-game skid for Sam Pittman’s program.

Auburn leads the all-time series against Arkansas, 19-11-1, and has won each of the last six meetings, including last season’s matchup, when Harsin’s team knocked off then-No. 17 Arkansas, 38-23. Auburn is 9-5-1 at home against Arkansas in series history and holds a 10-6 advantage in SEC play. Auburn has not lost to Arkansas at Jordan-Hare Stadium since 2012, when the Razorbacks beat the Tigers, 24-7.

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

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College football TV schedule for Week 9 of 2022 season

Published: Oct. 24, 2022, 9:00 a.m.

3-4 minutes

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Below is the college football TV and live stream schedule for Week 9 of the 2022 season. All times Central:

Thursday, Oct. 27

Virginia Tech at North Carolina State, 6:30 p.m., ESPN (ESPN+)

Louisiana at Southern Miss, 6:30 p.m., ESPNU (ESPN+)

Utah at Washington State, 9 p.m., Fox Sports 1 (Fox Sports)

Friday, Oct. 28

Yale at Columbia, 5:30 p.m., ESPNU (ESPN+)

East Carolina at BYU, 7 p.m., ESPN2 (ESPN+)

Louisiana Tech at Florida International, 7 p.m., CBS Sports Network (CBS Sports video)

Saturday, Oct. 29

Notre Dame at Syracuse, 11 a.m., ABC (espn3)

Ohio State at Penn State, 11 a.m., Fox (Fox Sports)

TCU at West Virginia, 11 a.m., ESPN (ESPN+)

South Florida at Houston, 11 a.m., ESPN2 (ESPN+)

Toledo at Eastern Michigan, 11 a.m., ESPNU (ESPN+)

Oklahoma at Iowa State, 11 a.m., Fox Sports 1 (Fox Sports)

Arkansas at Auburn, 11 a.m., SEC Network (ESPN+)

Georgia Tech at Florida State, 11 a.m., ACC Network (ESPN+)

Boston College at Connecticut, 11 a.m., CBS Sports Network (CBS Sports video)

Miami at Virginia, 11:30 a.m., Bally Sports South (Bally Sports+)

Rutgers at Minnesota, 1:30 p.m., Big Ten Network (Fox Sports)

Illinois at Nebraska, 2:30 p.m., ABC (espn3)

Florida vs. Georgia (at Jacksonville, Fla.), 2:30 p.m., CBS (SEC on CBS)

Oklahoma State at Kansas State, 2:30 p.m., Fox (Fox Sports)

Cincinnati at Central Florida, 2:30 p.m., ESPN (ESPN+)

Northwestern at Iowa, 2:30 p.m., ESPN2 (ESPN+)

Alabama State vs. Alabama A&M (at Birmingham), 2:30 p.m., ESPN Network TBD (ESPN+)

Oregon at California, 2:30 p.m., Fox Sports 1 (Fox Sports)

Wake Forest at Louisville, 2:30 p.m., ACC Network (ESPN+)

Temple at Navy, 2:30 p.m., CBS Sports Network (CBS Sports video)

South Alabama at Arkansas State, 3 p.m., ESPNU (ESPN+)

Missouri at South Carolina, 3 p.m., SEC Network (ESPN+)

Kentucky at Tennessee, 6 p.m., ESPN (ESPN+)

Colorado State at Boise State, 6 p.m., Fox Sports 1 (Fox Sports)

Coastal Carolina at Marshall, 6 p.m., NFL Network (NFL Network live)

USC at Arizona, 6 p.m., Pac-12 Network (Pac-12 Network Live)

UAB at Florida Atlantic, 6 p.m., CBS Sports Network (CBS Sports video)

Michigan State at Michigan, 6:30 p.m., ABC (espn3)

Baylor at Texas Tech, 6:30 p.m., ESPN2 (ESPN+)

Arizona State at Colorado, 6:30 p.m., ESPNU (ESPN+)

Ole Miss at Texas A&M, 6:30 p.m., SEC Network (ESPN+)

Pittsburgh at North Carolina, 7 p.m., ACC Network (ESPN+)

Stanford at UCLA, 9:30 p.m., ESPN (ESPN+)

San Diego State at Fresno State, 9:30 p.m., Fox Sports 1 (Fox Sports)

Nevada at San Jose State, 9:30 p.m., CBS Sports Network (CBS Sports video)

Select games are also available via FUBO.tv. Click HERE for subscription information.

If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation.

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Kickoff time, TV network set for Auburn’s trip to Mississippi State

Updated: Oct. 24, 2022, 12:06 p.m.|Published: Oct. 24, 2022, 11:50 a.m.

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Auburn running back Tank Bigsby (4) runs for a first down against Mississippi during the second half of an NCAA college football game in Oxford, Miss., Saturday, Oct. 15, 2022. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)AP

Auburn and Mississippi State will kick off under the lights in Starkville, Miss., in Week 9.

The Tigers and Bulldogs are set for a 6:30 p.m. kickoff when they meet at Davis Wade Stadium on Nov. 5, the SEC announced late Monday morning. The matchup will air on ESPN2.

Read more Auburn football: Defensive tackle Zykeivous Walker no longer on Auburn’s roster

Auburn opens as home underdog against Arkansas for first time since 1998

Statistically speaking: Where Auburn stands coming off the bye week

Auburn’s trip to Starkville will mark the 96th all-time meeting between the two SEC West foes. Auburn leads the series, 62-30-3, and holds a 14-7-1 edge on the road in the series. Despite that advantage on the Bulldogs’ home turf, the Tigers are 2-3 in their last five trips to Davis Wade Stadium.

This year, Auburn will try to avenge the loss that kicked off the program’s backslide during the second half of last season. The Tigers squandered a 28-3 first-half lead last year at Jordan-Hare Stadium, giving up 40 unanswered points on the way to a 43-34 home loss. It was the first of five consecutive losses for Auburn to end Year 1 under Bryan Harsin, and the program has not fully recovered in the nearly 12 months since, as the Tigers are off to a 3-4 start to this season -- with two wins coming against an FCS team and a Mountain West opponent, and the other coming in the form of an overtime escape against Missouri to open SEC play.

Before Auburn travels to Starkville, it will host Arkansas this weekend at Jordan-Hare Stadium while aiming to snap a three-game losing streak. Mississippi State (5-3, 2-3 SEC) is off this week after losing back-to-back games against Kentucky and Alabama, as Mike Leach’s program dropped out of the AP top 25 on Sunday.

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

If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation.

[aucanucktiger 1,910]

Unless we regress from our shoulda beatin LSU & Ole Miss showings, it will take some serious bad luck/key injuries to lose to Arky AND Miss St AND Bama, IMO.

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Reserve Auburn running back out for remainder of season

Updated: Oct. 24, 2022, 2:41 p.m.|Published: Oct. 24, 2022, 2:03 p.m.

2-3 minutes

Auburn running back Jordon Ingram (24) carries the ball during the A-Day NCAA college spring football game at Jordan-Hare Stadium, Saturday, April 9, 2022, in Auburn, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)AP

Auburn will be without one of its reserve running backs for the remainder of the season.

Jordon Ingram sustained a lateral meniscus tear in his knee during practice and will be sidelined the rest of the season after underdoing surgery, Auburn coach Bryan Harsin announced Monday. Ingram is expected to miss three to four months while recovering.

Read more Auburn football: Kickoff time, TV network set for Auburn’s trip to Mississippi State

Defensive tackle Zykeivous Walker no longer on Auburn’s roster

Auburn opens as home underdog against Arkansas for first time since 1998

“(It) was kind of a fluke deal,” Harsin said. “It was on a pass-catching drill, just kind of landed on it wrong.... Obviously, that’s season-ending for him.”

A transfer from Central Michigan, Ingram has appeared in just one game during his two seasons at Auburn. He recorded two carries for 8 yards during last season’s win against Alabama State.

Ingram is a native of Mobile who was a standout at St. Paul’s, where he was a second-team All-State selection as a senior, when he rushed for 1,394 yards and 18 touchdowns. He signed with Central Michigan but did not see the field in 2020 before he opted to transfer to Auburn, providing depth in the backfield.

This season, he was behind Tank Bigsby, Jarquez Hunter, Damari Alston and Sean Jackson on the depth chart at running back.

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

If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation.

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Bo Nix asked why he’s performing better at Oregon than he did at Auburn

Updated: Oct. 24, 2022, 1:20 p.m.|Published: Oct. 24, 2022, 1:20 p.m.

3 minutes

Oregon quarterback Bo Nix (#10) shouts toward running back Bucky Irving after his touchdown score as the No. 10 Ducks face the No. 9 UCLA Bruins in a Pac-12 college football game at Autzen stadium in Eugene, Oregon on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022. Sean Meagher/The Oregonian

Bo Nix threw for 283 yards and five touchdowns and No. 10 Oregon handed No. 9 UCLA its first loss of the season 45-30 on Saturday.

After the game, a reporter asked the former Auburn quarterback “what’s different for you this year because you are on a different level than in the past?”

“Well, I think it’s just scheme, just the players around me,” Nix said. “I think we’ve done such a good job of just running the play that’s called. To be honest, when I’m out there doing it, it doesn’t feel like I’m a whole lot because I don’t have to. I just have to get the ball to the playmakers around me. ...

“I always feel like we have plays called at the right time. We’re doing great with our shots, explosive plays. When we call them, we’re hitting them.”

The win extended Oregon’s winning streak at Autzen Stadium to 23 games, matching a school record. It is the third-best active home streak in the nation. The Ducks (6-1, 4-0 Pac-12) have won six straight since a season-opening loss to Georgia and are the lone remaining undefeated team in Pac-12 conference play.

“Well, I think, obviously, there’s a whole lot of dynamics that go into it,” Nix said Saturday. “Different schedule you’re playing, different teams you’re playing, different personnel, different staffs, different offensive schemes, so it’s hard to say that the other coaches didn’t get it out of me because, at times, I was doing the same thing at Auburn.

“It was just the consistent part. We’re doing that now and it talks to all 11 of us. All 11 of us who are out there are being consistent. Every once in a while we’ll have a hiccup drive, and we’ll have to go three-and-out and punt, but we know it’s not going to happen a second time. ... Consistency is the main thing we’re doing offensively right now.”

Nix has thrown for 17 touchdowns and rushed for eight this season. He completed 21 of 28 passes against the Bruins. His favorite target on Saturday was Troy Franklin, who had eight catches for 132 yards and two scores.

Mark Heim is a sports reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim.

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What Bryan Harsin said to preview Arkansas

Updated: Oct. 24, 2022, 2:51 p.m.|Published: Oct. 24, 2022, 1:35 p.m.

5-7 minutes

Bryan Harsin is ready for the weekly press conference he does each Monday to preview the Tigers’ opponent. Auburn hopes to bounce back from a three-game losing streak when they host Arkansas for an 11 am kickoff on Saturday at Jordan-Hare.

The Tigers are 19-11 in the series against Arkansas, including last season’s 38-23 win against the Razorbacks. Auburn has won the previous six games against the Razorbacks.

Here are the updates.

-- Harsin opens the press conference by saying the team took advantage of the open date last week and had a great practice on Sunday heading into the Arkansas game.

“This will be four weeks this Saturday since we’ve been at home, so we’re looking forward to that. I thought guys took advantage of the bye week,” Harsin said. “Got healthy. And that showed up on Sunday, so we had a good practice on Sunday, a little longer than we normally have. We took advantage of a little extra time during the bye week to prepare for that Sunday practice, so that went well. Tomorrow’s a big day to get after it and get ready for Arkansas.”

“A really good team. Really well coached. Coach Pittman does a great job and a big win against Brigham Young. I think our guys _ the energy, the enthusiasm, and then obviously the work we’ve got to put in this week _ all need to come together to go out there and have a great game at 11 a.m. on Saturday.”

-- Harsin says the team is healthy.

“Not everybody is fully healthy, but guys will play... Guys are toughing through it.” He also expects some players who missed previous games to return to the lineup.

-- Harsin says Razorback quarterback KJ Jefferson presents several challenges.

“He provides a different element,” Harsin said. “He has a strong arm. You have to play with great eyes on him because he can make plays.”

Now he’s different. Really big, really physical. I think he plays with a lot of poise. As far as defending him, you’ve got to tackle him. If he’s running the ball, you’ve got to tackle him. You’ve got to have somebody in a position to do that. Then overall you’ve got to be ready for some of the things they do with him. He’s not always going to run the ball. He may show that, and he may throw it. They do a good job.

I think they’re creative on the offensive side with what they do with him. And just his overall physicality provides a different element at the quarterback position. He can throw up and down the field if he chooses to. But then, you have somebody as athletic and as physical as he is, they’re going to utilize him. For us, it’s just another challenge with a quarterback that’s a  versatile guy that can do a lot of different things that we have to be ready to go out there and play against him. You’ve got to be physical with him. You don’t always say that with quarterbacks but you’ve got to be physical with him and be able to tackle him. Ultimately, just the way they play, you have to have great eyes on the quarterback and be ready for him to be a scrambler or a threat in the run game. You’ve got to find a way to stop him.

-- Harsin says Jeremiah Wright is earning more playing time on the offensive line.

“Yeah, I think so. Yeah, he’s getting better. Yesterday’s practice too, you know, you get into a groove a little bit, so he got to play. You know, that’s the biggest thing. You just—you don’t know; you see it in practice, but a guy has to go out there and play, and then you work through some things as a player, just because of game speed, game tempo, all those things, and I thought yesterday he came out and practiced really intentional to get better. So, absolutely, he’s earned an opportunity to continue to keep playing. His story, and we all know his story, right? From D-line to O-line, to D-line to O-line—I mean, he’s in the right position now. He knows that. He sees that. We certainly see it. There’s no doubt in our mind, he’s an offensive lineman. That’s where he needs to be. He’s a guard. He’s going to be a good player, and now we got to build on that this week. And I also think not only as a player, he brings some energy, some emotion, you know, and just competitiveness I think up front too just because of who he is. Like, that’s who he is. He’s wired that way. He cares tremendously, and he works really hard at it. So, I don’t see why he wouldn’t continue to keep getting more reps and an opportunity to go out there and play again. He did a really good job last game.”

-- “Improving, but not where we need to be,” Harsin said about the quarterback room. “The expectations in that room are really high.”

-- “We have a lot of potential to get better,” Harsin said. “We have guys trying really hard. We are developing every game. You have to get better every week.”

-- Harsin confirmed that DT Zykeivous Walker is out for the season. He also confirmed that running back Jordon Ingram is out with a knee injury.

“Yes, actually. Jordon Ingram is out,” Harsin said. “So, he had a lateral meniscus tear in practice, which was kind of a fluke deal. It was on a pass-catching drill, just kind of landed on it wrong. So, he had surgery. He’s out, I think, three to four months. Obviously, that’s season-ending for him. Everybody else, as I’ve told you before, that’s been injured — there’s injured (players) that are out, there’s injured that are banged up.”

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