11/2/22 Auburn Articles super early edition

[aubiefifty 18,250]

A look at Auburn’s retooled staff under interim coach Cadillac Williams

Updated: Nov. 01, 2022, 3:06 p.m.|Published: Nov. 01, 2022, 2:47 p.m.

4 minutes

---

Auburn reconfigured its on-field coaching staff following the firing of Bryan Harsin and several staffers with Boise State ties on Monday.

Along with tabbing Cadillac Williams as interim coach for the remainder of the season, Auburn shuffled the roles of six staffers to account for the firing offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Eric Kiesau and tight ends coach Brad Bedell, who were among the six other staffers shown the door Monday.

Read more Auburn football: Inside the end of Bryan Harsin’s Auburn tenure

Bryan Harsin releases statement, “incredibly disappointed” in firing from Auburn

Former four-star receiver Ze’Vian Capers plans to transfer from Auburn

Offensive line coach Will Friend and wide receivers coach Ike Hilliard will work in tandem to call Auburn’s offense for the final four games of the season as co-offensive coordinators, a source with direct knowledge of the situation confirmed to AL.com on Tuesday afternoon. Friend is the lone member of Auburn’s remaining staff with prior experience as an offensive coordinator at the FBS level, serving in that role from 2015-17 at Colorado State under Mike Bobo, who was the Tigers’ offensive coordinator last season. Hilliard brings extensive NFL experience to the role after joining Auburn’s staff this offseason following 10 seasons as an assistant coach in the league.

That will take care of the coordinator side of things following the termination of Kiesau, who was in his first year as the Tigers’ offensive coordinator after joining Harsin’s staff in 2021 first as an analyst and then wide receivers coach. Meanwhile, offensive analyst Mike Hartline will assume the role of quarterbacks coach, the source confirmed. Hartline, who joined Auburn’s staff in the offseason, was already working in the Tigers’ quarterbacks room. Prior to his arrival at Auburn, Hartline -- a former starting quarterback at Kentucky -- spent three seasons as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Ohio Dominican University, a Division II program. He also spent two seasons as an assistant quarterbacks coach at Cincinnati from 2017-18.

With Friend helping call the offense, offensive analyst and Auburn great Kendall Simmons will oversee the Tigers’ offensive line. Simmons, a former two-time All-SEC lineman on the Plains and first-round NFL pick who went on to win a Super Bowl, has been an analyst at his alma mater since 2019 under then-coach Gus Malzahn.

Joe Bernardi, who also has been helping coach the offensive line, will assume the role of tight ends coach to replace Bedell, the source confirmed. Before coming to Auburn, Bernardi had previous on-field coaching experience at San Jose State and Fresno State. He was offensive line coach at SJSU from 2017-19, and he spent 2016 coaching tight ends for Fresno State.

Meanwhile, the source confirmed to AL.com, offensive analyst Jeff McDaniels will work with Auburn’s running backs room to help ease the load on Williams as he assumes the position of interim head coach. A former wide receiver at Davidson, McDaniels was a graduate assistant at Boise State before joining Auburn’s staff last season. He also has experience as a cornerbacks coach at his alma mater.

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

[aubiefifty 18,250]

al.com

 

Inside the end of Bryan Harsin’s Auburn tenure

Updated: Nov. 01, 2022, 2:49 p.m.|Published: Nov. 01, 2022, 1:48 p.m.

14-17 minutes

---

Bryan Harsin couldn’t have imagined spending his 46th birthday doing anything but getting his squad ready for a big game when he left his comfort zone of Boise State for Auburn.

Instead of trying to find answers for a team mired in a four-game losing streak coming off Saturday’s 41-27 defeat against Arkansas, Harsin wakes up on his birthday fired as the Auburn football coach. He spent Sunday at the facility going over game film with the coaching staff and players, trying to figure out what went wrong. He returned to Auburn’s football building Monday, planning to get ready for Saturday’s game against Mississippi State until word came down that Auburn planned to move on.

As it goes in today’s social media era, several players and their parents found out about Harsin getting fired via Twitter. Harsin showed up to work, got fired, and then watched the world discuss the decision on television before he got to speak to his family or address the team.

Auburn ended Harsin’s tumultuous tenure on the Plains after a 9-12 record and 4-9 in Southeastern Conference games. His teams lost seven of the last eight SEC games – he went 4-11 overall against Power 5 competition – and the one win against Missouri took an improbable missed field goal at the end of regulation and an unbelievable fumble in the end zone by the visiting Tigers to seal the Auburn win.

RELATED: Bryan Harsin “incredibly disappointed” after Auburn firing

RELATED: Top Auburn coaching candidates to replace Harsin

How did Harsin go from a promising start with consecutive wins against ranked opponents to one of the shortest tenures since 1929 for an Auburn head coach? It’s a complicated set of circumstances that we’ll explore.

Watching sullen fans slink silently out of Jordan-Hare on a cloudy Saturday afternoon makes it easy to forget that Auburn was 6-2 a year ago with wins against ranked opponents Arkansas and Ole Miss before heading into a game against Texas A&M.

Losing at Kyle Field in a bizarre game where neither team scored an offensive touchdown at the time felt forgivable. Ironically, Auburn played against future transfer quarterback Zach Calzada, who suffered a shoulder injury in the Aggie win.

Calzada never played a down for Auburn after coming in with several people around the program expecting him to replace former Tiger quarterback Bo Nix. Looking at what Nix is doing at Oregon while Auburn at one point had to play fourth-string freshman quarterback Holden Geriner didn’t help Harsin’s chances. There’s a perception that Harsin and Nix didn’t get along, leading to Nix leaving. However, according to people close to Nix, there was mutual respect between the two, and Nix going had more to do with the quarterback wanting to take on a new challenge without the expectations of following in his father’s (former Auburn quarterback Patrick Nix) footsteps on the Plains.

Calzada not getting on the field is one of several issues that played a hand in how Harsin’s hire went from Christmas joy to Halloween nightmare, leaving running back coach and former Auburn All-American Carnell ‘Cadillac’ Williams as the interim coach.

“Auburn University has decided to make a change in the leadership of the Auburn University football program,” the school said in a press release, noticeably not mentioning Harsin by name. “President [Christopher] Roberts decided after a thorough review and evaluation of all aspects of the football program. Auburn will begin an immediate search for a coach that will return the Auburn program to a place where it consistently competes at the highest levels and represents the winning tradition of Auburn football.”

Auburn had a 28-3 lead against Mississippi State a week after the loss against the Aggies. Will Rogers led a stirring comeback in the second half that wound up being Nix’s last start as a Tiger.

Nix struggled with consistency; however, he was a viable starting quarterback that allowed Auburn to win games. Thrusting T.J. Finley into the role was Harsin’s only option. Finley had big moments, but the losses piled up, as did the what if’s. For instance, what if Auburn doesn’t make costly mistakes in play calling against South Carolina? Like calling a pass on 4th and 1 with an inexperienced quarterback, who stands at 6-foot-7, instead of a sneak. Such calls partly led to Harsin parting ways with offensive coordinator Mike Bobo. Harsin accepted recommendations to hire Bobo because of his experience as a head coach and his time in the SEC as an offensive coordinator. Disagreements between Harsin and Bobo on offensive philosophy led to Bobo’s time ending after one season.

Another set of what if’s happened at Harsin’s only Iron Bowl. It’s fair to ask how differently Harsin would be viewed if Tank Bigsby stays in bounds in the fourth quarter. Bryce Young went from watching his Heisman campaign end to an incredible comeback that helped him win the trophy and send Alabama to the national championship game. It’s difficult to imagine Harsin waking up on his birthday looking for a new job if Auburn manages to win an Iron Bowl where they were three-touchdown underdogs.

Harsin’s record at Auburn is terrible by Auburn’s high standards, but the 2021 offseason was worse. He fired Bobo and saw Derek Mason leave for Oklahoma State. Ire from fans mounted at the revelation that the former Vanderbilt coach took a $ 400,000-a-year pay cut to leave.

Rumors swirled around Mason’s departure while several Auburn players opted for the transfer portal. One incident came about during Auburn’s search for a defensive line coach that resulted in hiring former Tiger defensive lineman Jimmy Brumbaugh. According to sources, Mason and Harsin disagreed about the process of selecting the defensive line coach. Mason wanted more control of the situation since the D-line coach would be his direct report. Harsin as the head coach felt he should make the call with input from Mason.

Harsin and Mason had an interaction where Mason said “I’ve been a head coach in this league longer than you have.” Harsin replied, “Oh, you mean at Vanderbilt?” according to people familiar with the situation.

Harsin’s fortunes worsened when his replacement for Bobo left the program less than two months after getting hired at Auburn.

Austin Davis was a promising quarterbacks coach for the Seattle Seahawks in the NFL. He came with glowing recommendations from potential future Hall of Fame quarterback Russell Wilson and likely Hall of Fame head coach Pete Caroll. Davis resigned suddenly on January 31st citing personal reasons.

In one offseason, Harsin quickly lost three coordinators. Little did he know what was coming less than 48 hours after Davis left.

Anger arose amongst Auburn boosters when Harsin missed two key events while trying to find another offensive coordinator. Harsin sent his coaching staff to the Georgia High School coaching clinic, attended by Georgia head coach Kirby Smart and Alabama coach Nick Saban. But he didn’t go to the event because he was speaking with candidates to replace Davis as offensive coordinator.

Harsin also missed a charity event led by Bo Jackson. Some Auburn boosters took Harsin missing the coaching clinic and Jackson’s event as Harsin not willing to adapt to life in the SEC.

It’s no secret that Auburn supporters expect the Tigers to compete with Georgia and Alabama on the field. They also know wins can’t happen in the games unless Auburn can beat them and other SEC schools in recruiting. Harsin’s missing the coaching clinic indicated to fans that Harsin wasn’t committed to building relationships with high school coaches necessary to win in a demanding conference.

That reputation of being unable to recruit and build relationships in the SEC followed him throughout his stay at Auburn.

After Davis left, Harsin traveled to Mobile to support cornerback Roger McCreary’s efforts in the Senior Bowl. After practice, Harsin sat on a panel in downtown Mobile with Nick Saban hosted by ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit. He showed a sense of humor while delivering a message of hard work.

Harsin stayed for more than an hour after the fireside chat to greet fans. A funny moment came when a father, wearing an Auburn shirt, approached Harsin with his son, wearing Alabama gear. The young man asked if he could take a pic with Harsin even though he was wearing crimson and white. Harsin smiled and quipped, “I don’t see Saban anywhere around here. We can get you a shirt and teach you how to say ‘War Eagle’”

An Auburn booster, initially against Harsin’s hire by former athletic director Allen Greene, noticed the moment and how Harsin conducted himself at the event. “He might be figuring out what it takes to be the coach at Auburn,” the person told AL.com shortly after the program.

Less than 12 hours later, Harsin and his wife Kes saw their phones blowing up with text messages and phone calls while the pair were getting ready for their now-infamous vacation. Accusations swirled throughout the day, and Harsin’s job came into question. Former Tiger Lee Hunter was one of several players who posted complaints about Harsin on social media.

“I chose to leave Auburn because we got treated like we weren’t good enough and like dogs,” Hunter said on Instagram. Jay Gogue, Auburn’s outgoing president, told Harsin on Feb. 4 that the school would conduct a review of the football program. Harsin complied with the inquiry that lasted six days and reaffirmed his desire to remain as Auburn’s coach.

Replacing an offensive coordinator in February would’ve been arduous in even the best circumstances because of how late it was in the hiring cycle. Having to do it at the same time as a university-led inquiry that took nearly two weeks made it impossible.

Auburn should’ve looked into the complaints that surfaced on social media from players saying Harsin mistreated them. However, once Gogue made it public, unprompted no less, he made Harsin and Auburn a marriage of convenience.

GOODMAN: Bryan Harsin never had a shot

Harsin survived the inquiry, but he never stopped paying the price. He went on speaking engagements throughout the state and southeast during the recruiting dead period. Some power brokers were willing to give Harsin a second chance.

Harsin flew on noted donor Raymond Harbert’s private plane to an Auburn basketball game against Tennessee in Knoxville. During the speaking engagements for Auburn alums and supporters, he formed a relationship with basketball coach Bruce Pearl and baseball coach Butch Thompson. Harsin and Greene sat behind the Auburn bench next to Harbert at the Tennessee game.

Some saw this and Harsin doing things like attending Jimmy Rane’s golf tournament, Bo Jackson’s golf event and Bo Bikes Bama, and other events as signs that Harsin was learning Auburn’s ways. Others viewed him as a desperate man only looking to curry favor after an embarrassing public spanking.

His best way to help his standing was to win – and win big – on the field. That meant making the right decision at the quarterback position in a competition featuring Calzada, Finley, Oregon transfer Robby Ashford, and Geriner. Calzada spent most of spring camp taking limited reps because of the shoulder injury. Finley shined and continued to perform well through fall camp, which got him the nod as the starter.

Harsin’s defiant statements during July’s SEC Media Days enthused some fans but angered others who felt the former Boise State head coach was too arrogant.

“There was an inquiry,” Harsin said in July. “It was uncomfortable. It was unfounded. It presented an opportunity for people to personally attack me, my family, and also our program. And it didn’t work.”

Several supporters felt Harsin’s declaration was disrespectful and highlighted that Harsin would never conform. Greene announced his resignation on August 26th after Harsin’s salvo and less than 10 days before the season-opener against Mercer. Any goodwill Harsin gained from the talking season dinners and golf outings started eroding after the SEC media day press conference.

“I was starting to come around on him some before he went up there on that stage boasting and bragging like he’s won anything worthwhile at Auburn,” one prominent booster told AL.com. “He put a lot of unnecessary pressure on himself with that one. He’d done better to stay humble until he won some games and showed progress in recruiting. I’d felt sorry for him, but once he did that, I said, ‘he’d better win’.”

Any remaining job security vanished once Greene, who controversially hired Harsin, was now gone.

The season never panned out how Harsin hoped. Presumed starter Calzada never started a game for the Tigers, sliding to third string on the depth chart before electing for season-ending shoulder surgery. In his brief time at Auburn, Davis recruited Calzada out of the transfer portal to challenge Finley for the starting job. Eric Kiseau, Davis’ replacement as offensive coordinator, didn’t have the best relationship with Calzada, according to sources around the program.

Finley suffered a shoulder injury himself in a 29-point loss against Penn State and has only played in one series since, which resulted in a fumble against Ole Miss.

Ashford, the Oregon transfer, provided the most hope for Auburn but couldn’t deliver enough wins for Harsin to save his job. Ashford’s play – and the feeling that the team hadn’t completely given up on Harsin – led some to believe Harsin would get to finish the season as the program’s head coach.

A logical time to fire Harsin would’ve been after the Ole Miss game since the team had the following week off. However, Harsin continued on the recruiting trail during the bye week with stops in Atlanta, Kansas, Birmingham, and Mobile to see players and visit coaches. He kept showing up hoping to finish the season with victories on the field and in recruiting.

Another listless performance against Arkansas and four players announcing intentions to enter the transfer portal a few days before the loss removed any doubt for Auburn that it was time to make a change. President Roberts opted to fire Harsin on Monday as the school finalized a deal with new athletic director John Cohen.

Cohen begins the job with Auburn heading to play his former school Mississippi State hoping to snap a four-game losing streak. Harsin is rumored to be a candidate for Colorado and Arizona State. And people around him believe that he wants to get back into coaching to prove he’s more like the guy who was 69-19 at his alma mater Boise State rather than his 9-12 record at Auburn.

Nubyjas Wilborn covers Auburn for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @nwilborn19

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

[aubiefifty 18,250]

Bruce Pearl: New AD John Cohen understands Auburn’s challenges, goals

Published: Nov. 01, 2022, 3:49 p.m.

5-6 minutes

---

The most popular figure on Auburn’s campus is excited about the future of the Tigers’ athletics department under new athletics director John Cohen.

After previewing his team’s preseason exhibition against Alabama-Huntsville, Auburn coach Bruce Pearl on Tuesday spoke effusively about the hire of Cohen, who was officially named Auburn’s new athletics director on Monday afternoon.

“Obviously, (Cohen) sees Auburn as a place where you can do even more than he’s done at Mississippi State,” Pearl said. “He had a great job and they loved him down there and he was a legend down there. So, he understands our challenges, but he understands our goals also. So, I think he’s going to be tremendous.”

Read more Auburn sports: A look at Auburn’s retooled football staff under interim coach Cadillac Williams

Inside the end of Bryan Harsin’s tenure as Auburn’s coach

In first public remarks since firing, Bryan Harsin “incredibly disappointed” in decision

Cohen served as athletics director at Mississippi State, his alma mater, since November 2016 before resigning Monday morning. Prior to that, he spent eight seasons as the Bulldogs’ baseball coach, leading the program to five postseason appearances, including a runner-up finish at the College World Series in 2013.

During Cohen’s time as Mississippi State’s athletics director, the Bulldogs enjoyed the most prosperous stretch in the school’s athletics history in terms of success athletically, academically and in facilities enhancements. That success was highlighted by a 2021 College World Series title for the Bulldogs, marking the first team national championship in any sport at Mississippi State. Five Mississippi State programs turned in program-best seasons during Cohen’s time at the helm of the athletics department, including softball earlier this year, baseball during the CWS season, soccer in 2018 and women’s basketball in 2017 and 2018. He is one of three active SEC athletics director to hire an eventual-national championship winning head coach in any sport.

Now Cohen is hoping to build up similar success at Auburn, where he takes over as the 16th athletics director in program history on a reported five-year deal worth $1.5 million a year.

“I’m excited about John Cohen; I really am,” Pearl said. “The guy has got unbelievable experience. Obviously, tremendous SEC experience, tremendous experience in the region having grown up in Alabama, coached at the different places he’s coached all throughout the SEC as an assistant. And then built a championship program, not just a championship team at Mississippi State. And then to move on the administrator level, I know that Commissioner Sankey holds him in tremendously high regard having been in that SEC AD meetings, been in that room. Then high character, very, very intelligent.”

Cohen’s first directive as Auburn’s athletics director on Monday was to promote Rich McGlynn to deputy athletics director, effectively making him the No. 2 in Auburn’s athletics department. McGlynn, who has been at Auburn since 2006 and has overseen the program’s compliance department during that time, served as interim AD from Sept. 13 until Monday’s announcement of Cohen’s hiring. McGlynn is well-respected within Auburn’s athletics department and was a strong internal candidate for the full-time job.

Cohen’s decision to elevate McGlynn was one that left a considerable impression on Pearl, who has been a big proponent of McGlynn. Along with his role in compliance, in which he helped Auburn basketball and Pearl navigate the NCAA investigation that stemmed from the 2017 FBI scandal across the sport, McGlynn has been the program administrator for Auburn’s men’s basketball team and has built a strong relationship with Pearl.

“I think already that was very, very wise of him to elevate Rich McGlynn to deputy AD and take advantage of Rich’s talents and his abilities,” Pearl said. “I think Rich was a legitimate candidate for the job. So, I think we got the best of both worlds. Somebody that has been on campus and has a great reputation on campus like Rich, and I think it’s going to enable John to come in and be effective Day 1. So very, very excited about the hire.

“Dr. Roberts went about this as I anticipated he would. And that is he’s going to do his work, he’s going to do his research, he’s going to get well informed and he’s going to make decisions, which I think is a great thing for a leader to do.”

As for whether Pearl has any advice for his new boss, the often-outspoken coach — who been a great ambassador for all Auburn sports during his time on the Plains — said he’ll be glad to offer advice only if asked for his opinion.

“My job it to help Auburn be better,” Pearl said. “My job is to help John be better, help Rich be better, help our new football coach be better. Help our basketball team—first and foremost, I’ve got to take care of my basketball job. That’s always been the way I feel my role and what I want to do, and I think Auburn wants me to do that.”

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

[aubiefifty 18,250]

Rece Davis calls Auburn’s treatment of Bryan Harsin ‘disgraceful,’ ‘despicable’

Updated: Nov. 01, 2022, 5:53 a.m.|Published: Oct. 31, 2022, 8:38 p.m.

3-4 minutes

---

Desmond Howard, left, talks as David Pollack, center, and Rece Davis listen on the set of ESPN's College Game Day program in Soldier Field before an NCAA college football game between Wisconsin and Notre Dame Saturday, Sept. 25, 2021, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)AP

Bryan Harsin never really had a chance at Auburn.

The Tigers just didn’t want him, according to Rece Davis.

The “College GameDay” host, who joined the College GameDay podcast, was critical of the way Auburn treated Harsin, who was fired Monday as the head coach. Specifically, Davis pointed to the school’s offseason investigation into the program that was initiated by then-President Jay Gogue after heavy turnover on the roster and coaching staff.

“What happened to Bryan Harsin in the offseason was disgraceful. I mean, despicable,” Davis said. “You don’t want him? Pay the man his money. You end up having to do it anyway. Just say, ‘You know what? We didn’t want this’ and send him on his way. Instead, they did something nefarious and unfair. If somehow, and it won’t, but if somehow, it’s proven that they had grounds for that and couldn’t prove it, then I’ll apologize, but right now I won’t. I thought it was disgraceful what they did to him.”

RELATED: Paul Finebaum said firing Harsin is 2 weeks late, names to potential replacements

One former player had said Harsin treated the team “like dogs,” though others rose to Harsin’s defense. The investigation ended with Gogue saying the “wild speculation” and misinformation was a “feeding frenzy” surrounding Harsin.

“He stood tall through it,” Davis said. “Did the best he could. They lost a bunch of double-digit leads, too, so he’s not without blame here, but I don’t think it had risen on the field to be the level of a fireable offense. They just didn’t want him.”

Auburn fired Harsin on Monday after less than two seasons. Harsin went 9-12 overall and 3-5 this year. Auburn has lost four straight games while struggling against Power Five opponents, including a 41-27 loss to Arkansas on Saturday that proved the final straw.

TEASE: Harsin buyout is largest in country this season

Auburn will owe Harsin 70 percent of his remaining contract — more than $15 million — and half of that must be paid within 30 days.

Harsin was hired away from Boise State in December 2020 and Auburn gave him a six-year, $31.5 million deal. He never came close to replicating his past success or making the Tigers competitive in the SEC, and he failed to keep up with rivals Georgia and Alabama on the field or on the recruiting trail.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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

[aubiefifty 18,250]

Utah State AD John Hartwell, once connected to Auburn opening, resigns

Published: Nov. 01, 2022, 10:26 a.m.

2-3 minutes

---

Alabama wide receiver Kobe Prentice (80) runs the ball against Utah State at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, AL on Saturday, Sep 3, 2022.Crimson Tide Photos / UA Athletics

John Hartwell has resigned as Utah State athletic director, per a report from Pete Thamel of ESPN.

The news comes hours after Auburn hired new AD John Cohen away from Mississippi State.

“We had a great run at Utah State,” Hartwell reportedly told Thamel. “It’s time to make sure my family comes first.”

Hartwell, who spent three years as the Troy athletic director, took the Utah State job in June of 2015. However, he made it clear in August he was interested in the Auburn job when the school parted ways with AD Allen Greene.

Hartwell told WNSP-FM 105.5 in Mobile earlier this year - ahead of his team’s visit to Tuscaloosa to play then-No. 1 Alabama - that he “would absolutely listen” if Auburn called.

“To be associated with that job is flattering, and I think it is one of the very best jobs in the entire country so if they called, I would absolutely listen,” Hartwell said then.

Hartwell made it clear his name being linked to the job is a direct result of the success of Utah State and past successes at Troy and Ole Miss, where he worked with Greene.

Still, it is hard to deny his connection to Auburn.

“My family does have a history with Auburn,” he explained. “Both of my parents were grads, both of my sisters were grads. Both of my mom’s parents were grads, my grandfather and father are longtime season ticket holders.”

Meanwhile, Utah State has won seven Mountain West Conference regular-season championships and four postseason titles under Hartwell.

Hartwell told the Action Network’s Brett McMurphy: “We are moving close to my wife’s family in Arkansas. We’re good. It’s time to put our family first. We had a great run at Utah State. We appreciate our time there.”

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

If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of

[aubiefifty 18,250]

Auburn Opponent Preview: Mississippi State's up and down offense

ByJason Caldwell 11 hours ago

3

An offense averaging 31.8 points per game this season, Mississippi State comes into Saturday night’s football game against the visiting Auburn Tigers as an enigma on that side of the ball under coach Mike Leach. With four 40-points games and another game scoring 39, the Bulldogs have been really good at times. However, against the best defensive teams it has faced this season Mississippi State has been downright bad.

Playing at LSU, at Alabama and at Kentucky, the Bulldogs scored a total of 39 points in three road losses this season. 

The issue for Auburn is that this game will be played in the friendly confines of Davis-Wade Stadium, and that has been a much different group of Bulldogs on offense this season.

In home games against Memphis, Bowling Green, Texas A&M and Arkansas, Mississippi State is averaging 44 points per game and has scored over 40 in all four contests.

The reason why is the play of quarterback Will Rogers (6-2, 210, Jr.) in front of the home crowd. Completing 67.9 percent of his passes this season for 2,555 yards and 23 touchdowns with four interceptions, Rogers has been lights out when playing in a maroon jersey. In four home games, Rogers is completing 72.5 percent for 1,594 yards and 17 touchdowns with only one interception. 

To show you how important Rogers is to the success of the Mississippi State offense, in five wins he’s completing 74.3 percent and has thrown 21 touchdowns with two interceptions. In two losses he’s completing just 56.8 percent with two touchdowns and two picks.

Rogers has plenty of talent to throw to with five players already over the 30-catch mark for the season led by sophomore Rara Thomas from Eufaula. A physical receiver at 6-2, 200, Thomas leads the Bulldogs with 456 yards on 30 catches with two touchdowns. Another physical receiver, 6-5, 205 redshirt senior Caleb Ducking, has been Mr. Touchdown this season for Mississippi State. He leads the team with 35 catches with seven of those going for scores this year. 

Starkville native and speedster Rufus Harvey (5-10, 165, RSo.) has 33 catches for 310 yards and two scores while 6-3, 200 graduate Austin Williams has 18 catches for 187 yards, but four touchdowns. Another weapon at receiver for the Bulldogs is 6-0, 185 junior Jaden Walley. A freshman All-American two years ago, Walley has 17 catches for 169 yards and three touchdowns this year.

While running backs Dillon Johnson (6-0, 215, Jr.) and Jo’quavious Marks (5-10, 205, Jr.) are both very capable of running the football successfully, combining for 719 yards and nine touchdowns this season on just 138 carries, they are just as dangerous as receivers in Leach’s scheme that turns the short passing game into an extension of the run.

With each missing a game this season, the duo has combined for 63 receptions and just over 400 yards in only seven games. That’s an average of nine catches per game for Mississippi State’s running backs, meaning Auburn’s linebackers and safeties are going to be busy come Saturday night.

Up front on the offensive line, the leader of the group is graduate LaQuinston Sharp. A starter last season for the Bulldogs at center, the 6-3, 305 Sharp played more than 1,000 snaps a year ago and is the anchor for a line that has two experienced tackles in Kwatrivous Johnson (6-7, 315, RSr.) and Kameron Jones (6-5, 303, RJr.). Also expected to see time with Jones at right tackle is talented redshirt freshman Albert Reese, IV (6-7, 315). At the two guard spots Mississippi State will send out redshirt senior Cole Smith (6-3, 300) along with redshirt junior Nick Jones (6-3, 295).

QB 2 Will Rogers (6-2, 210, Jr.)
12 Sawyer Robertson (6-4, 215, R-Fr.)

RB 7 Jo’quavious Marks (5-10, 205, Jr.) OR
23 Dillon Johnson (6-0, 215, Jr.) OR
22 Simeon Price (6-0, 205, R-Fr.)

X 0 Rara Thomas (6-2, 200, So.)
5 Lideatrick Griffin (5-10, 180, Jr.) OR
18 Justin Robinson (6-4, 220, R-So.)

H 85 Austin Williams (6-3, 200, Gr.)
6 Jamire Calvin (5-10, 160, Gr.)

LT 69 Kwatrivous Johnson (6-7, 315, R-Sr.)
75 Percy Lewis (6-8, 345, Jr.)

LG 66 Nick Jones (6-3, 295, R-Jr.)
51 Reed Buys (6-4, 295, R-Jr.)

C 63 LaQuinston Sharp (6-3, 305, Gr.)
64 Steven Losoya III (6-4. 305, R-Jr.)

RG 57 Cole Smith (6-3, 300, R-Sr.)
76 Albert Reese IV (6-7, 315, R-Fr.)

RT 58 Kameron Jones (6-5, 305, R-Jr.) OR
76 Albert Reese IV (6-7, 315, R-Fr.)

Y 82 Rufus Harvey (5-10, 165, R-So.)
11 Jaden Walley (6-0, 185, Jr.) OR
24 Scoobie Ford (5-11, 175, R-Sr.)

3COMMENTS

Z 4 Caleb Ducking (6-5, 205, R-Sr.)
81 Antonio Harmon (6-3, 210, R-Fr.) OR
8 Jordan Mosley (6-0, 195, R-Fr.)

*** Subscribe: Receive the latest Auburn intel, opinion and scoops***

[aubiefifty 18,250]

Harsin: “Incredibly disappointed” with Auburn firing

WTVY Staff

2-3 minutes

---

AUBURN, Ala. (WTVY) - Former Auburn Tigers head football coach Bryan Harsin released a statement after being let go in the midst of his second season at the helm on The Plains.

Harsin said of the decision, “I am incredibly disappointed that I won’t get to lead the Auburn football program and these players into the future.”

“I poured my heart and soul into this program and team. We stood together in the face of considerable challenges and outside noise,” continued Harsin.

He praised his team with the way they competed and stood by him and his family, adding that he believes this group of Tigers “will do great things,” and thanking them for believing in him.

Harsin, who faced controversy over the summer and during most of his time at Auburn, stated that he doesn’t “pretend to be perfect but I am certain I will be better moving forward because of this experience,” and saying that there were things that could have been done differently.

He went on to also say Auburn has all the resources, financial support, fans, and good people throughout the program to be a championship caliber team, and said the possibilities are endless “with complete alignment.”

“I hurt for the coaches, staff members and families who are left in limbo,” said Harsin. Several assistants on Harsin’s staff were let go as well on Monday, including offensive coordinator Eric Kiesau and tight ends coach Brad Bedell, both of which who followed Harsin from Boise State to Auburn. Defensive coordinator Jeff Schmedding, another Boise State move-over with Harsin, remains on staff with the Tigers under interim head coach Cadillac Williams.

“Thank you for allowing us to be a part of the Auburn Family,” Harsin concluded in his statement. You can read the full statement below.

Auburn travels to Mississippi State, the former spot of new Tigers athletic director John Cohen, on Saturday to take on the Bulldogs.

Subscribe to our News 4 newsletter and receive the latest local news and weather straight to your email every morning. Get instant notifications on top stories from News 4 by downloading our mobile apps.

[aubiefifty 18,250]

 

[aubiefifty 18,250]

i have no idea who these cats are but i thought it would be fun to look at.

 

BetOnline

Next Auburn Full Time Head Coach

10:00 PM

Jeff Grimes

+100

Hugh Freeze

+250

Lane Kiffin

+275

Deion Sanders

+700

Matt Rhule

+1200

Matt Campbell

+1400

Mike Gundy

+2500

Mike Leach

+2500

Mark Stoops

+2500

Kevin Steele

+2500

Urban Meyer

+3300

[aubiefifty 18,250]

 

[aubiefifty 18,250]

Auburn’s Cadillac Williams to make head-coaching debut vs. Mississippi St. | Lindy's Sports

 

2-3 minutes

---

Field Level Media

November 01, 2022 at 9:08 pm.

Auburn interim coach Carnell “Cadillac” Williams will hope to salvage the Tigers’ season, beginning with a game at slumping Mississippi State on Saturday night in Starkville, Miss.

Williams, who was in his fourth season of coaching the Tigers’ running backs, replaced Bryan Harsin after he was dismissed on Monday after less than two seasons on the job.

“I truly believe Auburn has the potential to be a championship program once again,” Harsin wrote in a statement on Tuesday. “The resources, financial support and fan base are in place.”

The Tigers (3-5, 1-4 SEC), mired in a four-game-losing streak, went 9-12 under Harsin, with losses in 10 of their past 13 games dating to last season.

Mississippi State (5-3, 2-3) is coming off a 30-6 loss at then-No. 6 Alabama, the Bulldogs’ second straight loss after opening the season 5-1.

The Bulldogs and Tigers play contrasting styles of offense.

Led by Will Rogers, who has thrown for an SEC-high 2,555 yards and 23 touchdowns with just four interceptions, the Bulldogs average 410.8 yards per game but have rushed for a league-low 713.

Auburn has struggled throwing the ball. Robby Ashford has completed 52.6 percent of his passes for 1,299 yards and five touchdowns with five interceptions. Auburn averages just 217.3 yards through the air, ahead of only Missouri and Vanderbilt in the conference.

However, Auburn has been successful running the ball. That’s a major reason why Williams — a former All-American running back at Auburn — was promoted while offensive coordinator Eric Kiesau and tight ends coach Brad Bedell were among several assistants who were fired on Monday.

Tank Bigsby has averaged 5.3 yards per carry, rushing for 587 yards and seven scores on 110 carries. Ashford has added 397 yards and three touchdowns on 93 carries.

“Auburn’s full of a bunch of players who had offers all over the conference,” Mississippi State coach Mike Leach said. “Us and everybody else wanted those guys on their team.”

[aubiefifty 18,250]

29 days for our players to hit the portal

 

Auburn football: Practice notes, defenders want Deion Sanders

Zac Blackerby

2 minutes

There are a ton of things happening both on and off the field at Auburn University right now. I received a handful of calls Tuesday night and wanted to list a few of the common factors in a post for everyone. Nothing heavy, but a few fun notes. 

There was a player's parents' call with Rich McGlynn Tuesday night to make sure everyone was on the same page. Sounded like McGlynn impressed several of the parents on the call. He was described as 'No nonsense" and answered some questions from the parents. Players now have the next 29 days to enter the portal. 

I was told by a source close to the program that Tuesday's practice was one of, if not, the best of the season. The energy was high, the offensive line won more battles, and the overall morale of the team was in a much better place. The source described it as, "Everyone is glad he's gone." There were still turnovers on offense but all-in-all, everyone felt good about the practice. 

It seems like the first choice for the next Auburn head coach among the defensive players is Deion Sanders. It makes sense why the defense would want Sanders. The hall-of-fame cornerback would add a ton of value and perspective to that side of the ball. 

[aubiefifty 18,250]

Auburn Morning Rush: Football players nominated for awards, gymnastics sells out

River Wells

3-4 minutes

---

It’s another Wednesday in football season, Auburn fans.

It’s also the first game week without head coach Bryan Harsin at the helm, but that doesn’t mean that all Auburn football news this week has to be bad optics and gloomy futures. In fact, two Auburn football players have been nominated for awards amidst the chaos of the week. On top of that, Auburn gymnastics should expect full crowds for the 2022-23 season and the Auburn cross country team is being recognized for its SEC-best athletes.

Buy Tigers Tickets

Check out the newest Auburn news for this edition of the Morning Rush below on Auburn Tigers Wire:

John Reed-USA TODAY Sports

Owen Pappoe has been recognized as being among the best linebackers in the country.

Pappoe was named as a semifinalist for the 2022 Butkus Award on Tuesday, an award given out to the best linebacker in Division I college football. Although Pappoe has some stiff competition, making it to the semifinals is a testament to his production on this year’s Auburn defense. Pappoe has had 34 solo tackles and two forced fumbles on the year.

One of the best linebackers in the country @TheFreak is named a semifinalist for the 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟮 𝗕𝘂𝘁𝗸𝘂𝘀 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱

https://t.co/aQzDEfkmUm pic.twitter.com/Mz4mmtkk4T

— Auburn Football (@AuburnFootball) November 1, 2022

(AP Photo/Sean Rayford)

In other award news, Auburn long snapper Jacob Quattlebaum is getting some recognition of his own.

Quattlebaum was announced as a nominee for the Burlsworth Trophy, which is given to the best player in college football that started as a walk-on. Quattlebaum has been with the team since 2021 and currently starts for the team as its long snapper.

From walk-on to impact player@jacob_qbaum50 has been honored as a 𝗕𝘂𝗿𝗹𝘀𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗧𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗵𝘆 𝗡𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲! pic.twitter.com/e7HV8YY199

— Auburn Football (@AuburnFootball) November 1, 2022

Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Fans want more of Suni Lee and the Auburn Tigers.

Lee helped the team make an improbable run to gymnastics’ Final Four, and it seems that the Auburn faithful are ready to see it again — the team announced on Wednesday that season tickets had sold out for the upcoming gymnastics season, but that single-match tickets will be available soon.

Gonna be a fun year in Neville Arena.

Standing Room Only single meet tickets will go on sale December 1!#WarEagle pic.twitter.com/FKE6dv8vC9

— Auburn Gymnastics (@AuburnGym) November 1, 2022

John Reed-USA TODAY Sports

Auburn cross country can boast three All-SEC nods.

Three runners — Ryan Kinnae, Gene Coetzee and Joseph Perry — were given All-SEC commendations on Wednesday. Kinnae was named to the All-SEC Second Team and Coetzee and Perry were named to the All-SEC Freshman Team.

All-SEC looks good on these three

: https://t.co/JpHUZAgYHa#WarEagle pic.twitter.com/Sswj6vd504

— Auburn Track & Field (@AuburnTFXC) November 1, 2022

[aubiefifty 18,250]

Former Penn State coach mentioned as potential candidate for Auburn

38

Kevin McGuire

Mon, October 31, 2022 at 5:09 PM·2 min read

In this article:

Auburn Tigers

Sat 6:30 PMvsMSST

Matt Rhule

American football player and coach (born 1975)

Nick Saban

American football coach

Auburn hopped aboard this year’s edition of the coaching carousel on Monday by officially removing Bryan Harsin as head coach of the Tigers. Harsin was 9-12 in his second season at Auburn, with two of those losses coming against Penn State. With no shortage of potential candidates to become the next head coach of the program, could Auburn take a flyer on former Penn State head coach Bill O'Brien?

 

O’Brien is currently the offensive coordinator for Alabama, a role that has established a solid track record of leading to head coaching opportunities under the leadership of head coach Nick Saban. And it would not shock anyone the day O’Brien gets a chance to be a head coach again.

O’Brien was the head coach of Penn State for two seasons prior to the hiring of James Franklin, and he deserves plenty of praise for guiding the program through what he had to deal with at the time he took on the job. His stint as a head coach of the NFL’s Houston Texans didn’t quite pan out the way he would have liked, of course, but O’Brien has the right mindset to be a hard-working, make no excuses head coach.

- ADVERTISEMENT -

Auburn Wire explored an initial list of potential candidates to succeed Harsin at Auburn, and O’Brien was among the names on the list.

“This isn’t a name that will garner much positivity among some fans,” Auburn Wire notes. “But as a head coach Bill O’Brien has a pretty good resume, as a general manager not so much. He did a good job at Penn State before moving to the NFL. Perhaps attending Nick Saban’s school of wayward coaches has done him some good. At least a name to keep an eye on.”

O’Brien is no stranger to having his name thrown through the rumor mill, of course. Some have potentially linked O’Brien as a candidate for a handful of other openings currently out there including Nebraska and Colorado. Although, those specific options seem less and less likely.

Another candidate with Penn State ties also remains an intriguing possibility. Matt Rhule, most recently the head coach of the Carolina Panthers, is also on the market. But the Panthers are paying for Rhule to not do a darn thing so Rhule has the luxury of not feeling like he needs to rush right back into anything.

[aubiefifty 18,250]

Auburn football: Practice notes, defenders want Deion Sanders

Zac Blackerby

2 minutes

---

There are a ton of things happening both on and off the field at Auburn University right now. I received a handful of calls Tuesday night and wanted to list a few of the common factors in a post for everyone. Nothing heavy, but a few fun notes. 

There was a player's parents' call with Rich McGlynn Tuesday night to make sure everyone was on the same page. Sounded like McGlynn impressed several of the parents on the call. He was described as 'No nonsense" and answered some questions from the parents. Players now have the next 29 days to enter the portal. 

I was told by a source close to the program that Tuesday's practice was one of, if not, the best of the season. The energy was high, the offensive line won more battles, and the overall morale of the team was in a much better place. The source described it as, "Everyone is glad he's gone." There were still turnovers on offense but all-in-all, everyone felt good about the practice. 

It seems like the first choice for the next Auburn head coach among the defensive players is Deion Sanders. It makes sense why the defense would want Sanders. The hall-of-fame cornerback would add a ton of value and perspective to that side of the ball.