11/8/22 Auburn Articles

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Cadillac on leading the team out at Jordan-Hare: 'I'm going to hold it together'

Jason Caldwell

3-4 minutes

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AUBURN, Alabama—As a player at Auburn and an assistant coach for the Tigers, Cadillac Williams has run onto the playing surface of Pat Dye Field at Jordan-Hare Stadium dozens of times in the last 20+ years. Saturday will be a very different experience for the former All-American and first round NFL draft pick however.

This time he’ll be doing it as the head coach of the Auburn Tigers, serving in an interim capacity following the firing of Bryan Harsin a week ago.

Excited about his role last Saturday night would be an understatement as Williams ran up and down the sidelines and remained positive from start to finish in the overtime loss at Mississippi State. Now he’ll have a game under his belt and another week to prepare for what’s to come on Saturday night under the lights in the stadium that he once starred in.

He admits that extra time to get prepared won’t change things for him when it’s time to come out of that tunnel prior to the Texas A&M game this week.

“It’s Monday so I’m going to hold it together,” Williams said in his first media opportunity of the week. “You can’t make this up. Honestly, I don’t know how I’m going to feel. I do know I have a job to do, to get this team ready to play and get these guys prepared and lead these guys. I know I can’t make this about me, but I am going to sit in the moment. I’m going to enjoy it. I’m excited for that moment and honor.”

Making the moment even more special for Williams and this current Auburn team is the amount of support they’ve already received and what’s sure to come for this weekend’s game. With former teammates texting him and tweeting out support, a huge crowd of Auburn lettermen are expected to turn out on Saturday night to be there for their brother. Throw in what could be a sold out or near sold out crowd for the game and Williams said it’s what Auburn is all about.

“Honestly it doesn’t surprise me,” Williams said. “It’s why I chose this institution two decades ago, because of that same love that you all are feeling from the Auburn family. They embraced a kid like myself that had a dream to take care of my mom, to change the trajectory of my family. The feeling they gave me on my official visit is one that always stands out to me.

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“To have those former players, as you know Ronnie Brown and Carlos Rogers are my good buddies, Jeris McIntyre, Jason Campbell to name a few, DeMarco McNeil. Now I’m naming names and guys are going to be mad at me. Everybody I ever played with, people are truly reaching out and supporting me and getting behind this. I’m excited. I’m honored that my fellow brothers would actually take time out and get behind this.”

Kickoff for Saturday’s game is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on the SEC Network.

">247Sports

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Auburn football releases updated depth chart for Texas A&M game

The Tigers made a change on the offensive line after Austin Troxell went down with a season-ending injury vs MSU.

• Lance Dawe
• 15 hours ago

Auburn football released their week nine depth chart to the media on Monday afternoon. Take a look at the entire two-deep below:

Offensive depth chart

QB 9 ROBBY ASHFORD (6-3, 212, RFr.)

12 Holden Geriner (6-3, 212, Fr.) OR

1 T.J. Finley (6-7, 250, Jr.)

RB 4 TANK BIGSBY (6-0, 213, Jr.)

27 Jarquez Hunter (5-10, 202, So.)

TE 25 JOHN SAMUEL SHENKER (6-4, 250, Sr.)

86 Luke Deal (6-5, 257, Jr.)

WR/X 11 SHEDRICK JACKSON (6-2, 202, Sr.)

Camden Brown (6-3, 202, Fr.)

Dazalin 

WR/H 6 JA'VARRIUS JOHNSON (5-10, 160, Jr.)

5 Jay Fair (5-10, 180, Fr.)

WR/Z 0 KOY MOORE (6-1, 192, So.)

16 Malcolm Johnson Jr. (6-1, 195, Jr.) OR

Omari Kelly (6-0, 176 Fr.)

LT 77 KILIAN ZIERER (6-7, 312, Sr.)

Brenden Coffey (6-7, 293, Sr.)

LG KAMERON STUTTS (6-5, 339, Sr.)

76 Jeremiah Wright (6-5, 335, Jr.)

C 71 BRANDON COUNCIL (6-4, 328, Sr.)

50 Jalil Irvin (6-3, 313, Sr.)

RG 65 ALEC JACKSON (6-5, 321, Sr.)

58 Keiondre Jones (6-4, 340, Jr.)

RT 55 BRENDEN COFFEY

69 Cobly Smith (6-8, 324, RFr.)

NOTES: Dazalin Worsham is now on the three-deep at the WR/X. Brenden Coffey is now the starting RT after Austin Troxell left the Mississippi State game with a season-ending injury.

Defensive depth chart

EDGE 29 DERICK HALL (6-3, 256, Sr.)

39 Dylan Brooks (6-4 232, RFr.)

DE 25 COLBY WOODEN (6-5, 284, Jr.)

91 Morris Joseph Jr. (6-2, 281, Sr.)

NT 99 JAYSON JONES (6-6, 328, So.)

92 Marquis Burks (6-3, 302, Sr.)

DT 50 MARCUS HARRIS (6-3, 294, Ir.)

5 Jeffrey M'Ba (6-6, 313, So.)

MLB 0 OWEN PAPPOE (6-1, 225, Sr.)

32 Wesley Steiner (6-0, 237, Jr.)

WLB 13 CAM RILEY (6-5, 230, Jr.)

46 Jake Levant (6-1. 224, So.)

CB NEHEMIAH PRITCHETT (6-1, 182, Sr.)

23 J.D. Rhym (6-1, 181. Fr.)

CB 4 D.J. JAMES (6-1, 174, Jr.)

36 Jaylin Simpson (6-1, 178, Jr.)

S 10 ZION PUCKETT (6-0, 207, Jr.)

27 Marquise Gilbert (6-2, 178, So.)

S 1 DONOVAN KAUFMAN (5-10, 205, So.)

20 Cayden Bridges (6-2, 202, RFr.)

Nickel 6 KEIONTE SCOTT (6-0, 185, So.)

Austin Ausberry (6-0, 203 Fr.)

NOTES: No changes were made to the defensive depth chart.

Special teams depth chart

PK 26 ANDERS CARLSON (6-5, 215, Sr.)

38 Alex McPherson (5-9, 150, Fr.)

P 91 OSCAR CHAPMAN (6-3, 202, Jr.)

38 Alex McPherson (5-9, 150, Fr.)

H 91 OSCAR CHAPMAN (6-3, 202, Jr.)

13 Trey Lindsey (6-1, 200, Sr.)

LS 67 JACOB QUATTLEBAUM (6-1, 229, Sr.)

42 Kyle Vaccarella (6-3, 226, RFr.)

PR 6 KEIONTE SCOTT (6-0, 185, So.)

6 Ja'Varrius Johnson (5-10, 160, Jr.)

KR 27 JARQUEZ HUNTER (5-10, 202, So.)

6 KEIONTE SCOTT (6-0, 185, So.)

Damari Alston (5-9, 209, Fr.)

Nehemiah Pritchett (6-1, 182, Sr.)

NOTES: No changes were made to the special teams depth chart.

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Exit Survey: Final thoughts on Auburn's encouraging night in Starkville

ByNathan King 22 hours ago

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Interim coach Cadillac Williams' message to his team was that, in a road contest at Mississippi State, there was no way they could lose in his eyes. The Tigers did fall 39-33 in overtime, but showed encouraging fight on both sides of the ball that Williams and players agreed hasn't been seen all year with this team.

Three of our football reporters — Jason Caldwell, Mark Murphy and Nathan King — took another look at Auburn's first loss post-Bryan Harsin with some superlatives and final thoughts from the game in the Auburn Undercover Exit Survey.

Dive in for our plays of the game, helmet stickers, areas of concern and exiting analysis on the loss at Davis Wade Stadium — and what our Week 10 observations could mean for Auburn in the final few few weeks of the season.

Play of the game (offense)

Jason: "I would probably go with Robby Ashford’s first touchdown run of the game, a 20-yarder. Trailing 24-6, Auburn couldn’t settle for a field goal and needing an explosive play to make something happen. Ashford did just that."

Mark: "The left side of the line cleared the path beautifully for Tank Bigsby’s 41-yard touchdown run."

Nathan: "The Tigers' run-blocking really struggled for most of the game, but they had several breakthroughs in the second half. Tank Bigsby's 41-yard, go-ahead touchdown midway through the fourth quarter was set up beautifully. Tight end Luke Deal sealed a great block, then buried his defender in the dirt as Bigsby raced to the end zone. Auburn's co-play callers — Will Friend and Ike Hilliard — appeared to get more comfortable as the game progressed, and Bigsby made their efforts pay off with one of Auburn's two go-ahead touchdowns in the fourth quarter."

Play of the game (defense)

Jason: "Even with the games that Derick Hall and Colby Wooden had, the play for me was the sack and caused fumble by Jeffrey M’ba. It only led to a field goal at the time, but it was a glimpse into the potential for the big junior college transfer."

Mark: "Jeffrey M’ba’s first Auburn sack and forced fumble showed the lineman’s potential."

Nathan: "Mississippi State had scored touchdowns on three of its first four possessions until Jeffrey M'ba laid a huge hit on Will Rogers, and Dylan Brooks picked up the fumble. It gave Auburn a short field to tack on a field goal, and it began a string of nine straight scoreless drives for the Bulldogs, as the opportunistic Tigers clawed back to erase a three-touchdown deficit two quarters later."

Helmet sticker (offense)

Jason: "I’m just going to go with the entire offense. It was a tough week for the group with so many changes, but they found a way to run the football and make something happen in the second half."

Mark: "Derick Hall led the Tigers with eight tackles, two sacks, another tackle for lost yardage, a forced fumble and a quarterback hurry."

Nathan: "A 32% completion rate and four sacks look rough on paper, but Robby Ashford was a big key to Auburn rallying in this game. He had several effective runs off designed QB sweeps and draws, and his two red-zone touchdowns in the third quarter were huge. He had six runs of double-digit yardage in the game, and now hasn't turned the ball over in the past two games."

Helmet sticker (defense)

Jason: "I mentioned Hall and it’s hard to not make him the defensive player of the game. With two sacks and three tackles for a loss, the Mississippi native showed up in his final trip home."

Mark: "A half each goes to walk-on linebackers Barton Lester and Jake Levant (who went on scholarship in August) after combining for five tackles and doing a solid job in pass coverage."

Nathan: "There's no way I can't go with Derick Hall: three TFLs, two sacks, a strip-sack and a team-high eight tackles in the final game he'll ever play in his home state."

Helmet sticker (special teams)

Jason: "It was a night to forget for Auburn’s special teams. Not sure there’s any positive from the group."

Mark: "Oscar Chapman averaged 44 yards per punt and the only return lost three yards."

Nathan: "Whoof. It was a dreadful night for this unit. I'll go with Oscar Chapman, who punted well, with 308 yards on seven kicks, including a long of 51 and two punts inside the 20."

Where Auburn took a step forward

Jason: "Take your pick. Defensively was the biggest step in terms of actual football, but attitude, effort and excitement improved by leaps and bounds under Cadillac Williams."

Mark: "The intensity level was the best it has been all season."

Nathan: "Other than special teams and the passing game, one could argue this team showed promise across the board. Yes, Mississippi State moved the ball a little too easily in the first quarter — it had 140 yards on its first 11 plays of the game — but the Tigers' defensive line later showed up in a big way, with the linebackers making plays in space, too. The offense was inconsistent and is pretty paltry when dropping back to pass, but four second-half touchdowns — and zero turnovers for the game — is a step forward for this group. It was easy to tell the Tigers were playing looser under Williams and looked like they had something to fight for."

Where Auburn took a step back

Jason: "I mentioned special teams and that was the biggest issue. If Auburn plays solid on special teams, the Tigers win easily."

Mark: "Robby Ashford has to do a better job throwing short passes and finding open receivers wherever they are because there were plenty of them he didn’t throw to playing the Bulldogs."

Nathan: "Special teams lost this game for Auburn. Anders Carlson, a sixth-year senior, can't be missing field goals from inside 40 yards. He also can't kick the ball into the end zone anymore, which allowed Mississippi State an easier lane for a kick-return touchdown in the second quarter. His injury isn't his fault, but if he's going to be this inconsistent, Auburn needs to give its No. 1 kicker recruit in the country a shot. Then you have the facemask penalty on the kickoff when Mississippi State needed a field goal to force overtime, and the bizarre, incidental onside kick that eliminated Auburn's chances of winning in regulation."

Biggest surprise?

Jason: "It was probably Robby Ashford’s difficulties throwing the football. He completed just 7-22 passes on a wet night in Starkville. Just wasn’t his night."

Mark: " I wasn’t expecting to see Levant and Lester in the playing rotation at linebacker."

Nathan: "I expected Auburn to play hard for Williams and feel some pressure lifted after Harsin's cloud of uncertainty was lifted, but to come back from a three-touchdown hole and take the game to overtime, with solid, complementary football and no turnovers, was wildly impressive and speaks to this team's focus and leadership in the wake of a coaching change."

How did this outcome affect your thoughts on Auburn's final three games?

Jason: "It changes things pretty dramatically for me. This is still a roster with its issues, but Saturday showed this team has a chance to win games if it executes."

Mark: "With Bryan Harsin gone, Cadillac running the show and the Tigers playing with a lot of heart and passion at StarkVegas my interest level moving forward has multiplied."

Nathan: "I said last week in this answer that Auburn players after the game were completely dejected and defeated, and looked like they didn't want to play another football game this season. Things couldn't have been more different Saturday night. This was a team that completely threw out its three-win record and played its guts out — and nearly won an SEC road game on three days of practice with a interim coach and shuffled assistant staff. More importantly, they invigorated themselves and a fanbase that will undoubtedly turn Jordan-Hare Stadium into a madhouse this Saturday night. Auburn can absolutely win its next two games and salvage somewhat of a memorable finish for an otherwise dreadful season."

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Oregon Ducks coach Dan Lanning shoots down Auburn rumors: ‘The last thing I ever want to do is leave’

Updated: Nov. 07, 2022, 10:26 p.m.|Published: Nov. 07, 2022, 9:41 p.m.

3-4 minutes

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Oregon head coach Dan Lanning greets Oregon quarterback Bo Nix (10) after a touchdown against BYU during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022, in Eugene, Ore. (AP Photo/Andy Nelson)AP

By

• James Crepea | The Oregonian/OregonLive

Oregon Ducks coach Dan Lanning dismissed rumors linking him to other jobs on Monday night, saying that he wants to stay at the school that “checks every box” for him as a coach.

Asked about an unsubstantiated report from a Auburn fan-produced website stating there was “mutual interest” between the SEC school and Lanning, the first-year Ducks coach said “the last thing I ever want to do is leave” and and that there was “a problem in society” with those who constantly look for their next professional opportunity.

“First, I will say things like this are going to come up when you have team success and when you do your job and things go the way they’re supposed to go,” Lanning said. “That’s a credit really to our team. That being said, I think there’s a little bit of a problem in society today with people looking for what’s next and where there’s an opportunity and the reality is the grass is not always green. In fact, the grass is damn green in Eugene and I want to be here in Eugene for as long as Eugene will have me.

“This place has everything that I could possibly ever want, my family could ever want. I’ve got an 11-year-old that’s lived in eight states; the last thing I ever want to do is leave. I want to enjoy this opportunity here. It’s been a phenomenal place for us and when you talk about things that align, things that match your vision of what you’re looking for as a head coach, Oregon checks every box for me. ... I think history maybe shows that this is a great place to be and not a great place to leave. I want to be here. Hopefully that’s the last time I have to really address it.”

Lanning is in the first year of a six-year contract with Oregon that he signed last December. His buyout to leave before the end of January 2023 is $14 million.

Lanning is earning $4.6 million this year, plus performance bonuses that could reach as high as $2,025,000 in each year of his contract. Should Oregon go 11-1, win the Pac-12 Championship game and play in the Rose Bowl this year Lanning would earn $900,000 in performance bonuses. If the Ducks were to earn a spot in the College Football Playoff, his bonuses would increase to $1 million and then increase more if they won the national championship.

No. 6 Oregon (8-1, 6-0 Pac-12) hosts Washington (7-2, 4-2) on Saturday (4 p.m., FOX).

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