11/14/22 Auburn Articles

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Cole Cubelic shares SEC takeaways following Week 11 action

Andrew Olson

5-6 minutes

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Cole Cubelic is back with his weekly SEC takeaways, a Sunday social media staple for fans of conference teams.

The Week 11 slate offered 7 games of conference contests featuring the 14 SEC teams. The SEC Championship Game lineup was officially set on Saturday.

LSU locked up the SEC West after Ole Miss was eliminated with a loss to Alabama. The Tigers defeated Arkansas 13-10 in the Battle for the Golden Boot, improving to 8-2 and 6-1 in SEC play.

Later Saturday, Georgia clinched the SEC East with a 45-19 win over Mississippi State to improve to 10-0 overall and 7-0 in conference play.

Cubelic covered Auburn’s 13-10 win over Texas A&M for the SEC Network. He’s now watched all 7 games and shared his takeaways for all 14 teams.

Here’s what Cubelic had to say:

ARKANSAS: Just not the same without KJ. Brutal vs that from also. Then plan gets shifted all around with different QBs & it’s a mess. No true balance. Needed great day by OL. Def played hard. 42 all over the place. LBs were great. Last fumble just devastating. Must know situation

— Cole Cubelic (@colecubelic) November 13, 2022

FLORIDA: Looked like the old 51 on def. That group got to the ball quick! Pass rush got going. 33 & 9 were nice there. Weak side of defense much improved. 2 is so smooth. Presentation of QB runs much better. Opens it all up. Right side of OL strong! Efficient through the air.

— Cole Cubelic (@colecubelic) November 13, 2022

KENTUCKY: Did not block 2nd level well. Looked a tad predictable on off. Not enough protection for QB. Didn’t break many tackles. Red zone a killer. QB runs got them. Have to be gap sound up front on def. Contain an issue. Late flags just can’t happen. 32 played hard on def.

— Cole Cubelic (@colecubelic) November 13, 2022

MISSISSIPPI STATE: Too much pressure on QB, off platform too often. Needed to win vs 4 rushers. 7 solid. 82 played well. Looked like run might help early then vanished. 14 all over on def. Big game for 3. Super aggressive plan made things happen but also left space open at times.

— Cole Cubelic (@colecubelic) November 13, 2022

OLE MISS: Loved the plan on off. Had eye violations all over. 2 was great on def. The penetrators on stunts did a fantastic job. Saw fatigue up front late. RBs grab hard, couldn’t hit the HRs. OL wasn’t bad. 1 does so much for that off. Needed to hit a few more shot plays

— Cole Cubelic (@colecubelic) November 13, 2022

TENNESSEE: Somewhat of a slow start then hammered down. QB in rhythm. QB runs hurt def some. Got run game & tempo going as game went along. Did not stop throwing haymakers. Managed a tough/physical DL. 11 ridiculous. Loved the continued creativity on offense to get matchups.

— Cole Cubelic (@colecubelic) November 13, 2022

VANDERBILT: MONSTER WIN! Streaks ended! Fight hasn’t slowed. The defense routinely beat the UK off to their landmarks. LBs great over the top. 19 great early. Def attacked upfield. Flew to FB. Won up front w/o extra numbers. Made UK waste blocks. 24 got going late. Got pressure!

— Cole Cubelic (@colecubelic) November 13, 2022

We’ll see what Cubelic has to say next Sunday after the Week 12 games!

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Jason Caldwell's Monday morning quarterback column

Jason Caldwell

5-6 minutes

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Important Saturday on the Plains

It was pretty obvious in the days leading up to Saturday’s game against Texas A&M that it was going to be a special atmosphere in Auburn, but I don’t think anyone saw coming what we witnessed inside Jordan-Hare Stadium. It was an electric atmosphere that would rival just about any Iron Bowl, Georgia game or LSU game. The only difference was this one came to watch two 3-6 teams do battle.

I had 20 or more former players come up to me Saturday night talking about the environment and what it meant to them to see the fans show up in support of Cadillac Williams and this team. If it meant that much to the former players, I can only imagine what it meant to the current players and future players in attendance. 

When you talk about the Auburn family, I can’t think of anything that comes closer to describing that than what I saw on Saturday. To say it was an important day for the Auburn football program just isn’t giving it enough credit in my book.

There were a bunch of really good football players on campus Saturday and more were watching at home. To see that type of support for a 3-6 team had to speak loud and clear to players about what Auburn is really like, not what people say on ESPN or social media.

We already know the short-term implications from what we saw on Saturday night, but the long-term impact might not be felt for years. With plenty of talented 2024 and 2025 prospects on hand, Auburn’s atmosphere might have been the trigger for future success in recruiting for the Tigers.

Keeping them at home

All you have to do is look around college football to see players all over the country that could have been playing for Auburn and are instead shining at other schools. It has started happening at a more alarming rate over the course of the last decade with Florida grabbing NFL guys like LaMichael Perine, Kadarious Toney, Evan McPherson and Jeremiah Moon all playing on Sundays. I think about Montgomery native and Ole Miss pass rusher Sam Williams, who was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round after coming to Oxford out of junior college. Logan Stenberg was an offensive lineman, who got drafted out of Kentucky from James Clemens High in Madison, is another. Currently in the SEC you have guys like Nathaniel Watson at Mississippi State, Quinshon Judkins at Ole Miss, Kamari Lassiter at Georgia and Kris Abrams-Draine at Missouri who are all making plays for their respective teams. 

You’re not going to get all of them, but you can’t miss on this many guys in your own state if you’re Auburn. Knowing this state inside and out is a must for success down the road for whoever the next head coach is and his staff.

Around the league

The SEC Championship is now set after Georgia won at Mississippi State and LSU squeaked by Arkansas on the road. After seeing both teams in person this season, I just can’t see any way this game isn’t at least two touchdowns in favor of the Bulldogs. I do still have questions about the Georgia offense and how much they can run the ball, but I just don’t see LSU being able to line up and do much of anything against that Georgia defense. My early call is Georgia 34, LSU 14.

This season has shown us once again the parity of this league. I don’t think that it’s bad football, but the bottom of the league is better and the second-tier in the league has fallen off a bit. The two continue to merge, which is all the more reason why it was time for Auburn to make a move. The Tigers were one of those teams, but have the ability to make a move back into the top group quickly. LSU just did it after finishing last season with around 40 players for a bowl game. 

It’s obvious that Texas A&M is the most disappointing team in all of college football, but Arkansas is right there with them. At 5-5 with games against Ole Miss and at Missouri still to come, it’s not a guarantee the Hogs will go bowling either. 

Kentucky is another one. The Wildcats dropped to 6-4 overall following a home loss to Vanderbilt over the weekend to snap a 26-game SEC losing streak for the Commodores. With Georgia and Louisville at home to finish the season, Kentucky could get to 7-5, but that’s a far cry from the expectations coming into the year.

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Players redirect praise to Williams after night of individual history - The Auburn Plainsman

 

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It was an emotional Saturday night in Jordan-Hare Stadium, as Auburn scraped by Texas A&M 13-10.

Emotions ran high with players flooding the student section after the final snap, and interim head coach Carnell “Cadillac” Williams smiling and following right behind them.

After a crushing 39-33 overtime loss to Mississippi State last week, Williams’ first win as the leader of the Tigers was celebrated like a party by his players. Williams said that team captain Derick Hall supplied his head coach with the game ball after the win, and the players piled on praise for their coach.

“That (winning for Williams) means the most because we can tell just how much love he has for us and how much support he has for us, even before he was the head coach,” said defensive lineman Marcus Harris. “To get him in that position and then help him win this game, that was amazing. He really brought the energy tonight.”

Energetic is one was to describe Auburn's win over the Aggies, but it might be selling it short. It was a historic night under the lights. Multiple players broke Auburn all-time records or moved up in different Auburn all-time ranking categories.

Star running back Tank Bigsby’s 121 yards rushing carried him higher on Auburn’s career rushing yards list. Bigsby passed Ronnie Brown to move to No. 9 all-time in career rushing yards at Auburn.

Brown played running back for the Tigers from 2000-2004 and rushed for 2,707 yards before becoming a top-five draft pick in the 2005 NFL draft.

Bigsby now sits at 2,735 yards with two regular-season games remaining in his junior year.

Bigsby’s fellow running back, sophomore Jarquez Hunter, also made rushing history Saturday night. Hunter’s 121 yards catapulted his career-rushing mark beyond 1,000 yards. Reigning from Mississippi, No. 27 became the 50th player in program history to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark, and Bigsby recognized the hard work Auburn's lethal duo has put in to elevate their game.

“I mean, a lot of our work we put in the offseason to now, and it's good to be able to see it pay off,” Bigsby said. “We push each other every day and we strive for greatness, and we try to be the best to ever do it.”

Williams was nearly brought to tears postgame when asked about the duo of Bigsby and Hunter.

"I'm so lucky to have the opportunity to coach two guys, high character young men who this whole time has let me pour into their lives and be vulnerable, and they know that I stand on truth," Williams said.

Senior team captain John Samuel Shenker set the Auburn record for most games played at Auburn — playing in his 60th game at Auburn.

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Shenker joined the program in 2017 and redshirted his freshman year. The tight end spent the next few years just rotating into the game, but in 2021 Shenker had his breakout year.

The Georgia native set Auburn single-season records for tight ends in receptions (33) and yards receiving (413) in 2021.

Instead of leaving the program, Shenker used his extra year of eligibility granted due to COVID-19 to return to The Plains for his sixth season in 2022 and now owns the record for most games played at Auburn — passing former Auburn EDGE rusher T.D. Moultry, who played 59 games from 2017-2021.

“I want to thank these players. How awesome are they? I challenged these guys to be vulnerable, open your heart, and let us in,” Williams said. “I told them you have people who care for you, and want to see you do well. A lot of times it felt like they didn't feel that way.”

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

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Jacob Waters | Sports Reporter

Jacob is a sophomore from Leeds, Alabama. This is his second year with The Auburn Plainsman. 

Twitter: @JacobWaters_

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#PMARSHONAU: Sunday reflections from Auburn and beyond

ByPhillip Marshall 16 hours ago

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An Auburn football revival

Regardless of what happens in the next two games, Cadillac Williams has revived Auburn football. He was the right man at the right time. What happened on Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium will be remembered among the great days in Auburn football’s history.

It wasn’t the outcome of the game, though Auburn’s 13-10 win over Texas A&M was so badly needed. It was the outpouring of passion, the support for an Auburn icon who was there when his school needed him most, that led the Jordan-Hare Stadium being packed to watch two teams with 3-6 records play.

There didn’t seem to be a lot left of the Auburn football so many have loved for so long when Bryan Harsin was shown the door after almost two dark years. But in the course of two weeks, Williams changed that.

 

Whitt on Cadillac, the tough guy

Former Auburn assistant Joe Whitt remembers the first time Williams got his attention as a player. It was in preseason practice in 2001, when Williams was a freshman. Whitt was the linebackers coach.

“We were working on one-on-one pass rush against the backs,” Whitt said. “I said ‘I am going to test this freshman.’ I put DT Thomas up there, and he whipped the snot out of DT. The next time, I put Karlos Dansby up there. Karlos got the best of him, but it took everything he had to do it.

“I’m telling you, Cadillac is a tough guy. He’s a good guy, a really good guy, but he is as tough as they come.”

 

About the coaching search

I have reason to believe that Auburn is close to locking up its man. To be clear, I do not know who that man is. Could it be Lane Kiffin? Yes. Hugh Freeze? Yes. Someone we haven’t heard about? Yes.

I am convinced that Auburn will have a new head coach in a matter of days after the Iron Bowl.

 

The Cadillac connection

I don’t believe it will happen. I am not even saying it should happen. But Auburn could do worse than taking the interim tag off and making Williams the permanent head coach. In these days of NIL and rampant transfers, Williams connects with players on a different level. He connects with supporters. He’s the kind of man most people would want their sons to play for.

Whoever is the next coach will make a serious mistake if he does not find a prominent role on his staff for Williams.

 

What Auburn football can be

Saturday night’s atmosphere was a clear sign of what Auburn football can be. I don’t know how many places would have had a similar atmosphere in similar circumstances, but it is not many. Auburn has a large and passionate fan base. It has resources. It will soon open one of the top football complexes in the game. Auburn literally has everything it takes to succeed.

It won’t happen overnight. Two years of Harsin’s laissez-faire approach to recruiting must be overcome, and that will take some time. Trust must be rebuilt. But there is no reason those things can’t happen.

 

Georgia in full control of the SEC

This season’s Georgia team has separated itself from the rest of the SEC. The Bulldogs, the defending national champions, are bound for the College Football Playoff. They still have Kentucky and Georgia Tech to play, but they will likely crush them both. LSU is good but not great and not close to being on Georgia’s level.

The real question in the SEC is if Tennessee will get into the playoff with an 11-1 record and no division championship. My guess is that it will.

 

A few observations from this season

* It seems officials are calling holding more than any time I can remember.

* I get so tired of games being stopped for reviews. The game would be better with an NFL-type system in which coaches have a certain number of challenges.

* I don’t know what you do about it, but the inconsistency of how pass interference calls are made is a real problem. Sometimes, I think officials forget that the defensive player has as much right to the football as the receiver.

 

A lesson for presidents and athletics directors?

Will university presidents and athletics director learn a lesson from what has happened at Texas A&M? Other than 11-1 record in the COVID season of 2020, Jimbo Fisher has not been a success. This season is likely to end with a 4-8 record. And he has a buyout of $86 million.

That such deals are made tells you how much money is pouring into SEC and Big Ten programs.

 

Auburn basketball team a work in progress

Is there reason for concern about the Auburn basketball team’s shooting woes. Yes. If there reason for panic? No. Auburn coach Bruce Pearl is working to pull together a combination of veterans and newcomers. This team will be a work in progress for a while.

The key, as always, is getting into position for the postseason. Being seeded high is nice, but it’s not necessary. Auburn was the No. 5 seed in 2019 and went to the Final Four.

 

Some random thoughts

* Not everything bad that happens is the fault of the head coach and not everything good that happens is because of the head coach.

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* Few things are sillier than saying a coach should be eliminated from consideration for a job or should be considered for a job because of the outcome of one game.

* I am no offensive line expert, but it looks to me like Jeremiah Wright has a chance to be a monstrous success with an opportunity to play for a long time.

* Receivers coach Ike Hilliard said on his postgame radio interview that they have to find ways to be more efficient and successful in the passing game. From the sound of it, that will be a priority this week. It’s really remarkable that Auburn has had so much success running the ball with almost no passing threat.

Until next time …

Comments (32) ">247Sports

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  #PMARSHONAU: Sunday reflections from Auburn and beyond

  Phillip Marshall
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  Auburn opens as single-digit favorite over Western Kentucky

  Nathan King

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Auburn opens as single-digit favorite over Western Kentucky

Nathan King

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Even in the glow of his first win as a head coach Saturday night — fireworks popping, student section going crazy and Jordan-Hare Stadium's light show flashing — interim coach Cadillac Williams had a clear answer when SEC Network reporter Cole Cubelic asked him after the victory, "What's next for this program?"

"Western Kentucky," Williams replied.

After an energy packed day on the Plains parlayed into a cathartic win for an embattled Tigers team, 13-10 over Texas A&M, Williams knows they can't afford a hangover next weekend. Auburn has a tricky Group of Five opponent to prepare for in its last home game of the season.

On Sunday afternoon, Auburn opened as a 6-point favorite, per Circa Sports, over the Hilltoppers, who boasts the nation's No. 4 passing offense and a top-30 yards-per-play defense. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. CST on SEC Network.

Under fourth-year coach Tyson Helton, Western Kentucky is 7-4 on the year, fresh off 45-10 win over Rice on Saturday. They've played one other Power Five team this season, Indiana, and only lost by a field goal, 33-30 on the road.

ESPN FPI presently gives Auburn only a 55.3% chance to win. ESPN's SP+ ratings have the Hilltoppers as the fifth-best Group of Five team in college football through 11 weeks.

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The teams haven't met since 2005; Auburn has won both games in the series handily under Tommy Tuberville.

Auburn snapped a five-game losing streak Saturday and will likely avoid last place in the SEC West by handing Texas A&M its sixth straight defeat this season. The Tigers' defense held the Aggies to just 211 yards of offense, including only 85 and four first downs in the second half.

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Auburn interim coach Cadillac Williams assures: 'We're gonna be OK'

ADAM COLE acole@oanow.com

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ADAM COLE

AUBURN - Drenched in Gatorade, in near-below freezing temperatures, Carnell “Cadillac” Williams got to take it all in on Pat Dye Field.

The stands were still packed post-game. The lights strobed and changed colors. Some of his players even hopped into the student section for a celebratory swag surf.

It was the aftermath of Williams’ first win as Auburn’s interim head coach on Saturday night. His Tigers took down a struggling Texas A&M team loaded with talent, 13-10, to give the program its first win since September.

“We're gonna be OK,” Williams said in his postgame interview on SEC Network. “Auburn football — It ain't dead."

The win was Auburn’s first since beating Missouri 17-14 in overtime on Sept. 24. Since then, the Tigers had gone on a five-game skid with losses to LSU, Georgia, Ole Miss, Arkansas and Mississippi State.

 

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Defense played the difference-maker in the snapping of that losing streak. The Tigers' defensive performance was highlighted by a shutdown third quarter in which Auburn (4-6, 2-5 SEC) held the Aggies scoreless and allowed minus-2 yards on 14 plays.

Texas A&M (3-7, 1-6 SEC) didn’t generate positive yards in the second half until the 6:56 mark of the third quarter with a four-yard gain that became insignificant. Aggie quarterback Conner Weigman attempted 11 passes in the frame and only completed one, which went for minus-3 yards.

In total, the Aggies were held to 215 yards, 94 of which came on the ground with the other 121 through the air. Weigman finished with a 14-for-36 line and one passing touchdown. Texas A&M’s leading rusher was Amari Daniels, who logged 83 rush yards on 11 attempts.

Auburn’s defensive front followed up a havoc-wreaking effort the week prior in Starkville — one in which it had a season-high 10 tackles for loss and five sacks — by logging three sacks and six tackles for loss to go along with six quarterback hurries.

Defensive lineman Colby Wooden — who posted one tackle and three quarterback hurries — had perhaps the play of the game. He strip-sacked Weigman, creating a fumlbe that was recovered by Memphis transfer Morris Joseph Jr., and it gave Auburn the ball back with 5:34 remaining.

According to multiple teammates, Wooden called the play before it happened.

“He said he was going to do a club and rip,” linebacker Cam Riley said. “But nobody in the huddle was really paying attention. The next play, he went out and did exactly what he said he was going to do.

“I was shook about it. I'm still shook right now that he actually did that.”

It was the second strip sack in two weeks for Wooden, and set up a scoring drive that put the Tigers back up two scores with 3:02 remaining.

Riley totaled five tackles, the most he’s had in a game since the Penn State loss in September. Linebacker Owen Pappoe had a team-high six tackles, and was Auburn’s only player to log two or more tackles for loss.

Auburn’s offense was carried by the run. The Tigers ran 68 plays, 55 of which were scrambles or rushing attempts. Tank Bigsby and Jarquez Hunter each generated a game-high 121 yards. Bigsby did so on 23 attempts, averaging 5.3 yards per carry, and Hunter did it on 13 carries to average 9.3 yards per carry.

Bigsby passed Ronnie Brown for No. 9 in the program record books in career rush yards, and Hunter bested his previous season-high of 80 yards before the end of the first half. Quarterback Robby Ashford finished with 47 rush yards on 13 carries. Ashford’s passing line was 6-for-13 for 60 yards. He threw one touchdown pass to two interceptions.

Nine of Auburn’s 13 drives ended in Texas A&M territory. Only three of those ended with points. Five ended with a punt, three ended with a turnover and one ended in a missed field goal from freshman Alex McPherson.

McPherson, who made his first career start in place of an injured Anders Carlson, was 2-of-3 on field goals. He hit from 24 and 36 yards while missing from 54.

Following a locker room celebration and slight clothing change, Williams came to the lectern for his postgame interview. He was asked about his words on TV — “Auburn’s gonna be OK.”

What’d that mean?

“Why wouldn’t you want to come to Auburn?” Williams said. “ .. Along with the new facility and the Auburn people, this place has always been on top of college football. Because, I can tell recruits, it’s truly the people within the walls. People that are serving, people that are in the community. And this is a place where you can develop, not only on the field, but also off the field.

"People that’s passionate about Auburn, about Auburn football, but also humanity — love, care, work, hard work. ... It’s a place where dreams come true. Look at me. First African-American to be in this lead position. Something I never even thought of. Never crossed my mind.

“So not only do dreams come true here, but the things that you don’t even think of can come true. Who would have ever thought that I’d be standing here? Because Lord knows I didn’t.”

Auburn/Texas A&M Stats

Texas A&M 0 0 0 10 — 10

Auburn 7 0 3 3 — 13

First Quarter

AUB_Ja.Johnson 16 pass from Ashford (McPherson kick), 1:33.

Third Quarter

AUB_FG McPherson 34, :39.

Fourth Quarter

TXAM_FG Bond 48, 10:48.

AUB_FG McPherson 26, 3:02.

TXAM_Preston 17 pass from Weigman (Bond kick), 1:33.

A_87,451.

TXAM AUB

First downs 12 18

Total Net Yards 215 330

Rushes-yards 24-94 55-270

Passing 121 60

Punt Returns 0-0 2-7

Kickoff Returns 1-6 0-0

Interceptions Ret. 2-0 0-0

Comp-Att-Int 14-36-0 6-13-2

Sacked-Yards Lost 3-26 2-12

Punts 9-37.889 5-44.2

Fumbles-Lost 2-1 1-1

Penalties-Yards 8-66 8-45

Time of Possession 23:34 36:26

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING_Texas A&M, Daniels 11-83, Moss 5-7, Weigman 8-4. Auburn, Hunter 13-121, Bigsby 23-121, Ashford 16-47, Alston 1-(minus 1), (Team) 2-(minus 18).

PASSING_Texas A&M, Weigman 14-36-0-121. Auburn, Ashford 6-13-2-60.

RECEIVING_Texas A&M, Preston 3-43, E.Stewart 3-9, Price 2-42, B.Smith 2-1, Wright 1-18, Moss 1-8, Thomas 1-3, Daniels 1-(minus 3). Auburn, Bigsby 2-20, J.Johnson 1-16, Hunter 1-12, Fromm 1-11, Deal 1-1.

MISSED FIELD GOALS_Auburn, McPherson 54.

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Cadillac Williams’ vulnerability resonates with a reinvigorated Auburn

Updated: Nov. 13, 2022, 11:43 a.m.|

Published: Nov. 13, 2022, 11:30 a.m.

Auburn interim head coach Carnell Williams, right, and Auburn safety Caleb Wooden (21) react as they start the fourth quarter during the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 12, 2022, in Auburn, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)AP

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Tom Green | tgreen@al.com

Cadillac Williams was scared, but he wasn’t afraid to let his team know it.

He had never been in a situation like this before; it was one he never could have imagined would present itself. Yet there he was on Halloween, tabbed as the interim head coach at his alma mater — with no prior head coaching experience on his resume — after Auburn’s firing of Bryan Harsin, taking over a program mired in a nightmare season and on a five-game losing streak.

“(I) was scared as a puppy last week,” Williams said late Saturday night. “I’m just telling you. Scared.”

Read more Auburn football: The scene inside and outside Jordan-Hare Stadium on a surreal day for Cadillac Williams

Scarbinsky: Go crazy and stick with Cadillac? Auburn wouldn’t do that... would it?

Grading Auburn’s 13-10 win against Texas A&M

Williams didn’t hide that fear behind some façade of false bravado, though the thought certainly crossed his mind — to be like other coaches, the “big boss” with a serious demeanor and arms crossed. Instead, he chose to embrace that fear. He chose to be vulnerable.

He told his assistant coaches and support staff as much shortly after he was elevated to interim head coach. Williams needed them, and he wanted them to know it as he waded into unfamiliar waters. That wasn’t all he confided in them, either.

“I told my staff when I took this job, and I’m part of it — we have failed these kids,” Williams said. “It’s our job to elevate them, to inspire them, to empower them, to get them going, and we ain’t done a good enough job.”

Williams felt a duty to his players, one that had been sorely lacking during this tumultuous season. Maybe it was because he intimately understood what things were capable at Auburn; as he has said multiple times over the last two weeks, it’s “a place where dreams come true,” and his own story is a testament to that. Or maybe it was because he learned through a lifetime of experience — from peewee football through a career in the NFL — what it meant to have coaches personally invest in you.

He wanted to pay it forward. It’s why he transitioned into coaching in the first place.

So, he challenged his players early last week: Be vulnerable. Open your heart. Let the coaches in.

“Coach Lac really just brought us all in and got us to really fight for each other and come together,” defensive lineman Morris Joseph Jr. said. “The team is closer than we can imagine right now, and we’re being vulnerable with each other, sharing our stories and actually just being there for each other, so that’s a great thing.”

Takeaways from Auburn's 13-10 win against Texas A&M

Auburn snapped its five-game losing streak and delivered interim head coach Cadillac Williams his first win.

First, though, Williams had to do the same for them, which wasn’t difficult. The 40-year-old former All-American is an accomplished poker player but presenting a poker face to mask his own doubts and insecurities about his burdensome new role was an impossible ask. The players who are closest to him, Auburn’s running backs — Tank Bigsby, Jarquez Hunter, Damari Alston, Sean Jackson, Jordon Ingram. Luke Reebels and Justin Jones — recognized it early on, and they spent last week checking in on Williams, making sure he was in a good place after a bombshell rocked the program.

“They could see how nervous I was,” Williams said. “I would tell them, ‘Yeah, I’m scared guys.’”

Williams’ own vulnerability resonated with them, and they offered up their own challenge to him in return: Just be you. They told him to take his same approach to the running backs room and use it for the whole team.