9.3.23 Football Articles

[aubiefifty 18,259]

 

si.com

 

Takeaways from Hugh Freeze’s UMass postgame press conference

Joshua Collins

2–3 minutes

---

Coach Freeze addresses the media moments after the Auburn Tigers defeated the UMass Minutemen.

Only a short time after the clock struck zero for Auburn’s season-opening contest with the Tigers celebrating a 59-14 victory over UMass, Coach Hugh Freeze addressed the media regarding what went well and what did not in the matchup against the UMass Minutemen.

Coach Freeze was full of appreciation for the Auburn family during this post-game press conference stating that “it was quite humbling to see the largest crowd at Jordan-Hare to date.” Coach Freeze only touched upon a few in-game points with the media this evening, one of which was Robby Ashford’s performance on the field. Freeze remarked, “Every press conference he has said that Robby Ashford is vital to this team winning football games.” Ashford carried the ball 9 times today to the tune of 51 yards and 3-rushing touchdowns.

Freeze expressed the importance of running the ball cleanly and efficiently when he was asked about the balance of the offense, commenting, “We could have been as balanced as they wanted to be tonight.” In highlighting the effectiveness in which they ran the football, the Auburn rushing attack carried the ball 44 times for a total of 289 yards and 6 touchdowns.

Behind this impressive rushing attack, Freeze remarked “We are prepared to be one of the fastest teams in college football this year.” This would allow the Tigers to take full advantage of the new play clock rules that have been implemented this year by the NCAA. All in all, it has been an extremely good start to the Hugh Freeze era on the plains and we are looking forward to hit the road to California next week to take on the Golden Bears.

[aubiefifty 18,259]

maybe i missed it but i have not seen hunter mentioned to start next week. one of the articles said it would be addressed after the game. anyone hear anything?

[aubiefifty 18,259]

i also read where folks were not impressed with the DJ in the student section. it seems he kept drowning out the band and the cheerleaders. and it seems he did not shut the music down. also he seemed to play music until the kickoff which a lot of folks did not like.

[Paladin 3,307]

Cobb impressive in his first game with the Tigers

Auburn true freshman running back Jeremiah Cobb showed a glimpse of what he can do on Saturday in the win over UMass.

Jason Caldwell

JASON CALDWELL

AUBURN, Alabama—Jeremiah Cobb has always been a confident runner going back to his early days playing at Montgomery Catholic. If he had any doubts going into his first game at Auburn, he got plenty of support from those around him that believed in his talents as well. That showed up on Saturday when the true freshman carried the ball five times for 57 yards, including a 42-yard touchdown in the third quarter.

“I told him this week that he would score his first touchdown,” Auburn coach Hugh Freeze said. “I think Jeremiah Cobb is a really, really special talent that’s going to have a special career at Auburn.”

Firmly in control of the game in the middle of the third quarter, Cobb wasn’t the only young guy in the game at the time. With fellow true freshman Connor Lew at center when the play happened, senior captain Kameron Stutts said it was fun to see the young guys take control and make a big play for the Tigers.

“We had an inside technique and I saw the ‘backers flowing over the top,” Stutts said. “We set it up for Connor, Connor took it over and they hit that hole. I was excited about it, man. We were trying to get some more explosive runs at the end. We went out there and got one right there so that was exciting.”

As for what he’s seen from Cobb since he arrived on campus, Stutts didn’t hold back his praise.

“He’s going to be a really good player,” Stutts said. “I’m excited about him.”

That excitement was evident throughout the team as player after player came to greet Cobb following his impressive touchdown run. One of those was quarterback Robby Ashford, who was the first guy to get to Cobb in the end zone after handing the ball off to him in the backfield. Sprinting to Cobb to celebrate with him, Ashford said it was a moment they two had already talked about.

“I was so excited for him,” Ashford said. “I told him, ‘You gonna get one today.’ He said, ‘You gonna get me one?’ And i said ‘Yeah bro, i got you.’ I was happy for him, just to get that first one. That’s gonna mean the world to him. And to do it in a win with a W, it’s not just a touchdown in a game. No, we were winning. That’s gonna hit different for him. I’m proud of him and what he’s done.”

[AUwent 3,837]

11 hours ago, aubiefifty said:

 

auburnwire.usatoday.com

 

Winners and losers from Auburn's win over UMass

Taylor Jones

4–5 minutes

---

Auburn fans have plenty to smile about following Saturday’s 59-14 win over UMass.

The Tigers gained 492 yards of offense, with a majority of that total coming from the run game. Seven players recorded a carry for Auburn, with Sean Jackson leading the way by recording 64 yards and a touchdown in the second half. Carries were evenly distributed, as neither back recorded more than nine. Three players also produced 50 or more yards.

Buy Tigers Tickets

Defensively, Jaylin Simpson made noise by recovering a fumble and hauling in a pick-six. The Tigers also sacked UMass quarterbacks four times.

What were some of the other noteworthy moments of Auburn’s season-opening win? Here is a look at the winners and losers from Auburn’s victory over UMass.

Austin Perryman/Auburn Tigers

The duo of Brian Battie and Keionte Scott proved to be lethal in Auburn’s season-opening win. Battie began the game with a 38-yard kickoff return that began deep in Auburn’s own endzone. Keionte Scott also had a 56-yard punt return in the game. Combined, Scott and Battie accumulated 156 return yards.

John Reed-USA TODAY Sports

All-in-all, Michigan State transfer Payton Thorne did not have a bad game. He passed for 141 yards and a touchdown, but he only completed 58% of his passes, going 10-of-17. There were also four receivers who recorded a target but failed to make a catch.

Hugh Freeze said after the game that Thorne made “three bad decisions.” The season is young, so Thorne will have time to make adjustments as the season goes along.

Zach Bland/Auburn Tigers

Auburn’s pass defense was extremely disruptive in the win over UMass. Minutemen starting quarterback Taisun Phommachanh went 8-of-16 for just 55 yards, was sacked four times, and was hurried six times. Donovan Kaufman, Marcus Harris, and Elijah McAllister all recorded individual sacks while freshman Keldric Faulk and Eugene Asante teamed up to add another.

© Mickey Welsh / Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK

The UMass running game was definitely its strong suit. The Minutemen rushed for 162 yards and had six rushing plays of 10 or more yards. Cal rushed for 346 yards in their 58-21 win over North Texas on Saturday, so the need to slow down the run will need to be addressed this upcoming week.

Jamie Holt/Auburn Tigers

The coaching staff praised wide receiver Jay Fair throughout fall camp, and he delivered a big-time performance on Saturday. He hauled in five passes for 56 yards and a touchdown, which was a 29-yard pass from Thorne in the 3rd quarter. He gained an additional 28 yards after contact.

Zach Bland/Auburn Tigers

“Robby Ashford will be a vital part of this offense” is the sentiment that Hugh Freeze expressed Saturday following the UMass game. Ashford appeared in several red zone plays and ended the game with three scores. If Auburn can find a way to use Ashford without becoming too predictable, they will become one of the nation’s best.

© Mickey Welsh / Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK

How many of you dug out your old “HUNH” t-shirt from the bottom of the closet? Shades of the Gus Malzahn trademark returned to Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday. The Tigers were moving so fast, that the Auburn University Marching Band could not complete the traditional “first down song” on multiple occasions. Auburn ended the game by running 69 plays.

Zach Bland/Auburn Tigers

If you were in attendance for Saturday’s game, then you are a part of history. The announced attendance today was 88,043, which was the largest in Jordan-Hare Stadium history.

That is a beautiful shot!

[gr82be 14,913]

The overhead stadium shot looks like snow. Beautiful pic.