aubiefifty 18,259 Posted September 5, 2023 Share Posted September 5, 2023 247sports.com PMARSHONAU On truth day Auburn turns focus forward Phillip Marshall 9–11 minutes After a happy opener, Auburn must play better as trip to California looms AUBURN, Alabama - I am not sure what coach I heard say it years ago, but the words stuck with me. “Never apologize for winning.” And from another coach before a projected blowout: “If you don’t think it’s a big game, try losing it.” Such is the reality of college football, especially in the first week of the season when so many teams are playing overmatched opponents. Usually, one of two things happens: The stronger team imposes its will and runs away to a lopsided victory or the stronger team plays down to the level of its opponent and the result is a game that could put even the staunchest fan to sleep. Rarely, the stronger teams plays poorly enough to learn the horrors of losing to such an opponent. Hugh Freeze’s Auburn team took the first option last Saturday, crushing overmatched UMass 59-14 at Jordan-Hare Stadium. It was, in its own way, a big game because it was Freeze’s first as Auburn head coach. He and his team were welcomed by a record crowd at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Everyone went home feeling good. But it is worth noting that Bryan Harsin’s Auburn teams outscored Akron and Mercer 102-26 in his two season-openers. Monday was “truth” day for Freeze and his players. And the truth, Freeze said, was that Auburn would have to play better to beat an extremely dangerous Cal team on the West Coach come Saturday night. Sometimes, mistakes don’t show against such teams as UMass. A player goes the wrong way, but the play works anyway. A bad read doesn’t result in a bad outcome. Execution is crucial, but it’s much easier to execute against UMass than it will be against Cal. Freeze is nothing if not bluntly honest, a trait that is appreciated by those who cover his team. Harsin told us essentially nothing. Gus Malzahn liked every practice. Gene Chizik, for the most part, did, too. Be it a practice or a game, Freeze will tell you what he liked. And he will tell you what he didn’t like. The don’t likes seem to bug him for than the likes please him. And that’s OK. Freeze was delighted with the way the special teams played in the first half against UMass and not so delighted in the second half. He liked the way his offense ran the ball and, for the most part, the offense as a whole. He didn’t like that quarterback Payton Thorne made wrong decisions three times. He didn’t like the perimeter blocking and didn’t believe route-running was what it should have been. He loved having no turnovers and no presnap penalties. On defense, Freeze was happy about holding UMass to 1-for-11 on third downs. What he didn’t like were issues with alignment and assignment, issues that could cause big problems against Cal and the brutal schedule ahead. “We had numerous snaps, probably 15 I think it was, where we were not lined up properly, and it’s going to bite us big time if that continues to be the issue,” Freeze said. “We did have a lot of young kids out there, but nobody is going to write that, and it’s not going to make you feel better sitting in the film room after a week that it bites you. It’s one thing if somebody makes us miss a tackle, like this back (California’s Jaydn Ott) this week will. That is one thing, but for us to be aligned improperly and be a gap short or not be on the same page with all 11, on the back end, especially, it will burn you.” Freeze buys into the philosophy that you never apologize for winning, and he sure was not apologizing Monday. The ultimate goal is to win, and Auburn won in fine fashion. “The biggest truth of the day is we are 1-0,” Freeze said. “We defended our home, and we celebrate that.” The life college football players have chosen for themselves is grueling year-around. Once the season starts, the burden of carrying the hopes of so many is heavy. For some, it gets too heavy. You win and celebrate, or you lose and suffer disappointment. In the day of social media, one week you are praised and the next week you are criticized or even vilified. Either way, there’s another fight ahead and you must prepare for it. You must learn from the past. You must get better. Truth day is fun when you win, even if part of it is being shown what you did wrong. It stinks when you lose. Auburn’s season-opener was lots of fun for all involved. It’s over now. What truth the next one brings is what matters most. Freeze not thrilled with Auburn's cross-country trip to Cal Auburn is 0-3 in California all time VIDEO: Payton Thorne assesses first game as Auburn QB Hugh Freeze wasn’t too pleased when he arrived as Auburn’s coach and took a look at the schedule for his first season. He’s tasked with bringing home Auburn’s first win in program history in the state of California, with the first-ever meeting between Auburn and Cal — the first of a home-and-home series — serving as a significant upgrade in competition for the Tigers, after their 59-14 win over UMass in Week 1. Fans back home on the East Coast may need to brew some midday coffee. Auburn’s 9:30 p.m. CDT kickoff (ESPN) ties the latest start time for a game in program history, equaling the Tigers’ 1976 loss at Arizona. "I told our team when I taught my lesson for the week this morning with them, that’s one of the challenges I have for me is to embrace it because I don’t like it," Freeze said Monday. "I don’t like scheduling teams on the West Coast. I just as soon play somebody over here on the East Coast. But it was done. Me complaining or not embracing it is not the proper response." Freeze's furthest road game as Liberty's coach was to BYU — more than a 2,000-mile trip. He never coached a game further west than Texas as Ole Miss' coach. Auburn will travel more than 2,400 miles to Berkeley. "It was a challenge," Freeze said of Liberty's trip to BYU in 2019. "And this one is even further, in another time zone. I think it creates some challenges, but this will be a good test for all of us. Coaches, trainers, staff, nutritionists, drink staff, support staff, players. How do we handle if things are a little uncomfortable? Or it’s not exactly the way we want it — and I’m speaking to myself as much as anyone. You’ve gotta play a really good football team at their place when our body times are 9:30 or 10 at night and we’re kicking it off." Auburn is 0-3 in California all time, with losses at Santa Clara in 1936, at USC in 2002 and against Florida State at the Rose Bowl in the 2013 national championship game. The home-and-home series was originally scheduled in 2016, and was set to be played first in 2019 at Auburn, then in 2020 on the West Coast. When Auburn added the Penn State series later in 2016, the Cal games were pushed down the road to 2023 and 2024. Last week, Cal was officially welcomed to the ACC, set to join the conference next season. It’s unclear how or if the conference shuffling will affect the return game in Jordan-Hare Stadium next season. Auburn’s other future scheduled series are home-and-homes against Baylor (2025-26), UCLA (2027-28) and Miami (2029-30). Auburn’s record against the Pac-12 is more than healthy, sitting at 10-3 against current programs in the conference. Most recently, Auburn beat Oregon and Washington in the 2019 and 2018 season openers, respectively. The Tigers are 0-2 on the road against Pac-12 teams, though, with losses at Arizona (1976) and USC (2002). Those numbers will all shift significantly next season, though, as USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington are off to the Big Ten, Arizona State, Arizona, Colorado and Utah are set to join the Big 12, and just last week, Cal and Stanford locked in with the ACC. Only Oregon State and Washington State remain as current members of the Pac-12 for the 2024 season. “All of that is going to be a challenge, but you know what, that’s what life is," Freeze said. "How we approach it and the attitude we have for the opportunity to the opportunity we have, it ought to be one of gratitude and thankfulness. We gotta suck it up and fly a long flight. That’s what we gotta do. We got another opportunity to represent this school, this conference and each other. Let’s go make the most of it." Auburn held its Monday meeting and practice earlier than usual so players and coaches have time to celebrate Labor Day. The team flies out to California on Thursday and will attempt to time it up so that players don’t have a ton of dead time and go right to sleep upon arrival. "Friday will be a pretty good challenge to get your bodies adjusted," Freeze said. "... Try to get back to the hotel like we would on a normal Friday at the same time, and try to treat it as much as normal as we can. The hard day's going to be, really, Saturday, sitting around. That's a long time before kickoff." *** Subscribe to Auburn Undercover for the latest news and intel, podcasts, recruiting coverage and more *** *** Get Auburn news straight to your inbox with the Auburn Undercover newsletter *** 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aubiefifty 18,259 Posted September 5, 2023 Author Share Posted September 5, 2023 saturdaydownsouth.com Hugh Freeze reveals list of players who ‘might’ be unavailable for Week 2 Ethan Stone | 13 hours ago 2–3 minutes Hugh Freeze and Auburn blitzed UMass in Week 1 and now set their sights on Week 2’s matchup against Cal. On Monday, Auburn’s head coach was asked a question about the status of running back Jarquez Hunter, who was injured in the Tigers’ win over the Minutemen. Freeze did not address Hunter’s availability, but did reveal a list of players who “might” be unavailable for Week 2. A quote like this means there’s a strong chance Nick Mardner, Austin Keys, Jalen McLeod and Nehemiah Pritchett will not play Saturday: Of those on the list, only Austin Keys played an made an impact on the stat sheet last week: Austin Keys, who totaled a pair of tackles. Mardner, Pritchett and McLeod did not play last week. Auburn faces off against Cal at 10:30 p.m. ET (that’s west coast football for you) on ESPN. TRENDING 58,148 READS 51,772 READS 23,016 READS Ethan Stone Ethan Stone was an editor for his student newspaper at the University of Tennessee and is now a News Manager for Saturday Down South. Follow on Twitter. We do not target any individuals under the age of 21. We support responsible gambling. If you feel like you're losing control over your gambling experience, call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ, PA, WV), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-888- 532-3500(Virginia) 1-800-522-4700 (NV, TN), 1-800-522-4700 (CO, TN), 1-855-2CALLGA (IL), 1-800-270-7117 (MI). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aubiefifty 18,259 Posted September 5, 2023 Author Share Posted September 5, 2023 espn.com Auburn football lands top OL DeAndre Carter for 2024 - ESPN Blake Baumgartner 3–4 minutes Jaylin Simpson jumps the route for an Auburn pick-six (0:38) Jaylin Simpson jumps the route and runs it to the house for an Auburn pick-six. (0:38) Blake Baumgartner, ESPN Staff WriterSep 3, 2023, 02:26 PM ET A day after beginning his Auburn tenure with a 59-14 victory over UMass, Hugh Freeze isn't resting. Freeze and his staff scored a huge commitment on Sunday as Mater Dei High School (California) offensive lineman DeAndre Carter (No. 42 overall in the 2024 ESPN 300) pledged to play down on the Plains. "I went in there with expectations, and they pretty much just exceeded them like super high," Carter told ESPN of his official visit in late June. "You know, I loved all the coaches I met. It was my first time down there. I loved everything, from football to the education and just the program and school as a whole. "When I got there, I talked to the players. They all introduced themselves to me. It was really nice." Carter, the top-ranked offensive guard in the class and the ninth ESPN 300 prospect the Tigers have secured, also considered Michigan State and Texas. Since July 17, five ESPN 300 prospects have come into the fold for the Tigers, including a pair of high-profile flips: linebacker Demarcus Riddick (No. 41 overall; Georgia) on July 26 and wide receiver Perry Thompson (No. 40 overall; Alabama) on July 29. Auburn's class is ranked 19th in ESPN's team rankings. Offensive line coach Jake Thornton was hired at Auburn in December after spending the past two years at Mississippi. Under his tutelage, the Rebels led the SEC in total offense (492.5 YPG) in 2021 and ranked third nationally in rushing offense (261.6 YPG) last season. Conversely, the Tigers' offense averaged 378.5 total yards (10th in the SEC) but finished third in the conference in rushing with 205.8 YPG in 2022. In the victory over the Minutemen on Saturday, the Tigers ran for 289 yards, and four different players -- quarterback Robby Ashford and running backs Sean Jackson, Jeremiah Cobb and Damari Alston -- all found the end zone. "Coach Freeze and Coach Thornton, I've talked to them before," Carter said. "But I think the main thing that got me was their atmosphere. It's just like a family atmosphere over there." While suiting up for California powerhouse Mater Dei, he has gone up against some of the best competition in the country inside the Trinity League. He's not about to be fazed about what will await him with Auburn. "I mean, I like playing against the best competition," Carter said, "so I know that's a really, really good league to get into [the SEC]. But it's not like a 'I have to go there' kind of deal." 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aubiefifty 18,259 Posted September 5, 2023 Author Share Posted September 5, 2023 si.com Hugh Freeze shows respect for California Golden Bears ahead of matchup Joshua Collins 3–4 minutes Coach Freeze discusses his Tigers week two road matchup against the Cal Golden Bears. Week two of the 2023 college football season is upon us, and Coach Hugh Freeze and the Auburn Tigers are preparing for a tough road matchup against the California Golden Bears this Saturday. Coach Freeze addressed the media this morning as to how the Tigers are preparing for the contest and what they expect to see from their opponents across the line of scrimmage. Cal is coming off a road win in Denton, Texas this past Saturday against the North Texas Mean Green, where they put up some impressive numbers on the stat lines. Cal routed the Mean Green with a final score of 58-21 posting a total of 669 yards on offense and holding North Texas to only 225 yards. The Golden Bears were a slightly penalty ridden throughout the game being called for eight penalties to the tune of negative 60 yards. Coach Freeze spoke on the matchup with candor this morning expressing his concerns about their offensive and defensive schemes. Here are few notable comments from Coach Freeze about the Golden Bears. Freeze opened with stressing the importance of “Embracing the challenge of traveling to Cal” while also touching on the late kickoff." “How do we handle being uncomfortable?" Freeze said. “We need to win the turnover battle and the penalty battle as many games as we can.” When asked about Cal’s offensive attack, Freeze spoke about Cal’s starting RB Jaydn Ott. “Just hand it to him… If it’s blocked semi-well, he can be a handful,” Freeze said. Ott carried the ball 20 times on Saturday putting up 188 yards for two touchdowns. Cal's defense isn't a slouch, either. Justin Wilcox is an excellent defensive coach, and Freeze knows that. “Cal’s defense is very well coached…It’s not a complicated defense, but sound," Freeze said. “He (Wilcox) has his players very well disciplined on their assignments.” Coach Freeze isn’t taking this challenge lightly and is hoping to have his Tigers prepared to rise to the challenge that the Golden Bears will present them. Be sure to tune in at 9:30pm CT on Saturday, September 9th to watch your Auburn Tigers suit up and play ball against the Cal Golden Bears. Auburn v. UMass 2023 Season Opener Payton Thorne drops back to pass. Eric Starling/Auburn Daily 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aubiefifty 18,259 Posted September 5, 2023 Author Share Posted September 5, 2023 theplainsman.com Britton named SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week ~2 minutes After Auburn’s win against Massachusetts on Saturday, Gunner Britton was named SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week. Britton earned this award, which was announced Monday, after playing three positions against the Minutemen. The 6-foot-6, 312-pound senior transfer from Western Kentucky played at left guard, right tackle and left tackle for the Tigers in Saturday’s game. Britton led an Auburn offensive line that allowed just two quarterback hurries, while Britton himself allowed none. Britton is the first Auburn player to earn the SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week title since Nick Brahms in week nine of the 2020 season. Britton’s addition to the team was just one of several changes to the new-look offensive line this offseason. Britton and the Tigers play at California on Saturday at 9:30 p.m. CST. 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. Ruby Hudson | Sports Writer Ruby Hudson is a freshman from Cullman, Alabama, majoring in biomedical sciences. She joined The Plainsman in Fall 2023. Share and discuss “Britton named SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week” on social media. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aubiefifty 18,259 Posted September 5, 2023 Author Share Posted September 5, 2023 247sports.com Freeze intensely coaches Auburn QB Payton Thorne, but 'I’ll play the next play with you' Nathan King 5–6 minutes Hugh Freeze isn’t afraid to be intense coaching his quarterbacks. He certainly has the track record with the position to back it up. Auburn’s first-year starter, Payton Thorne, got his first taste of some Freeze fury in the Tigers’ season-opening, 59-14 win over UMass. The most public viewpoint of that fact was Freeze ripping off his headset in the second quarter, after Thorne threw an incompletion out of the back of the end zone to Camden Brown. The exchange with Thorne on the sideline was passionate, to say the least. But Freeze hopes his players know where that comes from. “I’m crazy sometimes,” Freeze said Monday with a laugh. “I’ll get frustrated. I don’t lie, and I tell him that. But here’s the deal, I’ll play the next play with you now. Look, my love for them doesn’t change. … ‘Listen: I love you, and it's not based on your performance.’ As long as our players know that I think I can coach them hard, and they and they see that and they see a consistency and — 'hey, you don't treat me any different after the game whether I threw four touchdowns or three picks.' “... I think Payton knows that.” As Freeze admitted all preseason, he’s still getting a read on the persona of his first Auburn team. His default setting is to be high energy and demanding on game days. Whether that continues depends on how Freeze sees the Tigers respond. In Thorne’s case, as the head coach gets to know his starting quarterback better, he’ll sometimes start “pressing” to meet Freeze’s demands. But that wasn’t the case on that particular sequence that led to Freeze’s outburst. On Auburn’s fourth drive of the game, a UMass safety was aligned in the box, and Freeze wanted Thorne to recognize the single-safety look and pull the ball out for a quick throw. Instead, he handed to Jeremiah Cobb, who was hit in the backfield by the blitzing safety but bounced off for a 1-yard gain. The pressure forced center Avery Jones to take an awkward ankle in an attempt to pick up the free rusher, and holding was called. Later in the drive in the red zone, UMass had both safeties back, and had a hat on a hat in the box for a potential read to give the ball to Damari Alston. But Thorne pulled the ball and lofted it to Brown over a couple defensive backs. It hit the ground harmlessly out of bounds, but Freeze knows the opportunity was there for a big play on the ground if Thorne had made the correct read. Part of the reason Freeze picked Thorne as his starter was not only because he made more of those correct decisions than not in the preseason, but also because he trusts the veteran QB won’t make the same mistakes twice. “He handed a ball off and the safety triggered so hard, and the safety made the hit like 1 yard in the backfield,” Freeze said, before throwing his hands up. “How do you not see that? That ball should be thrown. So, I'm doing my antics over there, and he probably sees that. Then about two plays later, the darn safety stays as high as he can, and we pull it and throw it. Those are the things that can't happen. He's too intelligent, has too much of an IQ, and he'll get that cleaned up and fixed. I've got to make sure I coach him in a way that is helpful and doesn't make him press.” The Michigan State transfer completed 10-of-17 passes for 141 yards and a touchdown in his debut. He was sidelined by the third quarter after his 29-yard scoring toss to Jay Fair put the Tigers up 45-7. His performance wasn’t explosive, but as both he and Freeze admitted postgame, Auburn didn’t open up much of its passing concepts, especially once the game was well in hand by the second quarter. But make no mistake, Freeze — and Thorne, for that matter — will hold the fifth-year senior QB to a high standard. “Payton, he had three decisions that were wrong and I expect more,” Freeze said. “I expect him not to make the ones he made, and he knows that. But he played solid, you just would like that decision-making to be around 100 percent particularly in the run-pass world, where he’s deciding whether it’s a run or pass. Those need to be near 100 percent.” Thorne ran the starting offense, but it was backup Robby Ashford who found the end zone three times in the second quarter, using his legs in red-zone settings as Freeze had hoped he could as an athletic, change-of-pace weapon when the Tigers get in scoring position. “Well, I don't know,” Freeze said when asked if Ashford’s red-zone role will continue against Cal and beyond. “I think every game plan is different. I just think he's super talented, and I think there's a lot of things we can do with him. I know people in this world and day in time, you know, you can't play two quarterbacks. Well, I don't know, maybe they're right. “But we're 1-0, and if we go 2-0 doing it, we'll keep doing it.” The Tigers play late Saturday night in a nonconference road clash with Cal (9:30 p.m. CDT, ESPN). *** Subscribe to Auburn Undercover for the latest news and intel, podcasts, recruiting coverage and more *** 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aubiefifty 18,259 Posted September 5, 2023 Author Share Posted September 5, 2023 al.com Inside Hugh Freeze's 'truth meeting' after Auburn's win over UMass Published: Sep. 04, 2023, 3:49 p.m. 6–7 minutes Monday mornings are for truth meetings at Auburn’s Woltosz Football Performance Center — a time designated for first-year head coach Hugh Freeze to debrief his team about what he saw on film from the game prior. The Tigers dusted the UMass Minutemen 59-14 in front of a sold out Jordan-Hare Stadium. The game saw 68 different Auburn players see the field, the Tigers win the turnover battle — including an explosive Pick 6 — and few wholesale mistakes. Surely there were Krispy Kreme Doughnuts waiting for everyone at Monday morning’s meeting and everyone talked about the rainbows and butterflies that come with a blowout victory like Saturday’s, right? Not quite. While there was plenty to be happy about following Saturday’s win, the film showed a few things worth griping about. Here’s the good, the bad and the ugly Freeze addressed in his first truth meeting of the season. The good Fortunately for Auburn, the good outweighed the bad in Saturday’s win. In his opening statement of his press conference Monday morning, Freeze started in saying he was impressed by Auburn’s special teams play — specifically the work of Auburn’s punt and kick returners. “I thought our special teams, the positives were that we started really fast,” Freeze said. “I think we had 131 return yards in the first quarter, which was pretty awesome.” Auburn’s Brian Battie opened Tigers’ season with a 38-yard kickoff return after electing to field UMass’ kick from well inside the Tigers’ own endzone, giving Payton Thorne and the Auburn offense a manageable 62-yard field for their opening drive. Later in the first quarter, Auburn cornerback Keionte Scott returned a UMass punt 56 yards to the Minutemen’s 16-yard line, once again giving the Tigers’ offense a field that was eaten up in a few short plays. Freeze was also pleased with the defense’s ability to get off the field on late downs. While the UMass offense saw 11 third- or fourth-down opportunities on Saturday, the Minutemen only converted one of them. “I thought 1-of-11 on third and fourth downs, those are critical downs, and that’s a great percentage,” Freeze said. “(We) created 13 negative plays, two turnovers and had zero penalties on defense. I thought that was really nice.” Senior cornerback Jaylin Simpson was Auburn’s ball magnet Saturday, coming away with a fumble recovery and an interception that he returned 50 yards down the field for a touchdown. As for Auburn’s offense, averaging 6.6 yards per carry is something that really jumped out at Freeze. Meanwhile the Tigers’ ability to keep up with the tempo, create some explosive plays, go 6-for-10 on third down and finish with 100% efficiency in the redzone are all big positives that came out of Auburn’s season-opener. The bad While Freeze had so much good to say about the Auburn offense, he had a few grievances — one being the some of Payton Thorne’s decision making at quarterback. “Payton had three decisions that were wrong, and I just expect more,” Freeze said. “I expect him not to make the ones he made, and he knows that.” Going into specifics, Freeze said there were two instances on the same drive that Thorne made the wrong read. “He handed a ball off and the safety triggered so hard, and the safety made the hit like 1 yard in the backfield. So, I’m — ‘How do you not see that?!’ That ball should be thrown,” Freeze said. “Then about two plays later, the darn safety stays as high as he can, and we pull it and throw it. Those are the things that can’t happen. He’s too intelligent, has too much of an IQ and he’ll get that cleaned up and fixed.” Thorne finished his first outing in an Auburn uniform 10-for-17 for 141 yards and a touchdown pass. In addition to some missed reads, Freeze said the perimeter blocking along the offensive line could’ve been better, as could’ve some of the receivers’ route running and the effort on special teams in the second half, when he counted six missed tackles. The ugly Freeze says there was one “glaring negative” he saw Saturday that he and Auburn won’t be able to get away with down the stretch as the Tigers’ schedule stiffens. “The big glaring negative that we got by with in this game, but we will not get by with in future games, is alignment and assignment,” Freeze said. “And that’s frustrating to me. We had numerous snaps — probably 15, I think it was — that we’re not lined up properly. And it’s going to bite us big time if that continues to be the issue.” While it’s worth noting — as Freeze did — that the Tigers played a ton of young guys against UMass, Freeze doesn’t want to make excuses. And he let his coaching staff hear about it during their meeting on Sunday. “Our coaches’ meeting, truthfully, yesterday wasn’t really pleasant,” Freeze said. “It wasn’t demeaning. It was, ‘Guys, here are the facts. This is reality. This is who we are right now. And thank God we get to celebrate being 1-0 and won in Jordan-Hare and we won’t take that lightly. That’s awesome. However, this is what I see and if that continues, we won’t be celebrating a whole lot.’ “I’ve said I don’t know how great we can be this year. I don’t. But we ought to be able to line up right and play hard and that’s what we’ve got to get fixed. I thought our kids played hard and I thought it was a clean game. But you can’t line up wrong 15 times.” If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. By browsing this site, we may share your information with our social media partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aubiefifty 18,259 Posted September 5, 2023 Author Share Posted September 5, 2023 al.com The week ahead: Auburn football turns to cross-country trip Published: Sep. 04, 2023, 8:41 a.m. 5–7 minutes It’s about as hard a turn as Auburn could make. One week, it’s the Auburn community reuniting at Jordan-Hare Stadium with a sense of optimism and excitement for a new year. It’s a record-setting crowd in the season opener. And then the next Saturday, Auburn will be nearly 2,500 miles and two time zones away from the gates of Jordan-Hare. Auburn plays Cal in its second game of the year. It’s the opening leg of a two-year series in Berkeley, California this fall, and back in Auburn the next. So as the page turns to a new week, here are three storylines to keep an eye on. What’s up with Jarquez Hunter? First things first: We know nothing new about Auburn’s top running back. Hunter didn’t suit up for Auburn’s opener against UMass. He was on the sidelines wearing his jersey with no pads and sweatpants. He spent most of the game sitting on a medical table on the sidelines off to the side of the rest of the bunch. After the game, head coach Hugh Freeze had a short press conference where the subject of Hunter’s absence was not addressed. To this point, Auburn has not commented on Hunter’s status at all. Whenever Freeze or other officials have been asked, they have stated it’s an internal matter and nothing further. Hunter missed a couple of Auburn’s first fall camp practices and was first seen on the field on Tuesday, Aug. 8 during a period of practice open to the media. No official reason was given for that absence, either. Hunter has practiced ever since. But in advance of the UMass game, Freeze was asked if Hunter would play. He stated that generally, he would not comment on who would and would not, play without specifically mentioning Hunter. It’s unlikely Auburn officials will answer this question at some point this week. We will likely have to wait until warmup Saturday to see if Hunter is in uniform. More time to get healthy Based on Freeze’s comments on the Monday before the UMass game, it didn’t seem like he was ruling anyone to for sure be unable to play in the first game due to injuries. Of the players dealing with injuries whom Freeze did mention last week, cornerbacks Nehemiah Pritchett and J.D. Rhym as well as wide receiver Nick Mardner didn’t play. Pritchett’s absence may have been both the most expected, but also the most impactful. During a period of open practice on Tuesday, Prtichett was off to the side not participating. In his place, Champ Anthony, Kayin Lee and Donovan Kaufman saw a lot more playing time. Kaufman especially had a great game with a forced fumble, a sack and multiple tackles for loss. Mardner’s absence wasn’t too notable on a day where no wide receiver was asked to do too much. The bulk of Auburn’s offense came on the ground. Across all three quarterbacks who played — Payton Thorne, Robby Ashford and Holden Geriner — Auburn only had 14 completions on 25 pass attempts. Jay Fair led Auburn with five catches and a touchdown. Malcolm Johnson Jr. led Auburn with 59 receiving yards, but they all came in the fourth quarter when the result of the game was long in hand. Mardner’s biggest ability for Auburn is that, well he’s big. He, fellow receiver Shane Hooks and tight end Rivaldo Fairweather are Auburn’s biggest targets, but the two who played had a total of two catches — and both were Hooks. Fairweather actually wasn’t targeted at all the whole game. There are a lot of reasons for that, namely Ashford being Auburn’s go-to guy in the redzone, taking away situations where the size of those pass-catchers would be especially impactful. How will Auburn handle the mileage? There’s no way around it. This is a LONG trip. So how is Auburn preparing for it? “Coach Freeze does this thing called the truth meeting and after that meeting, it’s all Cal,” defensive tackle Jayson Jones said after the UMass game. “Throw away Umass, throw away what happened during the game, it’s all Cal and the preparation for that. Time difference, got to think about, two hours behind central time, so that’s going to play a part in that. We’ve just got to stay ready for them. They’re going to come play hard, we’re going to come play hard.” The long flight and late start time — kickoff is slated for 9:30 p.m. central time on ESPN — take a toll on the body. It’s also Auburn’s first road trip, let alone a marathon of one. Cal likely won’t bring the type of deafening environment Auburn will see at Texas A&M and LSU once SEC play begins, which could help with the adjustment that far from home. But handling a trip like this is still a conversation after the game. Auburn still has to fly back and like Jones said, quickly turn the page to the next game — which would be back at home against Samford. Auburn coaches have previously talked about making sure the players get enough rest, so that the toll of the trip won’t stem into the Samford game, and the trip to College Station, Texas the week after. Now time to execute the plan. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aubiefifty 18,259 Posted September 5, 2023 Author Share Posted September 5, 2023 auburnwire.usatoday.com Auburn vs. Cal: Prediction, point spread, odds, best bet JD McCarthy ~2 minutes The lines, courtesy of BetMGM Auburn Point spread: -6.5 (-110) Cal Point Spread: +6.5 (-110) Over/Under: 55.5 (-110) Click here to place your bets at BetMGM. Auburn is looking to pick up a solid out-of-conference win against Cal and the fact that the game is on the road will make it a decent test for the Tigers this early in both the season and the Hugh Freeze era. Both teams are coming off of big wins and the game will be the home opener for the Golden Bears. The Tigers didn’t really need their receivers or tight ends to do much last week but that will not be the case in this game. Cal held opponents to just 4.21 yards per carry last week and looks to once again be stout against the run in 2023, holding North Texas to 1.52 yards per carry last week. They were also able to run it themselves last week, racking up 357 yards and six touchdowns on the ground. Auburn’s run defense will have to take a step forward for the Tigers to win Saturday and I’m expecting them to just do that as the offense does enough to pick up the win and cover the spread. Prediction: Auburn 30, Cal 20 Get more betting analysis and predictions at Sportsbook Wire. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aubiefifty 18,259 Posted September 5, 2023 Author Share Posted September 5, 2023 247sports.com Exit Survey Final thoughts on Auburns 5914 win over UMass Nathan King 9–11 minutes Dive in for our plays of the game, helmet stickers and exiting analysis on the victory at Jordan-Hare Stadium The Hugh Freeze era at Auburn got off to quite an entertaining start Saturday afternoon, as the Tigers lit up the scoreboard and blasted UMass 59-14 to open their 2023 campaign. Two of our football reporters — Jason Caldwell and Nathan King — took another look at Auburn's win over the Minutemen 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 and exiting analysis on the victory at Jordan-Hare Stadium — and what our observations could mean for the Tigers heading into a fascinating nonconference road game at Cal in Week 2. PLAY OF THE GAME (OFFENSE) Jason: "For me it was the the Jeremiah Cobb touchdown run because of the blocking up front by the offensive line. Kam Stutts got to the second level and swallowed up the linebacker while Connor Lew pushed the UMass defensive lineman five yards down the field. Cobb got through the hole and made one man miss. That’s all it took for him to take it to the house. That’s how it’s supposed to look." Nathan: "Two plays after Jaylin Simpson's fumble return, Payton Thorne delivered probably the best throw of the day, down the sideline and over the shoulder to Ja'Varrius Johnson for 33 yards. Then Robby Ashford came back in for his third rushing touchdown of the second quarter, offering a glimpse of what the Tigers would love to see from their two-quarterback system this season: Thorne's downfield accuracy, followed by Ashford's red-zone scoring prowess. There were plenty of moments for this offense on a 52-point day, but Thorne's throw was one of the most individually impressive plays while the game wasn't yet a massive blowout." PLAY OF THE GAME (DEFENSE) Jason: "It was the Donovan Kaufman sack and forced fumble that stood out to me because of the design of the play. Auburn showed heavy pressure, but brought only four on the rush with Mosiah Nasili-Kite dropping into coverage. Kaufman turned the corner and got under the left tackle before the sack and forced fumble. Well executed play." Nathan: "Honorable mention here to Simpson's pick-six, but I'll give the nod to Kaufman's strip-sack — which, of course, also involved Simpson when he returned the loose ball to UMass' 35-yard line. Kaufman looked like a natural at that all-important 'star' position on Ron Roberts' defense — a role that allows the nickel defensive back to creep up at the line of scrimmage and occasionally come screaming off the edge to rush the passer. Kaufman lined up there five times in the game and recorded four QB pressures, including his strip-sack that marked his third or fourth time in the UMass backfield in the second quarter alone." HELMET STICKER (OFFENSE) Jason: "I’m going with the Auburn offensive line. Coach Jake Thornton rotated guys throughout the game and they continued to play well no matter who was in the game. With 10 new players on the roster since last season, the Tigers have completely rebuilt the group. Nathan: "Tip of the cap to Ashford, who admitted Auburn's decision to start Thorne was a difficult one for him to handle in preseason camp. But he put his head down and accepted his role in stride as Freeze hoped, and he was rewarded with not one, not two, but three rushing scores in the season opener — becoming the first Auburn QB to do so in a game since Nick Marshall against South Carolina in 2014. Ashford's role is not as a gadget or even as a package player, but an entire portion of the offensive game plan, particularly in the red zone, where he could really rack up the touchdowns this season if things continue to be executed well." HELMET STICKER (DEFENSE) Jason: "I could go with Kaufman, but I’ll go with Simpson. He’s just a guy that knows how to play and he’s found a home at safety. He’s not the biggest guy, but he understands how to play safety and is really good with everything in front of him. I think he’s headed for a big season. Nathan: "Kaufman had to play a bigger role than he perhaps anticipated due to Nehemiah Pritchett's injury, and again, he looked extremely comfortable working at nickel and carrying out all the responsibilities that come with it. A quick aside on the subject of defensive performances: It had to feel good for Elijah McAllister to drag down Taisun Phommachanh toward the end of the first quarter, as it marked his first sack since the 2019 season." HELMET STICKER (SPECIAL TEAMS) Jason: "Auburn sophomore kicker Alex McPherson was outstanding in the win over UMass. He was perfect on his kicks, but the most impressive part of the day was the job he did on kickoffs. McPherson kicked the ball extremely high and gave the coverage teams time to get down and in position. He can become a weapon for Auburn this season, not only kicking the ball for points, but also on kickoffs." Nathan: "In terms of explosiveness, few on Auburn's roster outclass Keionte Scott, who had a 56-yard punt return after snagging the ball off one hop. Scott was No. 4 in the SEC last season at 9.6 yards per return, but he had massive struggles fielding the ball cleanly. If the Tigers can remedy those issues this year, they could have another special-teams weapon on their hands to complement former All-American kick returner Brian Battie." THOUGHTS ON PAYTON THORNE'S DEBUT? Jason: "I thought he was solid on Saturday. It’s hard to tell because there were so many moving parts on offense in the opener. Freeze said after the game they had some plays in the passing game that they held back once the game was in control. I believe they will add some things to the offense, and especially in the passing game, beginning this week." Nathan: "Freeze and his offensive staff didn't display much of their passing concepts in a game that was firmly controlled by the second quarter, but Thorne was still able to offer an early look at Auburn's read-based scheme this season. It's a system that will require accuracy on his part in a lot of one-on-one settings, and he delivered for the most part. Pushing the ball into the second level of the defense looks to be a comfort for him, as is his impressive ability to climb the pocket and avoid pressure. Still, there's plenty to work on, which both Thorne and Freeze admitted, after the Michigan State transfer had at least a couple misfires that could have led to touchdowns if executed properly." WHERE AUBURN WAS STRONGER THAN YOU ANTICIPATED Jason: "I think it was probably the pass rush on defense. Auburn had four sacks for 16 yards and was able to pressure after that first drive. Roberts did a great job of disguising pressure and bringing players from different spots. It was one of the bright spots for me." Nathan: "It's a bit too early for me to heap much praise on the defensive front against UMass, but the way Auburn's defense as a whole quickly found its footing was impressive for the first game of the season. After UMass went 89 yards on its first drive, the next nine series saw a trio of three-and-outs, two turnovers, turn turnovers on downs and a missed field goal. Auburn saw strong execution from a bunch of new faces working together for the first time, which will always be encouraging." WHERE YOU WANT TO SEE IMPROVEMENT SOON Jason: "The area would obviously be up front on defense for me, but I’m going with the wide receivers and passing game in general. I know they’re going to continue to add things, but Saturday wasn’t as sharp as I was expecting from that part of the game." Nathan: "Yes, Freeze and Thorne both said the quarterback missed some throws, but Auburn's receivers weren't exactly leaving defensive backs in the dust. The timing of Auburn's run-pass options will be crucial throughout the season, and it wasn't necessarily razor-sharp in Game 1. Now, that's to be expected, especially after some of the growing pains the receiving corps dealt with throughout the preseason. But in order for Auburn to maximize its potential with Thorne this season, that's an area that has to be fast-tracked in terms of developing and learning from the film week to week." *** Subscribe to Auburn Undercover for the latest news and intel, podcasts, recruiting coverage and more *** *** Get Auburn news straight to your inbox with the Auburn Undercover newsletter *** Who could commit to Auburn next? An in-depth look at who could join Auburn's class next. VIDEO: Highlights: West Virginia at No. 7 Penn State It was a successful weekend for Auburn offensive line coach Jake Thornton, landing a commitment from 2025 tackle Spencer Dowland on Saturday right after the UMass game and the big 2024 swing lineman DeAndre Carter on Sunday. With the addition of Carter, Auburn's 2024 class is up to 18 total commitments and No. 13 in the 247Sports team recruiting rankings. Auburn's three-man class in the 2025 cycle is No. 11. The 2024 class is getting close to full, but the 2025 class is just starting to get going. So, who could be next? To read this full article and more, subscribe now — SALE: 50% off Annual VIP Get access to this article and all of the in-depth coverage from the 247Sports Network with this special offer. 50% off Annual VIP Already a subscriber? Login 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toddc 13,197 Posted September 5, 2023 Share Posted September 5, 2023 10 minutes ago, aubiefifty said: On Monday, Auburn’s head coach was asked a question about the status of running back Jarquez Hunter, who was injured in the Tigers’ win over the Minutemen Huh 🤔 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aubiefifty 18,259 Posted September 5, 2023 Author Share Posted September 5, 2023 wvtm13.com 'It will be a great challenge for us': Hugh Freeze ahead of Auburn traveling to California Kari Osep 25–32 minutes 'It will be a great challenge for us': Hugh Freeze ahead of Auburn traveling to California Video Player is loading. Current Time 0:00 Duration 0:00 Remaining Time 0:00 ✕ Yeah, we just, uh, we just had our truth meeting. Uh, the schedule is *** little different today with, uh, obviously being Labor Day. And so we're trying to get through, uh, practice and meetings *** bit earlier today to try to gain some extra rest and maybe some extra, uh, game plan today so that we can this, this week's *** little different. So we've, uh, we're trying to get *** jump start, but I, I'll share with you what I shared with them on the, the truth of the game. I thought our special teams, the po positives where we started really fast. I think we had 100 and 31 return yards in the first quarter, which was pretty awesome. Uh, average first half starting field position was the plus 35 and the plus 48 for the whole game. So that's, that's really good. The effort was incredible in the first half thought the negatives on the special teams where we didn't finish the same way that we started, uh, had *** few loaves and six missed tackles in the second half. Um, punt was just average punt coverage was just average defensively. I thought one of 11 on 3rd and 4th downs, those are critical downs and that's ***, that's *** great percentage that created 13 negative plays two turnovers and had zero penalties on, um, on defense thought that was really nice. The, the big glaring negative, um, that we got by with in this game, but we will not get by with in future games is, um, alignment and assignment and that's frustrating to me. Um, but we, we had numerous snaps, probably 15. I think it was that, uh, we're just, we're not lined up properly and it's gonna, it's gonna bite us big time if, um, if that continues to, to be the issue. So we did have *** lot of young kids out there, but nobody is gonna write that and nobody's gonna, it's not gonna make you feel better sitting in the film room. Um, after *** week that it, it bites you. If it's one thing. If we, if somebody makes us miss *** tackle or like this back this week, we'll, um, that's one thing but for us to be aligned improperly and, um, be *** gap short or it's just or not be on the same page and with all 11 on the back end, especially that it will burn you. And, um, that was outside of, outside of that. I, I thought our, our kids played hard uh after the first drive and I thought, uh they created negative plays and obviously the turnovers won for *** score was huge, but we cannot continue to not be on the same page offensively, 7.6 yards of carry, which is great. I thought our tempo was good. 11 explosive plays, no turnovers, six of 10 for third down 100% in the red zone. So there's *** lot of good things. Um, offensively, I think the biggest negative is our perimeter blocking and are still the understanding of our routes. Uh, we're not, we don't understand landmarks and spacing, uh, really, really well and our quarterback decision making needs to be 100% or at least high nineties. And, uh, we, we had three bad decisions. Um, but the biggest truth of the, of the, of the day is we want to know and we defended our home and we celebrate that, but certainly there's *** lot that we can improve on as we look forward to. Cal. Cal is, uh, gosh, they're, they're talented. They're, uh, Wilcox is *** great defensive mind. They're very sound on that side, not flashy but sound and, um, he, he's does *** really nice job there and then offensively, they're extremely scary. Uh, that tail back is he's one of the best ones I've seen and, um, obviously they had 670 yards, I think it was last week and, um, go fast, they got about 100 plays in the game and had, uh, eight receivers with two or more catches and, um, you know, so the starting quarterback went out, the other kid came in and steal, threw for all these yards. So they've got depth and I think the tail back is really, really special and, um, it will be, it will be *** great challenge for us. Uh, as we go on the road to, to cal of it, you, you, when you, you, you talked about going on the road to, to cal how much of *** challenge is that when you go across the country, how much experience have you had in, in doing that with *** team before? Uh The only experience I had was BYU, which we were in from the east Coast. So that, that was ***, it was *** long trip. But um you know, I, I told our team when I, I taught my, my lesson for the week this morning with them. And um that's one of the challenges I have for me is uh to embrace it because I don't like it. I don't like scheduling teams on the west Coast. I just soon play somebody over here on the East Coast, but it was done. And, and so me complaining or not embracing it is not the proper response. And so um I, I'm, I haven't, the only one I've done is BYU it was *** challenge and this one is even further in another time zone. Um So, um I think it creates some, some challenges but this will be *** good test for all of us, coaches, training, staff, nutritionists, strength, staff, support staff players, how do we handle, you know, if things are *** little uncomfortable or it's not exactly the way we want it. And I'm speaking to myself as much as anyone and you've got to play *** really good football team and, uh, at their place when our body times are 9 30 or 10 at night and we're kicking it off. And so all of that's gonna be *** challenge. But you know what, that's what life is and so how we approach it and the attitude we have for the opportunity we have, it ought to be one of gratitude and thankfulness and, and we gotta suck it up and, and, and fly *** long flight and that's what we got to do and we get another opportunity to represent this school, our conference, um and, and each other and so let's, let's go make the most of it. Stay here with you guys. So many different offensive linemen getting in the game even before it was, was kind of out of hand. Do you and Jake have *** sort of *** timeline? Do you want to settle on *** five early in the season or are you comfortable continuing that rotation? Uh I think is if we continue to push the boundaries and go fast, I think we're, we're really comfortable with 8 to 9 guys. Um I don't know that we would go any beyond that if, if, if the game is still in question, but I don't think there's ***, you know, you have the five that rolled out there, the first series. I don't like calling them. Y'all already know my, I don't like calling our first team but they roll rolled out there the first series and, um, and then I think the second series Jeremiah was out there and, uh, I don't know when Tate showed up or Connor or, um, but, you know, we, we played those eight pretty damn quick, I think. And, uh, so, you know, I think you gotta keep them fresh and, you know, maybe some weeks that, uh it's better that Jeremiah rolls out there. The first series, depending on what kind of front you're playing. He's got more girth to him. Um, obviously. But, uh, uh really the reason we did what we did this past week was because of all the chaotic looks and Gunner has *** really, really sharp IQ and we felt like he and Dylan and, and Stutz beside, uh, too tall was ***, *** really good combination so that we, the chances of us having, giving up negative plays against the Don Brown, um, different looks. I thought we were lessened by having Gunner on one side and cam on one side. And that's, that's the reason that that's who rolled out there. The, the first series you talked *** lot about the wide receivers in, in, in the fall. Uh, how did you feel like they did in their first game? Especially getting hooked up with some, some big plays downfield with, with Peyton. Yeah. I mean, they made some plays. We, we're just, and we didn't, you know, we really stopped throwing it down the field, you know, pretty early in the third quarter probably. Um, there was, we, we missed an opportunity early with Jay Fair and, but it was really something that we've never covered. We went fast and they didn't guard him, you know, and I, I think he was uncertain what to do and Peyton was uncertain what to do. And we were all kind of like, uh, we haven't covered that, you know. So, um, that was *** little bit on us too is what happens if they don't cover, you should do you just stop and throwing the ball or, um, that didn't happen often. So that, that was really the only one I thought we missed. Um, we still just, we, we don't totally understand the spacing and landmarks and energy that routes need to be ran with when, particularly when you think you're not getting it, but it, it has *** vital part of the concept and we're still, uh, struggling *** little bit there. We're better, but we've got ***, we gotta continue to improve that. It's good to see you. Malcolm thought he really looked. Malcolm's fast. He's one of the faster guys on our team. So if he come, you know, he's been hurt all fall camp, if he comes on, I think that gives us even more, um, capability of, of deep threats. You've, you've, you've talked in the past about the, how you and Philip are gonna balance play calling now that you're *** game in, how did that balance work? But how, how did you feel with that being comfortable or not comfortable with that whole process? Well, it was easy Saturday. It wouldn't, I mean, you know, you just kind of looked at the call sheet and the things we had planned or the things we called and they tended to work in the run game. And so that makes it, it's not real, you know, I don't think that was *** great test for us. Truthfully. It was, uh, it was, uh, because the run game was working and you thought you had control of it and, and really it was just me every now and then saying, hey, let me, let me, let, let me see us seven man protect, let me see us five man protect. It wasn't, um, it was, it was smooth. Um, I think as the games get more challenging will be, you know, how, how do we operate then? And, um, but I have no worries. I mean, neither one of us have any ego about it. So, um, let's figure out what, what we can do to help, help our team win. Hey, Hugh, uh can we expect back this week? You know, we've got, uh the availability of *** lot of players is up in the air. So I like normally, I probably, I'd rather not even comment on all of them. I mean, we got, we got ***, *** long list from Nick Marner to Austin Keys to Jalen to, to preach it to, to all of those guys are just kind of, uh, hopefully can have *** good week and we, we could really, really use some of those guys coach. How does it feel to finally get through week one for you, your coaching staff, the team as *** whole, you get through the stresses of the very first game of the season. Now, you obviously have to take *** tough road trip. But what's the feeling around your team and your program now that you finally get through that first week? Uh, we want to know and, but it's in the trash and over with and that's kind of the way you approach this profession. I did think, uh, *** compliment to our coaches, um, strength staff. I thought, you know, our kids now, they didn't probably have to strain for, uh, four quarters like they will in, in future games. But, um, I thought we, for our first game, we were really clean, there weren't any, we had zero penalties of pre not, not zero, let me clarify zero penalties of like pre snap. We had none of those. I mean, we had *** couple of holding calls and, um, then the kick out of bounds. But, um, I, I mean, when you play the first game you only have that, that few of penalties. I, I just thought we were prepared and, uh, so compliment our coaches on that and, um, good to have it behind us. Good to, to, uh, I said in the postgame, our fans are incredible. Our student section is incredible. Our band, cheerleaders, everybody. The Tiger Walk was awesome being with family was great. Um But that one's over, it's one and oh, and now we got *** tough test on the road coach you mentioned in your opening statement, uh, where you would like the quarterbacks to grade out after watching the tape. How big is the gap between where you see they are and where you would like them to be going into. Cal Well, uh Robbie, Robbie didn't have to make many decisions. So, um, but boy was, he, he, he's really talented and, uh, vital to our success. Uh, he will have to make some in the future. Um, the, the Peyton just he had three decisions that were wrong and, and he, I expect more. I expect him not to, to make the ones he made and he knows that, but he played solid. Um You just would like that decision making to be around 100% on particularly in the run pass world where he's deciding whether it's *** run or pass. Those need to be, those need to be near 100%. You see, to be coaching them pretty hard on the sideline with that. I'm just, I'm crazy sometimes. But yeah, I, I get frustrated. I don't lie and I tell them that. Look, but here's the deal. I'll play the next play with you. Now, I, I don't, um, my, look, my love for them doesn't change. Their performance has nothing to do with, with how I learned this from my father who was *** tough, tough man, but I, I went through *** very difficult stretch and, and my father taught me, listen, I love you and it's not based on your performance. Um, and, and so as long as our players know that I think I can coach them hard and they, and they see that and they see *** consistency in, hey, he don't treat me in different, you know, after the game, whether I threw the four touchdowns or, or three picks, you know. Yeah, I'm disappointed. Yeah, I feel like I ought have coached you better and I felt like you ought have played better, but that, that doesn't affect. Um, and I think Peyton knows that and the two, they, there were two things that happened in that same series and he knew it and I think he, when he missed the first one and I'm yelling and screaming, which I probably, he pro, I probably need to, I'm figuring out who they are and they're figuring out who I am. Um, I think when I do that to him, he presses *** little bit and, um, he handed the ball off and the safety triggered so hard and the safety made the hit like one yard in the backfield. So I'm, how do you not see that? You know, and, uh, that ball should be thrown? And so I'm, I'm doing with my antics over and he probably sees that and then about two plays later, the durn safety stays as high as he can and we pull it and throw it. And those are, those are the two things that can happen and he's too intelligent, has too much of an IQ and he'll get that cleaned up and fixed and I'll, I'll have to, I've got to make sure I coach him in *** way that is helpful and not, uh, and doesn't make him press. Yeah. Who did you go into that game? Thinking Robbie was gonna be like your red zone main guy or did you just kind of go with the hot hand? I mean, because he was extremely electric. I mean, you, yeah, you saw, I mean, as soon as we got down there, we put him in. So that's on the call sheet. So that's *** plan. I mean, it wasn't, it wasn't something that I just said, hey, How about, let's try Robbie here. It was his plan. So. Well, I mean, I don't know. I, I think every game plan is different. I just think he's super talented and I think there's *** lot of things we can do with him and I know people are in this world, day and time, you know, you can't play two quarterbacks and, well, I don't know, maybe they're right, but we're one and, oh, and if we go to an O doing it, we'll keep doing it if, if we, if it starts to, you know, but I, I just, I think we need them both, but he was, I mean, you see how talented he is down there so sure it's always gonna be *** possibility. Now you gotta, you can't be so predictable, but we obviously weren't in game one and there's not enough tape to get really great data yet on what our tendencies are. So we'll, uh, we'll come up with *** game plan for CAL, as I've said, all along, Robbie will always be *** part of our game plan. Hey, you, uh, you briefly touched on the challenge of playing on the west coast as far as scheduling and practice this week. Do you want the guys to, like, stay up later? Do you adjust your practice schedule or like how much thought goes into those adjustments? I probably hadn't put enough thought into it truthfully. Um, our schedules when they're still college students and, you know, most of ours are, are in class stuff. So it's really hard to, uh, to tinker too much with our schedules here. Um, we're gonna, we're the only thing we did. We're gonna practice *** little earlier Thursday and try to, um, we don't want to get to California until late Thursday night. Um, so that you're not sitting in *** hotel at all. Hardly Thursday. It's time to go to bed. Um, and then Friday will be ***, *** pretty good challenge to get your bodies adjusted and, but we're gonna try to, we're gonna go practice out there at, uh at San Mateo Junior College and do it our, our normal time and try to get back to the hotel like we would on *** normal Friday at the same time and, uh, and try to, you know, treat it as much as normal as we can. The hard hard day is gonna be really Saturday setting around, but that's, that's ***, that's *** long time before kickoff. Thank you back to the quarterbacks. If I may, obviously, it's not always easy to be in that situation where you both wanna be starting and you both want to be in those big moments, but from what we were able to see on the field and what you've seen behind the scenes, how have the guys handled that? And how do you feel like they could, you know, make each other better throughout the rest of the season. They're, uh, I'm glad you mentioned that actually because they, they're either doing *** really good job of faking it. Are, are, they're, they're getting along pretty well and, and are, are buying into, you know, how do we help the team win? And I hope that's the case. I believe it is. Um, and, um, you know, I hope that continues. Right. I wish I had quit jumping up and, you know, when they jump up together, I don't like that at all. I, I just, I think both of them could go down with *** sprained ankle, you know, I mean, why are we doing that? That makes no sense, but they seem to enjoy it. They're young. They'll, they'll be all right. Uh, are you on the punt return? It looked like it was Eugene San, you had ***, *** chance to make *** block down the field, but instead he turned his back and shielded the guy and didn't get the 15 yard penalty. Was that *** good, uh, teaching moment for your team? Well, we work hard on it and there was two of them actually on that play. And then another one where, um, on Sean Jackson's run, um, Caleb did similar thing, really busted it to get there and kind of high screen the guy right at the end. So, um, I think, you know, our staff has done *** good job of stressing. We need to be penalty. We need to win. We need to win the turnover battle and we need to win the penalty battle in as many games as we can if you can win time of possession. I think that's good also. And obviously those 3rd and 4th downs, um, and, and we, we won those in this game, the penalty and the, and the turnover and the time of possession and, but it's easy for those to be penalties if you're not well coached, uh, coach, uh, talk about Jay Fair in the passing game. He, uh, he earned some hype this, this offseason and I think he got the most targets this game. Can you talk about his play and what he did? Well, and what you'd like him to improve on? Yeah, I think Jay and Var, uh, have been the most consistent and solid guys and, uh, I think our outside guys are coming on, but, uh, we felt ever since spring that those two guys were going to be main contributors and solid performers and, um, I've seen nothing that keeps me from thinking that's still true. So proud to for both of those guys and hope we've got to expand their role some. Um, we didn't, we didn't show *** whole lot in the passing game, Saturday, truthfully and, uh, hopefully, um, they have more targets coming. Ok, after looking at the, uh, tape, how did the defensive front do? Um, again, we have our alignment issues which truthfully that's not on them because that communication comes from, from the back. We still just don't, we don't get off blocks great. Um And we just got to try to keep improving that I thought they played hard and thought they, uh most of the time were assignment, sound in the right gap. But man, we gotta, we gotta play with four, we gotta play with our hands and, and rip off blocks and we still don't do that quite well enough for me forward. You talk about, uh, getting away with things in, in games like Saturday and *** lot of sec team, sec teams had similar games to what you had. How do you, uh, how do you keep that from becoming an issue? How do you teach? This is fiction to be really different. Well, I mean, it, this is great. I think the best teaching can happen after *** win because you can be hard on them, hard on your coaches and, and you know, our coaches meeting truthly yesterday wasn't real pleasant and I, I it wasn't demeaning or, but it was guys, here's the facts. This is reality and this is who we are right now. And thank God we get to celebrate being one and oh and, and one in Jordan hair and we won't take that lightly and that's awesome. However, this is what I see and if that continues, we won't be celebrating *** whole lot. Um I've said, I don't know how great we can be this year. I don't, uh, but we ought to be able to line up right and, and play hard and, and that's what we've got to get fixed. Um, as, I mean, I thought our kids played hard and I thought they were, it was *** clean game and I thought, but you can't line up wrong 15 times. The government, you mentioned Cal's tail back in, in, in your opening statement. Just what about him? And the, the way they use him is it, it makes him *** special player just hand it to him. They don't have to, I mean, it ain't, it ain't like they have to create some special deal, just run inside zone or outside zone or counter with him. And if, if it's semi blocked, well, he's *** handful. He's big, he's strong, he's fast, he's got great vision. Um, he is really, really talented, you know, on the other side of the ball, you talked about how good of *** defensive coach Wilcox, as you mentioned last week. Of course, the complexities of, of Don Brown, what are some of the, the things that make *** Wilcox defense difficult to, uh, to solve in *** game? It's, it's truthfully not that I, I mean, I don't mean this, it's not, this is not like last week. Um, I, we can see everything, you know, but he, his kids are gonna be in the right spot. They're gonna be lined up correctly. They're gonna play hard, they're gonna tackle well and you're gonna have to drive the field and multiple times and, and they're gonna try not to give you explosive plays and we've gotta try to find *** way to, to, to, to find *** way to have some. But they're just, they're, they're, they're gonna be in the right spot. They're just extremely well coached for what they do. It's not *** complicated scheme, but they do what they do really, really well. And last week it worked. I mean, they only gave up, what, 40 yards rushing, I think, um, had three picks, held them to two of 11 on third down. So they had *** really, really good defensive effort in game one. GET LOCAL BREAKING NEWS ALERTS The latest breaking updates, delivered straight to your email inbox. Privacy Notice 'It will be a great challenge for us': Hugh Freeze ahead of Auburn traveling to California Auburn football head coach Hugh Freeze is speaking Monday morning ahead of the team traveling to California for its game at 9:30 p.m. CT Saturday.Follow us on social: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTubeThe team beat UMass this past weekend 59-14.Freeze said one of the negatives he noticed for the team was that they didn't finish the way they started - but the biggest issue was misalignment."We had numerous snaps — probably 15 — that were not lined up properly," Freeze said. He said that will come back to bite them if it continues. While there were a lot of young players on the team, that doesn't make you feel better when in the film room, he said.Otherwise, he said, he thought they played well."The biggest truth of the day is we're 1-0 and we defended our home," Freeze said.Auburn's coach also mentioned the continued use of two quarterbacks after both Payton Thorne and Robby Ashford got playing time in week one. "And, I know people are in this world and day and time, you know, you can't play two quarterbacks and well, I don't know maybe they're right but we're 1-0. And, if we go 2-0 we'll keep doing it."As the Tigers look to travel cross country to Cal next, Freeze notes the Golden Bears' offense is "extremely scary.""It will be a great challenge for us as we go on the road to Cal," Freeze said.This will be the furthest trip Freeze has done with a team, he said. Before this was a trip with BYU, which he noted was shorter than this will be. The time zone change will be a challenge, as well as travel, but he said the team is ready to represent the school and "make the most of it."Stay updated on the latest sports updates with the WVTM 13 app. You can download it here. AUBURN, Ala. — Auburn football head coach Hugh Freeze is speaking Monday morning ahead of the team traveling to California for its game at 9:30 p.m. CT Saturday. Follow us on social: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube The team beat UMass this past weekend 59-14. Freeze said one of the negatives he noticed for the team was that they didn't finish the way they started - but the biggest issue was misalignment. "We had numerous snaps — probably 15 — that were not lined up properly," Freeze said. He said that will come back to bite them if it continues. While there were a lot of young players on the team, that doesn't make you feel better when in the film room, he said. Otherwise, he said, he thought they played well. "The biggest truth of the day is we're 1-0 and we defended our home," Freeze said. Auburn's coach also mentioned the continued use of two quarterbacks after both Payton Thorne and Robby Ashford got playing time in week one. "And, I know people are in this world and day and time, you know, you can't play two quarterbacks and well, I don't know maybe they're right but we're 1-0. And, if we go 2-0 we'll keep doing it." As the Tigers look to travel cross country to Cal next, Freeze notes the Golden Bears' offense is "extremely scary." "It will be a great challenge for us as we go on the road to Cal," Freeze said. This will be the furthest trip Freeze has done with a team, he said. Before this was a trip with BYU, which he noted was shorter than this will be. The time zone change will be a challenge, as well as travel, but he said the team is ready to represent the school and "make the most of it." Stay updated on the latest sports updates with the WVTM 13 app. You can download it here. 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aubiefifty 18,259 Posted September 5, 2023 Author Share Posted September 5, 2023 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aubiefifty 18,259 Posted September 5, 2023 Author Share Posted September 5, 2023 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aubiefifty 18,259 Posted September 5, 2023 Author Share Posted September 5, 2023 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aubiefifty 18,259 Posted September 5, 2023 Author Share Posted September 5, 2023 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aubiefifty 18,259 Posted September 5, 2023 Author Share Posted September 5, 2023 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aubiefifty 18,259 Posted September 5, 2023 Author Share Posted September 5, 2023 14 minutes ago, toddc said: Huh 🤔 sounds like someone dialed it in huh? i missed it but i try to get most articles posted before i go back and read what interests me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaltyTiger 8,579 Posted September 5, 2023 Share Posted September 5, 2023 Thanx again Fiddy. Did a little time looking at Cal yesterday after you others expressed concern and “worry”. Dangerous road trip. Hard to imagine why anyone or group would agree to schedule this type of game. Sure more attractive options would have been available. Not talking so much about scheduling strength of opponent , more about logistics, travel, time change, etc.. according to CHF team will practice early Thursday and arrive on west coast in time for bed Thursday night. Friday will be full with practice at a local stadium. Saturday a long, long day. Maybe @LPTiger can tell us more. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paladin 3,307 Posted September 5, 2023 Share Posted September 5, 2023 Aggressive scheme fits well for Auburn duo of Scott and Kaufman Auburn's duo of Keionte Scott and Donovan Kaufman had a big first game under Ron Roberts. Jason Caldwell9 hrs AUBURN, Alabama—They are called layups by Auburn defensive coordinator Ron Roberts. Those are plays that are there for the taking for the defense, with many of those coming from the star position that is such a big key for the success of his scheme. On Saturday those layups proved to be huge with Keionte Scott and Donovan Kaufman having success sharing the duties at the position and creating pressure on the quarterback. Kaufman had four quarterback pressures on the day and had a strip sack that Jaylin Simpson recovered for one of Auburn’s two turnovers on defense. The other came on a Simpson interception, caused when Scott got pressure on the quarterback coming off the edge. Scott said the duo feels like they can impact the game in a lot of ways, thanks to the scheme and aggressive nature of their new coordinator. “I just feel like we're two antsy guys, two highly productive guys,” Scott said. “So just having us on the field, no matter what, it's not a drop-off at that star position. No matter what, you're not going to have a star you can attack in the run game and let's make him tackle. We're both willing tacklers. So it's going to be exciting as the year goes on to see us both grow.” It’s something that walk-on safety Griffin Speaks thinks Auburn fans can expect to see more of throughout the season with Roberts in charge. Playing for him the last three seasons at Baylor, the former Auburn High standout said Roberts is a guy that wants to put his players in position to make plays and then trusts them to go out and do just that. “He is aggressive, but he’s also very smart,” Speaks said. “He knows what he’s doing. I think he knows how to attack an offense we go against. He prepares us unlike anybody. I think we can be aggressive, but some games we might hold off. He’s always had an aggressive nature. It’s great. That’s all you can ask for.” Speaks said because of that aggressive nature, he thinks the combination of Scott and Kaufman could be in for some big things in this scheme. “It’s incredible,” Speaks said. “Coach Roberts provides guys like that layups. They have a green light to go make plays. Guys like that, DK and Keionte, they are world class athletes. When you give them the green light to go make plays, the sky's the limit. Anything can happen.” Now preparing for a much bigger challenge this Saturday night against a Cal offense that torched North Texas for 58 points and 669 yards of total offense in the season opener, Scott said the defense is headed in the right direction after getting a game under their belts to work with each other and also with Roberts. “I feel like now that we know defensively the situations and what he's trying to do, we're just learning each other,” he said. “He's learning us and we're learning him; that's all we're trying to do. Just getting together and looking at how he wants to do things. We're starting to click -- even this week, I feel like even just today in this walkthrough, we're going to have a better advantage of knowing the situations, the things he wants to call and when he wants to call them.” 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paladin 3,307 Posted September 5, 2023 Share Posted September 5, 2023 Confident Keionte: Auburn's punt returner alters mindset in Year 2 “I had to learn a fair catch is not a bad play,” Scott said Monday. Nathan King 116 mins Keionte Scott knew something had to change. In his first season at Auburn last year, the former JUCO star was one of the most explosive return men in the SEC, no doubt. His 9.6 yards per return was the fourth-best mark in the conference, and that positioned him in the top 20 nationally, too. But that was only when he was able to get his hands on the ball cleanly. Scott had three muffed punts in 2022, plus a muffed kickoff. He sometimes made dangerous decisions to either field punts in traffic, or go after a ball on the ground that should be left for the kicking team to down. Of course, Scott always just trying to make a play for his team. But he had to learn this year — once it became apparent he was going to have an opportunity as Auburn’s punt returner once again — and teach himself that those success plays on special teams aren’t always the ones that end up on a highlight reel. “I had to learn a fair catch is not a bad play,” Scott said Monday. “I felt like last year I was too antsy to make a play, like I was forcing it. This year it'll be more of, hey, if I get the opportunity, I'll make the play. If it hangs up there, make the fair catch and get the offense on the field.” That comes from reps with first-year special teams coordinator Tanner Burns, sure, along with receivers coach Marcus Davis, who was an Auburn punt returner himself less than a decade ago and works with those players in practice often. But it was more so a new mindset for Scott that he had to adopt in practice. “Just comfortability and confidence,” Scott said. “I felt like last year — it's really just confidence back there. You've got to be confident. If you're confident and you go out there — if you're thinking too much, bad things happen. But if you're confident, no matter what happens on this play, I get the ball in my hands and get a chance to do something for the offense. I get an opportunity to help them out, and that's just how I think about it this year.” And it paid off in Game 1 of Auburn’s 2023 season. In the Tigers’ 59-14 win over UMass, Scott corralled a punt off one bounce in the first quarter, caught a couple blocks moving right to left across the field, and took the angle for a 56-yard return. It was Auburn’s longest punt return since fellow defensive back Stephen Roberts went 58 yards in the 2016 Iron Bowl. “I felt like the blockers up front did a really good job of holding up and giving me some space,” Scott said. “On the first punt, I had 11 yards before anybody was even near me. When I have the opportunity to scan the field I feel like we have good chances, I can find some space and make big plays and put our offense in position.” Special teams was one of Auburn’s positives for the entire game, and Hugh Freeze gave that unit its flowers Monday. Auburn had 131 return yards in the first quarter alone, helping the Tigers produce an average starting field position in the first half at its own 48-yard line. Considering the Minutemen also missed a field goal and shanked a punt for only 22 yards early in the third quarter, Auburn’s special-teams advantage was significant. Auburn hopes Scott’s ball security can improve this season and yield one of the better return-man duos in the SEC, as kick returner and running back transfer Brian Battie was a consensus All-American in 2021, when he returned three kickoffs for touchdowns. “I just feel like this game we play is about momentum,” Scott said. “That punt return can bring a lot of momentum to the game and flip the field for the offense and put them in better positions to get points.” 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LPTiger 5,475 Posted September 5, 2023 Share Posted September 5, 2023 35 minutes ago, SaltyTiger said: Thanx again Fiddy. Did a little time looking at Cal yesterday after you others expressed concern and “worry”. Dangerous road trip. Hard to imagine why anyone or group would agree to schedule this type of game. Sure more attractive options would have been available. Not talking so much about scheduling strength of opponent , more about logistics, travel, time change, etc.. according to CHF team will practice early Thursday and arrive on west coast in time for bed Thursday night. Friday will be full with practice at a local stadium. Saturday a long, long day. Maybe @LPTiger can tell us more. Salty nailed it. Logistics/acclimation could be tough for our team. 1st road game and it is cross country. Our men will wake up Saturday and have a lot of time (10 plus hours) before they head to the field. They will watch film and do walk throughs at the hotel, but it is still a long day for our guys. The good thing about it though is it gives us 2.5 days away from class, girlfriends, all distractions to focus on the mission. It is hard to tell how good Cal is. Last year they won 4 ballgames. 6 times they gave up at least 34 points. AND, they gave Colorado their only win in 2022. Last year North Texas gave up 571 yards to UTSA the second time they played them and 495 the first time, 498 to UAB and 576 to UNLV. Watching the highlights, NT looked to be really bad. I believe we will run it again very effectively. We will score 35 plus points. Have we corrected the alignment issues on D? Can Pritchett and McLeod go? I believe we cover pretty easily. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paladin 3,307 Posted September 5, 2023 Share Posted September 5, 2023 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JuscAUse! 1,678 Posted September 6, 2023 Share Posted September 6, 2023 10 hours ago, SaltyTiger said: Thanx again Fiddy. Did a little time looking at Cal yesterday after you others expressed concern and “worry”. Dangerous road trip. Hard to imagine why anyone or group would agree to schedule this type of game. Sure more attractive options would have been available. Not talking so much about scheduling strength of opponent , more about logistics, travel, time change, etc.. according to CHF team will practice early Thursday and arrive on west coast in time for bed Thursday night. Friday will be full with practice at a local stadium. Saturday a long, long day. Maybe @LPTiger can tell us more. Exactly. If you had the money and no classes, you'd fly out on Tuesday. If we did, I'd bet the house on AU. But as they say in military history, tactics win classrooms. Logistics win battles. There is a reason coaches don't want to do travel like this except for bowl games. On both coasts , I might add. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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