9.11.23. Football Articles

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saturdaydownsouth.com

 

Ron Roberts, Auburn DC, praises Tigers fans for ‘unbelievable’ traveling support at Cal

Sydney Hunte | 12 hours ago

~3 minutes

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Auburn and Cal were locked in a dogfight in Berkeley, but the Tigers eventually prevailed 14-10 thanks to a Payton Thorne touchdown pass with about 8-and-a-half minutes to go in regulation and a late interception with less than 2 minutes to go. The Tigers are now 2-0 in Hugh Freeze’s first season at the helm of the program.

Rarely do the Tigers play on the West Coast, but the trip was well worth it for them and the fans in attendance supporting them. Ron Roberts, Auburn’s 1st-year defensive coordinator, was blown away by what he saw, posting this on X on Sunday evening:

The AU fans are unbelievable! That showing at Cal was my first road trip and they were awesome!!!!!!WarEagle!!!!

— Ron Roberts (@CoachRonRoberts) September 10, 2023

Can’t forget to mention 10k at a West Coast Tiger Walk!!! That is not normal!! Coaches and Players appreciate you!!! #WarEagle

— Ron Roberts (@CoachRonRoberts) September 10, 2023

Auburn won’t have any more West Coast trips this season — the furthest West it will go, in fact, is to College Station to face Texas A&M. But the coaching staff, and undoubtedly the players, valued the backing of Tigers fans that were present at Memorial Stadium.

Auburn next faces Samford at Jordan-Hare Stadium, a 7 p.m. ET kickoff on Saturday.

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si.com

 

Five winners from Auburn's win over Cal

Andrew Stefaniak

4–5 minutes

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These five guys played well against Cal.

It wasn't pretty, but Auburn left California with a big victory over the Golden Bears. 

The offense wasn't great, but the defense did a great job keeping the Tigers in striking defense, and the offense was able to cash in late in the game. 

Let's take a look at five players that had a solid outing against Cal. 

Eugene Asante

Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports

Eugene Asante was absolutely electric in this ball game as he led the team with 12 tackles, a sack, 1.5 tackles for loss, and a pass deflection to go with a couple of QB hurries. Asante is becoming an Auburn fan favorite before our very eyes, and you love to see it. The North Carolina transfer has played two amazing football games to start the year and has separated himself as one of the best defenders on this Auburn team.

Damari Alston

Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports

I know Dmari Alston put the ball on the ground, and he needs to clean that up, but he is such a talented running back. The five-ten running back runs with a ton of power and breaks tackles with ease. The tandem of Jarquez Hunter and Alston will be deadly this season. The sophomore running back had eight carries for 51 yards, giving him 6.4 yards per carry against Cal. 

Rivaldo Fairweather

© Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports

Rivaldo Fairweather is one of the most athletic tight ends in college football, and he showed why against Cal. Fairweather caught three passes for 39 yards and the touchdown that gave the Tigers the lead over Cal late in the ball game. Fairweather needs to be a lot more involved in the offense, and I believe we will see this going forward.  

Donovan Kaufman

Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports

Donovan Kaufman is just a natural playmaker. He had eight tackles and a half tackle for loss. He also forced a fumble that let to Auburn's first touchdown of the game. Kaufman has broken out this year for Auburn and will be another player that will help Auburn reach its ceiling this season. Kaufman did get banged up in this game, so hopefully, he will be good to go before SEC play begins in two weeks.

Jay Fair

Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports

Jay Fair scored again against Cal as he caught two passes for 25 yards and a score. Fair has a real shot to be Auburn's leading receiver this season and has displayed a lot of skill through two games. Not many predicted a big season from Fair, but he seems like the number-one option for the Auburn football team through the first few games of the season. The sophomore receiver has a bright future ahead on the Plains. 

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auburnwire.usatoday.com

 

Top plays from Auburn's win over Cal

Brian Hauch

3–4 minutes

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The Auburn Tigers squeaked out a gritty road win over Cal on Saturday night, improving to 2-0 on the young 2023 season.

Both teams struggled mightily on the offensive side of the ball, combining for just 503 yards of offense between them.

Buy Tigers Tickets

Auburn’s offense in particular was not very good. Quarterback Payton Thorne seemed lost for most of the game, throwing for just 94 yards.

The run game was slightly better, as the quintet of Jarquez Hunter, Damari Alston, Jeremiah Cobb, and Robby Ashford picked up 132 yards on the ground.

The Tigers did manage to put some good film out there despite the rough game though. Here are some of the best highlights from the 14-10 win.

Eugene Asante was a human highlight real last night. The Auburn corner had 12 total tackles on Saturday.

The most pivotal one was this sack. Asante takes a beutiful angle off the edge, meeting Cal quarterback Sam Jackson V in the backfield before he had a any chance to escape.

This particular sack was not only huge because of the time left on the clock, but also because it moved Cal kicker Michael Luckhurst’s field goal attempt back 12 yards. Luckhurt would go on to miss the kick, keeping the Tigers within a field goal.

Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports

Payton Thorne was not very good for the first 3 and a half quarters of the game last night.

In the last ten minutes, he was incredible. The Auburn quarterback led a 10 play, 4:32 minute game winning touchdown drive that was the eventual difference in the game.

While his touchdown throw to Fairweather certainly deserves recognition, this 28 yard back-shoulder dime was the highlight of the drive.

Thorne delivers a great ball, and Fairweather makes an even better catch to move the sticks and change the momentum of the game.

Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports

Auburn’s defense bent a lot on Saturday, but it rarely broke. That held true in the final drive of the game, when Cal moved the ball all the way down to the Auburn 20 before stalling out.

The drive, and effectively the game, ended on this DJ James endzone interception.

While James gets the credit for the interception in the box score, the whole Auburn defensive line deserves their flowers on this one.

Elijah McAllister and Jalen McLeod get pressure right away, causing Cal quaterback Ben Finley to force a throw to his first read, heaving up a hail mary in triple coverage that James snipes out of the air.

Had the pressure not gotten there quickly, this play could have been a highlight for Cal, as wide receiver #3 Jeremiah Hunter was left uncovered at the first down sticks.

The Auburn linebackers didn’t play well in week one. Constant blown assignments and missed tackles allowed UMass to rush for 5.7 yards per carry.

The defense run defense was much better in week two. The linebackers were able to keep contain, leading to Cal running back Jaydn Ott struggling to break off long runs.

This play is a perfect example. Ott has absolutely no where to go, as his only option to create space is an ill-advised hurtle.

Follow all your favorite Alabama teams at Auburn Wire and Roll Tide Wire!

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al.com

 

What ugly reality of Week 2 means for Alabama, Auburn

Published: Sep. 10, 2023, 5:01 p.m.

9–11 minutes

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Welcome back to Round 2 of our new Sunday conversation of what we saw the previous Saturday and the impact it had on the college football world. This week, we stuck to the two in-state SEC powers who had interesting second dates.

Opening day was idealistic. It was about reassurance, maybe, the offseason anxiety wasn’t warranted at Alabama and Auburn.

We discussed that dynamic in this space a week ago while noting there was only so much that could be learned by whipping Middle Tennessee State and UMass, respectively.

Week 2 showed us the beauty pageant was over.

Ugly isn’t strong enough to describe what we saw in the sequels -- Texas handing Alabama its worst home loss in nearly 20 years and Auburn’s rock-fight win at Cal.

Where they looked polished against the patsies, the jagged edges were exposed in distinctive fashions and with clearly contrasting results.

It’s fair to say we learned more about both in Round 2 when facing considerably different challenges.

Way after dark

For Auburn, a 14-10 win over the Golden Bears brought back memories of the 3-2 fever dream of a 2008 win over Mississippi State. This wasn’t the offensive explosion from the 59-14 cakewalk of a week earlier, nor was this a Cal program built on defense. The hosts were 111th in total defense a year ago which allowed the 79th-most points.

A week earlier, North Texas managed 21 points but the silver lining was the other side of the ball. Cal ran up 58 in that win over the Mean Green before finding the end zone just once against the Tigers. The 273-230 yardage edge for the Golden Bears were throwback numbers to a different era -- long before Hugh Freeze began working his mojo at the college level.

RELATED: Three takeaways from Auburn’s adversity-filled 14-10 win over Cal on the road

Like in Alabama’s loss, the numbers only got more interesting the deeper you dove.

ESPN’s Bill Barnwell pointed out Auburn became only the second team since 2018 to turn the ball over four times while recording fewer than 15 first downs and win the game. Auburn pulled that miracle, making teams with those numbers 2-65 over that span.

Of the Tigers’ two touchdown drives, one was a 17-yarder following a Cal turnover while the game-winner was a reason for hope. Trailing 10-7 for almost two full quarters, Auburn rolled off a 10-play, 69-yard march with deadline approaching and the clock ticking down. Payton Thorne completed all four passes on the drive, beginning with a 28-yarder to Jay Fair on third-and-17 and ending with the five-yard touchdown to Rivaldo Fairweather.

The transfer-to-transfer game-winner ended Thorne’s stat line at 9-for-14 passing with 94 yards, two scores and one interception.

RELATED: One way to describe Auburn’s 14-10 win over Cal? Wildly impressive, all things considered

Even more fascinating, the 230 total yards weren’t the fewest in an Auburn win this decade. A year ago, perhaps one of the ugliest SEC games since 3-2 ended with the Tigers surviving 17-14 over Missouri despite gaining just 217 yards. Unlike that one, brighter days are ahead. Saturday’s road win in the carcass of the Pac-12 felt more like a gutsy tight-wire act than the fact both teams couldn’t mathematically lose the same game.

We learned Auburn’s offense needs work, defense travels and they have some heart.

As the sun set

Meanwhile …

In Tuscaloosa … the mood was far more solemn in the wake of Texas’ primetime bid to end an era. The chronological distance between this Crimson Tide’s run of dominance and the 34-24 loss to the Longhorns is widening.

It’s part Alabama regressing to the mean and part other powers awakening from a slumber.

I keep coming back to a thought heard on ESPN Radio on the drive over to Tuscaloosa. An NFL draft analyst said Alabama didn’t have a receiver or quarterback who would be a starter at Texas.

Goodman: Is the dynasty over for Nick Saban’s Alabama?

Almost instinctively, that sounded a bit over the top. But then I became that Alonzo Mourning meme, going from confused to agreement. Nothing that followed Saturday night changed my mind, rather it proved it. The Longhorns assembled a top-tier receiver room with a few five-star QBs to deliver the ball.

Quinn Ewers exposed continued issues in Alabama’s secondary with six completions of 30-plus yards. That included touchdowns of 44 and 39 yards to two different receivers and a 50-yarder to set up another score to a third. The first, a moon scraper to Xavier Worthy set the tone for what would be a wild night. Each home run shot came from relatively clean pockets as every trick in the Alabama pass-rush playbook failed to produce a sack while yielding just three pressures.

These numbers and the final score, however, put lipstick on what was otherwise a pig of a game. Let’s not forget Texas was white-knuckling a 13-9 lead until the end of the third quarter. Where there was one touchdown scored in the first 44 minutes, the two combined for five in the final 16.

Casagrande: Texas saved Alabama’s greatest indignity for last

Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe established himself as a true three-outcome passer on Saturday night. Like a baseball hitter who only strikes out, walks or homers, Milroe had an all-or-nothing night. That was never more evident than a two-pass span in the fourth quarter. Having thrown two straight incompletions to end a string of six-straight strikes, Milroe uncorked a beauty of a 49-yard touchdown. It dropped right in the bucket for Jermaine Burton and Alabama’s streak of two straight touchdowns to Burton called back by penalty ended.

The Crimson Tide had its first lead just 14 seconds before the fourth quarter and another escape job appeared possible.

Part II of that two-installment sample size supplied another of the true outcomes. His very next throw, one that followed Texas’ go-ahead score, was bad enough that Texas safety Jerrin Thompson appeared to take two steps on his return before even securing the interception. Texas would score one play later, and though Alabama would respond with another touchdown, the night was effectively over.

RELATED: Alabama-Texas featured ‘haymakers,’ but Longhorns won with more big plays

The 12-play, 34-yard Texas drive that sapped the final 7:14 off the clock was the final insult. After Texas assaulted Alabama through the air, it finished the deed with a physical statement that was supposed to be the Crimson Tide’s identity.

Ultimately, it was a fate similar to Alabama’s 2022 losses to Tennessee and LSU. Only this time it never really felt like Alabama had the talent or scheme to outfox Texas and Sarkisian.

We learned gravity comes for us all, even Nick Saban and Alabama.

Quick hits

Remember Arch Manning? For all the talk of the Alabama-Texas recruiting battle over the LeBron James of football prospects, his name wasn’t a big part of the conversation entering this one. The true freshman passer sits third on the depth chart having never left the bench in the season-opening win over Rice. Manning was on the sideline Saturday and was full horns up in the postgame playing of The Eyes of Texas.

About the band: Speaking of the Texas marching band, Alabama stuck to the promise to return the favor when UT banished Tide fans to the upper deck last year in Austin. And while hundreds if not thousands of Texas fans bought lower bowl seats in the traditional visitor section, the abbreviated version of the band was stuck in the top corner of the north end zone upper deck. Still, they were loud enough to be heard on the field for the postgame fight song.

Reunion time: The Texas/Alabama crossover extended well beyond Steve Sarkisian at the top of the Longhorn pyramid. Of his 10 on-field assistants, four previously coached at Alabama. Offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Kyle Flood’s son, Kyle Flood Jr., is a reserve linebacker who remained at Alabama when his dad moved on to Texas. Jeff Banks, Bo Davis and AJ Milwee also previously worked in Tuscaloosa.

On the other side, former Texas head coach Charlie Strong is in his first year on a second stint as an Alabama analyst. He greeted a few old friends during the postgame handshakes including Matthew McConaughey on his way to the Tide locker room.

I was able to catch up for a brief second with another Alabama-Texas crossover. Former Tide linebacker Nico Johnson (2009-12), now a Texas analyst, stood near midfield and watched the Longhorns sing the Eyes of Texas. It was clear emotions were complex standing on the field that was once home while wearing the gear of the conquering rival.

Michael Casagrande is a reporter for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @ByCasagrande or on Facebook.

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247sports.com

 

Auburn's 'long plane ride back' turns jubilant after snatching win at Cal

Nathan King

7–9 minutes

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“I can go in there Monday and be hard on them. I can call them up and point out, 'Look, this ain't gonna get it.'"

BERKELEY, California — Auburn’s five-hour flight — landing when the sun rose Sunday morning — was almost a lot quieter.

Instead, the Tigers celebrated a wild victory. They certainly didn’t play well in the slightest on offense, but one scoring drive midway through the fourth quarter was all it took to make good on an elite defensive performance, as Auburn made good on its cross-country trip and beat Cal 14-10 late Saturday night.

These types of performances — where Auburn’s defense gives all it can, but the offense is unable to come up with answers — have been all too common for the program, even dating back to the latter stages of the Gus Malzahn era. Wins have been difficult to come by in those situations.

But Auburn finally snagged one. It may seem too simple, but Hugh Freeze couldn’t overstate the importance of winning an ugly game for a coaching staff, as opposed to feeling sunken with a loss all week.

For Freeze, he feels like he can be tougher on the Tigers this week in practice and film study. After a loss, he knows they may not have been as mentally strong.

“I can go in there Monday and be hard on them,” Freeze said after the win. “I can call them up and point out, 'Look, this ain't gonna get it.' I think that's what you've got to have, and you can do that much easier after wins than after losses. We'll point out what they did well, too.”

Auburn trailed for 48:11 of game time — and it was almost the entire game, as a Payton Thorne fumble returned for a touchdown was overturned on only the third play of the game.

According to ESPN FPI, Cal’s winning probability was as high as 71 percent after Auburn failed to convert a third down and punted on the first play of the fourth quarter. That number swung dramatically to 85.8 percent in favor of the Tigers after Thorne found Rivaldo Fairweather for a 5-yard touchdown on a fade route. The Tigers’ 10-play, 69-yard drive was easily their best series of the night; their previous long drive for the game was 26 yards.

By all accounts, Auburn stole a victory at California Memorial Stadium. According to ESPN’s Bill Barnwell, teams that turned the ball over four times and failed to achieve 15 first downs in a game were 1-65 from 2018 to last season. Auburn became just the second win.

What looked to be a dud of a trip for the thousands of Auburn fans who made the trek to California suddenly became one of the most memorable road wins for the program in recent years.

“We’ve got a long plane ride back and we don’t want to be sad on that plane ride,” defensive tackle Marcus Harris said. “This long trip has been one for — how do I wanna say this — it has been a journey for us. But we all bought in together, even with layoff time we had just chilling in the hotel, we all stayed focused going to each other’s room, watching film on these guys, trying to get better. Not just sitting around having fun like it’s vacation. We handled it like the pros and defense came out and showed it.”

Of course, Auburn’s defensive performance was no fluke. The Tigers forced three turnovers, held Cal to 4-of-18 on third down, and held the Bears to only 10 points on eight drives for the home team that crossed midfield. Auburn also benefited from three missed field goals by Cal’s Michael Luckhurst — from 42, 42 and 44 yards out.

“We know that we did good things, but we know it’s something to improve on,” Harris said. “But with a win — those are hard to come by in any league. So we’re just happy for that win. But we know there’s a lot more we gotta do. Even though the defense had a good game, there’s still some mess ups. They got too many plays under us, so we’ve got to step it up.”

As picturesque as Auburn’s final kneel-down was — with the entire team flocking to the sea of orange-clad fans in the corner of the stadium — Freeze knows the Tigers can’t play that way and expect to win many, if any SEC games.

But his knee-jerk reaction after the game reflected a glass half full.

“It's going to be exciting to watch the film and know we can improve so much, particularly offensively,” Freeze said.

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Aaron Rodgers rocks Auburn jersey after bet with C.J. Uzomah, refuses to say ‘War Eagle’

Published: Sep. 10, 2023, 7:16 p.m.

~2 minutes

NFL film crew during an NFL football game between the New York Jets and the New York Giants, Saturday, Aug. 26, 2023 in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Vera Nieuwenhuis)AP

Aaron Rodgers looks good in orange, amirite?

He just has to work on that War Eagle.

The New York Jets quarterback lost a friendly wager with teammate and former Auburn star C.J. Uzomah and paid the price by rocking a Tigers jersey after Hugh Freeze’s guys went to California on Saturday and beat Cal - Rodgers’ college team - 14-10.

As you can see in the video below, Uzomah urged the quarterback to give a “War Eagle,” but Rodgers just laughed.

Payton Thorne threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Rovaldo Fairweather following California’s third missed field goal of the game and Tigers rallied for the win. Auburn had been stagnant most of the night offensively, generating only six first downs in the first three quarters before putting together a 69-yard drive midway through the fourth quarter to take the lead.

The Golden Bears had a chance to come back after Jarquez Hunter lost a fumble for at Auburn at the Tigers’ 41 with 4:00 left. Sam Jackson V threw an interception in the end zone on fourth-and-13 from the 18 with 1:44 to play.

Get complete Auburn football coverage.

 

 

 

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Edited September 11, 2023 by aubiefifty

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al.com

Auburn NFL Week 1: Carlton Davis seals Bucs’ win

Updated: Sep. 11, 2023, 12:32 a.m.|Published: Sep. 11, 2023, 12:21 a.m.

7–8 minutes

Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Carlton Davis picked a perfect time for his first pass breakup of the 2023 NFL season.

Over the past four seasons, only one NFL player has recorded more passes defended than Davis, who had 60. Philadelphia Eagles cornerback James Bradberry, a former Pleasant Grove High School and Samford star, has 64 in that span.

On Sunday in the Buccaneers’ 20-17 victory over the Minnesota Vikings, Davis got his first one for 2023 on the opening Sunday of the season.

Davis got his pass breakup on what turned out to be the final snap of the game for the Minnesota offense.

The Bucs had their hands full with Minnesota All-Pro Justin Jefferson, who had nine receptions for 150 yards. But Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins tried to connect with wide receiver Jordan Addison on a third-and-7 pass from the Minnesota 28-yard line, and Davis made a play on the ball to cause an incompletion with 4:03 remaining.

The Vikings punted and never regained possession as Tampa Bay ran out the clock on a three-point victory.

Davis also made six tackles against Minnesota.

Davis was among the 22 former Auburn players who got on the field on the first Sunday of the NFL’s 104th season.

Two other former Auburn players were involved in the Tampa Bay-Minnesota game:

· Buccaneers linebacker K.J. Britt (Oxford) did not record any stats.

· Jamel Dean started at cornerback for the Buccaneers. Dean made five tackles.

In the other Sunday games:

Atlanta Falcons 24, Carolina Panthers 10

· Derrick Brown started at defensive tackle for the Panthers. Brown led Carolina with nine tackles, including eight solo stops. Brown set a personal single-game high for solo tackles. His tackles included one sack and two tackles for loss. Brown equaled his sack total for the 2022 season in the 2023 opener.

· Panthers outside linebacker Eku Leota is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.

· Panthers linebacker Chandler Wooten did not record any stats.

Baltimore Ravens 25, Houston Texans 9

· Ravens guard Tashawn Manning is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.

· Texans offensive tackle Kilian Zierer is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.

Cleveland Browns 24, Cincinnati Bengals 3

· Bengals wide receiver Shedrick Jackson (Hoover) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.

· Browns wide receiver Anthony Schwartz is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.

Jacksonville Jaguars 31, Indianapolis Colts 21

· Jaguars running back Tank Bigsby ran for 13 yards and one touchdown on seven carries. He also lost a fumble that Indianapolis returned for a touchdown. Bigsby scored on a 1-yard run with 5:14 to play as Jacksonville took a 24-21 lead in his NFL debut. Bigsby joined the Jaguars in the third round of the NFL Draft on April 28.

RELATED: TANK BIGSBY REACHES THE END ZONE IN HIS FIRST NFL GAME

· Jaguars defensive tackle Angelo Blackson recovered a fumble by Indianapolis quarterback Anthony Richardson at the Jacksonville 32-yard line with 4:09 left in the first half.

· Braden Smith started at right offensive tackle for the Colts.

· Jaguars safety Daniel Thomas (Lee-Montgomery) made one tackle on special teams.

· Jaguars wide receiver Seth Williams (Paul Bryant) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.

New Orleans Saints 16, Tennessee Titans 15

· Titans cornerback Roger McCreary (Williamson) did not record any stats.

· Titans Malik Willis dressed for the game but did not play.

San Francisco 49ers 30, Pittsburgh Steelers 7

· Montravius Adams started at nose tackle for the Steelers. Adams made two tackles.

· Forty-Niners defensive tackle Marlon Davidson (Greenville) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.

Washington Commanders 20, Arizona Cardinals 16

· Cardinals linebacker Owen Pappoe was designated as a game-day inactive.

Green Bay Packers 38, Chicago Bears 20

· Packers kicker Anders Carlson made all his attempts in his first NFL game. A sixth-round selection in the NFL Draft on April 29, Carlson connected on a 52-yard field goal and five extra points.

· Rudy Ford (New Hope) started at safety for the Packers. Ford made four tackles.

· Packers defensive lineman Colby Wooden made one tackle in his NFL debut. Wooden joined the Packers as a fourth-round selection in the NFL Draft on April 29.

Las Vegas Raiders 17, Denver Broncos 16

· Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson made his three attempts, connecting for a 24-yard field goal and two extra points. Carlson’s PAT with 6:34 remaining broke a 16-16 tie.

· Raiders tight end John Samuel Shenker is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.

· Broncos quarterback Jarrett Stidham dressed but did not play.

Miami Dolphins 36, Los Angeles Chargers 34

· Chargers long snapper Josh Harris handled the snaps on four extra points, three punts and two field goals.

Philadelphia Eagles 25, New England Patriots 20

· Eagles offensive lineman Jack Driscoll did not record any stats.

· Jonathan Jones started at left cornerback for the Patriots. Jones made one tackle and broke up one pass.

· Eagles punter Arryn Siposs averaged 49.3 yards on four punts, with a net average of 44.0. Siposs had a 50-yard punt that was returned 21 yards to the Philadelphia 47-yard line, a 46-yarder returned for no gain at the New England 43, a 54-yarder returned for no gain at the New England 29 and a 52-yarder for a fair catch at the New England 27. Siposs was elevated from the practice squad to play in the game.

Los Angeles Rams 30, Seattle Seahawks 13

· Seahawks outside linebacker Derick Hall made one tackle on defense and one tackle on special teams in his NFL debut. Hall joined Seattle as a second-round selection in the NFL Draft on April 28.

Dallas Cowboys 40, New York Giants 0

· Cowboys cornerback Noah Igbinoghene (Hewitt-Trussville) picked up the football after Dallas blocked a field-goal attempt and ran 58 yards for the first points of the game. The touchdown with 8:03 left in the first quarter not only touched off Dallas’ rout, it also was the first score of Igbinoghene’s career.

RELATED: NOAH IGBINOGHENE GOES 58 YARDS FOR HIS FIRST NFL TOUCHDOWN

· Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton had three receptions for 15 yards.

Week 1 started on Thursday night, when the Detroit Lions defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 21-20.

Week 1 concludes on Monday, when the Buffalo Bills and the New York Jets square off at 7:15 p.m. CDT at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. ABC and ESPN will televise the game.

FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AmarkG1.

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al.com

 

Jarquez Hunter played for Auburn against Cal. Here’s what Hugh Freeze had to say.

Published: Sep. 10, 2023, 1:53 p.m.

5–6 minutes

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Auburn running back Jarquez Hunter (27) carries against California during the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023, in Berkeley, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)AP

Auburn at least partially answered its ongoing saga surrounding running back Jarquez Hunter as he started for Auburn on Saturday against Cal.

He participated in the pregame Tiger Walk as Auburn entered California Memorial Stadium. He warmed up with the rest of the team in pads before the game, initially coming onto the field with Auburn’s punt returners. And on the game’s first offensive series, Hunter was the first running back on the field.

“We’re just glad to have him back,” Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze said. “I’m not going to discuss the process. Glad to have him back. Thought he looked rusty though.”

Hunter’s situation traces back to a sex tape leaked on Twitter that allegedly showed Hunter. Auburn’s statement about indefinite suspensions came soon after. The Montgomery Advertiser reported that an Auburn spokesperson said the suspensions related to “videos that were posted on social media.” Allegedly, other Auburn players were involved with the video.

But the Auburn statement did not state which players would face suspensions.

Head coach Hugh Freeze has faced the question of Hunter’s status repeatedly, including his press conference Monday to preview Auburn’s trip to play Cal in Berkeley in Week 2.

His answers have largely been dodging the question or a no comment.

“The availability of a lot of players is up in the air, so like normally I’d rather not even comment on all of them,” Freeze said during his Monday press conference when asked about Hunter. “We’ve got a long list. From Nick Mardner to Austin Keys to Jalen (Mcleod) to (Nehemiah) Pritchett. All of those guys hopefully can have a good week. We can really, really use some of those guys.”

Hunter did not play in Auburn’s season opener against UMass. He also walked with the team in the Tiger Walk that day, but walked onto the field in street clothes for warm-ups and did not play.

The day after Auburn’s win over UMass running back Damari Alston posted a tweet reading “What the wrist tape say.” In a photo attached to the tweet, his wrist tape had “Free 27″ written on it.

The tweet was quickly deleted.

The first time he was asked about Hunter came at the SEC Spring Meetings in May in Destin, Florida. It was fewer than two weeks after Auburn’s initial statement on suspensions.

“We don’t comment on individuals and their status with any disciplinary issues within our school,” Freeze said then. “I really don’t have a comment on that.”

The next time Freeze was asked came at SEC Media Days in July in Nashville. Freeze could not say if Hunter would be able to participate in fall camp. He also did not say if any players would face suspensions.

“I can’t comment on University policies or procedures,” Freeze said when asked about Hunter.

Hunter did not play at the start of fall camp practices on Aug. 3. The first time he was seen during periods of practice open to the media was on Aug. 8. He practiced in every Auburn practice from there, during periods open to reporters.

“I’ll say this again: I understand the question but matters related to team rules and procedures, they’re handled internally and they will not be discussed publicly,” Freeze said before Auburn’s first preseason practice.

Hunter was in fact rusty in his return to the field. He led Auburn in carries with 11 and rushing yards with 53. Though he only had two rushes that were longer than five yards. He came close to breaking a big play a few times, but got tripped up in the secondary.

In his post-game press conference, Freeze turned the conversation to the rest of Auburn’s running back room.

Other than a fumble, Damari Alston had a strong game and was one of the better sparks for Auburn. Jeremiah Cobb picked up 20 yards on just three carries.

“I thought Damari was solid other than the turnover,” Freeze said. “I’ll tell you, Jeremiah has something to him. He’s got something to him. It’s going to be hard to get all of them -- and Battie didn’t have enough carries either. We’ll have to kind of evaluate how we’re going to handle that.”

Back in fall camp, Auburn had talked about using a running back by committee, and it seems that is going to be the case as Auburn wants to find a way to get the ball into the hands of its many options in a deep running back room — even if this game against Cal wasn’t the best offensive output, or even close to that.

It’s just more personnel rotation on an Auburn team already full of it.

Matt Cohen covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on Twitter at @Matt_Cohen_ or email him at mcohen@al.com

[aubiefifty 18,259]

will check back later for more. as always i appreciate you!

[bostic up the middle 82]

Thank you for the articles. I have creeped on AUF for years, always looking forward to your list of articles - and never said thank you!

I knew the story of the day would be the TX vs AL game result, but I figured we would get more air time (either good or bad) since we were only 1 of 2 SEC teams to beat and out of conference opponent. Chris Doering on SEC this Morning did have a positive, yet measured, view of our win. I guess until we find our offensive identity, it is probably best to fly under the radar while we figure things out

[aubiefifty 18,259]

 

[aubiefifty 18,259]

 

[aubiefifty 18,259]

 

[aubiefifty 18,259]

i need me an earring like that since i am an old rawk star in weekend bands. hell if i can wear crocs i can wear that lol...........

[aubiefifty 18,259]

 

[aubiefifty 18,259]

 

[aubiefifty 18,259]

 

[aubiefifty 18,259]

6 hours ago, bostic up the middle said:

Thank you for the articles. I have creeped on AUF for years, always looking forward to your list of articles - and never said thank you!

I knew the story of the day would be the TX vs AL game result, but I figured we would get more air time (either good or bad) since we were only 1 of 2 SEC teams to beat and out of conference opponent. Chris Doering on SEC this Morning did have a positive, yet measured, view of our win. I guess until we find our offensive identity, it is probably best to fly under the radar while we figure things out

i mess up some. i think i post the same pods twice when my memory fails me. but i do the best i can for my fellow auburn fans. i love you guys. even the fans i hate.........grins. so thank you so much!

[Paladin 3,307]

Exit Survey: Parting thoughts on Auburn's dizzying win at Cal

Dive in for our plays of the game, helmet stickers and exiting analysis on the victory at California Memorial Stadium

NATHAN KING 49 mins3

A masterful defensive performance kept Auburn afloat, and the Tigers scored a late touchdown to steal a road victory — and their first-ever win in the state of California — beating Cal 14-10. Hugh Freeze knows his team was "very fortunate" to come away with a win, but the Tigers are 2-0 nonetheless.

Two of our football reporters — Jason Caldwell and Nathan King — took another look at Auburn's win over the Golden Bears with some superlatives and final thoughts from the game in the Auburn Undercover Exit Survey.

Dive in for our plays of the game, helmet stickers, areas of concern and exiting analysis on the victory at California Memorial Stadium — and what our observations could mean for the Tigers, as they draw closer to their SEC schedule.

PLAY OF THE GAME (OFFENSE)

Jason: "It has to be the fade for a touchdown in the fourth quarter from Payton Thorne to Rivaldo Fairweather. We have been talking about Fairweather since the spring and Saturday night showed why. He caught three passes and another 15 yarder called back because of a penalty. Auburn got a mismatch and exploited it for the touchdown on the fade. That’s what this offense is all about. I would expect to see more of it."

Nathan: "Everything obviously boiled down to the final drive, and Fairweather's catch is going to end up being one of the highlights of Auburn's entire season because it saved the team from what was about to be an ugly loss. But in terms of an individual play, I'm actually going to go with Thorne's throw to Fairweather earlier in the drive on third-and-17. Auburn's defense had been playing well all night, but who knows how close the dam was to breaking if Auburn had punted again and allowed Cal to chew clock. Instead, Thorne saw Fairweather behind his defender and delivered a back-shoulder throw to a spot only Fairweather could get it — although the throw was a bit low, but Fairweather still adjusted to grab it. The ensuing sequence obviously put Auburn ahead, but the connection when the Tigers were way behind the chains made it all possible."

PLAY OF THE GAME (DEFENSE)

Jason: "Pick any number of plays by Eugene Asante and you would be in great shape. Maybe the biggest play for me was his sack of Sam Jackson on third and 10 from the Auburn 16 early in the fourth quarter. Auburn was trailing 10-6 at the time and another field goal would have added a little more pressure for the Tigers. The 11-yard loss turned a chip shot into a 44-yard attempt and another miss for the Bears."

Nathan: "Even if Jackson had just thrown the ball away on third-and-10, it would have only been a 33-yard field goal for Cal — easily the shortest of the night. Instead, Asante rocketed into the backfield and dragged Jackson down for a sack, allowing Auburn's field-goal defense team to apply more pressure on the ensuing attempt, and Michael Luckhurst missed for the third straight time. A nod can also go to Donovan Kaufman's forced fumble in the first half that led to an Auburn touchdown three plays later."

HELMET STICKER (OFFENSE)

Jason: "It’s Fairweather for me. He came up with two huge plays on the game-winning drive and showed glimpses of why he’s probably the biggest weapon for Auburn in the passing game. The Tigers will need to do more with him in the coming weeks as they look to open things up through the air."

Nathan: "You have to go with Fairweather here, after he almost single-handedly took Auburn down the field on the go-ahead touchdown drive. Including the penalty, Fairweather accounted for 48 yards on that series, and he showed his playmaking ability when the passing game desperately needed someone to step up."

HELMET STICKER (DEFENSE)

Jason: "It’s that guy Asante again. He was all over the field with 12 tackles, one sack, one and a half tackles for a loss, two quarterback hurries and one pass breakup. That’s a heck of a night for a guy that couldn’t get on the field last season."

Nathan: "Auburn got big-time performances all over the defense, but it's impossible not to pick Asante here. The fifth-year senior linebacker continues to impress in a starting role early this season, as he's now tied for No. 6 in the SEC in tackles. According to Pro Football Focus, Asante rushed the passer seven times and registered four pressures. And despite playing so many snaps, his missed tackle rate of 10 percent for the game was Auburn's lowest."

HELMET STICKER (SPECIAL TEAMS)

Jason: "Not much in the way of great special teams. Alex McPherson’s kickoffs were once again strong, which is a bonus. Keionte Scott had a 12-yard punt return, which was probably the highlight of the night on that group. Let’s go with Auburn’s field goal block team. They didn’t get one, but they definitely impacted the Cal kicker."

Nathan: "This is going to require some explaining, but I'm going with Jaylin Simpson. You could tell Luckhurst was feeling the pressure on every field goal, and Simpson screaming off the edge was a big reason why. At the end of the first half, he came off the ball so quickly that Cal was called for holding, and what would have been a 51-yard make was wiped off the board. Cal had to launch a hail mary instead, which Simpson just so happened to pick off."

WHERE AUBURN TOOK A STEP FORWARD

Jason: "There’s no question it was the Auburn defense. They stepped up their game in a big way and just kept fighting. Ron Roberts called another masterful game and put his guys in a position to make plays once again. The easiest choice from the Cal game is this question."

Nathan: "There's no denying the confidence this game has given Auburn's run defense. Roberts' game plan was impressive, and the Tigers executed all night long, keeping the Golden Bears in check with no explosive plays on the ground. If Cal's lone scoring drive is removed, running back Jaydn Ott had 17 carries for only 33 yards. There will be plenty of tests soon to come on the SEC schedule, but Auburn's run defense certainly didn't look like a weakness Saturday night against one of the best ball-carriers in the Pac-12."

WHERE AUBURN TOOK A STEP BACK

Jason: "The running game just wasn’t able to generate much of anything, finishing with just 136 yards on the ground and only three runs of 10 yards or more. Throwing the ball more effectively will help, but Auburn’s inability to knock Cal off the ball was surprising to me."

Nathan: "I'm not sure if it was a step back relative to the little we saw in the UMass game, but Auburn's passing attack has a long way to go. Thorne looks out of sync and receivers aren't getting open. Thorne only completed three passes to his wide receivers all game; everything else was either to Fairweather or on check-downs to running backs. As Freeze mentioned, Auburn had a tough time getting into a groove offensively because of how little it possessed the ball, which signals to me that maybe the staff will look to Saturday's matchup with Samford as a neck-crack opportunity for Thorne and company to gain some confidence."

BIGGEST SURPRISE?

Jason: "Just the way the defense continued to bow its neck and get the job done. They answered the bell with two starters already out and two more going down during the game. That’s pretty remarkable considering the depth issues at the linebacker position especially. Has to be a pretty confident bunch through two games with the way they have played."

Nathan: "I'll have to admit, I expected things to eventually cave in for this Auburn defense. I've simply covered too many games where Auburn's offense isn't producing, and the defense can only hold on for so long. I mean, how many times did we see that under Gus Malzahn and Kevin Steele? But this group just kept punching, even when put in adverse situations, and when asked to get stop after stop. It truly was one of the gutsiest performances I've ever seen from an Auburn defense, and it showed me that the Tigers are — at least in the early stages of the season — being very well coached before and during the game by the defensive staff."

DID THIS OUTCOME AFFECT YOUR THOUGHTS ON AUBURN’S TRAJECTORY EARLY THIS SEASON?

Jason: "I had this team at 7-5 or maybe 8-4 coming into the season because I thought they would score points and have trouble slowing people down. Saturday was the exact opposite of that. I’m still not sure this is a defensive group that is going to shut down a lot of folks in the Southeastern Conference, but they’re playing really well. But if the passing game doesn’t come around in a big way, I’m just not sure I see seven wins on the schedule based on what I saw on Saturday night. The good news is the offense should be one that clicks the more they play together. This week would be a good time to start."

Nathan: "Look, this game was weird. Unusual venue, unusual trip, and certainly an unusual kickoff time than what Auburn is used to. I'm not going to sit here and overreact about the offense — or even the defense, for that matter. Everyone knows 'Pac-12 After Dark' always breeds bizarre games. Just ask Washington, which almost lost to a 4-8 Cal team in Berkeley last season, then went on to win 11 games. I'll be much more interested to watch Auburn's response over the next couple weeks. We probably won't learn much against Samford, but the Tigers have to go on the road next week and open SEC play against Texas A&M with some semblance of a passing game — or else there might be some real issues to talk about for the rest of the season. For now, I'm going to give some benefit of the doubt — which I don't like doing — that Thorne, Auburn's receivers and the coaches can continue to gel and improve as the season progresses."

[aubiefifty 18,259]

al.com

‘Burn the game film’: Paul Finebaum not panicking over Auburn’s sloppy win at Cal

Updated: Sep. 11, 2023, 11:49 a.m.|Published: Sep. 11, 2023, 11:41 a.m.

~3 minutes

Hugh Freeze recaps Auburn's 14-10 win over Cal; Tigers' first ever win in California

Hugh Freeze and the Auburn Tigers returned to the state of Alabama with a win within its grasp. But boy, it didn’t come easy.

Auburn came from behind with a touchdown midway through the fourth quarter to finally climb on top of Cal and give the Tigers a four-point advantage they were able to white-knuckle down the stretch. The Tigers’ scoring drive, which was capped off by a 5-yard touchdown pass from Payton Thorne to Rivaldo Fairweather, was Auburn’s most efficient of the night, much in part to the Tigers holding onto the football.

Head coach Hugh Freeze said after the game that he didn’t think Auburn could’ve played “any uglier or sloppier” on offense while crediting the Tigers’ defense for the win.

“As ugly as it was, as many records as Auburn broke for offensive ineptitude, it really doesn’t matter,” Finebaum said during an appearance on McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning. “They still have everything in front of them. And that’s my takeaway.”

Offensive ineptitude might be a polite way to put it.

The Auburn offense tallied just six first downs through the first three quarters. Meanwhile, the Tigers passed for less than 100 passing yards and were outgained 273 yards to 230 and committed four turnovers.

“Understanding that we don’t use game film anymore, I would still burn the game film,” Finebaum said. “I wouldn’t look at that. If I were Hugh Freeze I would just forget that experience. I think a lot of things factored into it. Namely, flying halfway across the world [and] playing at a weird time.”

The Auburn football team left Auburn on Thursday evening, traveled just less than 2,500 miles and jumped over two time zones before kicking things off late Saturday night. Auburn’s 7:30 PT kickoff on Saturday was the equivalent of kicking the game off at 9:30 p.m. back in Auburn.

Fortunately for the Tigers, they didn’t make the trip alone.

A strong Auburn contingent also came along with the Tigers, including Auburn men’s basketball coach Bruce Pearl.

“That was a big win I thought for Auburn,” Finebaum said. “For however many people made it to the end of the game, rejoice in it. This is a program that has not had many big wins in the last couple of years.”

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[Hank2020 3,358]

2 hours ago, aubiefifty said:

i mess up some. i think i post the same pods twice when my memory fails me. but i do the best i can for my fellow auburn fans. i love you guys. even the fans i hate.........grins. so thank you so much!

So you love the fans you hate?? I think that may not be possible even with the right gummies… JK fifty. We all appreciate being able to come to 1 thread to read the day’s articles and podcasts. Keep up the good work for us!!

[aubiefifty 18,259]

7 hours ago, Hank2020 said:

So you love the fans you hate?? I think that may not be possible even with the right gummies… JK fifty. We all appreciate being able to come to 1 thread to read the day’s articles and podcasts. Keep up the good work for us!!

i love them being butthurt.................lol.