9.13.23 Football Articles

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si.com

 

Freeze has great deal of respect for Samford coaching staff: 'I know he will have his guys ready'

Daniel Locke

2–3 minutes

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Freeze gave the Samford coaching staff their flowers ahead of the 29th meeting of the two teams.

Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze had some positive things to say about Samford's coaching staff during his weekly press conference.

“(Chris) Hatcher and I have known each other for years," Freeze said. "I think he is one of the better offensive coaches in football. He has done a remarkable job there. He will have his kids excited and well prepared to play here I have no doubt, they will test you in the passing game for sure and throw it all around. 

I think the last time he played here it was every formation you could imagine that he pulled out and had success moving the ball. I have great respect for him as a man and as a coach. I know he will have his guys ready.”

Samford head coach Chris Hatcher has been at the helm of the program since 2015. He is the winningest head coach in program history with a record of 52-39. His teams at Samford have always been ranked highly in the Southern Conference and in the FCS.

In 2022, Hatcher led the Bulldogs to an 11-2 record and went 8-0 in conference play. This performance earned him SoCon coach of the year honors. The 11 wins were the second-most in program history.

Samford will be well coached, even if Auburn is able to purely out-talent them.

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auburnwire.usatoday.com

 

Rivaldo Fairweather listed among SEC's top performing players from week two

Taylor Jones

~2 minutes

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The Auburn Tigers departed California with a late win to progress to 2-0 on the young season.

The win would not have happened without the efforts of tight end Rivaldo Fairweather.

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In the 4th quarter of Auburn’s 14-10 win over California, quarterback Payton Thorne connected with Fairweather for a five-yard touchdown with 6:31 remaining to push Auburn ahead for the first time since the later stages of the first half.

Following week two’s action across the SEC, College Sports Wire’s Ryan Haley highlighted Fairweather’s performance by including him in the SEC’s top performers list. In the list, Haley listed Fairweather as the SEC’s top receiver from week two.

Who says your leading receiver needs to be a receiver at all? In a low-scoring war of attrition with California out west, Fairweather saved the day for the Tigers. He caught the game-winning touchdown with just over six minutes left to play, and he was the only Auburn player with more than two receptions.

In the young season, Fairweather has hauled in three catches for 31 yards and a touchdown. In three previous seasons at FIU, Fairweather made 54 catches for 838 yards and five touchdowns.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on  X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__

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auburnwire.usatoday.com

 

USA TODAY Sports predicts Auburn to meet Pac-12 opponent during bowl season

Taylor Jones

~2 minutes

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The Auburn Tigers are now 2-0 following their defeat of California over the weekend. After the win, USA TODAY Sports is projecting that the Tigers are not finished with the Pac-12 this season.

USA TODAY Sports’ Erick Smith released his latest bowl projections following week two’s action and has forecasted that Auburn will face Arizona in the Gasparilla Bowl at the season’s end.

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Smith’s latest projection has 11 SEC teams making it to the postseason. Missouri is predicted to kick off bowl season for the conference by facing Marshall in the Frisco Bowl and has Georgia playing for the College Football Playoff National Championship against Michigan.

Auburn has faced Arizona three times in program history and holds a 2-1 advantage. The Tigers hosted Arizona for a regular season contest in 1977 and won, 21-10. The season before, Arizona knocked off Auburn in Tucson, 31-19. The first meeting between Auburn and Arizona took place at the 1968 Sun Bowl, a game which Auburn won, 34-10.

Auburn improved its record against Pac-12 teams over the weekend by defeating California, 14-10. The Tigers are now 11-3 all-time against teams from the Pac-12 conference.

The 2023 Gasparilla Bowl will take place on Wednesday, Dec. 22 at 5:30 p.m. CT at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on  X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__

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247sports.com

 

Roberts making an impact early in his tenure as Auburns DC

Jason Caldwell

3–4 minutes

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AUBURN, Alabama—When Hugh Freeze hired veteran defensive coordinator Ron Roberts to run the show on that side of the ball for the Tigers he was looking to bring in an experienced play-caller and tactician to go up against the up-tempo offenses that rule college football in 2023. Through two weeks with Roberts in charge, it’s safe to say that Freeze has gotten a strong start from the defense as the Tigers head into this Saturday’s game against Samford at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

“Really proud of our kids and the staff,” Freeze said of the defense. “They just kept battling and found a way to get off the field and get important stops. Did we improve from Week 1 to Week 2? Absolutely. Now, are we fixed yet and ready to say we're fixing to dominate and hold every opponent to 10 points? I would like to say that, but that's not accurate. We've got to keep working because there are tougher tasks ahead.”

Currently tied for 20th nationally in scoring defense (12 ppg) and 34th in total defense (287 ypg), Auburn has been really good through two weeks with Roberts in charge. Without a dominant player up front for the Tigers, Roberts and his staff have covered that up by using a variety of blitz looks, fronts and stunts to free up players at the line of scrimmage.

Because of creating negative plays, Auburn’s defense is currently fifth in the country in allowing third down conversions at just 18.52 percent so far. In addition, the Tigers have allowed just four plays of 20 yards or more. That’s tied for 14th nationally.

One of the players that has seen his role change under Roberts is star Keionte Scott. A true coverage guy last season at the nickel, Scott has been used more at the line of scrimmage through two games and it has been a role he’s enjoyed.

Watching as Roberts teaches during the week and then puts it into play on Saturdays, Scott said it has been fun to see everything come together in the first two weeks.

“It's just crazy to see, as a defense, the way he's explaining things and breaking down film in the week,” Scott said. “Then to come out on Saturday and see it unfold the way he's explained it and the way it should unfold and having the right checks for those plays, it's just crazy to see sometimes to see how defensive-minded he is and how much he takes his job seriously.”

Another player that has been reborn under Roberts and the new scheme is linebacker Eugene Asante. A downhill linebacker that has fit in well with the aggressive playing style under the first-year coordinator, the former UNC player has nothing but positive things to say about what Auburn is doing on defense and it all starts with Roberts.

“He's a really smart coach,” Asante said. “All he does in terms of his defense is pass that on to us and tries to make things as simple as possible. That knowledge and ability to adjust on the fly is something we continue to build on and that's something that I've seen the most from Week 1 to Week 2.

“For football it's really an ongoing process and we'll continue to grow upon it and continue to hone in on our details and ultimately I think it'll be really good for us if we continue to build upon the foundation we built on Saturday.”

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al.com

 

No Pritchett, no problem: Auburn freshman Kayin Lee showcases 'next man up' mentality

Published: Sep. 12, 2023, 1:13 p.m.

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Auburn junior defensive lineman Justin Rogers spent the offseason cautioning freshman defensive back Kayin Lee not to walk around thinking he’s just some freshman on a SEC football team.

“K Lee is a guy,” Rogers told media members on Aug. 11. “I tell him all the time, ‘You don’t need to walk around here like a freshman because you’re going to play.’.”

And Rogers was right – Lee has played plenty in his first two games with the Tigers.

The unfortunate part, however, is that Lee hasn’t had much of a choice but to see the field as Auburn has been without veteran cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett. Pritchett was said to be questionable heading into the UMass matchup on Sept. 2 and has yet to return to action despite warming up with the team last Saturday at Cal. The specifics of Pritchett’s injury are unknown.

Coming into his senior campaign, Pritchett was highly regarded as he was slated to make up one half of Auburn’s elite cornerback tandem, joining fellow senior D.J. James.

In May, Jim Nagy, executive director of the Reese’s Senior Bowl, took to Twitter to call retaining Pritchett and James Hugh Freeze’s “best recruiting job” at Auburn. Nagy added that both cornerbacks received senior bowl invites and were given “fringe Top-100 grades” by several NFL teams.

Needless to say, Pritchett is a guy the Tigers prefer not to play without.

But if being without Pritchett is a must, Lee has proved he can help limit the effects of Pritchett’s absence.

Considering he’s just a rookie, opposing quarterbacks are typically quick to pick on Lee. And such was the case in Berkeley on Saturday night as Cal quarterback Ben Finley targeted Lee during Cal’s very first offensive snap – only for Lee to record the first pass breakup of his college career.

“When they tried me off the rip, coach Crime was telling me that it was going to happen all game because I’m a freshman,” Lee told reporters Monday. “That was pretty exciting. I wish I could have made an even better play on the ball. Knowing I did my job was exciting and just being able to go out there and play fast.”

Late in the third quarter, the Golden Bears tried Lee again – this time with Sam Jackson V at quarterback.

Jackson was looking for Cal receiver Brian Hightower on a short throw to the right, but Lee was there to break up the connection.

“I like that. I like when people take shots,” Lee said. “It gives me a chance to be able to show the world what I can do and what I train for.”

Lee was rated a 4-star prospect out of Cedar Grove High School in Ellenwood, Ga. and picked the Tigers over other offers, including Georgia and Ohio State.

After flipping to the Tigers, Lee’s training started in January as he enrolled at Auburn early, giving him a leg up as he went through both spring and fall camp with the Tigers.

“It was very important for me being able to get in early, get accustomed to the playbook and the feeling of college,” Lee said Monday. “That was a big bonus coming into college.”

Lee coming to The Plains early was the gift that kept on giving.

Not only did Lee get a head start on the playbook and the day-to-day life of being a college athlete, but enrolling early also gave Lee more opportunities to learn from the veterans on Auburn’s roster – especially guys like Pritchett and James.

“I talk to all of those guys every day. I’m taking bits and pieces from their game every single day in practice, how they study film and what they’re looking at in film and what we’re looking at in practice as a whole defensive corps,” Lee said. “It just helps me be able to take my game to another level being around those guys each and every day.”

And as badly as the Tigers might be missing Pritchett, who Freeze is hoping can go this week against Samford, folks should be thankful Lee is in the mix to fill the void because he gets it.

Lee isn’t setting out to snatch Pritchett’s job out from under him or seeking any type of praise, the freshman is simply looking to do what he can to fill the Nehemiah Pritchett-sized hole in Auburn’s defensive backfield.

“He just tells me to do my job. He knows what type of player I am, so he’s not really saying too much. He just lets me go out there and ball and be free,” Lee said of Pritchett.

“He knows what I have to bring to step up behind him, so I just have to fulfill that spot.”

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al.com

 

Auburn football injury updates for Kaufman, Pritchett, others before Samford game

Updated: Sep. 12, 2023, 5:22 p.m.|Published: Sep. 12, 2023, 5:13 p.m.

5–6 minutes

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Auburn cornerback Donovan Kaufman was the only notable absence from Auburn’s practice Tuesday, which was briefly open to reporters as the team prepares for Samford.

Auburn has opened a portion of practice up to media on Tuesday evenings before each of the first three games of the season.

Cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett did not participate in drills during the practice before UMass but has been seen practicing since. He has not played for Auburn yet this season. Linebacker Austin Keys was not on the field last week before Cal before Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze announced he would have thumb surgery.

Keys has moved from wearing a sling with a cast on his hand inside as he had out in Berkeley to just a blue cast on his right hand and no sling.

The only new absence from Auburn’s practice before Samford was Donovan Kaufman, who left the game with an apparent head injury in the second half.

Auburn plays Samford at 6 p.m. Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium. The Tigers are 2-0 after beating Cal last week. Samford is 1-1 after losing to Western Carolina on Saturday. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.

Below is a rundown of the players known to be on Auburn’s injury report. Other than Kaufman and Keys, everyone else practiced.

CB Donovan Kaufman

Kaufman has been one of Auburn’s best defensive players this season. He was graded as the best cornerback in the nation in Week 2 by Pro Football Focus.

But in the second half against Cal, Kaufman went out with an apparent head injury. After he game, Freeze suggested he was going through concussion protocol.

On Monday, Freeze said it was too early to tell Kaufman’s status for this week.

He did not practice Tuesday. Auburn has not given an update on his health.

CB Nehemiah Pritchett

Prithcett warmed up in pads with the rest of the defense before the Cal game, but he was ultimately unable to play.

In a period of open practice against UMass, Pritchett stood on the sidelines with a heavily wrapped left ankle and did not take part in drills. He did practice before the Cal game and as well before Samford.

He tried to return against Cal but wasn’t quite ready. Pritchett may be Auburn’s best cornerback, but the secondary has fared well so far without him.

CB J.D. Rhym

Rhym hasn’t played in either of Auburn’s first team two games, and was not seen with the rest of the team out in Berkeley. It’s unclear if he traveled.

Rhym has practiced throughout the first two weeks and leading into Samford.

Freeze also said Monday that its too early to say what Rhym’s status will be for Saturday.

CB Keionte Scott

Scott missed time in the second half against Cal with cramps. He was able to come back at the end of the game.

Scott spoke to media members on Monday and appeared healthy in practice Tuesday.

LB Larry Nixon III

Any potential injury to Nixon could be a big problem for Auburn.

Last week, Freeze announced starting linebacker Austin Keys would miss time after thumb surgery. A surgeon told AL.com that the injury could keep Keys out for anywhere between a month to closer to two months.

Nixon had surgery on his wrist over the offseason, and appeared to pick up an injury on the same hand against Cal, Freeze said.

He practiced during Tuesday’s open session.

JACK LB Jalen McLeod

McLeod is clearly not at 100% strength. Freeze put that number closer to 85%, but said even at that rate, McLeod is still able to help Auburn’s pass rush in a big way.

His recovery process still shows itself when McLeod spent time on the stationary bike and keeping his ankle loose on the sideline between his snaps against Cal. But he was able to play in the game after not seeing the field against UMass.

On Monday, McLeod was listed at the top of Auburn’s depth chart for jack linebackers. The previous two depth charts had listed Elijah McAllister as the starter.

OL Kam Stutts

After the Cal game, Freeze said Stutts has a lower leg injury. Stutts practiced in full pads Tuesday and did not show signs of any extra protection for his leg.

WR Nick Mardner

Mardner hasn’t played in either of Auburn’s first two games, but did make the trip to Berkeley, even if he never suited up.

Mardner has been consistently practicing, however. His timeline to return is unclear.

S Jaylin Simpson

Freeze mentioned Simpson in his injury rundown on Monday as being out at the start of the third quarter. Simpson did finish the game and appeared healthy at practice.

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

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al.com

 

The story of how Jaylin Simpson's seatbelt became Auburn football's turnover chain

Published: Sep. 13, 2023, 6:15 a.m.

4–5 minutes

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1. Auburn Football

Auburn’s defense needed a turnover chain. So Jaylin Simpson bought a seatbelt.

 

He’d gotten a pick-six, so Jaylin Simpson walked in the door to the Auburn media room underneath the south stands of Jordan-Hare Stadium with a seatbelt wrapped around his neck.

Yeah, an actual seatbelt.

So this is Auburn’s version of the turnover chain — something first popularized by the Miami football team.

Get a turnover? Get the seatbelt.

The seatbelt is the physical manifestation of a celebration used by many members of Auburn’s secondary when they make a good play: mimicking buckling a seatbelt.

“It basically means you strap up, you’re strapping up a receiver,” Simpson said. “You just call it a seatbelt and you do the little seatbelt thing. I took it upon myself, everyone has their turnover chains, so I went and bought an actual seatbelt.”

Simpson went to AutoZone, cornerback Keionte Scott said, but didn’t find a seatbelt. Instead, Simpson said he ordered two seatbelts from Amazon.

They’re pretty cheap, too. A set of two which look similar to the one Simpson got goes for under $25.

Simpson is one of Auburn’s most charismatic players. After his 50-yard interception return for a touchdown that earned him his own seatbelt in the first place, he ran over to the sideline for a dance he’d planned with Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze.

Freeze didn’t look quite coordinated or good doing it.

My favorite rapper is YoungBoy, NBA YoungBoy,” Simpson said after the UMass game. “And he’s got this little dance that he did in his videos. Coach Freeze told us, ‘Don’t celebrate in the end zone.’ I kind of forgot about that. It’s like, ‘Don’t celebrate in the end zone, just come dance with me.’”

“I mean if mine’s a 10, his was a five.”

Turns out, that seatbelt travels.

Around 2,500 miles from Auburn, Simpson walked through a road game’s Tiger Walk, through the tunnel underneath California Memorial Stadium and up the steps on the field with neon-red sunglasses that read “4th Quarter Crazy” and yes, the seatbelt still around his neck.

The seatbelt would have multiple owners against Cal.

Auburn forced three turnovers in the 14-10 win. Cornerback Donovan Kaufman was first, forcing a fumble in the second quarter. That play set up a touchdown pass from quarterback Payton Thorne to wide receiver Jay Fair — Auburn’s first score of the game.

Simpson then got his seatbelt back as he picked off Cal quarterback Sam Jackson V on a hail mary attempt right before halftime.

The defense’s next turnover would be the game-sealing play.

After a Jarquez Hunter fumble seemed to set up Cal with a chance to go back in front, cornerback D.J. James intercepted a Jackson pass into the endzone, then stepped out of bounds for a touchback.

It was Simpson right there to celebrate with him as James strutted down the sideline.

So after the game, it was James’ turn to where the seatbelt into the interview room.

“I was just playing my call,” James said of his interception. “It was supposed to be in a third and read the quarterback and break on the ball when it’s thrown. That’s what I did and made a play.”

James said it’s his goal every day to earn that seatbelt. It signifies he made an important play. It’s the whole secondary’s goal, in fact.

James kept it on as he joined back with the team and got on the bus to the airport. Then they all strapped into actual seatbelts attached to actual seats for the red-eye flight back home.

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

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al.com

 

Goodman: Auburn football feels like a mystery by design

Updated: Sep. 12, 2023, 12:23 p.m.|Published: Sep. 12, 2023, 6:39 a.m.

6–7 minutes

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**Editor’s Note: Joseph Goodman’s popular college football picks feature, “Joe vs. the Pro and the Hero,” is adding readers to the action. Pick your Week 3 games here, and sign up for Joe’s newsletter to see how your picks compare to the experts (and Joe) as well as other readers.

________________________

This is an opinion column.

Auburn will always and forever remain the SEC’s flat circle of Southern football peculiarity and high strangeness.

What in the name of 10 years ago is happening down on the Plains? Old friend Bryan Harsin is gone, but once again we’re back to wondering if the head football coach is going to take over the play-calling duties.

In the Tigers’ first real test under new coach Hugh Freeze, the offense registered four turnovers, only managed 12 first downs but — despite everything — won in the state of California for the first time in program history. It was heroically ugly. It was bizarrely beautiful. It was, naturally, just Auburn being Auburn, which means comfortably curious in every way.

“That game went nothing like I expected — I just got to tell you,” Freeze said on Monday. “I guess that’s good and bad.”

Auburn delivered a 14-10 victory against Cal over the weekend. It was good because Auburn plays Texas A&M in two weeks and the Aggies, based on everything we’ve seen out of Freeze’s Tigers, have absolutely no clue what to expect. It was bad in the sense that Auburn goes to College Station, Texas, in half a moon and Freeze doesn’t really know what’s going on with his team either.

Or at least that’s what Freeze wants people to believe.

RELATED: Freeze on QBs, ‘We’ve got to figure it out’

RELATED: Why Freeze didn’t take over play-calling

CASAGRANDE: The ugly reality of Week 2

GOODMAN: Is the dynasty over for Nick Saban?

Freeze’s big thing this season are these get-togethers he calls “truth meetings,” but the more I hear Freeze talk about his team the less and less I know what to believe. Funny how that works. On Monday, the truth meeting, according to Freeze, “had a lot of tough talks.”

“It’s high time that no one has an ego,” Freeze said.

Presumably, Freeze was either talking about the quarterbacks, offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery or all of the above. Montgomery is calling the plays (for now), and the quarterbacks are a major work in progress.

“It was totally different than what I expected,” Freeze said, “but Philip is going to be fine and we’re going to work together this week and see if we can’t get a great plan in place to not repeat last week’s performance.”

Who is the best quarterback? Who should be calling plays? These things will work themselves out eventually. Here’s all that really matters, and this shouldn’t be lost on anyone. No matter how it happened, there’s nothing bad about being undefeated going into homecoming week, and that’s exactly where Auburn finds itself to start the 2023 season.

For the first time in years, Auburn alums and students have something to be hopeful about while other powerhouses in the SEC have faltered in more ways than simply losing on the field.

“Ultimately, the bottom line is, our kids found a way to win, and we celebrate that,” Freeze said on Monday. “You can write it however you want to write it, but the bottom line is the Auburn Tigers are 2-0 and we celebrate that.”

How about let’s write it this way.

Auburn might have won ugly, but at least the Tigers didn’t lose badly.

At least Auburn students didn’t scream racist and homophobic slurs at the opposing team’s players like the fanbase for cross-state team Alabama. The dynasty is cracking in Tuscaloosa, and at the first sign of trouble there is a new video making the rounds this week of a racist Alabama fan screaming hate speech at Texas players during the Crimson Tide’s 34-24 loss.

Want to talk about ugly football? Clean it up, Alabama, or prepare for a long walk through the desert after Saban calls it quits.

Giving up 21 points in the fourth quarter on Bryant-Denny Field is one thing. Being the cause of people around the world losing respect for the University of Alabama and the state is something far worse.

Auburn isn’t Alabama today, and in more ways than one that can be considered good news.

All Auburn did against Cal was play tough on a bad day and somehow, someway still find a way to win. When Auburn needed courage in the fourth quarter, Freeze said the offense had banked it away thanks to positive encouragement from the defense the entire game. For me, that’s the best sign of all.

“You can build on stuff like that,” Freeze said. “I don’t think anyone stopped believing. Really proud of that growth that we can use to build on for sure.”

How many third and fourth quarters did Auburn give away under its former coach? Those teams were thin on belief. This one is already relying on it to win a game it probably should have lost.

Auburn won a non-conference away game against a Power 5 team when so many other, more celebrated teams in the SEC West already have one loss on the season. Texas A&M and Alabama were the big disappointments in Week 2. In Week 1, it was LSU fading in the second half against Florida State.

At Alabama, Nick Saban continues with his struggles to keep up with the modern game.

Down at LSU, Brian Kelly looks like the SEC’s new Gus Malzahn.

Over at Texas A&M, Jimbo Fisher is on the hot seat.

All things considered, Auburn has to be happy with where it stands two weeks into the 2023 season. Where does Auburn stand exactly? No one is quite sure, but it’s somewhere between Haven’t A Clue and Timbuktu.

The Tigers remain a mystery, and I’m pretty sure that’s how the new coach wants it to be.

Joseph Goodman is the lead sports columnist for the Alabama Media Group, and author of “We Want Bama”, a book about togetherness, hope and rum. You can find him on Twitter @JoeGoodmanJr.

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al.com

 

Auburn-Samford football tickets available; Here’s how to get seats

Updated: Sep. 12, 2023, 7:56 p.m.|Published: Sep. 12, 2023, 7:56 p.m.

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California wide receiver Jeremiah Hunter, right, is tackled by Auburn cornerback Keionte Scott during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023, in Berkeley, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)AP

The Auburn Tigers return home from the West Coast after a 14-10 win over Cal to host Samford on Saturday. There are plenty of tickets available at Vivid Seats, StubHub and Seat Geek.

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 a victory. 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.

Samford, meanwhile, fell to Western Carolina 30-7 in the Bulldogs’ Southern Conference opener on Saturday. Samford (1-1) was interrupted with 11:38 left in the first half by a lightning delay that lasted nearly six hours.

Vivid Seats

Vivid Seats has tickets going for $62 and more with plenty of seats together.

Stub Hub

Stub Hub has seats starting at $70.

Seat Geek

Check out Seat Geek. It has a pair of tickets for $55.

Mark Heim is a reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim. He can be heard on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5 FM in Mobile or on the free Sound of Mobile App from 6 to 9 a.m. daily.

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Auburn’s weird and wild taste of PAC-12 After Dark, as explained by the Sickos Committee

Updated: Sep. 12, 2023, 12:23 p.m.|Published: Sep. 12, 2023, 7:00 a.m.

6–7 minutes

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Did you stay up long past your bedtime Saturday night to watch fumbles, interceptions and missed field goals? Did you clutch a cup of coffee or more likely something a bit stronger with nervous white knuckles as Auburn struggled to approach 100 passing yards?

It means you got a taste of PAC-12 After Dark, a phenomenon of impossible-to-explain crazy college football games that occur so late into the night that most of the East Coast is long asleep. If you stayed up, you may be entitled to compensation.

Or at least this is what the Sickos Committee does every weekend. It’s a group of college football fans on social media who have gained notoriety by seeking out the ugliest, most insane, weird and, well, downright sicko college football games.

What Auburn fans may have experienced for the first time with their own favorite team in the program’s trip to and eventual first win in the state of California is seemingly a weekly occurrence for George Smith, the Committee’s commissioner. And if there was ever a game to get wild that Smith could have seen coming, Auburn at Cal fit the billing.

“Just seeing an SEC team travel out west is interesting and kind of unconventional,” Smith said. “When we say sickos, we mean it’s an unconventionally appealing game. We’re not calling your team sicko. We’re just like that person in the window because we want to watch this game and we have no idea what’s going to happen. And this game kind of delivered in so many different ways.”

Individually, neither Cal nor Auburn are newbies to the gaze of the Committee. Both were ranked in the Committee’s preseason poll of the 30 teams most likely to produce sicko games.

Smith regards Auburn as the SEC’s “chaos team” and Cal is a frequent participant in PAC-12 After Dark activities.

Put them on the same field, with a kickoff at 9:30 p.m. central time and Smith and the rest of his sickos were certainly paying attention.

“The after-dark West Coast game is something that the SEC fan doesn’t necessarily get to experience,” Smith said. “And then to have Auburn be that one that experiences it just took it to the next level.”

And right from the start, this was exactly what Smith looks for. Auburn has played many bonkers games over the years. This was up there with the best of them.

Auburn fumbled on the first possession of the game. The first eight drives of the game total for Auburn and Cal included two fumbles, four punts and a missed field goal. Both Auburn and Cal threw interceptions on their respective final drives of the first half.

That Cal interception came after kicker Michael Luckhurst made a 51-yard field goal, but had it taken off the board for a rarely seen holding penalty on a field goal. The Cal drone light show planned for halftime began over the field before the final play even ended.

It got even weirder after halftime.

Both teams turned the ball over on downs on their first possession of the second half including Auburn running back Jarquez Hunter running the wrong way on a third-and-short play.

Luckhurst missed two more field goals.

Auburn had its best drive of the game going 69 yards down the field for what would be the game-winning touchdown. The next time it got the ball back, with a chance to ice the game, Hunter fumbled to give Cal a chance to go back in front.

And then Cal promptly threw it to Auburn cornerback D.J. James in the endzone.

“The second half was just a masterpiece,” Smith said. “Both teams were making a lot of mistakes. Auburn could have salted the game away, but they made a lot of mistakes. They fumbled the ball away and then Cal was like, ‘No, you have it.’”

Smith described the second half like a choose-your-own-adventure book. He said even the broadcasters seemed befuddled by each new hard-to-fathom moment.

There were only two more punts (9) than turnovers (7). Four total quarterbacks played. Neither Payton Thorne nor Robby Ashford for Auburn were able to maintain any consistency.

And there was Auburn’s mascot Aubie on the sideline “flashing” Luckhurst as he kicked field goals and wearing an inflatable bear costume on the sideline.

Everything that could be weird was in fact weird.

“The box score, I mean, it breaks all logic,” Smith said.

These aren’t the types of games that should haunt fans, Smith said, especially if you are on the winning side of things as Auburn was. Instead, Smith sees crazy games like this as something to look back at in five years with a smile, to remember how bonkers it was.

Auburn fans are used to this in their own time zone. Smith said Auburn fans have been some of the more active followers of his page.

“I love Auburn fans,” Smith said. “They know, too, you have to enjoy everything about your team because once you get those moments that are so sweet like 2010 or the Kick Six or something like that, you’re along for the entire ride. That’ what we are. We ride for our team no matter what. We’re there whether they are good or bad or not. Auburn fans are some of the best at that, if not the best. They understand and they are really good at self-deprecating humor.”

With conference realignment on the horizon, PAC-12 After Dark as we know it will bid farewell after this season. The Sickos are relishing a last taste of this beautiful, silly and stupid bit.

And when Auburn’s game ended, Smith said he needed to find some way to calm down. So, he turned on Albany vs. Hawaii and Honolulu. Very sicko, indeed.

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]

 

[aubiefifty 18,259]

it appears to be early for the normal podcasts to be out but like always i will check back. and now a shout out to one of our sponsors "Folgers Black Silk coffee".folks when you love black silk it loves you back.

[SaltyTiger 8,579]

5 minutes ago, aubiefifty said:

it appears to be early for the normal podcasts to be out but like always i will check back. and now a shout out to one of our sponsors "Folgers Black Silk coffee".folks when you love black silk it loves you back.

Have to remember that. “Maxwell House” here this morning. Another beautiful day in the making on the Plains. Thanx Fiddy.

[aubiefifty 18,259]

7 minutes ago, SaltyTiger said:

Have to remember that. “Maxwell House” here this morning. Another beautiful day in the making on the Plains. Thanx Fiddy.

we know i love to be a joker but i am serious. i drank maxell house for a long time. funny. my grandparents that lived in Auburn drank red diamond coffee.they made it so strong they did not need cups or mugs they just broke off pieces.............thanx for the support salty.

[bostic up the middle 82]

FYI - Eugene Asante will be on "Out of Pocket" on the SEC network tonight at 7pm Eastern - interviewed by non other than our very own Takeo Spikes!

[aubiefifty 18,259]

5 minutes ago, bostic up the middle said:

FYI - Eugene Asante will be on "Out of Pocket" on the SEC network tonight at 7pm Eastern - interviewed by non other than our very own Takeo Spikes!

i will post it when it hits on youtube for thhose that might miss it. thanx for the info! you win one half og a gummy which is legal but i suggest you have a designated driver.................grins