9.14.23 Football Articles tigertalk added

aubiefifty · September 14, 2023

Auburn Opponent Preview Samford defense

Jason Caldwell

~4 minutes

Following a win over Shorter College to open the season before falling 30-7 last week at Western Carolina, the Samford Bulldogs come into Saturday night’s homecoming game at Jordan-Hare Stadium known more for their offense with quarterback Michael Heirs leading the way. But, this is an opportunity for Auburn’s offense to build some confidence heading into SEC play against a Samford defense that was shredded last week at Western Carolina.

The Bulldogs allowed 34 first downs to the Catamounts, giving up 284 yards rushing on 49 attempts and another 262 through the air with WCU completing 29-35 attempts for the game.

Leading the way for Samford is senior linebacker Noah Martin. Already with 21 tackles and four tackles for a loss in two games, the 6-1, 232 Martin enters Saturday’s game with 220 career tackles. He’s joined at linebacker by 6-2, 208 Jayden Mosley, who is in his first season with the Bulldogs after playing at Hutchinson Community College in Kansas. On the weak side is 5-11, 228 senior Josiah Cotton. Mosley and Cotton are tied for second on the team with 12 tackles each after two games.

Playing a 3-4 scheme, the Bulldogs don’t have a ton of size up front, but they do have an anchor in the middle in 6-2, 325 junior Josh Mathiasen. He’s backed up by 6-3, 290 Makhi Gilbert from Central-Phenix City. At defensive tackle, the Bulldogs have 6-1, 270 Nick Jackson with 6-3, 268 Jamall Thompson behind him. On the other side is 6-2, 261 Joseph Mera with 6-1, 263 Johnny Johnson also in the rotation. Thompson and Johnson have one sack each this season, accounting for all of the sacks for the Bulldogs.

In the secondary Samford has a pair of transfers that have been very productive so far in South Carolina’s Tyrese Ross and former Auburn High standout Garrett Morris, who transferred from Penn. The free safety, Ross has 12 tackles on the year while Morris has 11 stops playing the nickel. Finishing off the starting group for the Bulldogs on the back end of the defense are cornerbacks Dontae Pollard and Devin Smith along with rover Kortlan Marsh.

DEFENSE

W

28 Josiah Cotton 5-11 228 Sr. Macon, Ga. / Mt. De Sales Academy

22 Xavier Nurse 6-3 245 Gr. Brooklyn, N.Y. / Maine

NT

98 Josh Mathiasen 6-2 325 Jr. Elmhurst, Ill. / Olivet Nazarene

94 Makhi Gilbert 6-3 290 So. Phenix City, Ala. / Central HS

DT

97 Nick Jackson 6-1 270 Gr. Orlando, Fla. / Winter Park HS

81 Jamall Thompson 6-3 268 Jr. Sarasota, Fla. / Sarasota HS

B

35 Joseph Mera 6-2 261 Gr. Fort Myers, Fla. / Bishop Verot HS

55 Johnny Johnson 6-1 263 Sr. St. Amant, La. / Winter Park HS

MLB

32 Noah Martin 6-1 232 Sr. Chattanooga, Tenn. / Baylor School

47 Bryce Graves 5-11 227 Gr. Clayton, N.C. / Elon

SLB

33 Jaden Mosley 6-2 208 Jr. Mobile, Ala. / Hutchinson CC

44 Kiylan Miller 6-3 200 Jr. Forest City, N.C. / Coastal Carolina

NKL

17 Garrett Morris 6-0 215 Gr. Auburn, Ala. / Penn

40 Wade White 6-0 200 Jr. Prattville, Ala. / Prattville HS

CB

23 Devin Smith 5-10 190 Gr. Kennesaw, Ga. / Austin Peay

11 JB Bouye 5-10 173 So. Waco, Texas / Middle Tennessee

RVR

1 Kourtlan Marsh 5-11 190 Jr. Warrior, Ala. / Mortimer-Jordan HS

30 Avery Hughes 5-11 180 Gr. Sugar Land, Texas / Texas A&M

FS

2 Tyrese Ross 6-0 200 Gr. Jacksonville, Fla. / South Carolina

24 Jonathan Searcy 6-1 193 Gr. Medford, N.J. / Bucknell

CB

36 Dontae Pollard 5-10 185 Jr. Pittsburgh, Pa. / Arkon

16 Kamron Smith 6-0 195 Jr. Bonaire, Ga. / Charleston Southern

Edited September 15, 2023 by aubiefifty

aubiefifty · September 14, 2023

i.com

Is resiliency Auburn's biggest strength in 2023?

Daniel Locke

2–3 minutes

Grit and determination led Auburn to victory over Cal. Could that be the theme of the season?

The Auburn Tigers' 14-10 win over the Cal Golden Bears was far from perfect.

Mistakes were plentiful on both sides of the ball and the coaching staff is not without blame either.

But when the clock read 0:00, Auburn had won the game.

“I don’t think anyone quit believing that we could win the game, and it showed in the way they played," said Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze. Obviously, the defense had more than their fair share of times that they had to go back out there too quick because of the number of turnovers and lack of production on third down, and it was always, ‘We got you, we got you.’

I’m really proud of that growth that we can use to build on, for sure."

Auburn did what was needed to win. Despite struggling for most of the game, quarterback Payton Thorne led a scoring drive that covered 69 yards and was capped off with a touchdown pass to tight-end Rivaldo Fairweather.

The poise that Auburn showed speaks volumes of the quality of leadership this team has.

"I don’t know that I’ve ever had a season where we didn’t have a game where we felt like, ‘We easily could have lost that game, but boy, our kids found a way,’ and you can build on stuff like that," Freeze said. "I’m really proud of our staff and kids."

Auburn will face plenty of roadblocks throughout the season. If they can overcome them, the Tigers could put together a solid season in 2023.

aubiefifty · September 14, 2023

saturdaydownsouth.com

Hugh Freeze raves about Eugene Asante, says he ‘really brought a spark to us’

Ethan Stone | 11 hours ago

~2 minutes

Eugene Asante was named the SEC’s Co-Defensive Player of the Week Tuesday following a fantastic performance against Cal late Saturday night.

The Tigers downed the Bears 14-10 behind Asante’s 12 tackles performance. He also notched 1 sack, 1.5 tackles for loss and a pass deflection.

Just a fantastic performance from the junior linebacker. But head coach Hugh Freeze wasn’t surprised one bit. He spoke about Asante’s strong game at the SEC’s weekly teleconference Wednesday.

Here’s what he had to say:

“Man, he had a really good fall camp. He did start for us in Week 1, but then we lost Austin Keys to an injury and had to reshuffle and obviously he made the most of his opportunity to be a starter and was SEC Player of the Week or Co-Player of the Week I think. Really really brought a spark to us and hopefully that can continue so he can build upon that. We’re obviously very thin at linebacker so we really need him to play that well every week and stay healthy.”

Auburn takes on Samford in what should be a simple game for the Tigers heading into Week 4 against Texas A&M, their SEC opener.

Saturday’s game kicks at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN+ or SEC Network +.

aubiefifty · September 14, 2023

Freeze: Payton Thorne needs to 'start taking hold of' starting QB status

Nathan King

3–4 minutes

The next couple weeks will be key for the outlook of Auburn’s quarterback situation this season. That’s not conjecture. Hugh Freeze said as much Wednesday.

With SEC competition on the horizon next Saturday at Texas A&M (11 a.m. CDT, ESPN), Auburn and its coaching staff will continue to turn up the pressure on starting quarterback Payton Thorne to perform at a high level.

“We’ve got to decide who is the guy,” Freeze said Wednesday on the SEC coaches teleconference. He reiterated that backup Robby Ashford “needs his touches” for the offense to be successful, but at the same time, “the shuffling in and out isn’t healthy for anyone.”

Thorne went 9-of-14 for 94 yards, two touchdowns, an interception and a fumble in Auburn’s 14-10 win at Cal. The Tigers were floundering offensively — and were just 1-of-8 on third downs — until he completed 4-of-4 passes for 56 yards and the go-ahead touchdown to Rivaldo Fairweather with 6:31 remaining in the game.

Freeze will continue to play Ashford, but taking out Thorne in the middle of drives was because the Tigers simply “had no juice” offensively, and were looking for a spark.

Freeze knows that spark has to come from Thorne more consistently, after the Michigan State transfer won the starting job in the preseason because of his decision-making and ability to operate the Tigers’ read-based offense more efficiently than the other quarterbacks.

“Everyone in this building understands that you’ve got to earn the right to maintain your playing time,” Freeze said. “That’s every position, not just quarterback. I think as we move into these next few weeks, the picture will become clearer. I think Payton, I’ve said this, but he gives us the best chance to run the offense. Hopefully he’ll start taking hold of that, showing that and improving that.”

Of course, it never falls solely on the quarterback. Freeze stated again Wednesday that the receiving corps’ has to be more consistent, both in route-running and making the correct reads to work in tandem with Thorne throwing the ball. Nothing ever got in sync Saturday, though, and the Tigers’ four turnovers were a big reason why.

But Ashford — and even third-stringer Holden Geriner — are continuing to prepare well, Freeze said, and Thorne understands he has to elevate the passing game in order to keep his starting job.

“Holden and Robby are sort of nipping at his heels and wanting their chance, too,” Freeze said. “I think these next few weeks will play out to where we kind of know where we are, for sure.”

Auburn takes on Samford on homecoming this Saturday night (6 p.m. CDT, ESPN+).

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aubiefifty · September 14, 2023

Auburn’s Hugh Freeze talks QB, running back rotations ahead of game vs. Samford

Updated: Sep. 13, 2023, 1:36 p.m.|Published: Sep. 13, 2023, 1:35 p.m.

4–5 minutes

Hugh Freeze reviews win over Cal, previews Samford

Through two games this season, the Auburn Tigers have used six different running backs and three different quarterbacks. And while having depth at those spots is nothing you’ll hear a coach gripe about, it does sometimes present challenges.

At Auburn, we’ve seen such be the case at the quarterback spot as first-year head coach Hugh Freeze has used a two-quarterback approach in the Tigers’ first two contests. While junior Michigan State transfer Payton Thorne has started both games under center, sophomore Robby Ashford has seen his fair share of snaps, too.

The two-quarterback dance worked against UMass on Sept. 2. However, when Auburn was playing Cal in Berkeley last Saturday, the Tigers’ offense sputtered and couldn’t get anything going — regardless of who was under center.

“The other night was not something I’m okay with,” Freeze said of the QB rotation during the SEC’s weekly teleconference on Wednesday. “I think we’ve got to decide who is the guy and obviously I’ve said — and I mean this — Robby needs to get touches. But the shuffling in and out, I don’t think is healthy for anyone.”

Freeze went on to say during Wednesday’s teleconference that everyone within Auburn’s football facility understands that they’ve got to earn the right to maintain their playing time — and that doesn’t stop at the quarterback spot.

Thorne gives Auburn its best chance to run the entire offense, Freeze says. But the transfer quarterback has yet to put that on full display.

“Hopefully he’ll start taking hold of that and showing that and improving that,” Freeze said. “But at the same time, Holden (Geriner) and Robby are sure nipping at his heels wanting their chance too. I think these next few weeks will play out and we’ll kinda know where we are for sure.”

Meanwhile, it’s a completely different story in the running back room.

Unlike the quarterback room, the running back room doesn’t lack surefooted talent. Instead, it’s got too much of it.

Coming into the season, junior Jarquez Hunter was primed to be Auburn’s bellcow at running back. Hunter played his first snaps for the Tigers last Saturday after missing Game 1 against UMass. Hunter tallied 11 carries for 53 yards in a performance that looked “rusty” to Freeze.

Meanwhile, sophomore Damari Alston and freshman Jeremiah Cobb have both seen plenty of action through two games.

Alston has totaled 94 yards on 16 carries and a touchdown, while Cobb has added 77 yards on eight attempts with a touchdown.

Given the running back room’s depth and Cobb’s freshman status, it was unclear whether Freeze might redshirt him. However, that doesn’t sound like it’ll be the case.

“I love it every time he has the ball in his hands,” Freeze said Wednesday. “The problem is I like Jarquez, and I like Damari and I like (Brian) Battie also. But Jeremiah has got something different to him and the stage, to this point, doesn’t appear too big for him. So I would only see his involvement growing, for sure. Not diminishing.”

Brian Battie, Justin Jones and Sean Jackson are three other running backs that have taken the field already this fall, rounding out the deepest running backs room Cadillac Williams has coached since returning to Auburn as the Tigers’ running backs coach in 2019.

It’s the deepest room Freeze has ever been around, too, he said Wednesday.

“Truthfully I’ve never had as deep of a running back room as we have here,” Freeze said. So it’s a challenge... I hope we can find a way to keep them all involved for sure because I think they all add something to us that can help us win. But it is a challenge.”

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aubiefifty · September 14, 2023

247sports.com

Lee making his presence known early for Auburn defense

Jason Caldwell

8–10 minutes

Auburn freshman Kayin Lee is playing a big role for the Tigers.

AUBURN, Alabama—Originally committed to Ohio State before flipping to the Auburn Tigers just a few days before Christmas last year, 4-star cornerback Kayin Lee was a player that Hugh Freeze and staff were counting on to be one of the building blocks for Auburn’s future secondary groups.

But plans changed when senior Nehemiah Pritchett suffered an ankle injury in preseason practices. All of the sudden it was Lee’s time to play right now, earning a starting role in Auburn’s season opener and again last Saturday night on the road at Cal.

Standing toe-to-toe with veteran receivers and more than holding his own, Lee has been one of the keys for an Auburn defense that has stepped up tall through the first two games for the Tigers.

“We think he's really talented,” Freeze said. “He's just young. There's times I think he's still a little unsure about his confidence level, and gives too much ground. There were a couple of those in the game. Then obviously the 15-yard penalty, we don't need. That was critical at that juncture. Did he play well? Yes. He still can get better. I'm glad we have him. We're really thin back there right now.”

Saying that he has enjoyed getting to get his feet wet the first two games, Lee said he has continued to settle in after arriving on campus early for spring practices. That gave him a chance to get used to the defense and also get used to college life.

Nothing can prepare you for what he faced last Saturday night on the road at Cal however. Playing 70 defensive snaps and getting challenged right out of the gate by the Bears, he said it was a fun night and one that he was prepared for because of coach Wesley McGriff’s preparation.

“I felt like 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,” he said. “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.

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

Lee has had plenty of help and support from Auburn’s veterans in the secondary that have brought him along every step of the way since he got on campus. Investing in him and talking him up because they see his talent and love for the game, guys like Pritchett, D.J. James, Jaylin Simpson and others gave Lee confidence in his game because of that time spent with him.

“It gives me a lot of confidence knowing that they feel like I can play fast,” Lee said. “I know they’re behind me and they’re going to play fast behind me. I can be able to play fast and if I make a mistake I know they’re there to cover for me. I can go to the next play and they’re with me.”

Another one of those older voices is Keionte Scott. Coming from a junior college and making an impact right away last season for the Tigers, Scott knows what it’s like to do what Lee is trying to do right now and he believes big things are ahead for the true freshman.

“I feel like he definitely asserted himself during the spring and the summer,” Scott said. “We kind of knew he was going to be a guy just with the way he came in and took on things and adjusted well early. We just felt like he was a guy. Being a freshman and Cal trying to come at him with him being able to defend very well, it just goes to show that he's ready to go. He's going to be a valuable player in our defense for sure.”

Lee and the Tigers will return home this Saturday night to face the Samford Bulldogs at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. on ESPN+.

Freeze 'not overreacting' to Auburn's play calling against Cal

Offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery has been Auburn's play caller from the moment the staff was put together

VIDEO: Hugh Freeze looks back on Cal game

Hugh Freeze isn’t overreacting to one game. But he may pop his head into more offensive meetings this week.

No, Freeze won’t be changing his play calling plans for Auburn’s offense anytime soon. It’s still offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery’s show. But after the showing in Auburn’s 14-10 win at Cal, in which the passing game struggled to find any rhythm and totaled just 94 yards, the Tigers need to mix things up — maybe not this weekend against Samford, but certainly when they open SEC competition next Saturday at Texas A&M.

“I have great confidence in them,” Freeze said Monday of his offensive staff. “We've had a lot of tough talks this morning. I can't be everywhere, but ultimately I have to own everything. I spent a lot of time with our defensive guys last week and I'm going to spend a lot of time with our offensive guys this week. But it's about us all seeking wisdom as to how we can get better, me included.”

The Tigers failed offensively in a number of areas but still were able to come away with a victory. Their 230 yards of offense are their fewest in a win since beating Nebraska in the 2006 Cotton Bowl with only 178 yards.

Auburn went just 4-of-12 on third down, and four turnovers certainly didn’t help, as quarterback Payton Thorne fumbled on the third play of the game inside his own 35-yard line, then later threw an interception in the first half, and running backs Damari Alston and Jarquez Hunter also lost fumbles.

Alston’s and Hunter’s respective fumbles were especially brutal for the offense, considering they came on the Tigers’ best drive of the game to that point in the second quarter, and on Auburn’s penultimate possession of the win, when it had a chance to run the ball and potentially put the game away.

Auburn also had seven penalties, and Freeze felt the Tigers’ game plan kept getting thrown off each quarter.

“Every time we did get an explosive (play), a run on the reverse or something, there's another penalty,” Freeze said. “And we did everything that we didn't do in the first game. We didn't have turnovers, we didn't have penalties (against UMass) and dang if we didn't look like it was the first game offensively (against Cal). … We only had four possessions. You can't win football games turning the ball over. I thought we were ripping off some pretty good runs and either had a penalty or a turnover for those few possessions that we had in the second half.

“I think there's some things we can build on, for sure. But ultimately, the bottom line is our kids found a way to win.”

Freeze has long named Montgomery, who spent the past eight years as Tulsa’s head coach, as his play caller this year, citing their similar offensive philosophies. But Freeze, as most offensive head coaches do, is involved with a few calls per game, particularly those in crucial settings — like when Auburn got to the 5-yard line in the fourth quarter, and he called the fade route to Rivaldo Fairweather for the go-ahead touchdown.

But that was just one three play calls by Freeze in the win, he said. He still has trust in Montgomery to run the offense, but he admitted he may need to be more involved in certain aspects of the Tigers’ offensive preparations moving forward.

“It’s not at that point at all,” Freeze said. “... We're not overreacting to anything. I have great trust in (Montgomery) and we're going to work together this week on the game plan. He doesn't have an ego; he doesn't care if I step in and call it. I need to probably be in more meetings. That game went nothing like I expected; it was nothing like I expected. … Philip is going to be fine. 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.”

Auburn returns home to face FCS program Samford this Saturday night (6 p.m. CDT, ESPN+).

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aubiefifty · September 14, 2023

auburnwire.usatoday.com

Auburn vs. Samford: Six Bulldogs to know

JD McCarthy

3–4 minutes

Auburn (2-0) is set to make its return to Jordan-Hare Stadium and they will be playing a familiar foe in the Samford Bulldogs (1-1).

The two teams haven’t faced each other since 2019 but this will be the 30th time they play. Auburn has never lost in the series, the closest being a 9-9 tie in 1927.

Buy Tigers Tickets

Samford will be looking to bounce back from a 30-7 loss to Western Carolina last week. The Bulldogs won the SoCon last season and were preseason favorites before the upset.

They are led by senior quarterback Michael Hiers, who is an FCS All-American and will be the best quarterback Auburn has played so far this season.

Here is a look at Hiers and several other Bulldogs you need to know before the game.

(Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)

Hiers was the SoCon Offensive Player of the Year last season and he has had a strong start to his season. The Birmingham native has completed 71% (49-69) of his passes for 690 yards and six touchdowns. He was sacked six times last week and Auburn’s defense will need to generate some pressure to keep him in check.

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Martin is the leader of the defense and someone who is constantly around the ball. He has racked up 21 tackles and 4.0 tackles for loss so far and is someone Auburn’s running backs will have to deal with throughout the game.

Chase Cochran|Samford Athletics

Smith is Hiers’ go-to wide receiver and has already caught 11 passes for 130 yards and two touchdowns. Auburn’s corners will need to be tracking Smith as Hiers is not afraid to force-feed him the ball, a strategy that has worked successfully for the duo.

Mera has gotten off to a slow start to the season, making just three tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss but he led the Bulldogs in sacks last season and with Auburn still trying to figure out its offensive line he could take advantage.

Samford Athletics

Smith is the go-to receiver but King is the deep threat. He led them in yards per catch last season and is currently averaging 19.6 yards per catch this season. Auburn will have to be ready for him to try and take the top off of the defense a couple of times.

🔒 Preseason SoCon First Team 🔒

Kourtlan Marsh#HatchAttack | #AllForSAMford pic.twitter.com/LCZavX1B5s

— Samford Football (@SamfordFootball) July 27, 2023

Marsh is their top corner and will look to keep Auburn’s wide receivers from breaking out. He broke up 12 passes last season and is the player to know in their secondary.

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aubiefifty · September 14, 2023

.com

Taking a look at Auburn's odds of winning the National Championship

Andrew Stefaniak

~2 minutes

What are Auburn's odds of winning the National Championship two games into the season?

Auburn is 2-0 after an ugly win over the Cal Golden Bears, but the Tigers don't have a good track record playing in California, so a win is a win.

With the SEC West being more open than most years, the question is, what are Auburn odds to win the National Championship?

Our friends over at FanDuel Sportsbook have Auburn's chances to win the National Championship at +20000.

This number has the Tigers tied with some other SEC schools like Arkansas, Mississippi State, Texas A&M, and Kentucky.

Auburn seems to do crazy things when they are underrated, and with the matchup with Georgia and the Iron Bowl being played in Jordan-Hare Stadium, you just never know what will happen.

If the offense is able to figure things out and the defense keeps playing well, you never know what this team can do with Coach Freeze at the helm.

aubiefifty · September 14, 2023

247sports.com

Freeze not overreacting to Auburns play calling against Cal