9.20.23 Football Articles

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247sports.com

 

Texas AM matchup carries extra meaning for Auburns McLeod

Nathan King

4–5 minutes

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For a couple different reasons, Jalen McLeod has had Auburn’s SEC opener circled.

It won’t be the App State transfer’s first trip to College Station. His previous team beat the Aggies, then ranked No. 6 in the country, last season in one of the biggest upsets in recent college football history. And McLeod was a big reason why, with two sacks and two forced fumbles in the game.

He said Monday that Auburn’s defensive coaches have been telling him he’s got to replicate that performance this Saturday (11 a.m. CDT, ESPN).

“It’s a boost of confidence,” McLeod said of his showing against Texas A&M last season. “It gets you like, ‘OK, now make it two times.’ Can’t have it be a one-trick pony. It was one game. Got to make it two times.”

But before he can do so, McLeod knows he needs to get healthier. The 6-foot-1, 237-pound pass-rusher continues to be nagged by an ankle issue, and he exited Auburn’s 45-13 win over Samford after the ankle was rolled on a couple times. McLeod didn’t play in the team’s season opener against UMass, so he’s essentially been available for only half of the Tigers’ games so far.

“It's been annoying,” said McLeod, who’s been bothered by his ankle since preseason camp. “It's been nagging. Hurt a little bit but I'm trying to get it to 100 percent this week. That's the main focus. Right after this I'm going right to treatment to get it right, and then back right after practice.”

When McLeod is healthy, though, the difference he makes for Auburn’s defensive front when he comes barrelling off the edge is clear. Hugh Freeze has said since the preseason that McLeod’s presence and skill set alter Auburn’s look as a defense significantly.

Though he was disappointed by not registering a sack, McLeod brought the heat in Auburn’s Week 2 win over Cal, with three QB pressures in the game.

His absence in portions or entire games has hurt the Tigers’ overall pass-rushing prowess, Freeze said, and adjusting when he’s not on the field is a big key for the defensive front right now. Freeze hasn’t been pleased with how Auburn has pressured the quarterback without the need for extra blitzers. Against a Texas A&M team that’s No. 2 in the SEC so far in pass attempts, he knows Saturday will be a big test — and McLeod’s production could be crucial.

“We haven't done really well rushing the passer with just the front (four),” Freeze said. “Some of that is Jalen McLeod's been hurt two of the three games. Hasn't been able to perform. He's probably our best pass rusher, and we've missed having him healthy for sure. We've had to create it other ways.”

With Auburn facing likely the toughest stretch of its 2023 schedule to open SEC play — at Texas A&M, at home against Georgia, and at LSU — McLeod hopes he serves as a reminder that even some of the most talented players in the country are mortal. He wreaked havoc on the Aggies’ offensive line last year as an undersized outside linebacker from the Sun Belt — and he’s not the only Group of Five transfer looking to prove himself against the best competition the sport has to offer.

“I feel like these next couple weeks coming up with all the 5-stars and big names around these schools that we're about to play, we've got a chip on our shoulder,” McLeod said. “We've got to earn our respect back.”

And McLeod’s attitude has been infectious within Auburn’s walls.

“You can tell he really wants to be here,” nose tackle Jayson Jones said of McLeod. “You can tell he wants it. Nobody wants it more than him.”

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247sports.com

 

Faulk showing plenty of promise as he continues to learn

Jason Caldwell

5–6 minutes

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Big games against teams with big-time talent

AUBURN, Alabama – First-year Auburn coach Hugh Freeze went to work the day he arrived on closing the talent gap between his program and the SEC’s biggest bullies. But he acknowledged on Monday that the Tigers are about to get a closeup look at three of those bullies.

On Saturday, the Tigers play at Texas A&M. A week later, they play Georgia at home. After an open date, they go to LSU. Freeze said massive challenges await.

“I’m probably too candid and honest sometimes for some people, but let’s just be really clear,” Freeze said. “We’re getting ready to play three teams that have, over the last four or five years, ranked in the top 5-7 in recruiting. You’re playing the best recruits in the nation. We’re going to be there soon, and that doesn’t mean you can’t compete and win the game. But there’s a reason they are third in the nation on third-down defense. They’ve got a bunch of 5-stars in the defensive line and at linebacker and at safety and at corner.

“They are really, really talented. When you put on the film you see that. Their closing speed is incredible. They are physical up front. It’s a tall, tall challenge for us in year one to stand toe-to-toe with A&M and Georgia next week and LSU the following week. It’s our goal to get there, but that’s what reality is. We’ve had about eight months to recruit a half a class. These others have been stacking it.”

Freeze filled gaps with 20 transfers. His current recruiting class is ranked No. 14 with two 5-stars. But the massive hole left by a lost 2021 class can’t be easily overcome. Only running back Jarquez Hunter remains from that class.

Passes from the 1-yard line

Freeze didn’t like Auburn throwing from the 1-yard line on its first possession against Samford. He really didn’t like doing it twice.

“I was disappointed in that a little bit,” Freeze said. “I don't mind the first one, truthfully. I didn't like the second one. I think we've got to probably approach that differently. I think I've made that clear. Sometimes you put it in your quarterback's hands, and he probably needs to know. But I think we should put it on us for that, and don't give him that option if we're not OK with him throwing it.”

McLeod a Kyle Field veteran

Auburn edge rusher Jalen McLeod had one of his career highlights against Texas A&M Kyle Field. He and his Appalachian State went there and pulled off a stunning upset, winning 17-14 last season. He had a huge game with two sacks and two forced fumbles. He looks forward to going back.

“It’s a boost of confidence,” McLeod said. “It gets you like, ‘OK, now make it two times.’ Can’t have it be a one-trick pony. It was one game. Got to make it two times.”

Kickoff time is fine with Freeze

Unlike dealing with a 9:30 p.m. CDT kickoff at Cal, you won’t hear any complaints from Saturday’s 11 a.m. kickoff time for Saturday’s game.

“I love early kicks on the road,” Freeze said. “I think our kids will. I don't think that's a huge challenge, truthfully. It's the same time zone. We'll put them to bed a little earlier, eat a little earlier, but we did that all fall camp. We started early, so it truthfully will be just like a fall camp day. I don't think there's a huge adjustment to that at all. And I like the early kicks.”

A&M defensive line has Jones’ attention

Center Avery Jones has already watched plenty of Texas A&M video, and he recognizes what Auburn’s offensive line is up against.

“Definitely aggressive,” Jones said. “Definitely big, strong and fast. Definitely some NFL talent on the defensive line. We’re just going to prepare our tails off and do what we’ve got to do. I think our guys can handle it. It’s definitely a different league in the SEC compared to what we played in our first three games. We’ve just got to be ready to ball out.”

Crowd noise no concern for Fair

Wide receiver Jay Fair says crowd noise on the road – be it at Kyle Field or elsewhere – doesn’t bother him because he doesn’t even hear it.

Me personally, I kind of black out during all that,” Fair said. “I don’t really hear anything. Maybe coming out the tunnel is the only chance I get to hear the noise for real. But when I’m on the field, it’s just honing in on the call and the signals. I don’t really hear anything else.”

The Petrino effect

Bobby Petrino, once Auburn’s offensive coordinator and once head coach with Louisville, the Atlanta Falcons and Arkansas, will work his fourth game Saturday as Texas A&M’s offensive coordinator. Freeze says his scheme provides major challenges.

“He's very good schematically, very good at scheming,” Freeze said. “Obviously, he checks a lot of his runs based on the looks that you have. That makes it difficult. He's usually right. The thing that we have to do a great job of is disguising things. You know, he's going to make you stop 12 personnel and spread sets and everything that makes it challenging. Then you combine the talent level he's coaching with his balance on offense — play-action, passes, runs, a quarterback that can extend it with his legs when he needs to — it's a very difficult task.”

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al.com

 

When Auburn visits Texas A&M Saturday, the river will run through third down

Updated: Sep. 19, 2023, 11:47 a.m.|Published: Sep. 19, 2023, 10:00 a.m.

8–10 minutes

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Defensive-minded coaches call third down “money down” for a reason.

It’s where you make your money as a defense. You either force a punt and get the ball back into the hands of your offense, or you give up a fresh set of downs and let your opponent keep driving down the field.

Through three games, Texas A&M’s defense has banked on the “money down”.

After having played New Mexico, Miami and Louisiana-Munroe, the Aggies boast the third-best third-down defense in the country allowing their opponents to convert just seven of 34 third-down plays, good for a conversion percentage of just 20.6%.

Michigan State and Utah rank No. 1 and No. 2 in third-down defense, respectively.

The team nipping at Texas A&M’s heels to break into the Top 3 of that category? The Auburn Tigers.

Through Auburn’s first three games against UMass, Cal and Samford, opposing offenses have had 41 attempts at converting on third down. The Tigers’ defense has allowed their opponents to convert 10 of those, good for a conversion percentage of 24.4% — a mark that’s tied by Louisiana.

When asked about Texas A&M’s success on third down, Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze was quick to point to the talent on Jimbo Fisher’s roster — especially on the defensive side of the football.

“I’m probably too candid and honest sometimes for some people, let’s just be really clear. We’re getting ready to play three teams that have, over the last four or five years, ranked in the top 5-7 in recruiting,” Freeze said Monday.

“They’ve got a bunch of 5-stars in the defensive line and at linebacker and at safety and at corner. They are really, really talented. When you put on the film you see that. Their closing speed is incredible. They are physical up front.”

The candid response Freeze gave on Monday wasn’t anything new.

When Freeze met with the media on Aug. 3 — the first day of Auburn’s fall camp — he mentioned there might be a talent gap between Auburn’s roster and some of the other rosters in the SEC.

“I believe we have improved the Auburn football team through recruiting,” Freeze said. “What does that mean as far as closing the gap on the guys in this conference? I don’t know yet, but we’re excited to find out.”

Considering Saturday’s visit to College Station is Auburn’s SEC opener, Freeze still has no idea if that talent gap has gotten any smaller. And if we’re calling it like it is, once we finally find out, it’ll be too late for Freeze and his coaching staff to do much about it.

So, Freeze and the Tigers are focused on controlling what they can control.

And when it comes to battling the Aggies’ stiff third-down defense, that means the Auburn offense focusing on getting to third-and-manageable situations.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the greater the average distance to go on third down, the harder it’s been for Auburn to convert.

In all, Auburn has taken 36 third-down snaps on offense. The average distance to go on those snaps has been right around 6.2 yards and the Tigers have converted 17 of them, good for a conversion percentage of 47.2% — a pedestrian rate that ranks 39th in the FBS.

But when you omit third-down snaps in which there were no play due to penalties or when Auburn took a knee in victory formation, you end up with 32 true third-down snaps.

Of those, 17 of them were played with five or fewer yards to gain. Meanwhile, 15 of them were played with six or more yards to gain. And when the Tigers’ offense needed five or fewer yards, they converted more than 64% of the time.

And while it obviously doesn’t tell the whole story, compare that 64% success rate on third-and-manageable to the third-down conversion rate of the rest of the FBS and Auburn would rank third in the country behind Oklahoma and North Carolina.

Conversely, when the line to gain was more than five yards away, the Tigers converted just 33% of the time.

“The biggest goal for this week against such a talented team, and one that’s really, really good on third down is you’ve got to keep yourself in third-and-manageable,” Freeze said Monday. “You can’t survive and in the third-and-longs.”

So how do you get there — to those third-and-manageable situations?

Against a team like Texas A&M and the rest of the defenses Auburn will see in the SEC, the only answer is to have a number of answers. And that’s where the run-pass option has to come into play.

Last week against Samford, you saw Freeze and offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery make a concerted effort to call a balanced offensive game plan, of which featured a lot of RPO play calls, leaving it up to Auburn’s quarterbacks to make the correct reads.

“It’s really a box count issue — if you have six guys to block in the box and there is a seventh (defensive) hat that is present, then the ball should be thrown. That’s about as simple as I can put it,” Freeze explained Monday.

Meanwhile, if a defense doesn’t send an additional defender to the box and instead drops back into coverage, it opens the door for a quarterback to call his own number and take off running.

Junior quarterback Payton Thorne, in what felt like his first full showing as Auburn’s starting quarterback, managed the RPO play calls well against Samford on Saturday night.

Freeze guessed that approximately half of Thorne’s completions against Samford came courtesy of making the correct read on a RPO play.

Thorne went 24-for-32 through the air, good for 282 passing yards and a touchdown. Meanwhile, Thorne added an additional 123 yards of offense with his legs, tallying 11 rushes and two rushing touchdowns.

Thorne’s outing — regardless of the opponent — was impressive as he became the first quarterback to pass for more than 200 yards and rush for more than 100 yards in a game since Nick Marshall in 2014.

Auburn will need another big night of unpredictability from Thorne against Texas A&M on Saturday.

But the Tigers will need more than a one-man show.

If we ignore the Cal game and all its wonkiness for the sake of this argument, we’re left with two distinctly different offensive showcases.

Against UMass, it was Auburn’s running back room that highlighted the offense. The Tigers played five different running backs, who combined for 250 rushing yards and three touchdowns. It was also the same game Ashford went on to earn his “Red Zone Robby” nickname after rushing for three short touchdowns.

Meanwhile, Auburn’s running backs never found a spark against Samford. And while much of that was due to Samford’s defense over-committing to the run — which set the table for Auburn’s success through the air — Freeze left Jordan-Hare Stadium wanting more from his running backs.

And to beat a team like Texas A&M, Auburn is going to need production from all of its offensive specialists.

Sophomore wide receiver Jay Fair, who has been the most productive receiver on the Tigers’ roster, says that’s the offense’s focus looking ahead.

“Consistency. To have it all, the run game and the pass game,” Fair said when asked what the Auburn offense is looking for moving forward. “Because we need each other, when it all comes down to it. The better we can run the ball, the better we’ll be able to pass the ball. So that’s the goal — consistency in both those aspects.”

That’ll definitely be needed when the Auburn offense lines up for any offensive snap on Saturday, but especially on third down.

On average, the Tigers’ offense has played 12 third-down snaps a game. And if Auburn can take those snaps in a third-and-manageable situations — or better, third-and-short — the tall task of beating Texas A&M’s defense should shrink a bit.

“You’re not going to drop back and win a lot of routes against them. They’re really talented,” Freeze said. “So we’ve got to keep it in third-and-manageable — hopefully short — to where we can run or pass.”

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al.com

Auburn football: Hugh Freeze and the talent gap he inherited

Published: Sep. 19, 2023, 6:00 a.m.

5–6 minutes

When he got to Auburn, one of the first things head coach Hugh Freeze did was start recruiting. He had to. He was already behind before he began.

College football remains in an arms race, with life-changing NIL deals, TV money and conference realignment so drastically changing the sport. It all hinges on recruiting, and the spectacle to land the most talented high school players in the nation.

Auburn’s recruiting had dipped during former head coach Bryan Harsin’s tenure. Multiple high school coaches within the state of Alabama said they just hadn’t heard from Auburn, one of the two preeminent programs in the state, in two years before Freeze was hired.

So, Freeze inherited a talent gap. A big one. It’s fitting his first game in SEC play in his return to the league would come against one of the best recruiting programs in the nation.

When 5-star linebacker Demarcus Riddick flipped from Georgia to Auburn, he became Auburn’s first five-star recruit since Owen Pappoe in 2019.

In that same time, Texas A&M landed 14 five-stars. That’s Auburn’s opponent this week at 11 a.m. central time Saturday.

That’s followed by games against No. 1 Georgia and defending SEC West champion LSU — which have both recruited at a level much closer to Texas A&M than that of Auburn.

Freeze knows it.

“I’m probably too candid and honest sometimes for some people, let’s just be really clear,” Freeze said during his Monday press conference. “You’re playing the best recruits in the nation. We’re going to be there soon, and that doesn’t mean you can’t compete and win the game, there’s a reason they are third in the nation on third down defense. They’ve got a bunch of 5-stars in the defensive line and at linebacker and at safety and at corner. They are really, really talented.”

The SEC West is maybe college football’s most difficult division. In a short time as Auburn’s head coach, Freeze has already done much to catch up. Auburn’s two biggest rivals have been the two best programs in college football over the last decade. But Freeze has already flipped a 5-star recruit away from Georgia in Riddick and another 5-star away from Alabama in Perry Thompson.

Auburn’s 2024 recruiting class is currently ranked 14th in the nation, per 247Sports. But Auburn’s class is sixth overall based on the average recruiting ranking of the players in its class. All three of Georgia, Alabama and Texas A&M are in those five spots above Auburn.

It’s just the beginning of the process to catch up.

Freeze has been insightful in this process. He seems aware this isn’t the team that’s going to vault Auburn to where it wants to be in the SEC. Asked back in August about how to end Auburn’s drought of 1,000-yard wide receivers, Freeze said the solution isn’t on the roster right now.

“And I hope every recruit that I’m recruiting for receiver is listening to me, we’ve got to change that here, and you’ve gotta change that through recruiting,” Freeze said on Aug. 17. “Those receivers are a priority for us, the ones that are coming into the ‘24 and ‘25 class.”

But those guys aren’t here yet.

To get a roster he believes could compete early in his tenure, Freeze hit the transfer portal. He brought in a top-five-ranked transfer portal class, including 11 four-star-rated transfers. Led by Avery Jones, the top-rated interior offensive lineman in the transfer portal.

“We know people are going to be watching this game just based off of the D-line and us wanting to play good against them,” Jones said Monday. “We all have a chip on our shoulder. We all came here for a reason, to play in these types of games and be on this stage and compete against the best.”

From a pure talent perspective, Auburn’s roster doesn’t match Texas A&M’s. Freeze sees that on film.

For this year, Auburn is relying on players that had routes like Jones of earning his way up from playing well at a smaller school. Jack linebacker Jalen McLeod won at Texas A&M last year playing with Appalachian State. But with Auburn, where an upset wouldn’t be as dramatic, McLeod said these games are about earning respect.

McLeod is excited to play the five-stars. So are his teammates.

A&M currently has eight five-stars on its roster. Auburn has none. So, the chip on Auburn’s shoulder lasts for now but Freeze still plans to close the gap.

“It’s a tall, tall challenge for us in year one to stand toe-to-toe with A&M and Georgia next week and LSU the following week,” Freeze said. “It’s our goal to get there, but that’s what reality is. We’ve had about eight months to recruit a half a class. These others have been stacking 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

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Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze is well aware of the challenges ahead before taking on Texas A&M

Cameron Ohnysty

Tue, September 19, 2023 at 7:27 PM CDT·3 min read

4

Texas A&M (2-1) is set to open the 2023 SEC season against the visiting Auburn Tigers (3-0) in head coach Hugh Freeze’s inaugural season with the program, knowing that striking while the iron is hot is vital within an upcoming schedule that includes hosting Georgia and traveling to Baton Rouge to take LSU after facing the Aggies.

Earlier this week, Freeze sat down with the media to discuss Saturday’s battle, focusing on Texas A&M star wide receiver Evan Stewart’s game-changing potential in the passing game with ascending quarterback Conner Weigman leading the offensive charge.

“They have great receivers, One of the best I’ve ever seen in (Evan) Stewart,” Freeze stated. “He’s really talented, and I think they’re doing some really good things offensively. They’re going to be a great challenge for us to try to keep them under. Hopefully, keeping them from having explosive plays, particularly ones that lead to points.”

Even though the Aggies’ pass rush has been absent outside of defensive end Shemar Turners’ team-leading three sacks, the bevy of blue-chip talent in the defensive trenches will eventually find its footing.

If last Saturday’s 47-3 win over UL Monroe doesn’t indicate that said talent is resulting in on-field production, the Tigers may have a shot at moving the ball downfield. However, Freeze remains hesitant to doubt the Aggie D, specifically their third-down defense.

“It is a great concern. I want to be really clear; we are getting ready to play three teams that have – over the last four to five years – ranked in the top seven to five in recruiting. You are playing the best recruits in the nation. We are going to be there soon. That doesn’t mean you can’t compete. There is a reason they are third in the nation on third-down defense. They have a bunch of five-stars in the defensive line, linebacker and that safety, and that corner. They are really talented. When you put on the film you see that. Their closing speed is incredible. They are physical up front, and it is a tall challenge for us in year one to stand toe to toe with A&M and Georgia next week and LSU the following week. It is our goal to get there. But that is what reality is, we have had about eight months to recruit about half a class and these others have been stacking it, and that is why they are ranked third in the country (on third-down defense)”.

No matter what it says on paper for both teams, this is the SEC, meaning every matchup for the next two months will be dogfight after dogfight. Regarding Texas A&M vs. Auburn, head coach Jimbo Fisher is looking for revenge after falling to the then Cadillac Williams-led Tigers squad, who narrowly defeated the Aggies 13-10 last season.

Texas A&M will host the Auburn Tigers at Kyle Field on Saturday, Sept. 23 at 11:00 a.m., where it will air on ESPN.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Cameron on Twitter: @CameronOhnysty.

Story originally appeared on Aggies Wire

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al.com

Auburn CB Keionte Scott provides update on his ankle procedure, timeline to return in YouTube video

Updated: Sep. 19, 2023, 7:06 p.m.|Published: Sep. 19, 2023, 7:02 p.m.

5–7 minutes

When Auburn cornerback Keionte Scott left Saturday night’s game against Samford in the first half and later returned in street clothes and wearing a boot, it wasn’t a good sign.

“Unfortunately, Keionte did not get a good report,” Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze said during his weekly press conference Monday. “That hurts us a lot. He’s our leader back there. He’s going to have surgery today. Hasn’t been a good year for us with injuries. Losing him and Keys on the defensive side. It stings, it hurts.”

The day following the injury, Scott took to the social platform X — formerly known as Twitter — to express his thoughts.

“Great battle for me Mentally, Physically, and Spiritually,” Scott wrote. “Thank you Lord I Trust and praise you through the good and bad.”

Monday evening, Scott posted to his Instagram that his scheduled surgery was successful.

And in another showing of transparency, Scott uploaded a vlog to YouTube, taking viewers through the process of being checked into the hospital, talking with doctors and offering his own thoughts on the challenge that lies ahead of him.

About 4:30 minutes into the video, a doctor is overheard explaining Scott’s injury to the Auburn cornerback.

“You’ve had a high-ankle sprain before from what I understand, is that right?,” the doctor asks.

Scott replied in the affirmative, suggesting that a high-ankle sprain is the injury Scott sustained against Samford.

“The high-ankle ligaments are the ones that live on the top of the ankle, that hold the two bones together,” the doctor continues. “And you’ve torn those apart.”

In 2019, Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered the same injury and received the same surgery Scott did Monday — a tight-rope procedure.

“Basically, it’s two little metal brackets. It’s quadrupled over with four tight ropes — synthetic ropes that are super, super strong — that are going to hold the two bones together, okay? And we’re going to put two of them in there,” the doctor said, explaining the procedure. “I’ve done tons and tons and tons of these. And what we’ve found is that we can rehab you pretty fast.”

In Scott’s video, the doctor tells him that for four days, no weight will be put on the affected ankle. Instead, Scott will “live” in cold compression to get the ankle’s swelling to go down.

After the four-day mark and swelling is under control, the plan is to get the ankle moving again, the doctor told Scott.

“Usually sometime around day 10 to 14, we’ll have you walking on the Alter-G, walking on underwater treadmill,” the doctor said. “And it’s not going to feel normal. Sometime in that area, you’re going to take off. And I don’t know what it is, but something will happen and you’ll go from limping and really sore, to walking pretty normal. When you walk normal, we’ll take you off the treadmill and put you on land and we’ll let you start doing straight ahead stuff.”

The doctor goes on to tell Scott that when walking and running on land feels normal, he’ll then be promoted to be able to do cutting movements.

“You’re a defensive back and returner, so for you in particular, you have the one position that’s probably the most challenging,” the doctor told Scott. “You can do it and I’ve done it a ton, but you’ve gotta be able to back pedal, right. And to be able to back pedal, you’ve gotta be able to get up on your toes... That’ll be the last thing that comes. When you can show me that you can do 15 single-leg hops safely, I’ll clear you.”

How long will it take Scott to do 15 single-leg hops safely?

The doctor tells Scott that if he “hits all the boxes” in physical therapy, he’ll be cleared. However, the doctor didn’t offer a specific timeframe.

In the case of Tagovailoa in 2019, the Alabama quarterback suffered the injury on Oct. 19 and started for the Crimson Tide against LSU on Nov. 9.

And while getting Scott back as soon as possible would undoubtedly bolster a quickly thinning Auburn defense, the doctor was sure to remind the defensive back that wasn’t the goal of the procedure.

“The reason to do the surgery is not to get you back playing quickly, it’s actually to be able to make your ankle normal,” the doctor told Scott. “That’s No. 1. No. 2 is I’ve got some good MRIs of some guys who’ve had this surgery who’ve had an injury again and it definitely provides some protective mechanisms. So there’s some benefit long-term for it, too.”

The good news is Scott seemed to be in a good headspace, all things considered.

While he did describe himself to viewers as a “highly, highly nervous person” while changing into his hospital gown, Scott has a good attitude.

“Stuff happens, man. And as the end of the day, I feel like this injury doesn’t define me. If anything, it gives me a little bit more hunger and makes me consider — even though I always do — it’s just a reminder that the game could be gone just like that,” Scott said in the video.

“Situations can do two things to you. You can grow from it, or you can lose from it. And I ain’t taking no Ls,” Scott said in the video. “So I’m just going to grind, man. Going to chop wood every day. I can’t wait for the get-back. Stay tuned.”

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Auburn football practice report: How healthy is Auburn heading into Texas A&M?

Updated: Sep. 19, 2023, 6:52 p.m.|Published: Sep. 19, 2023, 5:12 p.m.

5–6 minutes

Auburn received a major blow Monday when head coach Hugh Freeze announced staring cornerback Keionte Scott will miss considerable time following surgery for an apparent right ankle injury.

His injury left Auburn’s secondary without two starters including Scott and Nehemiah Pritchett as well as Donovan Kaufman, who had played well in Auburn’s first two games.

Scott joins starting linebacker Austin Keys as players dealing with long-term recoveries, but in a practice period open to reporters Tuesday before Auburn’s trip to Texas A&M, most of the remaining names on Auburn’s injury report were able to participate in practice.

Scott and Keys were the only non-participants in practice, as expected. Scott was seen in the Auburn football facility Tuesday with a boot on his right foot and wheeling around with his leg propped up on a scooter.

Kaufman was the only player on Auburn’s injury report with any obvious injury limitation in practice as he wore a yellow non-contact jersey.

He was evaluated for a concussion after the Cal game. He did not play against Samford.

Pritchett, as has been the case ever since practices before the Cal game, was a full participant in practice. He is still yet to play this season.

Before the Cal and Samford game, Pritchett warmed up wearing pads though he ultimately went back to the locker room and changed into sweats. Pritchett appeared to have his ankle wrapped in practices before the UMass game, where he stood off to the side. Auburn has not confirmed his exact injury.

Offensive linemen Kam Stutts and Izavion Miller, wide receiver Ja’Varrius Johnson and jack linebacker Jalen McLeod all did not finish Auburn’s game against Samford with various injuries, but all practiced in full.

McLeod started the game but was hurt in the first quarter, seeming to re-aggravate his ankle injury.

“Yeah it was a couple plays where it kept getting rolled up on and then we got a bigger game against Texas A&M,” McLeod said Monday. “I don’t want to make it seem like that, but you know, it’s conference play this week so that’s the main focus. Win all your conference games.”

Miller’s injury occurred on a Damari Alston rush when Alston and a Samford tackler rolled up on his leg from behind. He was able to walk off the field on his power after being looked at by trainers. Stutts appeared to suffer some sort of lower-body injury based on game film against Samford. Freeze said Stutts had picked up a lower-body injury in the game against Cal but did not state anything further about Stutt’s injury on Monday.

Running back Jarquez Hunter was shown on the ESPN broadcast at the medical table having his leg worked on during the first half, and he too practiced in full Tuesday. Tight end Luke Deal was hurt in the game too, but briefly returned late in the game. He also practiced in full.

Auburn’s big question going forward is how to handle its lack of depth in the secondary.

During the period open to reporters, cornerback J.D. Rhym, who made his season debut against Samford on Saturday, played with both the nickel corners and safeties. Freeze suggested during his Monday press conference this would be a possibility because of injuries to Scott.

Caleb Wooden also spent time with both the nickel corners and safeties. Wooden was Auburn’s immediate go-to in Scott’s spot when he was hurt against Samford.

If Kaufman is able to return this week, he would project as the clearest solution to fill Scott’s spot as the nickel corner long term, with Rhym and Wooden as backups. However, because of Kaufman’s versatility at both corner and safety, Auburn has been working with Rhym and Wooden in similar roles for the sake of depth.

“Truthfully, we met this morning and we’re just toying with all the different combinations with our current injuries back there, on kind of what’s best,” Freeze said Monday. “Hopefully DK can play and he’ll move into the Star position, and maybe move JD Rhym there and play the younger corners — we’re not really sure — and leave Caleb at the high safety. Because we’ve got to have two deep to function, and we’re just trying to figure out what the best combination is there, and we’re not real sure, just yet, what that looks like. But Caleb will be a part of it, either at the Star or one of the safeties.”

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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As an Auburn fan/alum, this was the most SPOT on breakdown of us that I've seen.

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it appears the samford game is getting more coverage than the aTm game. it is kind of odd. i will be checking  throughout the day. we should have Auburn Football Everyday popping out on youtube sometime today.

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56 minutes ago, aubiefifty said:

al.com

Auburn CB Keionte Scott provides update on his ankle procedure, timeline to return in YouTube video

Updated: Sep. 19, 2023, 7:06 p.m.|Published: Sep. 19, 2023, 7:02 p.m.

5–7 minutes

When Auburn cornerback Keionte Scott left Saturday night’s game against Samford in the first half and later returned in street clothes and wearing a boot, it wasn’t a good sign.

“Unfortunately, Keionte did not get a good report,” Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze said during his weekly press conference Monday. “That hurts us a lot. He’s our leader back there. He’s going to have surgery today. Hasn’t been a good year for us with injuries. Losing him and Keys on the defensive side. It stings, it hurts.”

The day following the injury, Scott took to the social platform X — formerly known as Twitter — to express his thoughts.

“Great battle for me Mentally, Physically, and Spiritually,” Scott wrote. “Thank you Lord I Trust and praise you through the good and bad.”

Monday evening, Scott posted to his Instagram that his scheduled surgery was successful.

And in another showing of transparency, Scott uploaded a vlog to YouTube, taking viewers through the process of being checked into the hospital, talking with doctors and offering his own thoughts on the challenge that lies ahead of him.

About 4:30 minutes into the video, a doctor is overheard explaining Scott’s injury to the Auburn cornerback.

“You’ve had a high-ankle sprain before from what I understand, is that right?,” the doctor asks.

Scott replied in the affirmative, suggesting that a high-ankle sprain is the injury Scott sustained against Samford.

“The high-ankle ligaments are the ones that live on the top of the ankle, that hold the two bones together,” the doctor continues. “And you’ve torn those apart.”

In 2019, Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered the same injury and received the same surgery Scott did Monday — a tight-rope procedure.

“Basically, it’s two little metal brackets. It’s quadrupled over with four tight ropes — synthetic ropes that are super, super strong — that are going to hold the two bones together, okay? And we’re going to put two of them in there,” the doctor said, explaining the procedure. “I’ve done tons and tons and tons of these. And what we’ve found is that we can rehab you pretty fast.”

In Scott’s video, the doctor tells him that for four days, no weight will be put on the affected ankle. Instead, Scott will “live” in cold compression to get the ankle’s swelling to go down.

After the four-day mark and swelling is under control, the plan is to get the ankle moving again, the doctor told Scott.

“Usually sometime around day 10 to 14, we’ll have you walking on the Alter-G, walking on underwater treadmill,” the doctor said. “And it’s not going to feel normal. Sometime in that area, you’re going to take off. And I don’t know what it is, but something will happen and you’ll go from limping and really sore, to walking pretty normal. When you walk normal, we’ll take you off the treadmill and put you on land and we’ll let you start doing straight ahead stuff.”

The doctor goes on to tell Scott that when walking and running on land feels normal, he’ll then be promoted to be able to do cutting movements.

“You’re a defensive back and returner, so for you in particular, you have the one position that’s probably the most challenging,” the doctor told Scott. “You can do it and I’ve done it a ton, but you’ve gotta be able to back pedal, right. And to be able to back pedal, you’ve gotta be able to get up on your toes... That’ll be the last thing that comes. When you can show me that you can do 15 single-leg hops safely, I’ll clear you.”

How long will it take Scott to do 15 single-leg hops safely?

The doctor tells Scott that if he “hits all the boxes” in physical therapy, he’ll be cleared. However, the doctor didn’t offer a specific timeframe.

In the case of Tagovailoa in 2019, the Alabama quarterback suffered the injury on Oct. 19 and started for the Crimson Tide against LSU on Nov. 9.

And while getting Scott back as soon as possible would undoubtedly bolster a quickly thinning Auburn defense, the doctor was sure to remind the defensive back that wasn’t the goal of the procedure.

“The reason to do the surgery is not to get you back playing quickly, it’s actually to be able to make your ankle normal,” the doctor told Scott. “That’s No. 1. No. 2 is I’ve got some good MRIs of some guys who’ve had this surgery who’ve had an injury again and it definitely provides some protective mechanisms. So there’s some benefit long-term for it, too.”

The good news is Scott seemed to be in a good headspace, all things considered.

While he did describe himself to viewers as a “highly, highly nervous person” while changing into his hospital gown, Scott has a good attitude.

“Stuff happens, man. And as the end of the day, I feel like this injury doesn’t define me. If anything, it gives me a little bit more hunger and makes me consider — even though I always do — it’s just a reminder that the game could be gone just like that,” Scott said in the video.

“Situations can do two things to you. You can grow from it, or you can lose from it. And I ain’t taking no Ls,” Scott said in the video. “So I’m just going to grind, man. Going to chop wood every day. I can’t wait for the get-back. Stay tuned.”

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Amazing 

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5 minutes ago, gr82be said:

Amazing 

i did not know they held two bones together. i just thought it was severe bruising and i always wondered why it was so painful and took so long to heal. now i know.

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Texas A&M’s red zone efficiency will face Auburn No.1-ranked goal line defense in a battle of wills

Cameron Ohnysty

Wed, September 20, 2023 at 5:00 AM CDT·2 min read

0

It’s Auburn week, and in head coach Hugh Freezes’ first season at the helm, visiting Texas A&M for both programs’ SEC opener will be a battle of emotions, and while the Aggies’s predominate strength is behind the arm of sophomore quarterback Conner Weigman, the Tigers’ defense is well equipped to challenge his day in the pocket.

However, Freeze’s defense will be missing two starters, linebacker Austin Key and cornerback Keionte Scott, which should provide an opening for Weigman to expose the middle of the field with one of the deepest wide receiver units in the country. Regarding getting to the red zone, the Aggies are one of the top teams to consistently make their way to the goal line in their first three games but only convert at a 74% clip.

Just one spot below Washington, Texas A&M’s 52.78% rate of possessions in the red area is a direct result of offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino’s “feed the studs” mantra going into full effect, as the elite receiving weapons, including Evan Stewart, Ainias Smith, Noah Thomas, Jahdae Walker, and Moose Muhammad III are weekly matchup problems for nearly every opposing defense. Still, against Auburn’s No.1-ranked red zone scoring defense, the Aggies will need to find creative ways to either convert their opportunities with a mix of run/pass or focus on explosive down-field plays.

Both teams are coming off decisive victories against lesser opponents. Even though we didn’t learn much about The Aggies other than the offense’s continued dominance, the quarterback duo of Payton Thorne and Robby Ashford present a challenge as both can make plays out of structure, so if the defense struggles to contain both options on Saturday, relying on Weigman’s arm and the run game should still result in positive results if this offense is as elite as we’ve witnessed thus far.

Texas A&M will host the Auburn Tigers at Kyle Field on Saturday, Sept. 23 at 11:00 a.m., where it will air on ESPN.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Cameron on Twitter: @CameronOhnysty.

Story originally appeared on Aggies Wire

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The Last Ten: A look back at Auburn’s last ten meetings with Texas A&M

Taylor Jones

Wed, September 20, 2023 at 2:00 PM CDT·6 min read

0

 

 

Since 2012, the series between Auburn and Texas A&M has featured several strange matchups.

Texas A&M leads the overall series, 7-6, with Auburn winning the most recent meeting at Jordan-Hare Stadium in 2022. Auburn will travel to College Station for this season’s meeting which is set to take place on Saturday morning and will host the Aggies in 2024 as part of the revamped SEC schedule due to the addition of Oklahoma and Texas.

The road team has won eight of the last 11 meetings, which could be a good sign for Auburn. However, early betting lines and ESPN are favoring Texas A&M early on despite the game being played at Kyle Field.

As you prepare to watch Auburn face Texas A&M on Saturday, here is a look back at the last ten meetings between these two squads.

Nov. 12, 2022: Auburn 14 Texas A&M 10

 

John Reed-USA TODAY Sports

Sure, it was a four-point win over a fellow non-bowl team, but the win was special for Auburn football. Auburn was two games into the Cadillac Williams era after the midseason firing of Bryan Harsin when they logged their 4th win of the season.

 

The Tigers were in control for most of the game as Ja’Varrius Johnson put Auburn on the board first with a 16-yard touchdown reception from the arms of Robby Ashford. Alex McPherson nailed two field goals to keep Auburn ahead.

Nov. 6, 2021: Texas A&M 20 Auburn 3

 

 

Bob Levey/Getty Images

This strange series experienced a first in 2021, the Texas A&M Aggies defeated Auburn on the turf at Kyle Field. It took the Aggies five tries, but they were able to finally get it done.

The offenses were held out of the end zone in this game, as they relied on kickers Seth Small and Anders Carlson to put points on the board. Carlson nailed his only field goal of the game with 9:16 remaining in the 3rd, while Small went 4-for-5 with a long of 47 yards.

Texas A&M found the endzone once thanks to a 24-yard fumble recovery from Michael Clemons early in the 4th quarter.

Texas A&M quarterback, Zach Calzada, who was apart of Auburn’s roster in 2022, completed 15-of-29 passes for 192 yards in the Aggie win.

Dec 5, 2020: Texas A&M 31 Auburn 20

 

John Reed-USA TODAY Sports

As has been the tradition in this series, the visiting Aggies won the 2020 game at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Behind Kellen Mond’s 196-yard, two-touchdown passing game, and a 120-yard rushing performance by Isaiah Spiller, Texas A&M erased a 20-14 deficit by scoring 17 unanswered points in the 4th quarter.

Sept. 21, 2019: Auburn 28 Texas A&M 20

 

John Glaser-USA TODAY Sports

Texas A&M tried to erase a 21-3 deficit heading into the 4th quarter but ran out of time in 2019’s edition at Kyle Field. The Aggies outscored Auburn 17-3 in the final stanza, but a dominating first quarter by the Tigers saw them score 14 quick points, giving them an early advantage.

Kellen Mond threw for 335 yards for Texas A&M, but could not lead the Aggies to victory.

November 3, 2018: Auburn 28 Texas A&M 24

 

John Reed-USA TODAY Sports

Auburn trailed Texas A&M, 24-14 in the late stages of the 4th quarter, but stormed back to score two unanswered touchdowns over the final five minutes of the game to secure the come-from-behind win at Jordan-Hare Stadium, Auburn’s first home win over the Aggies in series history.

Chandler Cox’s one-yard rush with 5:14 remaining in the game trimmed the Texas A&M lead to 24-21. The deciding score came from the arm of Jarrett Stidham (who is from Texas, in case you were not aware) when he connected with Seth Williams from 11 yards out to put Auburn ahead with 1:41 to go in regulation.

Nov. 4, 2017: Auburn 42 Texas A&M 27

 

Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

After a slow start to the game, Auburn scored 35 points over the 2nd and 3rd quarters to pull away and earn its seventh win of the 2017 season.

Jarrett Stidham passed for 184 yards and two touchdowns while Kerryon Johnson rushed for 145 yards and an additional score.

Sept. 17, 2016: Texas A&M 29 Auburn 16

 

Shanna Lockwood-USA TODAY Sports

Auburn could not build off the momentum of an early Kam Pettway touchdown rush, ultimately falling to Texas A&M in 2016.

The Aggies trailed 7-3 at the end of the 1st but would pull away on four field goals by kicker Daniel LaCamera. Oklahoma transfer Trevor Knight passed for 247 yards while running back Trayveon Williams rushed for 127 yards. 89 of those yards were recorded on a 4th quarter touchdown.

Nov. 7, 2015: Auburn 26 Texas A&M 10

 

Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Auburn played consistently in 2015’s win over Texas A&M.

Marcus Davis and Jovon Robinson scored two first-half touchdowns, they then turned the keys over to Daniel Carlson, who kicked four field goals in the 2nd half to preserve the win.

Robinson would end the night with 159 rushing yards, while Jeremy Johnson threw for 132 yards and a touchdown.

Nov. 8, 2014: Texas A&M 41 Auburn 38

 

Shanna Lockwood-USA TODAY Sports

Auburn recovered from two large deficits in 2014’s game, but two late fumbles kept Auburn from doing it a third time, which would have potentially given them the win.

A poor exchange between Nick Marshall and Cameron Artis-Payne on a read option resulted in the first fumble of the 4th quarter with 2:37 remaining in the game. The “nail in the coffin” was a miscommunication between center Reese Dismukes and Marshall. Dismukes snapped the ball as it appeared that Marshall was calling for an audible. Texas A&M recovered with 0:54 remaining in the game to end the comeback attempt.

Marshall passed for 219 yards while Artis-Payne recorded 221 rushing yards.

Oct. 19, 2013: Auburn 45 Texas A&M 41

 

Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

“Here in the home of the 12th man, the Auburn Tigers have served notice to the College Football World that they are back.”

Those words were spoken by the late Rod Bramblett after Nick Marshall took a knee in the 4th quarter to solidify Auburn’s win over Texas A&M in 2013. After suffering a blowout loss at home to the Aggies and eventual Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Johnny Manziel one year prior, the Tigers were able to get its revenge over the Aggies in what was a turning point of the season.

Auburn would go on to win the SEC Championship that season and play for a Bowl Championship Series National Championship.

Story originally appeared on Auburn Wire

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The Montgomery Advertiser

Young guys preparing to get 'baptized' into SEC with Auburn football injuries piling up

Richard Silva, Montgomery Advertiser

Updated Mon, September 18, 2023 at 3:22 PM CDT·3 min read

0

AUBURN — Auburn football's roster doesn't match up with Texas A&M, and coach Hugh Freeze knows it.

The Aggies simply have more star-power than the Tigers, as coach Jimbo Fisher has pulled in a top-10 class in three of the last four years, including the No. 1 haul in the Class of 2022. Auburn, meanwhile, has had just one top-10 class in the last four years; the other three rankings were No. 18, 19 and 21.

“You’re playing the best recruits in the nation," Freeze said Monday. "We’re going to be there soon, and that doesn’t mean you can’t compete and win the game. ... (But) they’ve got a bunch of five stars in the defensive line and at linebacker and at safety and at corner. They are really, really talented. When you put on the film you see that. ...

"It’s a tall, tall challenge for us in Year 1 to stand toe-to-toe with A&M and Georgia next week and LSU the following week. It’s our goal to get there, but that’s what reality is. We’ve had about eight months to recruit a half of a class. These others have been stacking it. That’s why they’re ranked third in the country in third-down defense, they’re incredibly talented."

NEW SEASON: Will the real Auburn football offense please stand up? It's time with SEC play looming

GOING FORWARD: Payton Thorne piled up big numbers vs. Samford. Is that the new norm for Auburn football's QB?

And if the talent disparity wasn't enough, the Tigers are now dealing with mounting injuries in the secondary.

Starting nickel corner Keionte Scott will be out for "a considerable time" with an ankle injury, versatile defensive back Donovan Kaufman missed Auburn's game against Samford and preseason All-SEC cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett has yet to log a snap in 2023.

It's been true freshman Kayin Lee stepping in with Pritchett sidelined. He's performed well − his overall defensive grade of 67.3 from Pro Football Focus ranks seventh among Auburn defenders with at least 100 snaps this year − but that's been against a nonconference slate of UMass, Cal and Samford.

Not quite an SEC gauntlet.

"We've got to get some young guys ready," Freeze said of the Tigers dealing with injuries. "They're going to get baptized into the SEC pretty good in front A&M's crowd and the talent on that team."

Sophomore defensive back Caleb Wooden filled in at nickel − also known as the "star" − against Samford with Scott and Kaufman hurt, leading the Tigers with 43 defensive reps Saturday. He'll be a part of the unit one way or another moving forward.

Auburn defensive back Kayin Lee (3) during a practice at the Woltosz Football Performance Center on Aug. 7, 2023.

"He's got a lot to learn because that star position has got to help get us lined up a lot," Freeze said of Wooden. "... (The staff) met this morning and we're just toying with all the different combinations with our current injuries back there. Hopefully, DK (Kaufman) can play and he'll move into the star position.

"Maybe (we'll) move JD Rhym there and play the younger corners and leave Caleb at the high safety. We've got to have two deep to function. We're just trying to figure out what the combination is there, and we're not real sure just yet what that looks like. But Caleb will be a part of it either at he star or one of the safeties."

The experience of someone like senior safety Jaylin Simpson suddenly becomes even more important, considering the inexperienced pieces who'll see the field.

That goes for special teams, too; Scott was Auburn's punt returner before getting hurt, and Simpson is now listed as the starter on the depth chart distributed to reporters Monday.

"He's going to be really, really valuable for his presence in the back end right now," Freeze said.

Richard Silva is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at rsilva@gannett.com or on Twitter @rich_silva18.

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Auburn football: Injuries forcing young guys to see field for Tigers

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statesman.com

When Jimbo Fisher and Hugh Freeze meet, any gurus left? Does Nick Saban still qualify? | Toppmeyer

Blake Toppmeyer

6–8 minutes

Jimbo Fisher and Hugh Freeze each handed off play-calling duties. Their coordinators will match wits when Texas A&M hosts Auburn.

Speaking of gurus, if Jalen Milroe plays well vs. Ole Miss, will Nick Saban be hailed for his genius?

The Swamp, a 'house of horrors' or a 'torture chamber' for Tennessee?

Steve Spurrier didn’t care for being labeled an offensive genius early in his coaching career. He preferred “mastermind.”

I wonder where guru ranks on the list of complimentary terms used to describe bright coaches.

Somewhere along the way, Jimbo Fisher and Hugh Freeze were known by at least one of these terms.

“I call Coach Fisher the quarterback guru,” Jameis Winston said in a 2015 Orlando Sentinel story that fawned over Fisher’s genius.

Fisher exhausted his guru dust around the time Winston headed for the NFL. Perhaps, Freeze still has a mastermind membership card tucked away somewhere.

Neither coach calls his own plays anymore, though. Their coordinators will match wits Saturday when Fisher’s Texas A&M Aggies (2-1) host Freeze’s Auburn Tigers (3-0).

Fisher hired Bobby Petrino – himself called a guru and a few other four-letter words – as his coordinator and play-caller in response to Texas A&M going 5-7 last season.

Coaching in this era requires as many CEO skills as Xs and Os skills, so after Auburn hired Freeze in November, he tapped Philip Montgomery as his offensive coordinator and play-caller to free himself up for big-picture duties.

Freeze called plays at Liberty and Ole Miss but didn’t think it wise to continue doing so.

“Once upon a time, I was probably one of the better play callers in college football,” Freeze said in July, a humble brag that checked out for truthfulness.

“I don't know that I was the greatest play caller or one of the best play callers the last few years at Liberty. … Knowing what was all-encompassing to bring Auburn back, sitting in the chair that I have to sit in, I needed help.”

Many coaches come to that realization.

There’s no database of coaches who call their own offense, but the list gets slimmer by the year. Billy Napier calls Florida’s plays. He did it well in Saturday’s win over Tennessee. But I foresee Napier bowing to public pressure somewhere down the line and passing off the play sheet.

Missouri’s Eliah Drinkwitz stopped pulling double-duty before this season. He tapped Kirby Moore to call plays.

“I wasn’t giving us the best advantage that we could have,” Drinkwitz explained before the season.

On Saturday, Missouri beat then-No. 15 Kansas State 30-27, marking the highest-ranked opponent the Tigers have defeated since 2018.

Coincidence?

Too soon to tell whether the Freeze-Montgomery brain trust will be a winning combination at Auburn. Freeze inherited a team with offensive limitations, and Auburn scored 14 points on just 230 yards in its lone game against a Power Five opponent.

In simpler times, Fisher and Freeze dueled as play-callers when Florida State beat Ole Miss 45-34 in 2016. That was before Fisher’s offensive brainpower came into question.

It took Petrino’s arrival for the Aggies to find offensive rhythm. Sophomore quarterback Conner Weigman is playing well for his new play-caller. But, is it too little, too late for Fisher, who is now known as an embattled coach rather than a mastermind?

A real guru move would have been to hire Petrino a few years ago, before Fisher's hot seat warmed.

By that measuring stick, Freeze leads in the guru contest. He surrendered play-calling duties as a proactive move, rather than reactive.

How Nick Saban’s quarterback juggling could be recast as genius stuff

I thought Nick Saban showed a quick hook when he benched Jalen Milroe following Alabama’s 34-24 loss to Texas. Milroe threw two critical interceptions in that defeat, but he’s also Alabama’s most exciting weapon in an otherwise dull offense. The offense got duller when Tyler Buchner and Ty Simpson shared snaps in Alabama’s too-close-for-comfort, 17-3, win over lowly South Florida.

Saban is turning back to Milroe for No. 12 Alabama’s game against No. 16 Ole Miss (3-0). Saban praised how Milroe responded with leadership despite not playing against USF.

Prediction: If Milroe outduels Jaxson Dart and Alabama (2-1) beats the Rebels, Saban will be widely hailed as a genius – dare I say guru? – for benching Milroe and motivating him to recalibrate after the Texas loss.

Emails of the week

Ron writes (in response to my column calling The Swamp a house of horrors for Tennessee): House of horrors? Overblown.

My response: House of failure? House of demise? Torture chamber? The Vols haven’t won there in 20 years.

Terry writes: Could the Bama dilemma be as simple as missing Lyle Jones in his analyst position? 

My response: Good news for Nick Saban: Butch Jones will soon be in need of another internship.

Three and out

1. Would you blame Spencer Rattler if he hopped into his G-Wagon and drove toward the NFL before the leaves change colors? Rattler’s 318 passing yards per game ranks sixth nationally, while South Carolina has allowed 13 sacks. One pass forward, one sack backward.

2. Tennessee coach Josh Heupel evaded a reporter's questions as to why offensive lineman Gerald Mincey played on special teams Saturday despite not playing on offense, after Mincey was cited last week for misdemeanor marijuana possession. If Mincey played defensive back, he might never leave the field. Vols safety Jaylen McCollough, who faces a felony aggravated assault charge and is scheduled for a February trial, has played in nine straight games after being withheld from two games following his arrest.

3.Lane Kiffin and Nick Saban can’t agree on who’s calling Alabama’s defensive plays. Kiffin suspects its cornerbacks coach Travaris Robinson. Saban countered that Kevin Steele heads up the defense. Does it matter? Neither Robinson nor Steele is Kirby Smart, who can pick from the list of genius, mastermind, guru, authority, wizard or supreme leader.

Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network's SEC Columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @btoppmeyer.

The "Topp Rope" is his twice-weekly SEC football column published throughout the USA TODAY Network. If you enjoy Blake’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it. Also, check out his podcast, SEC Football Unfiltered, or access exclusive columns via the SEC Unfiltered newsletter.

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247sports.com

 

PMARSHONAU Phillips Wednesday morning musings

Phillip Marshall

11–14 minutes

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• 

• 

Does Auburn have what it takes? Show business and college football, a confusing start for SEC and more

Does Auburn have enough to win SEC opener?

First-year Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze took over a depleted roster last December and made it better. He signed 20 transfers, most of whom have made contributions and some of whom have been very good.

We’ll see in Auburn’s SEC opener at Texas A&M where it stands against a team that has been a recruiting machine if not a winning machine in recent seasons. The outcome might be encouraging. It might not. Regardless, Auburn players will return to practice and get ready for No. 1 Georgia.

Freeze and his staff have been relentless on the recruiting trail. He has made clear his intentions to return Auburn to its elite status. Win or lose at Texas A&M, that building process will be far from done.

What it takes for early success

For coaches to have significant success in their first seasons, unusual things have to happen: They inherit a team loaded with talent or the ball bounces their way or they have injury luck and schedule luck or, in the modern era, they get elite transfers at important positions.

The driving force behind Colorado’s success isn’t Deion Sanders’ supposed magic as much as it is quarterback Shedeur Sanders and two-way star Travis Hunter, who followed him from Jackson State. Without Shedeur Sanders, in particular, Colorado would likely be 0-3 today instead of 3-0.

Gus Malzahn took over an Auburn team in 2013 that had won three games the previous season, but there was lots of talent. He added junior college transfer quarterback Nick Marshall and won the SEC championship.

Brian Kelley won 10 games in his first season and won the West because LSU had talent. Most importantly, he added quarterback Jayden Daniels, a transfer from Arizona State. He still lost four games, including being blown out in the regular-season finale by a Texas A&M team with six straight SEC losses.

Kirby Smart, on the other hand, was fortunate to go 8-5 in his first Georgia season. Nick Saban was 7-6 in his first season at Alabama. Josh Heupel was 7-6 in his first season at Tennessee. Lane Kiffin was 5-5 in his first season at Ole Miss. You get the point.

College football and show business

I know I am a dinosaur, but I can’t help it. On the field, the college game is still outstanding. But in every other way, there’s not much to like.

I hate to be the old dude talking about the way it used to be, but it bothers me that, instead of being about competition, college football has become show business in which attention-seekers like Lane Kiffin and Deion Sanders are glorified.

I didn’t love college football from the time I was a young child because of celebrities or flamboyant coaches or any of the things that seem to sell today. I loved the pageantry. I loved the game. That was before the sport sold its soul to television.

Now it’s about the show. Coaches and even players are celebrities. The more brash and outlandish they are, the more attention they get and the more their “brands” grow.

Believe me, I know nothing is going to change. In fact, it’s going to get worse. And that makes me sad.

A three-quarterback rotation

I wonder how fans would react if this was happening at Auburn:

Oklahoma State has rotated three quarterbacks – one of whom is head coach Mike Gundy’s son – through the first three games. The Cowboys unimpressively won their first two games – 27-13 over Central Arkansas and 27-15 over Arizona State.

And then South Alabama came calling. The Jaguars didn’t just win last Saturday. They won 33-7. It was never really a game. But Gundy said at his Monday press conference that he doesn’t see major problems.

“I don’t think we have majors,” Gundy said. “I mean, I’m just being honest. I’m going to be able to give you a really good thought three weeks from now. What we did out there Saturday was ugly. I’m not saying anything other than that, but I don’t see it as a major issue. When I watched the tape, I felt a lot better than when I went home. Let’s put it that way.”

If being blown out by a Sun Belt Conference team, albeit a good one, at home is not a major issue, I’d hate to see one.

Alabama and its quarterbacks

Regardless of Nick Saban’s attempts to minimize it, Alabama’s quarterback situation is bizarre. Jalen Milroe started the first two games. He made big plays and big mistakes. Suddenly, his status was uncertain. Sure enough, Notre Dame transfer Tyler Buchner got the start at South Florida. When he was ineffective, redshirt freshman Ty Simpson took his place. Alabama huffed and puffed to a 17-3 win over the Bulls, who were 1-11 last season. They lost 41-24 to Western Kentucky and beat Florida A&M 38-24 before playing Alabama on Saturday in Tampa.

Monday, Saban announced that Milroe will return to the lineup against Ole Miss on Saturday in Tuscaloosa.

You’d have a hard time convincing me that Saban decided to experiment because of playing a weak opponent. That’s not his style. What does it all mean? Stay tuned.

Mel Tucker creates his own problems

Mel Tucker’s firing as Michigan State’s head coach is just a formality now. It is amazing to me why someone with so much to lose would put it all at risk for such a trivial reason. When players get into trouble, at least they are young and irresponsible. But a coach making $10 million a year? Maybe Michigan State really did jump at the opportunity to get out of a bad contract, but he opened the door. Unreal.

A confusing start for the SEC

The SEC is quite confusing at this point in the season. Georgia doesn’t look like the overwhelming force it was supposed to be. Alabama certainly doesn’t look the part of a contender. Neither does Tennessee. LSU looked awful in losing to Florida State but crushed Mississippi State in Starkville. Texas A&M has two wins against overmatched teams and an ugly loss at Miami. Kentucky is 3-0 against nothing opponents. Arkansas lost to BYU. Florida looked bad in its opener at Utah and terrific in its win over Tennessee at home. South Carolina led Georgia 14-3 at halftime and was dominated in the second half. Auburn is 3-0 with a nice road win. Mississippi State and Vanderbilt seem destined for the bottom of their divisions.

That brings us to the other two unbeaten SEC teams – Missouri and Ole Miss. Can either win a division championship? I don’t believe Missouri can. Ole Miss has a chance to make a powerful statement Saturday at Alabama.

Deion gets it right

Kudos to Deion Sanders for reacting the right way to death threats received by Colorado State safety Henry Blackburn, who knocked Colorado Star Travis Hunter out of the game last Saturday with a late hit.

“I’m saddened if there’s any of our fans that are on the side of those threats,” Sanders said. “I would hope and pray not. But that kid was just playing to the best of his ability, and he made a mistake,” Sanders said Tuesday. “I forgive him. CU, our team forgives him. Travis has forgiven him. Let’s move on. But that kid does not deserve that.”

Auburn Opponent Preview: Texas A&M defense

Auburn takes on Texas A&M at 11 a.m. on Saturday morning on ESPN.

VIDEO: How is Auburn preparing for Texas A&M's defense and SEC play?

It has been feast or famine for the Texas A&M defense through two weeks. Allowing a combined 13 points in wins over New Mexico and ULM, the Aggies showed their dominant side. That was far from the case in a loss to Miami when the Hurricanes ran over, around and through Texas A&M to the tune of 48 points and 451 yards of total offense in a week two game in Miami.

Everything starts with a strong, physical front four that has controlled the running game through three games this season, with opponents averaging just 98.3 yards per game and 3.39 yards per carry. As a unit the defensive line has been a key part of the Aggies’ success in shutting down their opponents on third downs as they lead the league and rank third nationally allowing just seven conversions on 34 attempts this season, good for a 20.6 conversion percentage. 

“They’ve got a bunch of 5-stars in the defensive line and at linebacker and at safety and at corner,” Auburn’s Hugh Freeze said of the Texas A&M defense. “They are really, really talented. When you put on the film you see that. Their closing speed is incredible. They are physical up front. It’s a tall, tall challenge for us in year one to stand toe-to-toe with A&M and Georgia next week and LSU the following week. 

“It’s our goal to get there, but that’s what reality is. We’ve had about eight months to recruit a half a class. These others have been stacking it. That’s why they’re ranked third in the country in third down defense, they’re incredibly talented.”

Senior McKinnley Jackson and junior Shemar Turner are the leaders up front for the Aggies with sophomores like LT Overton, Walter Turner and Shemar Stewart all key contributors after getting some key reps last season as a true freshman. Turner has been the most productive of the bunch with three of the six team sacks this year.

It’s a defensive line group that has caught the attention of Auburn center Avery Jones.

“Definitely aggressive,” Jones said. “Definitely big, strong and fast. Definitely some NFL talent on the defensive line. We’re just going to prepare our tails off and do what we’ve got to do. I think our guys can handle it. It’s definitely a different league out here in the SEC compared to what we played in our first three games. We’ve just got to be ready to ball out.”

At linebacker, 6-3, 230 junior Edgerrin Cooper is the leading tackler for the Aggies through two games with 16 stops. He also leads the team with four tackles for a loss. Joining him in the starting lineup is true freshman Taurean York. A 6-0, 230-pounder, York has 11 tackles in three games. Other players to watch are 6-1, 235 Jurrienta Davis and 6-2, 235 senior Chris Russell Jr.

In the secondary, 6-1, 215 senior Demani Richardson is one of the top players in the Southeastern Conference. With 10 tackles in three games this season, he enters Saturday’s game with 255 career tackles, four interceptions and 15 tackles for a loss. Another veteran in the secondary, but in his first season with the Aggies, is 6-1, 180 cornerback Josh DeBerry. Playing in 39 games with 158 career tackles with the Eagles, DeBerry has added a veteran presence for the Texas A&M defense. Part of a physical secondary is 6-2, 215 Jacoby Mathews. He has 10 tackles on the year after finishing with 35 a season ago as a true freshman.

DEFENSIVE LINE

3 McKinnley Jackson (15/10) 6-2 325 Sr-3L Lucedale, MS

5 Shemar Turner (14/8) 6-4 290 Jr-2L DeSoto, TX

10 Fadil Diggs (11/3) 6-5 260 Jr-3L East Camden, NJ

0 Walter Turner (6/2) 6-4 290 So-1L Powell, TN

18 LT Overton (4/0) 6-5 280 Fr-HS Milton, GA

34 Isaiah Raikes (4/0) 6-2 320 Jr-3L Woodbury, NJ

17 Alberrt Regis (1/0) 6-2 325 So-1L LaPorte, TX

4 Shemar Stewart  (6/0) 6-6 285 So-1L Miramar, FL

LINEBACKERS

45 Edgerrin Cooper (12/5) 6-3 230 Jr-3L Covington, LA 

21 Taurean York  (3/3) 6-0 230 Fr-HS Temple, TX

24 Chris Russell Jr., (12/0) 6-2 235 Sr-4L Dyersburg, TN

DEFENSIVE BACKS

26 Demani Richardson (46/28) 6-1 215 Sr-4L Waxahachie, TX

28 Josh DeBerry (3/3) 6-1 180 Gr-TR Grosse Pointe Park, MI

11 Deuce Harmon (6/1) 5-10 185 So-2L Corinth, TX

1 Bryce Anderson (3/3) 6-0 195 So-1L Beaumont, TX

2 Jacoby Mathews (4/1) 6-2 215 So-1L Ponchatoula, LA

7 Tyreek Chappell (21/0) 5-11 185 Jr-2L Philadelphia, PA

20 Jardin Gilbert (12/0) 6-1 200 Jr-2L White Castle, LA

33 Jarred Kerr (3/0) 6-0 195 So-1L Lexington, TX

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247sports.com

Auburn Opponent Preview Texas AM defense

Jason Caldwell

9–11 minutes

Auburn takes on Texas A&M at 11 a.m. on Saturday morning on ESPN.

It has been feast or famine for the Texas A&M defense through two weeks. Allowing a combined 13 points in wins over New Mexico and ULM, the Aggies showed their dominant side. That was far from the case in a loss to Miami when the Hurricanes ran over, around and through Texas A&M to the tune of 48 points and 451 yards of total offense in a week two game in Miami.

Everything starts with a strong, physical front four that has controlled the running game through three games this season, with opponents averaging just 98.3 yards per game and 3.39 yards per carry. As a unit the defensive line has been a key part of the Aggies’ success in shutting down their opponents on third downs as they lead the league and rank third nationally allowing just seven conversions on 34 attempts this season, good for a 20.6 conversion percentage. 

“They’ve got a bunch of 5-stars in the defensive line and at linebacker and at safety and at corner,” Auburn’s Hugh Freeze said of the Texas A&M defense. “They are really, really talented. When you put on the film you see that. Their closing speed is incredible. They are physical up front. It’s a tall, tall challenge for us in year one to stand toe-to-toe with A&M and Georgia next week and LSU the following week. 

“It’s our goal to get there, but that’s what reality is. We’ve had about eight months to recruit a half a class. These others have been stacking it. That’s why they’re ranked third in the country in third down defense, they’re incredibly talented.”

Senior McKinnley Jackson and junior Shemar Turner are the leaders up front for the Aggies with sophomores like LT Overton, Walter Turner and Shemar Stewart all key contributors after getting some key reps last season as a true freshman. Turner has been the most productive of the bunch with three of the six team sacks this year.

It’s a defensive line group that has caught the attention of Auburn center Avery Jones.

“Definitely aggressive,” Jones said. “Definitely big, strong and fast. Definitely some NFL talent on the defensive line. We’re just going to prepare our tails off and do what we’ve got to do. I think our guys can handle it. It’s definitely a different league out here in the SEC compared to what we played in our first three games. We’ve just got to be ready to ball out.”

At linebacker, 6-3, 230 junior Edgerrin Cooper is the leading tackler for the Aggies through two games with 16 stops. He also leads the team with four tackles for a loss. Joining him in the starting lineup is true freshman Taurean York. A 6-0, 230-pounder, York has 11 tackles in three games. Other players to watch are 6-1, 235 Jurrienta Davis and 6-2, 235 senior Chris Russell Jr.

In the secondary, 6-1, 215 senior Demani Richardson is one of the top players in the Southeastern Conference. With 10 tackles in three games this season, he enters Saturday’s game with 255 career tackles, four interceptions and 15 tackles for a loss. Another veteran in the secondary, but in his first season with the Aggies, is 6-1, 180 cornerback Josh DeBerry. Playing in 39 games with 158 career tackles with the Eagles, DeBerry has added a veteran presence for the Texas A&M defense. Part of a physical secondary is 6-2, 215 Jacoby Mathews. He has 10 tackles on the year after finishing with 35 a season ago as a true freshman.

DEFENSIVE LINE

3 McKinnley Jackson (15/10) 6-2 325 Sr-3L Lucedale, MS

5 Shemar Turner (14/8) 6-4 290 Jr-2L DeSoto, TX

10 Fadil Diggs (11/3) 6-5 260 Jr-3L East Camden, NJ

0 Walter Turner (6/2) 6-4 290 So-1L Powell, TN

18 LT Overton (4/0) 6-5 280 Fr-HS Milton, GA

34 Isaiah Raikes (4/0) 6-2 320 Jr-3L Woodbury, NJ

17 Alberrt Regis (1/0) 6-2 325 So-1L LaPorte, TX

4 Shemar Stewart  (6/0) 6-6 285 So-1L Miramar, FL

LINEBACKERS

45 Edgerrin Cooper (12/5) 6-3 230 Jr-3L Covington, LA 

21 Taurean York  (3/3) 6-0 230 Fr-HS Temple, TX

24 Chris Russell Jr., (12/0) 6-2 235 Sr-4L Dyersburg, TN

DEFENSIVE BACKS

26 Demani Richardson (46/28) 6-1 215 Sr-4L Waxahachie, TX

28 Josh DeBerry (3/3) 6-1 180 Gr-TR Grosse Pointe Park, MI

11 Deuce Harmon (6/1) 5-10 185 So-2L Corinth, TX

1 Bryce Anderson (3/3) 6-0 195 So-1L Beaumont, TX

2 Jacoby Mathews (4/1) 6-2 215 So-1L Ponchatoula, LA

7 Tyreek Chappell (21/0) 5-11 185 Jr-2L Philadelphia, PA

20 Jardin Gilbert (12/0) 6-1 200 Jr-2L White Castle, LA

33 Jarred Kerr (3/0) 6-0 195 So-1L Lexington, TX

By the numbers: How Auburn statistically stacks up entering SEC play

How do the Tigers compare to the rest of the league heading into their first SEC contest?

VIDEO: How is Auburn preparing for Texas A&M's defense and SEC play?

So far in the early stages of Hugh Freeze's debut season at Auburn, the Tigers have avoided major statistical pitfalls on both sides of the ball. But even after handling Samford 45-13 over the weekend — and as one of only five unbeatens left in the SEC — there's plenty of areas that will need some, if not major improvements for Auburn to compete with some of the teams upcoming on its gauntlet of a schedule. And it starts this weekend against talent-rich Texas A&M.

Statistically, here is where Auburn stands in conference and national rankings as it enters its SEC opener at Texas A&M (11 a.m. CDT, ESPN). Auburn Undercover will track and present these weekly statistics moving forward for the rest of the season.

Of course, it's still early in the season, relatively speaking, and a major caveat to this statistical breakdown is that things will become clearer for every team in college football by the week. After this weekend, every SEC team will have opened conference play, so strengths and weaknesses will step more into focus in the next few games.

OFFENSE

QB rating: 147.45 (11th SEC, 54th nationally)

Passing offense: 212.3 YPG (12th, 89th)

Yards per pass attempt: 8.2 YPA (9th, T-48th)

Rushing offense: 215.7 YPG (1st, 18th)

Yards per rush attempt: 5.18 (4th, 30th)

Scoring offense: 39.3 PPG (4th, T-26th)

Total offense: 428.0 YPG (6th, T-48th)

Points per play: 0.575 (3rd, 13th)

Points per drive: 2.60 (6th, 41st)

Third-down conversions: 47.22% (6th, 39th)

Red-zone TD rate: 66.67% (T-7th, T-52nd)

Explosive passing plays (30-plus yards): 7 (T-5th, T-26th)

Explosive rushing plays (20-plus yards): 3 (9th, T-71st) 

Sacks allowed: 5 (T-5th, T-40th)

Tackles for loss allowed: 14 (T-5th, T-47th)

Fumbles lost: 4 (T-13th, T-126th)

‌

DEFENSE

Total defense: 264.0 YPG (3rd SEC, 15th nationally)

Opposing passer rating: 94.38 (2nd, 9th)

Opposing completion percentage: 56.8% (4th, T-42nd)

Passing yards: 155.0 YPG (1st, 13th)

Rushing yards: 109.0 YPG (7th, 43rd)

Yards per carry: 3.44 YPC (9th, 54th)

Scoring defense: 12.3 PPG (3rd, T-18th)

Points per play allowed: 0.178 (2nd, 12th)

Points per drive allowed: 0.77 (1st, 6th)

Third-down conversions: 24.39% (2nd, 5th)

Red-zone TD rate: 42.86% (T-4th, T-26th)

Explosive passing plays allowed (30-plus yards): 3 (4th, T-26th)

Explosive rushing plays allowed (20-plus yards): 3 (T-11th, T-62nd)

Sacks: 8 (T-7th, T-40th)

Tackles for loss: 18 (T-9th, T-66th)

Interceptions: 5 (T-2nd, T-11th)

Forced fumbles: 2 (T-7th, T-57th)

‌

SPECIAL TEAMS

Net punting: 38.25 (11th SEC, T-81st nationally)

Opposing punt returns: 8.50 YPR (8th, 76th)

Own punt returns: 9.86 YPR (9th, 46th)

Field goals: 100% (T-1st, T-1st)

Opposing kickoff returns: 19.40 YPR (7th, 67th)

Own kickoff returns: 25.89 yards (4th, 25th)

‌

Miscellaneous

Penalties: 5.3 per game (5th SEC, T-49th nationally)

Turnover margin: 0 (T-7th, T-60th)

‌

ESPN FPI

Strength of record: No. 8 nationally

Game control: No. 35

Remaining strength of schedule: No. 3

Offensive efficiency rating: No. 79

Defensive efficiency rating: No. 4

Special teams efficiency rating: No. 2

‌

ESPN SP+

Offensive efficiency rating: No. 33 nationally

Defensive efficiency rating: No. 17

Special teams efficiency rating: No. 80

Overall ranking: No. 23

‌

Remaining schedule (ESPN FPI)

@ Texas A&M

Win probability: Texas A&M 67.3% chance to win

Change from preseason ESPN FPI: Auburn +9.2%

vs. Georgia

Win probability: Georgia 79.5% chance to win

Change from preseason ESPN FPI: Auburn +11.3%

@ LSU

Win probability: LSU 78.2% chance to win

Change from preseason ESPN FPI: Auburn +10.5%

vs. Ole Miss

Win probability: Ole Miss 71.1% chance to win

Change from preseason ESPN FPI: Auburn -4.9%

vs. Mississippi State

Win probability: Auburn 67.0% chance to win

Change from preseason ESPN FPI: Auburn +11.6%

@ Vanderbilt

Win probability: Auburn 85.4% chance to win

Change from preseason ESPN FPI: Auburn +16.5%

@ Arkansas

Win probability: Auburn 57.8% chance to win

Change from preseason ESPN FPI: Auburn +9.0%

vs. Alabama

Win probability: Alabama 77.4% chance to win

Change from preseason ESPN FPI: Auburn +14.1%

‌

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

Passing

Yards per game: Payton Thorne — 172.3 (12th SEC)

Passing touchdowns: Payton Thorne — 4 (T-11th SEC)

Interceptions: Payton Thorne — 3 (T-12th SEC)

Completion %: Payton Thorne — 68.3% (8th SEC)

Yards per attempt: Payton Thorne — 8.3 (T-8th SEC)

Rushing

Yards per game: Payton Thorne — 46.7 (16th SEC)

Yards per carry: Jeremiah Cobb — 6.7 (6th SEC)

Touchdowns: Robby Ashford — 4 (T-1st SEC)

Receiving

Receptions: Jay Fair — 14 (T-11th SEC)

Receiving yards per game: Jay Fair — 58.0 (14th SEC)

Receiving touchdowns: Jay Fair — 2 (T-10th SEC)

‌

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si.com

Auburn vs. Alabama: How the transfer portal QBs have fared for the fierce rivals

Jack Singley

4–5 minutes

The two transfers have fared differently under their new teams.

Auburn and Alabama, two of the fiercest and proudest rivals in all of college football, managed to have some similarities this offseason regarding the transfer portal. The teams both got a starting quarterback, or so they thought. Fans, sports personalities, and journalists alike made these two acquisitions a competition, so let us look at how that competition ended up now that we are three weeks into the season.

The build-up, for those who are out of the loop, includes two teams up north, Notre Dame and Michigan State. Tyler Buchner, who lost the starting job to Sam Hartman in spring camp, left the Fighting Irish and followed his former OC Tommy Rees to the Crimson Tide. Payton Thorne, the incumbent starter for the Spartans, lost his job to Noah Kim. In late May, Thorne transferred, securing the Tide and Tigers' new starters for the 2023 season. 

Buchner's departure from the Irish and his arrival to the Tide was much more acclaimed and heralded publically compared to that of Thornes at Auburn. With much more publicity came the take that Buchner would perform significantly better once the season kicked off and the Tide began rolling under the former ND duo. 

Fall camp came and went, and Buchner was nowhere to be found, sitting behind the announced starter Jalen Milroe and former five-star Ty Simpson. Thorne, however, managed to hold off Robby Ashford and Holden Gernier and was announced the starter before the season. Ashford did have snaps during the first three games in running packages and late in the Samford and UMass blowouts. 

Production-wise, Throne saw action in all three of Auburn's games and received over 80 percent of the snaps. Buchner has seen action in the Middle Tennessee State game as a late-game substitution for Milroe and then started against South Florida in one of the worst offensive performances in Nick Saban's tenure with Alabama. 

Thorne has completed 68 percent of his passes thus far, throwing 43 completions on 63 attempts with 517 yards. The touchdown-to-interception ratio could improve, as it is 4:3, but his rushing efforts have covered up this issue for the most part. Thorne has 140 yards on 22 attempts and two touchdowns. His performance against Samford was the most rushing yards from an Auburn QB since the dynamic Nick Marshall. 

Buchner has played significantly fewer snaps and against much inferior defenses. The reason for a lack of snaps seems evident with his on-field production. Throwing at a 42 percent completion rate, throwing 19 attempts, and only completing eight. Zero interceptions look amazing until you realize he has also thrown zero touchdowns. Buchner has only been responsible for two first downs through the air and two on the ground. Buchner has 20 rushing yards on three attempts and a touchdown. 

Through three weeks, the Thorne vs. Buchner debate doesn't seem to be much of a debate; it seems to be a blowout in favor of Thorne. In fact, the entirety of the Alabama QB room has performed worse than Thorne. A combined 55.4 completion percentage with 588 yards, five touchdowns, and two interceptions put them ahead in the touchdown-to-interception ratio but behind in yards and completion percentage. Thorne has also run the ball more effectively but has three fewer touchdowns than the Bama trio.

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