9.23.23 Football Articles

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auburnwire.usatoday.com

 

Five reasons why Auburn will pull off a road win at Texas A&M

Taylor Jones

3–4 minutes

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The SEC opener is upon us, and final preparations are being put together as Auburn gets set to face Texas A&M at Kyle Field in College Station on Saturday morning.

Texas A&M will provide Auburn with its first challenge of the season, and most are expecting the home team to slide away with a victory. ESPN’s Matchup Predictor forecasts an Aggies win and the sportsbooks are favoriting Texas A&M by a touchdown.

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When looking at the data, an Auburn upset seems more possible than what the experts believe. Texas A&M’s red zone defense favors packages that Auburn uses, Auburn’s run game can give the Aggies fits, and Tiger defensive backs will have a great opportunity to prove their worth.

Thursday, we examined all the reasons why Auburn could struggle in College Station. Today, it is time to showcase why the Tigers will kick off the SEC season with a 1-0 record.

Here are five reasons why Auburn can pull off a win over Texas A&M on Saturday.

Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

There is something about Kyle Field that brings out the best in Auburn. The Tigers own a 4-1 record at Kyle Field since the Aggies joined the SEC in 2012. This season’s game is at the home of the 12th man… can history repeat itself?

Zach Bland/Auburn Tigers

Eugene Asante has proven to be Auburn’s best-kept secret and is set up to have his best game to date. In Texas A&M’s loss to Miami, the Hurricanes created 37 pressures, with 31 QB hurries. Asante is one of the top pass rushers on Auburn’s defense with a PFF grade of 79.8 and could make a name for himself in this game.

John Reed-USA TODAY Sports

This reason is also due to the Aggies’ passing game. Texas A&M has four receivers with over 100 yards logged this season, which will keep backs such as Jaylin Simpson, Kayin Lee, and DJ James busy. Simpson has pulled down three interceptions to this point in the season and could bring in a fourth this week. The pressure will intensify for Texas A&M if Donovan Kaufman returns to the lineup this week.

The Montgomery Advertiser

Sure, we have shared our concern about the lack of production from Jarquez Hunter through his two games… but Auburn’s rushing attack is the best in the SEC. Heading into week four, Auburn leads the SEC in yards per game with 215.67 rushing yards per contest, ten yards more than the next SEC program, Tennessee. Texas A&M, however, is one of the best in the nation at stopping the run by allowing just 98 yards per game on the ground.

The Aggies allowed 127 yards rushing to ULM last week, which is the most given up this season. Auburn’s running back room, mixed in with Robby Ashford and Payton Thorne, will be the most talented unit that Texas A&M has seen to this point, and they will play like it.

Zach Bland/Auburn Tigers

Payton Thorne had a longer leash last week, and he used it to show off his running ability. Not only does Thorne show upside, but Robby Ashford could have a great day as well. His “red zone package” could come in handy against Texas A&M, who has allowed opponents to score on 85% of red zone trips.

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si.com

 

Five reasons Auburn could beat Texas A&M

Steve Simpson

3–4 minutes

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The Tigers are looking to make a big splash Saturday against the Aggies.

It's been an interesting season for the Auburn Tigers so far. After three games they are still trying to find their offensive identity, they will get closer to that answer Saturday. Defensively, we'll find out if the outstanding, early season stats were due to weak opponents or if the Tigers really have an elite defense. These are the reasons Auburn could win in College Station.

1. Secondary

Eric Starling/Auburn Daily

Auburn's secondary is elite. They are only giving up 155 yards per game with an 8.6 yard average completion. Look for the Tigers defensive backs to make it tough on the A&M passing game Saturday and to come up with at least one big turnover.

2. Turnover Margin

Eric Starling/Auburn Daily

Auburn must be on the plus side of the turnover margin. Texas A&M had three turnovers (2 interceptions and 1 fumble) in their loss to Miami. If Auburn can get a couple of turnovers, they'll be in a great position to pull the upset on the road..

3. Pass Rush

Eric Starling/Auburn Daily

The front seven must be able to get pressure on Conner Weigman. Miami didn't have any sacks against the Aggies last week, but they had 37 pressures, which led to two Weigman interceptions. So, while sacks would be better, just getting to Weigman and making him uncomfortable in the pocket will force him into some bad throws.

4. Third Down Efficiency

Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports

The Auburn offense must be able to sustain drives. The Tigers have been unable to convert on multiple third and short situations the last few weeks. That must improve if they want to win Saturday.

5. Payton Thorne

Eric Starling/Auburn Daily

Thorne needs to get in a rhythm throwing the ball early. The Aggies defense was torched for 374 yards and five touchdown's in the loss at Miami last week. Thorne and the receiving corps are capable of putting up numbers like that, especially against an A&M secondary that is allowing 200 yards per game. 

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saturdaydownsouth.com

 

Auburn reveals unique uniform combination

Rolando Rosa | 18 hours ago

~2 minutes

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Auburn will aim for a 4-0 start for the first time since 2019 when they travel to take on Texas A&M on Saturday. The Tigers will also be decked out in a new look for the SEC road contest.

Auburn will wear a white helmet with orange face mask and white jersey for the first time since 1983. It’s also the first time wearing the orange chrome mask with white jerseys.

Auburn began the 2019 campaign with 5 consecutive wins en route to a 9-4 record under Gus Malzahn.

Auburn is coming off a 45-13 victory vs. Samford in Week 3. Quarterback Payton Thorne went for 282 yards and a touchdown with 2 interceptions while also rushing for 123 yards and 2 scores. Shane Hooks and Micah Riley each had receiving touchdowns. In total, Auburn amassed 562 yards and possessed the ball for 33:28.

Auburn held Samford to 218 total yards and 5-for-14 on 3rd downs while also forcing 2 turnovers.

Texas A&M (2-1) most recently bounced back from a loss to Miami with an emphatic 47-3 victory against ULM.

Texas A&M leads the all-time series 7-6 against Auburn. Auburn won last season’s meeting 13-10 against the visiting Aggies. The first meeting dates back to a 16-0 Texas A&M win in 1911.

Auburn has a 4-1 mark in road games at Kyle Field. ESPN analytics gives Auburn a 32.8 percent chance of victory.

Auburn at Texas A&M is slated for 12 p.m. EST and will be televised on ESPN.

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247sports.com

Five things that Texas AM needs to do to beat Auburn

Jeff Tarpley

6–8 minutes

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The Texas A&M and Auburn game tomorrow will be a fascinating facefoff between a program that returns almost all of its key contributors and two deep from last season versus one that is rebuilding on the fly. Here’s what the Aggies need to do come out on top.

1. Don’t ask Conner Weigman to do everything….Weigman is 0-3 when he’s had to throw the ball 30 times or more in his career. He’s a talented guy who gets into games when he has to do it all like he did at Miami (or last season against the Tigers).

On the other hand, when he doesn’t have to throw the ball as much, it’s an indicator that the running game, defense, and special teams are taking the pressure off of him. That allows him to be a complementary player at least part of the time and be the talent he is on a situational basis.

2. Play assignment football on defense….we’ve said this before in other contests but A&M is facing a RPO heavy team that counts on defenders being out of position to generate big gains from simple handoffs and short throws. In particular, Auburn quarterback Payton Thorne may be a drop back guy but he’s using those RPOs to average six yards a carry as a runner and sustain drives. In addition, Auburn’s had trouble getting its passing game consistently going (especially down the field) because people aren’t on the same page.

Simply being in position and a deterrent will go a long way in this game towards slowing the Tigers down. That's because the longer they have to hold the ball or make a decision, the more likely things are going to break down on their end.

3. Understand how the Tigers generate pressure on defense…they like to blitz and play two high looks behind it which allows them to come after you while minimizing long gains. Get the ball out fast to people in space so that they have a better chance of making people on the back end of the defense miss and creating the big plays they're trying to avoid surrendering.

4. Win special teams…one of the consequences of turning over your roster is that you’ve got a lot of new guys playing special teams in protection and on coverage. They may not be used to it since they were brought in for a specific offensive or defensive role. In addition, given limits on practice time, they’re not able to work on it as much as they probably should because those newcomers are trying to learn the schemes on offense and defense.

The Aggies have talented and veteran specialists and return men and their coverage and return units have more experience not just at special teams but also working together on those teams. In contrast, Auburn ranks in the middle to bottom half of the SEC in most special teams categories. A&M should be able not only to flip the field on a possession by possession basis but also have more potential to generate the big plays that could make a difference.

5. Be prepared for anything…Hugh Freeze has shown dating back to his days at Ole Miss that if he thinks he’s outmanned he’ll try anything. He’s more likely to work in a fake on special teams, go for it on fourth down, and take downfield shots in the passing game in search of big plays that can change a game on the scoreboard and provide an emotional boost to his teams.

These items have boom or bust potential and if the Aggies are ready for them then the Tigers could find themselves at the wrong end of a multi-score run. If A&M isn’t then the Tigers can stay within striking distance at worst and give them the confidence to hang with the Aggies even though their lack of cohesion should make them more susceptible to downturns.

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247sports.com

 

5 factors for an Auburn win over Texas AM

Nathan King

10–13 minutes

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Hugh Freeze’s last SEC win was in College Station with Ole Miss. Saturday afternoon, he’ll hope to pick up where he left off.

The Tigers (3-0) face their toughest test so far by a significant margin — at least talent-wise — and should learn a lot more about where they stand as a team this season. To begin the conference slate, Auburn heads to Texas A&M (2-1) looking for its fifth win in its past six trips to College Station (11 a.m. CDT, ESPN). Here are five factors for an Auburn victory, SEC opener edition.

Keep it locked at AuburnUndercover.com for our pregame notebook, live game updates, instant analysis after the clock hits zero, and tons of content to follow Saturday evening and into Sunday. You won't want to miss it.

PACK SOME PRESSURE

Texas A&M and former 5-star quarterback Conner Weigman have thrown it around the yard through three games under new coordinator Bobby Petrino, but the protection has been severely lacking. Weigman has been pressured 47 times this season, the sixth-worst rate among starting FBS quarterbacks so far.

On the other side, however, Auburn has been “average at best” bringing pressure with its standard defensive front, Freeze admitted this week. So something has to give.

Weigman has thrown under pressure just fine, though. In fact, his QBR of 102. 1 when facing pressure, per Pro Football Focus, is No. 3 in the country. His completion rate and yards per attempt under pressure are both top 10 nationally, too.

So defensive coordinator Ron Roberts has a tall task to not only take advantage of a porous Texas A&M front, but also scheme up pressure that will get home and affect Weigman. Creative blitz packages are part of what Roberts has built his career on, and through three games Auburn has brought pressure from essentially every spot on the field.

Donovan Kaufman has shown a propensity for getting after the passer from his versatile “star” position in the middle of the defense, with two forced fumbles in two games played. Eugene Asante has eight QB pressures from the linebacker spot. And the health of outside linebacker Jalen McLeod, who’s been dealing with an ankle issue since the preseason, could be a massive factor for the Tigers. Nehemiah Pritchett (ankle) could also make his season debut and provide an influx of experience at cornerback.

Of course, Roberts utilizing other spots on the defense besides the defensive line will put the Aggies’ pass-catchers in a numbers advantage, so Auburn’s highly anticipated secondary — even without Keionte Scott — will need to prove its worth. So far, the Tigers’ secondary hasn’t been tested much down the field: Auburn has faced an average depth of target of 5.06 yards on opposing pass attempts this season, which is the lowest mark in all of college football.

FIND MORE ‘BLESSINGS’

Speaking of the secondary, Auburn has almost matched its interception total from last season (six) in three games, with five picks. Safety Jaylin Simpson has accounted for three, while cornerbacks D.J. James and J.D. Rhym have also contributed.

For an Auburn offense that looks to still be building confidence and sorting through things early in the year, boosts in field position from a couple turnovers would be massive in the SEC opener.

Auburn’s offense needs to let the scales tip, though, and show more ball security than it has over the past couple games. The Tigers had four turnovers in the win at Cal, then quarterback Payton Thorne threw two interceptions against Samford last weekend.

Auburn is one of only two teams in college football with seven or more takeaways that also has a total turnover margin of zero or less.

“That would be a blessing if we can continue that trend,” Freeze said of Auburn’s seven takeaways this season. “To get some turnovers in these games, particularly on the road, would be extremely helpful if we can take care of the ball. We’ve got to continue to work on that. Turnovers would play a huge role if we could pick off a few of those in this game.”

At App State last season, McLeod (35) tormented Texas A&M in a huge upset win, with two sacks and two forced fumbles (Zach Bland / Auburn Athletics)

MANAGE THIRD DOWNS

Third-down conversions are a key in any game, but Auburn and Texas A&M have both been successful in that department on both sides of the ball.

Auburn is top 40 nationally in third-down offense, while the Aggies are top 25. Texas A&M and Auburn are No. 1 and No. 2 in the SEC in third-down defense, respectively, as two of only five teams in the country holding opponents to less than a 25 percent conversion rate.

In a game where the Tigers don’t want to put all the offensive pressure on Thorne, who was shaky at best in Auburn’s last road trip two weeks ago, avoiding deep dropbacks would help Thorne keep from forcing throws to his still-progressing receiving corps.

The running game isn’t off the hook, though, after Auburn’s four-man running back stable averaged just 3.1 yards per carry last weekend against an FCS defensive front. Yes, Samford was keying in on the run and stacking the box, but Auburn’s running backs have still gone the last two games without an explosive run of 20 or more yards, and the Tigers’ running backs have picked up only six first downs on the ground over that span, too.

“You can't survive in the third-and-longs,” Freeze said. “You're not going to drop back and win a lot of routes against (Texas A&M). They're really talented. So we've got to keep it in third-and-manageable, hopefully short, to where we can run or pass.”

PRIORITIZE THE PLAYMAKERS

Thorne’s preferred pass-catchers are starting to become clearer after three games. Jay Fair, Rivaldo Fairweather and Shane Hooks occupy a combined 52.6 percent of the Tigers’ targets so far, and that number climbs above 70 percent when the fourth quarter of blowouts against UMass and Samford are removed.

Other names continuing to emerge in the passing game will always be a welcome sight, but there are only so many pass attempts to go around. Fair is one of the most successful early season receivers for Auburn over the past few years; Fairweather has shown his elite jump-ball skills and was a hero in the win over Cal; and Hooks seems to be the most polished outside receiver, and is tops among Auburn’s main receiver rotation at 17.6 yards per catch.

A couple tailbacks entering that mix is what Freeze wants, too. He said this week that he always likes to see the ball in Jeremiah Cobb’s hands, whether on a handoff or lining up as a slot receiver. The true freshman leads the team at 6.7 yards per carry. Junior Jarquez Hunter needs to continue to knock off the rust and get healthier, after he was bothered by an ankle issue last weekend against Samford, and has just 4.1 yards per carry so far.

Of course, the entire offense is responsible if the Tigers want to continue to make strides. The health of starting right tackle Izavion Miller and starting right guard Kameron Stutts, both of whom left the Samford game with injuries, will be a factor. Stutts and Miller both missed at least one practice this week, Freeze said Thursday.

When Auburn holds onto the ball this season — whether it’s avoiding turnovers or the two turnovers on downs over the past two games — it’s had a decently efficient offense, currently at No. 13 nationally in points per play, and top 40 nationally in yards per play. In particular, Texas A&M’s ultra-talented defensive front will be a big challenge to overcome, but Auburn still needs to prioritize getting the ball cleanly and effectively into the hands of those who have proven to be the biggest playmakers.

LIMIT MISTAKES

Yes, Auburn has seven turnovers through three games, but there have been other self-inflicted issues that have put the Tigers behind the 8-ball on both sides of the ball.

Auburn is only No. 49 nationally in penalties per game, but that number not includes 13 flags over the past two games, but also a number of penalties that have been wet blankets in keys spots of the game. Freeze has harped several times that each of Auburn’s three second-half penalties were momentum dampers. The Tigers then had a third-and-goal from the 1-yard line against Samford pushed back due to a false start — where they were clearly lining up in heavy personnel to simply punch the ball in — and Thorne proceeded to throw an interception off the hands of Hooks.

Speaking of Thorne, his decision-making from the pocket probably needs to be the best of the season so far for Auburn to come away with a win. That includes both with his arm — where he and his receivers are still in the processing of getting on the same page consistently in the run-pass option offense — and his legs, as a few well-timed scrambles or QB-designed runs could offer some nice change-of-pace sequences to keep Texas A&M’s defense on its heels. He showed he could do it in a warmup of sorts, with a career-high 123 rushing yards in the win over Samford.

Thorne won the starting job in the preseason because his decision-making was the most effective of all the quarterback contenders. Now with four turnovers over the past two games, it’s time to make good on the coaching staff’s trust in the veteran signal-caller — with the caveat that his receivers need to execute, too.

Auburn’s run-blocking left a bit to be desired, too, last weekend against Samford. Offensive guard Jeremiah Wright said, with a shuffled offensive line due to injuries, there were several missed assignments and missed blocks that helped result in the lowly rushing average for Auburn’s tailbacks. That came after Freeze said he was confident the Tigers could have approached 200 rushing yards at Cal, if not for the turnovers and penalties, because of how well they blocked up front.

Texas A&M will stretch Auburn’s margin for error thinner than it’s been thus far, but the Tigers’ staff and players believe that a large chunk of their mistakes through three games fall on their own shoulders, and not the opposition.

Senior linebacker Wesley Steiner perhaps summarized it best after Auburn’s win over Samford: “I think we’ve shown flashes of what we know we can do. I think we’re on the right track. It doesn’t matter who your SEC opponent is; at the end of the day, it’s whoever scores the most points and plays harder for 60 minutes — and makes the fewest mistakes. Every SEC team is going to be challenged with making the fewest mistakes. SEC games are usually lower scoring, so you only get a few opportunities on offense to score because of a defensive lapse or because you made a great play. Going into SEC play, every small detail needs to be accounted for. Those small details could be the difference in the game.”

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al.com

 

Auburn football: Hugh Freeze to appear on College Gameday before Texas A&M game

Published: Sep. 22, 2023, 9:42 a.m.

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Hugh Freeze will appear on ESPN’s College Gameday pregame show Saturday before Auburn’s game against Texas A&M, the network announced in a tweet.

Host Rece Davis and the rest of the cast will conduct a live interview with Freeze during warmups at Kyle Field before the 11 a.m. central time kickoff. The game will be broadcast on ESPN, the same channel airing College Gameday.

The show will be broadcast from South Bend, Indiana this week ahead of a top-10 matchup between Notre Dame and Ohio State. Other guests on the show include former Notre Dame wide receiver, Heisman trophy winner and NFL Hall of Fame member Tim Brown as well as current Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman. Vince Vaughn — who played Jamie O’Hara in “Rudy”, the famous sports movie about Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger and his dream to play on the Notre Dame football team — will be the celebrity guest picker on the show.

Freeze’s Ole Miss teams previously hosted the show in 2014 before beating Alabama 23-17.

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al.com

 

Something in the Orange: Auburn football announces uniform change for game vs. Texas A&M

Updated: Sep. 22, 2023, 9:11 a.m.|Published: Sep. 21, 2023, 5:07 p.m.

3–4 minutes

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Meet the fan obsessed with documenting the history of Auburn’s athletic uniforms

Hey Alexa, play “Something in the Orange” by Zach Bryan.

Auburn Football teased that something orange could be coming to College Station this weekend for the Tigers’ SEC-opening matchup against the Texas A&M Aggies Saturday afternoon.

When the post first came out, Auburn fans were quick to let their opinions fly.

Some hoped it might mean the Tigers would wear orange jerseys against the Aggies. Others hated that idea.

Many believed it meant Auburn would come out with orange facemasks — a look that mirrors the helmets the Tigers wore from 1979 to 1983 under head coaches Doug Barfield and Pat Dye. Dye later nixed the orange facemasks and replaced them with navy ones in 1984.

Auburn first brought back the orange facemasks for its game against Ole Miss in 2021. The orange facemasks returned later that year in the Iron Bowl again in 2022 against Penn State.

And the folks who went with the more conservative guess — predicting that Auburn would come out in orange facemasks against Texas A&M — were proven right as Auburn Football announced on social media that the Tigers would be wearing white jerseys, white pants and their traditional white helmets but with the orange facemasks.

According to Auburn uniform enthusiast Clint Richardson of AuburnUniforms.com, Saturday’s uniform pairing will be the first time Auburn has worn orange facemasks with white jerseys since 1983, when Auburn knocked off fourth-ranked Georgia in a 13-7 affair.

Once Auburn put the rumors of anything beyond orange facemasks to bed, the fanbase simmered down.

But boy, was it fun to watch panic ensue there for a little while.

The initial reactions to the cryptic post were all over the place.

“I’m not letting you hurt me again,” one X user wrote.

“Better not mess with the jerseys. Orange face masks though >>>,” another user chimed in.

“Stop it. Quit setting me up for disappointment,” a third Auburn fan posted.

To outsiders, the responses might seem a bit dramatic. But the Auburn fanbase has been strong in its “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” stance on uniforms. While other football programs around the country have gotten creative with their uniforms, Auburn — for the most part — has stuck to tradition.

And though Auburn’s helmets might look a little different as they won’t feature their typical white or blue facemask, the switch to an orange facemask has proven to be a safe and subtle change that Auburn’s fanbase doesn’t mind.

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saturdaydownsouth.com

 

Hugh Freeze explains what he wants to see from Payton Thorne vs. Texas A&M

Grant Bricker | 1 day ago

1–2 minutes

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Hugh Freeze has been in big games before and knows how crucial ball security can be.

Freeze discussed one of the things he wants to see from his starting quarterback on Thursday at a radio call. Payton Thorne must prioritize limiting turnovers, according to Freeze.

“He’s got to take care of the ball in these kinds of games,” said Freeze via Tiger Talk. “It’s OK to punt. Don’t try to do too much, and stay within the system.”

The Michigan State transfer has 517 yards passing with 4 touchdowns and 3 interceptions so far. Auburn’s first test in SEC play will be in Week 4 on the road at Texas A&M.

Texas A&M is 2-1 after losing to Miami in Week 2. The Aggies bounced back and beat UL Monroe 47-3 the following week for their second win of the season.

Auburn squeaked out a win at Jordan Hare Stadium last season 13-10. It’ll be interesting to see if the Tigers can do the same in College Station.

Kickoff will be at noon ET on ESPN.

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kbtx.com

 

Weigman feels more comfortable as rematch with Auburn approaches

Darryl Bruffett

~2 minutes

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COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KBTX) - A year ago Conner Weigman was making his second collegiate start against Auburn and the Aggies suffered a 13-10 loss. Saturday the Texas A&M sophomore will get another shot at the Tigers and feels a lot more confident in this year’s SEC opener.

In last year’s game at Jordan-Hare Stadium, Weigman was sacked three times and only completed 14 of 36 passes for 121 yards.

The bright spot for Conner in that game was that he didn’t throw an interception and his touchdown pass late to Jalen Preston marked the only time the Aggies crossed the goal line in the game.

Earlier this week the Bridgeland product was ask about last year’s game and it wasn’t a very fond recollection.

“My head was spinning a lot last year, trying to figure out what was going on and right now I feel a way better grasp on the offense, knowing what defenses are trying to do to confuse me, and just having a better grasp of all aspects,” said Weigman.

Saturday the Aggies will be looking to win their second straight conference opener. Kickoff is set for 11 AM at Kyle Field. The game will be televised on ESPN.

KBTX will go much more in-depth about the game during its award winning pre game show Aggie Game Day. The show will air from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM on KBTX.

Copyright 2023 KBTX. All rights reserved.

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si.com

 

College football expert picks Auburn +7.5 as one of his locks of the week

Andrew Stefaniak

2–3 minutes

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Andy Staples of On3 picked his week four college football betting locks of the week, and one of them was Auburn to cover the +7.5-point spread against the Texas A&M Aggies. 

This is going to be an excellent opportunity for us to see what this Auburn football team is made of, as it won't be easy to hit the road and win this ball game. 

Some people believe this will be a low-scoring game, which would benefit Auburn's chances of covering this spread and potentially winning this big game on the road. 

It's safe to say Auburn fans don't care about covering as they want to win this game and start SEC play 1-0. Luckily, if Auburn wins this game, they will cover, which would be the best of both worlds. 

If Auburn is able to slow Texas A&M's passing attack, the Tigers have a real shot to go on the road and win this ball game. 

This would be a big signature road win if the Tigers were able to pull this one off. 

 

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auburnwire.usatoday.com

 

Auburn offers elite 2026 wide receiver Naeem Burroughs

JD McCarthy

1–2 minutes

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Naeem Burroughs is just a high school sophomore but he has already emerged as a top recruit in the 2026 cycle and has the scholarship offers to match. He already has over 20 including the likes of Alabama, Georgia and as of Wednesday, he now has one from Auburn.

The four-star prospect announced the news on social media, saying  “AGTG ✞ Blessed to earn a offer from Auburn University!”

Buy Tigers Tickets

Burroughs is from Jacksonville, Florida and is one of 11 wide receivers that Auburn and wide receivers coach Marcus Davis have offered in the 2026 cycle.

He is the No. 44 overall player and No. 6 wide receiver in the 247Sports composite ranking. He is also the No. 7 player from Florida.

The 5-foot-11, 160-pounder’s sophomore season is off to a sensational start for the Bolles High School, catching 19 passes for 346 yards and six touchdowns in four games.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow JD on Twitter @jdmccarthy15.

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247sports.com

 

Jason Caldwells Friday Auburn mailbag column

Jason Caldwell

15–19 minutes

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Thoughts on Auburn-Texas A&M, Payton Thorne and the passing game, and a whole lot more.

Boone91: Two unrelated questions- Is what we've seen from Thorne thus far about what you expected, or do you expect him to improve a lot through the course of the season?

Do you think we have purposely held back some things on the either side of the ball prior to the conference schedule kicking off?

I think they’ve probably held some things back on both sides of the ball, but especially on offense. There is a whole lot more in this offense that can be done. We saw more of it last weekend against Samford, and I think we’ll see a little bit more this week. Won’t surprise me to see a few special sets that we haven’t see this season.

JB33: Over/under on each team's rushing yards for the game - and the likelihood that the teams' ability to run the ball and stop the run will be the most significant factor in the game.

I don’t think there’s any question that forcing a team to be one-dimensional is one of the most important factors in Saturday’s game. Now, both teams may try to throw it more and may seem to rely on the pass, but that’s different than forcing someone to give it up. I think if either team gets to 150 rushing yards then it’s going to be a very big thing for their offense.

Formerlywareagle13: Who has been your favorite player to cover?...in the context of journalism (openness, likabilty, humor, etc)...excluding current players

There have been too many to name, to be honest. We have been fortunate to have a whole lot of really good people to cover over the years that just happened to be good players as well. I’ll tell you one that is back around the program right now, Jason Campbell. A great human being that dealt with some tough times and never let it show. He was good to cover. In basketball, a guy like Derrick Bird just comes to mind. He was outstanding. I have had many, many guys in baseball that I could name. A recent one was Ryan Bliss. Just a great player and person.

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Formerlywareagle13: Of our current commits...who do think is the most underrated...this question is from little13

I would probably go with Bryce Cain. I think he’s legit after watching him play last weekend. He reminds me of Jay Fair and what he’s doing now in this offense. I think Cain is going to be a monster on the next level and has the ability to be a playmaker very early. Another one is Kensley Faustin. I think he could be a Jaylin Simpson-type guy when he gets to Auburn and have that impact as a safety.

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RonfromDHN: Having never been to College Station for a game what’s your assessment of the crowd noise for an 11 AM kick and any potential impacts to us especially on offense?

In my opinion, Texas A&M is one of the least intimidating places to play in terms of noise. I have described it like being in a big beehive. It’s more of a steady dull humming noise when they’re all doing their thing. Now the swaying and chants, that can get to you, but the noise hasn’t really been a factor IMO.

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Tiger82: What do you think will happen with the PAC-02? I kinda think Cal and Stanford should have stayed and invited most of the Mountain West to repopulate the PAC-NN.

They had no choice but to try to leave and join a bigger league. The money wasn’t going to be there if they just made it a bigger Mountain West. Just not enough big name programs to make that a reality. They had to move if they wanted to stay relevant.

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Gtwstock: Are there any true freshmen that haven't seen much of the field that you expect to find a bigger role as the season moves forward?

I think we’ll see Keldric Faulk and Jeremiah Cobb continue to get more and more reps as they go along. Another guy I think could play more is Sylvester Smith. With no Keionte Scott for much of the regular season, Smith could get more of that action inside along with a guy like J.D. Rhym.

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Saniflush: Who do you think are the top two QBs in the SEC? Also, who do think have the top two OLs in the SEC?

Jayden Daniels is definitely one of them. Even though I still think he’s got some issues as well, he’s definitely a playmaker and is throwing the ball pretty darn well. As for the second guy, I would go with either Spencer Rattler or Conner Weigman. Both are physically giften and if they can get some help, both are really good and can make plays. Jaxon Dart has some skills and if he can have a big game against Alabama, he would probably vault to number two. I still have my questions about him too.

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Sparkja: Are you ready to get on board with Auburn finishing 1 or 2 in the West this year?

Arcadia sandcrab: If we drop the game this week, chances for a bowl trip?

Not there yet. If they can go get a win against Texas A&M and do it impressively, I’ll start to think they’ll have a shot to get to 8 wins. It’s just hard for me to think there’s anything more than that on this schedule. Just so many toss-up games. It’s hard to win them all or even most of them. As for a bowl game, Auburn has four wins pretty much wrapped up with Vanderbilt a fifth unless the wheels just fall off. I think finding a sixth should happen as well, even if you don’t win on Saturday.

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Fleagle: Who is the weakest link on Tamu online in pass rush situations? And how do we match up?

They start a pair of true freshmen, or they have this season. That would be my first guess as to the guys you could attack on this offensive line. Auburn’s defensive front just hasn’t had a lot of success getting pressure with the exception of Marcus Harris. He’s the guy that has been the most efficient so far. The key on Saturday may be Jalen McLeod. Auburn needs a edge rusher to step up against this team in the worst way.

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Tommytiger: Jason, do you have a feel for how long Bruce Pearl will coach? I hope he stays a long time. It just seems there’s been more conversation about Steven’s decision to stay at Auburn and maybe replace him one day.

I think Bruce Pearl is one of those guys that loves what he does. He’s 63 years old right now. I could see him coaching 5-7 more years and maybe longer as long as his knees and health holds up.

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Tigerau: Injury update please?

The biggest one is Keionte Scott. We know he’s out after having surgery. I think they are hoping 6-8 weeks for him, which would mean maybe getting back by the end of the season. The good news is that Donovan Kaufman looks like he’s good to go and I expect Nehemiah Pritchett to play as well. Both Kam Stutts and Luke Deal should be ready after rehabbing ankles this week. Izavion Miller was practicing Tuesday and could be available if needed as well. Nick Mardner looks like he’s close to full speed now for the first time since camp ended.

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AuburnForLife1979: With Jarquez seemingly rusty, do you look for Damari Alston to get the bulk of the carries this week? Do you think they’ll let Jeremiah Cobb run some sweeps?

I think we’ll see the hot hand get more work this week. Jeremiah Cobb is going to be involved like he was last week. He’s going to get 7-10 touches IMO. Will be interesting to see how the breakdown goes at running back. A lot of that will depend on having some success. The better you run it, the more carries you’ll have to share.

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AuburnForLife1979: Why hasn’t Camden Brown been targeted in the passing attack this year?

He was injured during preseason camp and is just now getting back to full speed. He was set back some in the spring as well, so he’s going to have to earn his opportunities in practice. I think he’ll get some as the season goes on, but he’s going to have to take advantage of his chances when they come.

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old duffer: How have the new game day on field suites been received by those who use them? If their successful, will we see a quicker stadium renovation with a focus on seating like that like Davis Wade?

I haven’t spoken to anyone personally that has used them, but from what I have seen it sure looks like people are enjoying them. They have already been successful with revenue coming from the corners more than $500,000 from what I have been told. That’s a huge amount for such small areas. There’s no question we’re going to see improvements at Jordan-Hare Stadium fast-tracked IMO. John Cohen, Quentin Riggins and President Roberts aren’t guys that want to sit around and do nothing. It’s going to happen.

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Pm4au: Do you think this oline, comprised of at least 60% new starters and learning a new system, will gel by the end of the season to be the oline that we thought/hoped they would be.

I think as the entire offense continues to come around that the offensive line will continue to show improvements. They’ve done a great job so far of protecting the passer and I believe as Payton Thorne continues to stretch the field in the passing game, it will open up some things on the ground as well. Having Kam Stutts healthy would be a huge part of things as well. He’s been limited each of the last two games.

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Gr8tiger: It seems like Thorne can run the entire package, including RPOs, and has enough speed to keep the defense honest. Since Robby is an athlete with great speed and agility, should he move positions to help the team in your opinion? Also- what in you opinion should be the WR rotation?

I think Robby Ashford is Auburn’s second-best quarterback at the moment and really the only other guy you’ve got with experience. He’s athletic enough to play another position, but that doesn’t mean he would be successful, especially not moving right now. Now, if Thorne has a good season and returns, then I could see something done in the offseason where you have a chance to actually work at something to see what it’s like. Moving Ashford full-time to wide receiver right now makes no sense to me. Just no way to make an impact in that situation. As for the WR rotation, I think Jay Fair, Shane Hooks and Ja’Varrius Johnson are the three top guys at the moment. I’ll be interested to see if they are all on the field together this week at times.

[aubiefifty 18,259]

 

247sports.com

 

PMARSHONAU How Petrino inspired Jason Campbells drive to stardom

Phillip Marshall

6–7 minutes

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Two decades later, former quarterback Jason Campbell still thinks about what might have been had Bobby Petrino stayed at Auburn just a little while longer.

Former head coach Tommy Tuberville had felt compelled to make staff moves after the 2001 season, when a four-win Alabama team visited Jordan-Hare Stadium and won 31-7 to knock Auburn out of the SEC Championship Game. He fired offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone and defensive coordinator John Lovett. He hired Petrino from the Jacksonville Jaguars run the offense and Gene Chizik from Central Florida to run the defense.

Campbell, a 5-star signee out of Taylorsville, Miss.,  had been through an up-and-down 2001 season as a redshirt freshman. He found in Petrino a coordinator he believed in and trusted.

The 2002 Auburn team struggled early but took after Campbell became the starter to finish 9-4. Auburn’s roster was loaded. Campbell and his teammates eagerly looked forward to 2003. But Petrino was named head coach at Louisville and left after Auburn's bowl game.. Offensive line coach Hugh Nall was named offensive coordinator. Steve Ensminger would be the play-caller. A team that Campbell says was significantly more talented than the undefeated 2004 team was ranked No. 6 in the preseason polls but went 8-5.

“I was probably one who suffered from him not being there our junior year,” Campbell says. “He knew how to get us involved in the game. He knew what my talent was. When we got ready to really take the offense to the next level, he was gone.”

The 2003 team had all the players who would go 13-0 in 2004. It also had seniors like Karlos Dansby, Reggie Torbor, D.T. Thomas, Spencer Johnson and others who were on their way to the NFL. But Nall and Ensminger, charged with running Petrino’s offense, struggled to find consistency. More change was coming.

Al Borges took over in 2004, and Campbell and Auburn’s offense took off. He, running back Cadillac Williams, running back Ronnie Brown and cornerback Carlos Rogers were first-round draft picks. Campbell was the SEC Offensive Player of the Year.

Bobby Petrino is in his first season at Texas A&M. (Photo: Sam Craft, Houston Chronicle)

Campbell says asking Nall and Ensminger to run Petrino’s offense was unfair to them.

“You can’t run somebody else’s system and not know how they think about certain things and change certain things,” Campbell says. “We made that mistake, and we paid for it. If Petrino had stayed or Borges had come in a year earlier, I don’t believe we’d have lost more than one game in those two years. We had that type of talent.”

Campbell went on to a 10-year NFL career, and it all started when Petrino came to town. He hopes to see Petrino on Saturday when Auburn goes to Texas A&M. Petrino is the first-year offensive coordinator for the Aggies.

“It was a pro-style offense - lots of run game checks based on if this side is overloaded or that side is overloaded,” Campbell says. “You always had a check that you could get to. His passing game was very precise. Make sure you are going through your progressions. One thing I learned from him was to slide pass protections and those kinds of things. He is hard-nosed. He wants things done a certain way. Off the field, we’d go over to his house. He would cook some steaks and everything. On the football field, he wants things done in the right way.”

Campbell sees similarities between what Petrino does now and what he did at Auburn, but not many. It was always Petrino’s stance that coordinators had to be ready to change or defenses would soon figure them out.

“Some, but not a lot,” Campbell says. "The whole RPO system they run nowadays is different. Back when I was playing, it was a real pro-style offense. We did a lot of things under center. Once he got to Louisville and he had Lamar Jackson, they started doing a lot of RPOs. There are some similarities in the run game. He drops back a lot more in the passing game. Every year you have to continue to grow as the game is changing. He’s so good at what he does that he adapts to what he is going on now.”

Petrino was a rising star when he left Louisville for an abbreviated stay with the Atlanta Falcons and then made Arkansas a contender in the SEC West. His career spiraled downward after he wrecked his motorcycle with a young female staffer riding with him and, after lying about it, admitted an affair. He spent a season at Western Kentucky and then returned to Louisville. He flourished with Jackson at quarterback but hit on hard times after Jackson was gone. He spent three seasons at Missouri State before Jimbo Fisher called him to repair his broken offense.

Jason Campbell was SEC Offensive Player of the Year as a senior. (Photo: Auburn University)

My own experience with Petrino was extremely positive. I enjoyed talking to him about the game and more. He is viewed as abrasive by many, and was before the unfortunate events at Arkansas. But I never found him to be that way.

Campbell, the son of a coach, was not bothered by Petrino’s intensity on the practice field. He embraced it even when Petrino gave him the disappointing news that Cobb would go into the 2002 season as the starter.

“He said ‘I am probably going to start the season off with Daniel,’” Campbell says. “He said ‘You are going to play in a lot of games before you take it over completely.’ He was putting me in a good position. And that’s exactly how it worked out. The things I learned from him and from Coach Borges prepared me for the NFL.”

Today, Campbell is the analyst for Auburn radio broadcasts. Brown is a sideline reporter. Williams is Auburn’s running backs coach. All had long and distinguished NFL careers but never lost their affection for Auburn.

All three were immensely talented, but it was when Petrino arrived that their careers took off. And then he was gone.

[aubiefifty 18,259]

 

al.com

 

Auburn vs. Texas A&M by the numbers

Updated: Sep. 23, 2023, 2:12 a.m.|Published: Sep. 23, 2023, 2:01 a.m.

4–5 minutes

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1. Sports

Auburn vs. Texas A&M by the numbers: Pass less, win more

Auburn safety Jaylin Simpson carries the football after an interception against Samford on Sept. 16, 2023, at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn.(AP Photo/Butch Dill)

By

• Mark Inabinett | minabinett@al.com

Auburn (3-0) at Texas A&M (2-1)

11 a.m. CDT Saturday (ESPN)

Kyle Field in Bryan-College Station, Texas

1 Previous meeting during the poll era between Auburn and Texas A&M in which neither team was ranked – the Tigers’ 13-10 victory last season. In their first 11 meetings in that time period, both teams were ranked four times, Auburn was ranked two other times and Texas A&M was ranked five other times.

2 Forced fumbles and two tackles for loss for Auburn OLB Jalen McLeod against Texas A&M last season. McLeod was playing for Appalachian State at the time, and the Mountaineers upended the Aggies 17-14.

MORE SEC FOOTBALL BY THE NUMBERS:

· TOP 10 FOR WEEK 4

· TOP 10 FROM WEEK 3

3 Consecutive games with an interception for Auburn S Jaylin Simpson. With an interception in each of the Tigers’ first three games this season, Simpson became the first Auburn player to accomplish that feat since Jerraud Powers in 2007. Simpson has five interceptions in his past seven games. In his first 31 games at Auburn, Simpson had one interception. Texas A&M has played four consecutive games against Auburn without throwing an interception.

6 Consecutive Auburn-Texas A&M games have been won by the team that passed the fewest times. Last season, Auburn took a 13-10 victory while passing only 13 times. The streak started after Texas A&M defeated Auburn 29-16 in 2016 even though the Aggies threw 40 passes, five more than the Tigers.

6 Seasons were spent as Auburn’s quarterbacks coach by Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher. Fisher was on the Tigers’ staff from 1993 through 1998.

7 Victories for Texas A&M and six victories for Auburn in the Aggies-Tigers series. Since the Aggies joined the SEC in 2012, Auburn leads the series 6-5.

10 Victories and one loss for Auburn on Sept. 23. Since a 40-7 loss to Ole Miss in Montgomery on Sept. 23, 1949, Auburn has won six consecutive games on the date.

25 Of 29 passes were completed by Texas A&M QB Conner Weigman in the Aggies’ 47-3 victory over Louisiana-Monroe last week – an 86.2 percent completion rate that set a school record (for players with at least 20 passes). Weigman reached 300 passing yards for the second straight week with 337.

30 Consecutive games with at least one reception for Texas A&M WR Ainias Smith, who had seven receptions for 127 yards in last week’s 47-3 victory over Louisiana-Monroe.

52 Victories, 32 losses and five ties for Auburn in their first SEC game in a season. Texas A&M has a 6-5 record in SEC openers.

132 Games have been played by Auburn since it was most recently shut out, the second-longest streak in school history. Auburn’s most recent shutout loss came 49-0 to Alabama on Nov. 17, 2012. Auburn’s record scoring streak lasted 149 games, starting with a 55-16 victory over Richmond on Oct. 4, 1980, and ending with a 17-0 loss to Alabama on Nov. 26, 1992. Auburn’s current scoring streak is the 10th-longest in SEC history, and its record streak is the ninth-longest.

405 Yards of total offense for Auburn QB Payton Thorne in the Tigers’ 45-13 victory over Samford last week. Thorne completed 24-of-32 passes for 282 yards with one TD and two interceptions and ran for 123 yards and two TDs on 11 carries to record the ninth game with more than 400 yards of total offense in school history. The QB had 252 yards of total offense in Auburn’s first two games this season.

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

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.

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[aubiefifty 18,259]

 

[SaltyTiger 8,579]

Thanks for another week of good stuff Fiddy. Time to run over to campus for a quick walk, catch up on gossip at the corner store, then watch us win.

[aubiefifty 18,259]

37 minutes ago, SaltyTiger said:

Thanks for another week of good stuff Fiddy. Time to run over to campus for a quick walk, catch up on gossip at the corner store, then watch us win.

i am more worried than i was as i read on the rant we are now 9 point dogs instead of 7.5...............

[Hank2020 3,358]

1 hour ago, aubiefifty said:

i am more worried than i was as i read on the rant we are now 9 point dogs instead of 7.5...............

That doesn’t mean we got worse in a week. Just having to give more points to get money running AU’s way.

[aubiefifty 18,259]

 

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[aubiefifty 18,259]

 

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