10.18.23 Football Articles

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247sports.com

 

Brown Burton could be more involved in Auburn offense moving forward

Jason Caldwell

4–5 minutes

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Auburn wide receivers Camden Brown and Caleb Burton could get more of a shot.

AUBURN, Alabama—While there has been inconsistency at quarterback and protection issues that have impacted Auburn’s passing game this season, just as much of an issue has been the play of Auburn’s wide receivers. Through six games, Jay Fair leads the team with 21 catches for 232 yards and two touchdowns. He’s the only Auburn wide receiver with more than eight catches on the season and one of just three (Shane Hooks and Ja'Varrius Johnson) that have caught more than three passes.

Preparing to face the No. 12 Ole Miss Rebels this Saturday night at 6 p.m., Auburn’s offense is still searching for the right combination at wide receiver to go along with the right play calls and execution. It’s something that coach Hugh Freeze said makes it tough from play to play because of the lack of consistency across the board for the Tigers.

“It's one thing to go out there and say, hey, I know we can throw a post route,” Freeze said. “Well, great. Who is going to run that post route, and is he gonna run it correctly, and is he able, athletically, to beat this corner if that matchup is there? Who is gonna throw it? Are we good enough to do that and win the game? If we are, we've gotta figure out exactly who those people are. We're having a lot of discussions that go into certain plays, truthfully, that I haven't had a lot of.”

Two players that might have earned more of those opportunities after their play last week are sophomore Camden Brown and redshirt freshman Caleb Burton.

Dealing with an injury that limited him during the spring and throughout much of the summer, Brown is just started to get a feel for the offense and it’s showing up on the field. With two catches for 27 yards last week at LSU, he now has three receptions for 41 yards in Auburn’s last two games. While it’s not earth shattering, it’s a start for an offense that is getting little to no production at the position.

The same is true of Burton. A transfer from Ohio State that didn’t get on campus until the summer, Burton has taken a little longer to transition to a new offense. Last week against LSU, he was also more involved in what the Tigers were doing. Tight end Rivaldo Fairweather believes it’s just the tip of the iceberg for the duo.

“Camden is my boy, so we always put extra work in together and stuff,” Fairweather said. “He’s a great receiver and he will show up in the big moments. Caleb also too. He always doing extra work on the Jugs after practice or on the Monarch when we were in the winter after workouts. Those two guys really put the work in. They’ll show up big coming up in the couple games.

“I always tell them, when they get an opportunity, just run with it. I feel like they’ll be a big part of this offense soon.”

4-star DB Jayden Lewis decommits from Auburn

The Anniston (Ala.) product originally committed to Auburn back in February.

Auburn and defensive back Jayden Lewis are headed in different directions. The 4-star from Anniston (Ala.) announced his decommitment on Tuesday.

Visiting Auburn at the end of January for the big Junior Day, Lewis was the first 2024 commitment that the new staff landed when he chose the Tigers a few days later on Feb. 1. Since his commitment, Lewis took an official visit to Auburn and did not visit any other schools.

Listed at 5-foot-11 and 175 pounds, the industry-generated 247Sports Composite ranks Lewis as the No. 360 player, No. 29 cornerback and No. 19 player from Alabama. 247Sports ranks Lewis as the No. 23 cornerback and No. 16 player from Alabama.

In the 2024 class, Auburn still holds commitments in the secondary from 4-star A’Mon Lane, 4-star Kensley Faustin and 4-star Jalyn Crawford. Auburn's 2024 class remains No. 17 in the 247Sports team recruiting rankings, even with the loss of Lewis.

Auburn remains in pursuit of 5-star Florida State commit KJ Bolden, Miami commit Zaquan Patterson, JUCO safety Laquan Robinson and 3-stars Kaleb Harris and Antonio White. 

Auburn Undercover will continue to update this story.

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si.com

It may not matter who Auburn plays at quarterback vs Ole Miss

Lance Dawe

4–5 minutes

The Tigers' game plan may not require a specific quarterback on Saturday.

There's been a lot of discussion surrounding Auburn's quarterback situation midway through the season.

It doesn't truly feel like an Auburn football season if there isn't.

Michigan State transfer Payton Thorne has really struggled to put things together in his first six games for the Tigers. Auburn can't throw the ball. And a lot of criticism has fallen on his shoulders.

Some fans want Hugh Freeze and Philip Montgomery to turn to Robby Ashford, a dual threat who fits better into the RPO mold Freeze wants his quarterbacks to fill.

They've really only gone to Ashford in awkward, herky-jerky fashion in the middle of drives. It's made the offense look worse at times because of the forced inconsistency.

Hugh Freeze said during a Monday morning press conference that he expects to use both quarterbacks again this weekend against No. 13 Ole Miss.

Whether or not that is true may not matter - whoever lines up to take snaps this weekend could be irrelevant.

Last season Auburn scored 34 points in a 48-34 road loss to Ole Miss. That was the most points the Tigers scored against a Power Five opponent and it's the most they've scored vs the P5 since.

In fact, in Auburn's last 33 games against Power Five competition only five times have the Tigers scored 34 points or more. Offense has been hard to come by.

Maybe examining what happened on the field in Oxford could be important when thinking ahead to this game against the Rebels, who still boast one of the strongest offenses in the SEC.

Robby Ashford completed 8-of-17 passes for 140 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions. However, he had 35 rushing yards and two scores on the ground.

That's what made the Auburn offense go against Ole Miss; the running attack. With the three-headed backfield the Tigers possess, it's hard to believe that they will stray away from trying the Rebels on the ground once again this weekend.

Star tailback Tank Bigsby ran for 179 and two scores while backup Jarquez Hunter had 80 yards of his own. The key to Auburn's scoring success came in the explosive plays. Bigsby had a 50-yard run, Hunter had one of 48 yards, and 22 of Ashford's 35 yards came on a single rush.

There may not be as many long runs against Ole Miss this season, as the Rebels' rush defense has improved (130 rushing yards allowed per conference game this season compared to 183.1 a year ago), but there may still be a strong ground presence for the Tigers. Auburn is 31st nationally in rushes of 10 yards or more (37) and has proven it can get those runs in a variety of ways. Jeremiah Cobb, Brian Battie and Jarquez Hunter should combine for solid results this weekend.

It may be enough to validate whatever decision Freeze makes at quarterback. It simply may not matter much to the game plan.

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247sports.com

A role change at Auburn was one of the better things to happen to JJ Pegues

Jared Redding

7–8 minutes

The Oxford native will be going back to his former college home this weekend.

Believe it or not, the former Oxford High School state champion, Swiss Army knife and 4-star recruit did not start his career off with the hometown Rebels. Between Ole Miss, Alabama and Auburn, J.J. Pegues chose to take his talents to the Plains and sign with Auburn, with Lane Kiffin arriving at Ole Miss a little too late.

His initial role under Gus Malzahn was to basically mirror what he did a OHS in years prior, to be just a primary tight end and a pure do-it-all athlete on the offensive side of the ball. That was until the following season, where his physical growth was needed to play on the defensive line. It was something he wasn't used to, but in hindsight, it helped him realize that it's all about the guys around him.

"It was pretty difficult the first time, just not being familiar with the position and being on offense my whole life," Pegues said.

"God put me in a position where I can choose to be selfish or unselfish for that team. He put in a good position where I am now, and the coaches here and at Auburn did a great job with me, just being able to sprinkle in things and also having like tight end knowledge within the defensive line so I can pick it up quicker and understand it more."

Pegues recorded 16 tackles in 2021, but after Auburn dropped five straight games to end the season, Pegues decided to come home and continue his learning process as a defensive lineman. Midway through his third season being on defense, the learning process hasn't stopped and will never stop.

"I heard one quote where if you feel like you master something, you’ll never get the grow beyond your talent," Pegues said. "I just try to consume everything Coach tells me. I’m kind of glad I didn’t start at the D-Line position because you got some guys that maybe just think they know it all. Coach Joyner does a great job sprinkling in things that help me out."

Through six games, Pegues has racked up 19 tackles including two sacks.

While Pegues was at Auburn, the Tigers won just 12 games combined between the 2020 and 2021 seasons. However, eight of those wins were at home. In 2021, the Ole Miss Rebels that went on to win 10 games suffered one of two regular season losses inside Jordan-Hare Stadium. A big reason for that, aside from significant Ole Miss injuries on offense, was the perhaps one of the best home field advantages in all of college football.

"It’s going to be real loud. They have a great atmosphere. We just have to have great communication and have little keys for offense and defense and get a win," Pegues said.

"No matter our record was (while at Auburn) or the score, we felt like at home we could go undefeated there. They’re trying to find things on the offensive and defensive side, but they’re going to have the crowd and the energy with them. Our mindset is to treat it like any other game, use the crowd as our energy and juice and get a dub."

Kickoff for Saturday's game at Auburn is set for 6 p.m. CT and can be seen on ESPN or listened to on the Ole Miss Radio Network. Inside the Rebels will be on site to provide notes, facts, observations and more.

"Coach was talking to me and told me to read it like any other game and any other week, go out there and dominate and be you. It’s going to be a lot of emotions coming in, but at the end of the day, it’s a hostile environment and we got to get a win," Pegues said.

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247sports.com

PMARSHONAU Freeze leaves his comfort zone in search of answers

Phillip Marshall

4–5 minutes

I have seen it so many times. A defense starts out the season on fire. The offense struggles. If the offense doesn’t get over those struggles, sooner or later the defenses loses its juice, too. And that, it seems to me, is what first-year Auburn coach Hugh Freeze is trying to avoid.

His defense is as thin as a defense can be. Three of the Tigers’ top players are sidelined with injuries, and there was little depth before they were hurt. Others are playing with pain. That’s why depth is so important in college football, and Auburn does not have it on defense. It will be better when Nickel Keonte Scott and linebacker Austin Keys return. But defensive end Mosiah Nasili-Kite, a big-time run-stopper, is out for the season.

So it is that Freeze has left his comfort zone. The uptempo-RPO offense that got him where he is now is what he prefers to run and eventually will run. But doing that now would put immense pressure on the defense and force an already paper-thin unit to play more snaps.

Freeze has made it clear a number of times that he is not comfortable playing the way Auburn has played offense most of this season. But he has also made it clear the last two weeks that trying to get into a shootout with Ole Miss or LSU would play into their hands.

Maybe he’s playing a mind game. Maybe he intends to crank it up against Ole Miss at Jordan-Hare Stadium. I doubt it, but who knows? I would be more inclined to believe Auburn will play more uptempo but not go all-in.

The thing is that being successful with an uptempo offense means making first downs on offense and getting off the field on defense. That has been problematic.

A growing number of fans are clamoring for Robby Ashford to replace Thorne at quarterback. Whether that happens or not, it won’t be because of Twitter and message boards. Freeze said Monday he expected both quarterbacks to play against Ole Miss. He did not, however, specifically say Thorne would be the starter.

Freeze made a point that he has made before. Struggles in the passing game are not all on the shoulders of the quarterbacks.

And so it goes. It’s easy to look at changing quarterbacks as an answer to Auburn’s ills. It isn’t. Maybe Ashford would play better. He certainly is a fierce competitor. But he hasn’t thrown many passes. Two of the four he threw at LSU were 3-yard completions. He made a terrific throw to tight end Brandon Frazier. Thorne led two long touchdown drives and threw a terrific pass to receiver Jay Fair.

Clearly, Ashford is a more explosive running threat. Thorne, despite losing 79 yards in sacks, is Auburn’s leading rusher. Thorne has completed more than 60 percent of his passes on 117 of 172. Ashford has thrown just 22 passes and completed 50 percent.

The result of all that is playing two quarterbacks. Every coach would prefer to have a quarterback who can do it all and is replaced only at mopup time. Auburn is not there.

First seasons can be rough. Sometimes not-first seasons are rough. I watched Auburn lose 34-7 at Georgia with Nick Marshall at quarterback. I watched Auburn lose 48-7 at Florida with Stan White at quarterback. I watched Auburn lose 56-10 at Florida with Dameyune Craig at quarterback. I watched Auburn lose 41-7 at home to Nebraska with Randy Campbell at quarterback. I saw Auburn lose 36-16 to Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl a month after Bo Jackson won the Heisman Trophy. I saw Auburn lose to a four-win Alabama team 31-7 at home in 2001. All of those Auburn teams were pretty good.

The truth is, despite struggles on offense, Auburn was competitive at Texas A&M and oh so close to pulling off a victory to remember against No. 1 Georgia at home. It wasn’t that way in a 48-18 loss to LSU just like it wasn’t that way for USC in a 48-20 loss at Notre Dame.

Games like that happen. They just do. That doesn’t mean the season is over or that the beaten team will continue to play that way in games to come.

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al.com

Auburn football practice indicates pair of injured defenders are trending in the right direction

Published: Oct. 17, 2023, 5:14 p.m.

~3 minutes

Hugh Freeze addresses the media Monday morning on Auburn’s loss to LSU; previews game vs. Ole Miss

Though it’s unclear how much — if any — either Austin Keys or Keionte Scott will participate in Saturday’s upcoming game against No. 13 Ole Miss, if Tuesday afternoon’s practice was any indication, it appears both Auburn defenders are trending in the right direction.

Keys, an Ole Miss transfer linebacker, suffered a thumb injury that required surgery in the first game of the season against UMass. He’s been very limited ever since and Tuesday afternoon was the first time Keys participated in practice after getting his cast removed.

“Austin Keys, I know he got out of his cast,” Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze said Monday. “I do not think he will be back this week but is getting closer.”

While Keys was without a non-contact jersey on Tuesday, his right thumb still remained heavily wrapped.

Meanwhile, after having tight-rope surgery on Sept. 18 to treat a high-ankle sprain sustained early in the game against Samford, Scott — a junior defensive back — returned to action on Tuesday afternoon. Scott did not wear a non-contact jersey.

Freeze said Monday that he was hoping to get good news on Scott, adding that “he makes a huge difference in our leadership.”

Again, it’s unclear if Keys and Scott’s participation in Tuesday’s practice indicates that both or either of them will be available against the Rebels Saturday night. Though it goes without saying, the availability of either of them would be huge considering the up-tempo tendencies of the Ole Miss offense.

Veteran safety Jaylin Simpson — who dealt with a calf injury last week but played some against LSU — was said to still not be 100% on Monday, but was still a full participant during the open period of Tuesday’s practice.

On the offensive side of the practice field, sophomore running back Damari Alston still sported a yellow, non-contact jersey and wore protection on his upper right arm/shoulder after suffering a dislocated shoulder in the first half against Texas A&M.

When asked for injury updates on Monday, Freeze didn’t sound like he was holding his breath on Alston’s return.

“It does not look good for Damari (Alston),” Freeze said.

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al.com

Hugh Freeze, Auburn set to host pair of 5-star WRs during Saturday night’s game vs. Ole Miss

Updated: Oct. 17, 2023, 12:28 p.m.|Published: Oct. 17, 2023, 12:25 p.m.

3–4 minutes

Hugh Freeze clarifies comment on Auburn/Georgia rivalry, discusses where Tigers stand entering bye

In a recent visit with the Monday Morning Quarterback Club in Mobile, Ala., Auburn first-year head coach Hugh Freeze was asked which position group he was prioritizing the most on the recruiting trail.

Freeze didn’t skip a beat when he gave his answer.

“We’ve gotta get some guys in the receiver room – some depth there that can separate and win some 1-on-1s,” Freeze said on Oct. 2.

Freeze’s commitment to prioritizing wide receivers on the recruiting trail came on the heels of Auburn’s near-upset over the top-ranked Georgia Bulldogs on Sept. 30. Auburn’s 27-20 loss to Georgia saw the Tigers’ wide receiver corps neglect to haul in a handful of passes that Freeze thought “could’ve gone either way.”

Of the nine incompletions quarterback Payton Thorne threw against Georgia, six hit the hands of his target.

And as evident by a pair of visitors set to be at Jordan-Hare Stadium as Auburn hosts No. 13 Ole Miss on Saturday night, it’s clear Freeze isn’t backing off his pursuit of some of the top wide receiver recruits in the country.

Saraland High School’s 5-star wide receiver Ryan Williams — the top-ranked wide receiver in the 2025 recruiting class and the best prospect in the state of Alabama — is planning on attending Auburn’s game vs. Ole Miss on Saturday night, Auburn Undercover’s Christian Clemente reported Monday.

Though Williams has been committed to Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide since Oct. 8, 2022, he hasn’t been a stranger to shopping around. Holding offers from the likes of Georgia, Texas, Oregon, USC, Colorado and Auburn, among many others, Williams has been sure to take his visits.

When Williams comes to The Plains this weekend, however, it’ll be his fourth visit and second in three weeks as Williams was one of countless recruits on hand for Auburn’s game against Georgia.

Should Freeze and the Tigers earn the commitment of Williams, Auburn will have successfully flipped two 5-star wide receivers away from the Crimson Tide. Perry Thompson, a 5-star receiver out of Foley, Ala., spurned Alabama and flipped to Auburn back in late July.

Set to join Williams on The Plains this weekend is fellow class of 2025 5-star receiver Caleb Cunningham, who comes by way of Choctaw County High School in Ackerman, Miss. Cunningham ranks as third-best receiver in his class and the top-ranked recruit in the entire state of Mississippi, according to 247Sports.

Unlike Williams, though Cunningham boasts similar offers from programs like Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Georgia and Ole Miss, the Magnolia State native has yet to pledge to a program.

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247sports.com

To tempo or not to tempo that is the question for Auburn offense

Jason Caldwell

4–5 minutes

AUBURN, Alabama—It’s no secret that Auburn coach Hugh Freeze has cut his teeth on playing fast and using the RPO game to put up yards and points on offense. That’s his history and what he wants this program to be in the future on the Plains, but to this point in the season it has been far from what the Tigers have done on that side of the ball.

With a defense that was already short on depth becoming thinner by the week, Freeze and offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery have dialed back what they’ve done on that side of the ball in terms of tempo. Unfortunately, that hasn’t helped the Auburn offense find any rhythm for much of the season with the group currently ranked 102nd nationally in total offense and 76th in scoring offense.

That came to a head early on Saturday night when LSU jumped out to a quick 17-0 lead in Baton Rouge thanks to going three and out on the first two drives and losing eight yards thanks to penalties.

Auburn did find some tempo during the second and third quarters, and found some success on that side of the ball in the meantime. Going 75 yards in eight plays and using just 2:53 off the clock, Auburn scored its first touchdown of the game on a short run by Jarquez Hunter after Payton Thorne completed 2-4 passes for 27 yards on the drive and also added a 16-yard run.

To start the second half, Ashford led a 55-yard drive for a field goal before Thorne had another strong drive, completing 4-5 passes to lead the Tigers down the field before Ashford threw to Brandon Frazier for the short touchdown.

It was a small sample size, but it was a sign that playing faster could help this offense find some footing heading into the second half of the season. Freeze said that’s one thing that factors in, but so does a defense that needs all the help it can get.

“I probably wouldn't be sitting here today if it wasn't for tempo offense and the RPO world,” Freeze said. “So it's a very uncomfortable feeling for me to not be in that world. We are very, very, very thin. You get in that kind of game with LSU, and this week with Ole Miss, they want that kind of game. They thrive in that kind of game.

“I just don't know -- it's not working right now the whole other way, either. It's a struggle if you say hey, let's just go fast and see if we can do that. Then you're asking Marcus Harris to play 80 snaps a game because of just depth issues. Not just Marcus but other defensive linemen. I'm not sure that's smart either. We're still kind of debating that and whether that's the right approach.”

No matter if Auburn plays slow or fast, executing the offense is still the biggest issue for the Tigers at the moment. Whether it’s a throw that’s off the mark, a route that isn’t executed correctly, a protection issue, or just not catching the ball, Freeze said it’s everything and everyone on the offense at the moment.

“I want to be clear,” Freeze said. “It's not just the quarterback who makes the passing game go. It's the protection, it's the routes, it's the correct routes. We had some inconsistencies at the quarterback spot on throws. We almost came back from those two mishaps on the first possession.

“We complete a pass and then we throw another one to Luke Deal, who's wide open, and we missed the throw. There was great protection; the route was good. And then there's others where the route may be a little deep, and the ball is coming out --- the timing, it should. It's a combination but the passing game is still inconsistent.”

Auburn takes on the No. 12 Ole Miss Rebels at 6 p.m. on Saturday night at Jordan-Hare Stadium. The game can be seen on ESPN.

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al.com

Auburn’s Hugh Freeze holds back comments on facing Ole Miss after scandal-ridden exit

Published: Oct. 17, 2023, 6:25 a.m.

4–6 minutes

Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze watches as his offense runs a play against Texas A&M during the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023, in College Station, Texas. (AP Photo/Sam Craft)AP

Several times, Hugh Freeze seemed on the verge of making a comment Monday about the unceremonious and controversial end to his tenure as the Ole Miss head coach. Sometimes, it doesn’t take much translating or reading between the lines to figure out exactly what Freeze means. But he left a lot more in the air Monday.

“I have a lot of friends there and a lot of people that I think appreciate the good things that we did and certainly wish that some things were different at the ending, just like I do,” Freeze said. “But I think time, I mean time —”

And Freeze cut himself off. Based on his remark leading up to that point, it appeared as if Freeze would comment on if time had mended a bridge.

“We’re, what, 7-8 years now removed from my seasons there,” Freeze said instead.

Then, he cut himself off again in the next sentence.

“So I think most people have—,” Freeze stopped himself. “I don’t know, I’ve got a lot of friends there.”

Again, he seemed on the verge of saying something to the effect of people moving on. He cut himself off twice before potentially making a larger comment on his scandal-ridden end at Ole Miss.

Freeze’s resignation from Ole Miss in 2016 came on the heels of a report Freeze used a school-issued cellphone to call a phone number associated with an escort service. It was reported Freeze had a “pattern of misconduct.”

Freeze, understandably, has been very touchy on this subject. He wears an Auburn logo on his chest now and will face Ole Miss for the first time since he returned to the SEC when the team now led by head coach Lane Kiffin comes to Jordan-Hare Stadium for a 6 p.m. kickoff Saturday.

Back at SEC Media Days in July, Freeze referred to his time at Ole Miss and “the way it ended” with nothing more specific.

“As time passes and things tend to settle back in and you work through -- I tell people all the time, I think that one of the greatest judges of people, and our players included and the people I come in contact with, are when you experience disappointment, failure, whether it was of your own doing or whether it was circumstances that come into your life,” Freeze said in July at SEC Media Days. “Those are tough circumstances, but how a person responds to those and reacts to those probably tells you more about them than the successes do.”

Freeze has been known to let out remarks he probably should not. Many times in press conferences, Freeze has said he is “too candid.” During Auburn’s bye week, Freeze’s presently unfounded comments about the future of the Auburn-Georgia rivalry caught some attention. He suggested the series’ annual matchups could be coming to an end with the future changes of the SEC schedule as the league expands.

The SEC has not yet made a decision on the format for the schedule after the 2024 season. Freeze later clarified his comments to say he had no inside information, but just hopes the league protects the rivalries that fans enjoy.

But on Monday when discussing his end at Ole Miss, he stopped himself before he could say anything.

Freez has never commented on whether this game means anything more to him. But it won’t be his first time facing Ole Miss since he left. Freeze played Ole Miss in Oxford, Mississippi in 2021 as Liberty’s head coach. Ole Miss won 27-14. He said he and is wife talked about that game in advance of this weekend’s matchup.

“Jill and I actually talked about that because that removes the hey, this is your first time playing Ole Miss since your departure from there,” Freeze said Monday. “And so I think it’s very helpful. That was an emotional day originally because I was truthfully overwhelmed by —. "

Freeze cut himself off again.

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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[Gowebb11 9,882]

47 minutes ago, aubiefifty said:

Auburn’s Hugh Freeze holds back comments on facing Ole Miss after scandal-ridden exit

 

48 minutes ago, aubiefifty said:

Freeze cut himself off again.

I continue to hope Auburn can one day get a beat writer that is decent. This Cohen guy cannot get through an article without some smug dramatic comment or headline. Even when our punter won player of the week for his punts vs Georgia he made sure to include that he benefitted from some lucky rolls. 

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3 minutes ago, Gowebb11 said:

 

I continue to hope Auburn can one day get a beat writer that is decent. This Cohen guy cannot get through an article without some smug dramatic comment or headline. Even when our punter won player of the week for his punts vs Georgia he made sure to include that he benefitted from some lucky rolls. 

yeah he used to be real bad and has toned down. but many of the places i used to get stories from want money and i love you guys but not that much. grins...........they are free and i will take what i can find. there was very little on youtube which surprises me. have a good one.

[Gowebb11 9,882]

3 hours ago, aubiefifty said:

yeah he used to be real bad and has toned down. but many of the places i used to get stories from want money and i love you guys but not that much. grins...........they are free and i will take what i can find. there was very little on youtube which surprises me. have a good one.

I always appreciate you sharing these articles @aubiefifty. I know it is a lot of work and time and is much appreciated. I was just sharing my comment on the author’s approach. 

[SaltyTiger 8,579]

Thanks Fiddy. Missed you early morning. List of honey dos required running out early. Was not a happy camper.

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al.com

Auburn football keeps making the same repetitive mistakes on offense. Why?

Published: Oct. 18, 2023, 6:26 a.m.

5–6 minutes

Auburn wide receiver Shane Hooks (3) leaps in vain for a pass over LSU cornerback Zy Alexander (24) in the first half of an NCAA college football game in Baton Rouge, La., Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)AP

After virtually every poor Auburn passing performance, head coach Hugh Freeze has blamed a larger scope of problems than just the quarterback. He’s blamed coaching not being good enough, players lined up in the wrong places, incorrect protection schemes and failure to run the right route.

Auburn is going into its seventh game and still hasn’t worked out these kinks.

“It’s one thing to go out there and say, hey, I know we can throw a post route,” Freeze said Monday. “Well, great. Who is going to run that post route, and is he gonna run it correctly, and is he able, athletically, to beat this corner if that matchup is there? Who is gonna throw it? Are we good enough to do that and win the game? If we are, we’ve gotta figure out exactly who those people are. We’re having a lot of discussions that go into certain plays, truthfully, that I haven’t had a lot of.”

Auburn’s total offense is ranked 100 out of 130 teams. Its passing offense is among the nation’s 10 worst. Auburn is last in the SEC in scoring offense, last in the league for yards per completion and second to last in third down conversion rate. Auburn hadn’t thrown for 100 yards against a Power 5 opponent until last weekend’s 48-18 loss to LSU.

Freeze has said these recurring faults would be addressed in previous practices, addressed in the bye week and once again addressed this week before Auburn plays Ole Miss at 6 p.m. Saturday in Jordan-Hare Stadium.

He and Auburn players have both said they’ve felt the team has practiced well overall, but that isn’t translating over to games. Left tackle Dillon Wade suggested the struggles Auburn has had weren’t entirely surprising.

“Some of the things have shown up in practice,” Wade said Tuesday. “I didn’t think they were going to be as big of a disadvantage as they were. I’m not going to say I can see the future, but it was kind of apparent things were going to happen.”

Part of the problem, players believe, has been the process of learning an entirely new scheme and playbook quickly during fall camp and doing so with at least 40 new players on this roster.

Wade said not being on the same page as the rest of his offensive line — which is currently starting four transfers — has led to the protection issues.

Tight end Rivaldo Fairweather said to unlock the passing offense, Auburn receivers need to run the right routes and trust the coaches. He said the pass catchers don’t all understand how to adjust their routes against certain coverage types. But now in Week 8, Fairweather said while he’s surprised the offense has struggled this much, he believes Auburn is close to figuring things out.

“It’s not a difficult playbook to learn,” Fairweather said. “It’s pretty easy. We all just have to spend more time studying, watching film and stuff. Knowing when to do stuff versus certain coverages and stuff. But like I said, this is the week where we really got to show the world we have a passing offense, and I believe we will.”

None of these fixes are drastic changes, nor does Freeze have any plans make a larger change. But he is considering slightly altering his scheme.

Freeze has found his way to two SEC head jobs based on his previous successes as an offensive-minded coach. He did that with his run-pass-option style and playing at a high pace.

Auburn ran a bit of that up-tempo style Freeze likes toward the end of the LSU loss, and found some success passing the ball with quarterback Payton Thorne in that stretch.

The problem here lies in Freeze doesn’t feel he has the personnel to run that for a whole game. He also believes it would leave his defense out on the field for far too many plays per game.

So while tempo may be what he wants, he isn’t sure he can do it. It’s conundrum after connundrum.

“So it’s a very uncomfortable feeling for me to not be in that world,” Freeze said. “it’s not working right now the whole other way, either. It’s a struggle if you say hey, let’s just go fast and see if we can do that. Then you’re asking Marcus Harris to play 80 snaps a game because of just depth issues. Not just Marcus but other defensive linemen. I’m not sure that’s smart either. We’re still kind of debating that and whether that’s the right approach.”

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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l.com

Auburn opens competition at RT; is dealing with health concerns along O-Line

Updated: Oct. 18, 2023, 1:25 p.m.|Published: Oct. 18, 2023, 1:08 p.m.

3–4 minutes

Auburn Football

Auburn’s Hugh Freeze talks ‘open competition’ at RT; says offensive line’s health ‘isn’t great’

Hugh Freeze addresses the media Monday morning on Auburn’s loss to LSU; previews game vs. Ole Miss

The Auburn Tigers might be shaking things up along the offensive line, head coach Hugh Freeze revealed Wednesday morning during the SEC Coaches’ Teleconference.

Jaden Muskrat, a junior Tulsa transfer, appeared at right tackle in Auburn’s game against LSU last Saturday in an effort that pleased Freeze.

“Thought he played really well and finished the game well,” Freeze said of Muskrat. “I will say they had some backups in towards the end of the game and sometimes that makes a difference, but I thought he did really well.”

Muskrat entered the game to relieve JUCO product Izavion ‘Too Tall’ Miller, who has been a staple along the Auburn offensive line all season.

When asked who on the offensive line stood out during fall camp, Freeze was always quick to drop Miller’s name.

“His body has changed since he got here, and he’s stood out all camp,” Freeze said in August. “We can’t keep him off the field. He’s going to have to play.”

However, the 6-foot-5, 318-pound offensive linemen has seemingly struggled with his transition into the SEC, which is indicated by his 57.8 offensive grade, according to Pro Football Focus. Miller’s grade ranks 389th out of the 594 total offensive tackles studied by PFF.

After Muskrat impressed in Baton Rouge, Freeze says there’s been a lot of eyes locked on the right tackle position this week.

“This week, we’re kinda having an open competition there for (Muskrat) and Too Tall,” Freeze said.

Muskrat arrived on The Plains in May, joining offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery and fellow offensive lineman Dillon Wade from Tulsa.

During his time at Auburn, Muskrat has been highly regarded for his versatility, which Freeze again mentioned Wednesday.

“He’s getting reps – probably too many in practice right now – at different spots,” Freeze said.

And whether it’s at right tackle or somewhere else along the offensive line, Auburn will need both Miller and Muskrat available, Freeze said, adding that both first-year Tigers will see time on Saturday as Auburn hosts No. 13 Ole Miss.

“It’s not great,” Freeze said when asked about the offensive line’s health. ”We’ve got two that we’ve kinda had to sit out this week for practice in hopes they can play, which is never a good thing. I mean, they’re out there, but they can’t really get good work in.

“I’m sure everybody has got some of that going on, but we’re thin at a lot of places and I think it is affecting the way we practice some and I think that shows up some on Saturday’s, unfortunately.”

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al.com

Auburn safety Jaylin Simpson named first-team AP midseason All-American

Published: Oct. 18, 2023, 1:15 p.m.

~2 minutes

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)

Auburn safety Jaylin Simpson was named to the Associated Press midseason first-team All-American group after his ball-hawking play on the back end of Auburn’s defense to begin the 2023 season.

Simpson is tied for fourth in the nation with four interceptions, one behind the national lead. He very nearly got another interception during the first half against LSU as he got his hands on a ball that wound up being tipped into the air and was picked off by cornerback D.J. James.

Auburn’s defense has been the team’s strength in what’s thus far been a topsy-turvy season, and Simpson has been its best player.

He was one of five fifth-year players selected to the first team.

Simpson was the only Auburn player selected to the midseason group.

He is working his way back to full health, head coach Hugh Freeze said during a press conference Monday, but played against LSU at less than 100%.

Auburn will host Ole Miss at 6 p.m. Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

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

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al.com

Hugh Freeze said Auburn looked like 'zombies' vs. LSU. But how do the Tigers fix it?

Published: Oct. 18, 2023, 6:00 a.m.

5–7 minutes

The Auburn football team were dead men walking in Baton Rouge on Saturday night against No. 22 LSU.

After LSU’s offense shot 75 yards down the field in just four plays and took an early 7-0 lead against Auburn, Payton Thorne and the Auburn offense got off to a start that would’ve been deemed disastrous anywhere – but certainly in a place like LSU’s Death Valley.

Auburn’s first play from scrimmage didn’t even get off before it was whistled for a false start.

Despite playing behind the sticks, Auburn managed to get itself into a third-and-manageable situation, only for an errant snap to go ricocheting off Thorne’s unexpecting hands for a loss of 12 yards, forcing Auburn to punt it away.

“We looked like zombies a bit on the sideline after that,” Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze said on Monday.

And though it’s said to never rain at LSU’s Tiger Stadium, meaning snow would be hard to come by, it didn’t stop Auburn’s lack of effort, intensity and passion from snowballing out of control on Saturday night.

As game clock continued to expire and the game’s end neared, Freeze wore his emotions on his sleeve.

Freeze will tell you he wasn’t angry in the final moments of Saturday’s game as he’s not sure “anger is the right response”. And because he “understands this game”, Freeze wasn’t heartbroken at Saturday’s result either.

“I certainly wasn’t happy. Whether you call it sad, angry, or whatever, I was definitely not happy,” Freeze said. “It’s disappointing for sure, not to compete any better than we did.”

Auburn lost to No. 22 LSU 48-18 on Saturday night, keeping Freeze and the Tigers from winning their first conference game of the season and dropping Auburn to 3-3 on the year with its three losses coming in order.

The 48 points Jayden Daniels and the LSU offense dropped was the most Auburn had ever allowed against the Bayou Bengals.

It was a failure on all accounts for Auburn.

“They played harder, which is embarrassing and hurtful to say,” Freeze said of LSU on Monday. “It’s one thing for a team to have more talent, but I didn’t think we showed up with the right energy and drive and competitive spirit, and that lies in my lap.”

Hearing Freeze take responsibility for the intangibles Auburn lacked against LSU should be well-received by Auburn fans – especially on the heels of a former coaching staff that maybe didn’t take long looks in the mirror when it needed to.

But because Freeze can’t throw on an Auburn jersey on Saturdays, him taking accountability only helps if paired with his players taking accountability – and that only happens if Saturday’s showing digs at Auburn’s players the same way it dug at Freeze towards the end of Saturday’s game.

In the case of senior linebacker Wesley Steiner, Saturday was maddening.

“It was embarrassing to watch. I was slightly disappointed with our response to being down,” Steiner said. “It was righteous indignation.”

Fortunately for Auburn, it sounds like Freeze might’ve given the team an earful.

Veteran cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett told reporters Tuesday that Freeze “definitely harped on” Auburn’s lack of effort against LSU.

Meanwhile, freshman defensive end Keldric Faulk — who started his first game for Auburn against LSU — said it was one of the first thing players on defense addressed in their group text chain.

“We just said that we need to practice like we are champions,” Faulk told reporters Tuesday. “We need to come in and practice like we can go out there and win these games.”

In comparison to the practices leading up to the Georgia game on Sept. 30, Faulk said the defense was buzzing with energy and flying to the ball. But after the bye week and during the week of preparing for LSU, “it kinda went flat,” Faulk said.

But talking about a fix only does so much without action.

“We’re trying to get that energy back,” Faulk said.

And that starts during practice on Tuesday.

“(Coach Freeze) said we’ve gotta bring more intensity on the sidelines,” Auburn tight end Rivaldo Fairweather said. “So we’re gonna try to make sure we do that today in practice.”

Fortunately for Auburn, while it works to iron out the wrinkles it has in the morale department, playing back at Jordan-Hare Stadium this week is bound to help.

“We were away, so we didn’t have the home advantage this time so it kinda brought people down just seeing the crowd cheer for other people on the other team,” Fairweather said. “But we’re back at home this week, so we’re going to be good and we’re going to bring the intensity.”

But that’s only a temporary fix to a problem that can quickly snowball out of control – much like it did in Baton Rouge – and cause long-term side effects.

“You don’t want to have to — every time you lose a game — ask what we’re going to do to finish the year,” Freeze said.

“Hopefully, we have enough players that lead well enough that we see another opportunity to represent each other and our university and another step toward hopefully getting better as program, but how we prepare this week will show on Saturday. It always does, and that will be the message.”

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247sports.com

Are Auburn players surprised with offense's issues? 'You practice how you play'

Nathan King

5–6 minutes

Being the SEC’s worst offense wasn’t exactly the goal for Hugh Freeze and his staff at midseason.

But the Tigers are dead-last in the conference in scoring, second-to-last in yards per game, and last in passing efficiency as they enter the second half of their 2023 regular season — which kicks off Saturday night with their third straight ranked opponent, No. 13 Ole Miss.

Still searching for its first SEC victory — sitting at 0-3 in the league for the first time since 2012 — Auburn hasn’t exactly had an easy run of things in the early stages of the Freeze era. On the road against Texas A&M and LSU, and at home against two-time defending national champion Georgia, not many expected Auburn to win any of those games. The smallest point spread of the bunch was 9.5 in favor of Texas A&M.

But after failing to score an offensive touchdown in College Station, there were glimpses of improvement for the Tigers on offense when No. 1 Georgia needed a late touchdown to win in Jordan-Hare Stadium. Few of those strides seem to carry over into last Saturday night’s game against LSU, though, when Auburn punted on six of its first eight drives and didn’t score its second touchdown until the fourth quarter. In 16 quarters against Power Five opposition this season, Auburn’s offense has just six touchdowns.

The primary concerns have fallen on the passing game, where, Freeze and coordinator Philip Montgomery’s run-pass option scheme, Michigan State transfer quarterback Payton Thorne and his pass-catchers have struggled mightily. Thorne is the SEC’s worst starting quarterback in a number of statistical areas, including yards per attempt and QBR.

For Auburn’s players, though — who have been repping within this first-year offensive scheme since early August — has the lack of execution in games been a surprise? Or were there already red flags?

“They say you practice how you play,” left tackle Dillon Wade said Tuesday. “Some of the things have shown up in practice. I didn't think they were going to be as big of a disadvantage as they were. I'm not going to say I can see the future, but it was kind of apparent things were going to happen. We can get better. They're not things that are unfixable; it's small things.

Part of the frustrations, as Freeze has touched on a few times this season, is that Thorne and his receivers have had crisp practices, and the Tigers have felt their preparation has been adequate. In the LSU game, for example, Auburn had a number of “baffling” errors, Freeze said, that caused three-and-outs on the team’s first two possessions. LSU took advantage by grabbing a 17-0 advantage in the first quarter and putting Auburn on its heels quickly.

“Kind of,” tight end Rivaldo Fairweather said when asked the same question about practice vs. in-game execution. “A little bit. We really showed that we could really throw the ball in practice. We really executed. But when we get to the game, stuff just doesn’t go the right way sometimes. But we’re going to be fine. I know that we’re going to be explosive coming soon in the next game.”

Many have called for more playing time for backup quarterback Robby Ashford, though Freeze has indicated there won’t be any “earth-shaking” personnel changes this week for the Ole Miss matchup. And as Freeze has reiterated, it’s more than just quarterback play that’s to blame for the passing game’s deficiencies.

Freeze wondered aloud Monday if Auburn’s offensive scheme is working properly, or if that’s not “who we are.” It’s difficult to make large-scale offensive fixes in the middle of a season. How can the players do their part in that regard?

“Now it's crunch time, you know?” Wade said. “When you lose a game, usually a team falls apart. We need to come together and be stronger as a unit. I see a lot of off-the-field bonding, a lot of on-field, extra work getting in. The more time we spend with each and the more connections we get, the better we'll play.”

The Tigers shared their confidence Tuesday that those improvements will soon come to pass. They probably need to, in some fashion, if Auburn is going to keep pace with Ole Miss and the nation’s No. 8 scoring offense.

“Just trust in our teammates, trust in the coaches,” Fairweather said. “Trust in the plan they got for us and the game plan. … We just started (the Ole Miss game plan) yesterday. It’s some really good plays in there that we could be explosive with. So just trusting our quarterbacks and the quarterbacks trusting in us because I know they do. We just got to go out there and execute.”

Kickoff in Jordan-Hare Stadium is set for 6 p.m. CDT on ESPN.