9/20/22 Auburn articles

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Auburn looks to get back to its 'identity as an offense' with Missouri coming to town

Jason Caldwell

3-4 minutes

AUBURN, Alabama—Through three games, Auburn running backs Tank Bigsby, Jarquez Hunter and Damari Alston have combined to run the ball 66 times for 377 yards and seven touchdowns. On the surface those numbers look good, but when you break them down that averages out to just 22 total carries per game for the trio of backs in an offense designed to be physical and run the ball first to set things up.

Trailing just 14-6 at the half, Auburn was still in a position to run the entire offense, but they bailed on the ground game early. With Penn State forcing the issue by stacking the line of scrimmage, the Tigers turned to the passing game early and often in the loss. Harsin said that’s a product of adjusting to what the defense shows you, something that is part of a plan you have going into each game depending on the looks you get.

“We want to run the football, but every game is different,” Harsin said. “You guys don't sit in the meetings and all that and look at the game plan and what they're trying to do, too. There's really very little understanding of what their defense was trying to get done as well. That dictates the game.

“We can run into 9-10 guys sometimes if we need to, but our coaches, that's why we put together game plans. You have your openers, you have your plays you want to hit in the first half. That's exactly what we tried to do. If we execute some of those plays, it's going to look a lot different at the end of the day.”

Even though the defense dictates what you can do offensively during a game, Auburn senior offensive tackle Austin Troxell said in the end they’ve got to be able to line up and run the ball no matter the situation.

“It’s huge for our offense, the run game and being physical up front,” Troxell said. “That’s our offense. We should be able to run the ball against any defense and go from there. That’s our identity as an offense and that’s what we want to be as an offensive line is to be able to run the ball consistently no matter what looks we’re getting.”

With the TIgers opening SEC play this Saturday against Missouri and still plenty of football left in the 2022 season, Troxell said all you can do is get back to work on the next week and work on improving.

13COMMENTS

“We’ve just got to flush it,” Troxell said. “Learn from it. That’s what we did yesterday, watched the film, corrected it on the field. You’ve got to learn from it, flush it and move on. This league is really competitive. It’s the toughest league in college football.

“You can’t let a team beat you twice and that’s what we’re focusing on. We’ve gotta bounce back. We’ve got good leadership, like I said. I’ve got all the faith in the world in this team. And we know what we can do. We’ve just got to go out there and execute.”

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Bryan Harsin delivers canned answer about Missouri being a ‘must-win’ game

Keith Farner

1-2 minutes

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Bryan Harsin is dealing with increased pressure as Auburn is trying to bounce back from a difficult loss to Penn State

“I would categorize every Saturday as a must-win,” Harsin told reporters on Monday. “Every time you ask me that from this point on, it’s a yes.”

As Auburn continues to evaluate its quarterback play, Harsin said TJ Finley and Robby Ashford are both healthy, and he was also asked about Zach Calzada’s health.

“You know something I don’t?,” Harsin said. “He’s competed like everybody else. Those guys, every single week get those opportunities. And we try to play the best players.”

Harsin also declined to name a starting quarterback.

“We’ll see. Like I said, we’ll let guys compete this week…. It’s Monday; we haven’t decided yet,” Harsin said.

Harsin also declined to explain any changes on the offensive line, but committed to running the ball each week.

“We want to run the football, but every game is different. You guys don’t sit in the meetings,” Harsin said.

H/T Tom Green and Justin Ferguson.

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Auburn's offensive line 'lost our fundamentals' against Penn State

Published: Sep. 19, 2022, 4:24 p.m.

5-6 minutes

Auburn’s offensive line has been the subject of plenty of criticism in recent years, with iffy play up front compounded by years of insufficient recruiting in the trenches. Following Auburn’s first loss of the season, a 41-12 humbling at the hands of Penn State, the Tigers’ offensive line was again brought under the microscope.

Auburn allowed six sacks and 11 total tackles for loss, as quarterbacks T.J. Finley and Robby Ashford were consistently pressured in the pocket; Penn State was credited with nine hurries for the afternoon. The run game was stymied before being outright abandoned in the second half, as the Tigers’ running backs finished with just 69 yards on 16 carries.

“We lost our fundamentals in this game, and that’s a key for offensive line play,” starting right tackle Austin Troxell said. “We’re going to correct that in practice this week for sure.”

Read more Auburn football: Does Charles Barkley want to be Auburn’s next AD? “They can’t afford me”

Statistically speaking: Putting Auburn’s unsustainable turnover margin into context

Bryan Harsin explains why Tank Bigsby got so few touches in loss to Penn State

It was the return of familiar issues for Auburn’s offensive line, which has been a highly scrutinized unit for five consecutive seasons now. Saturday’s loss to Penn State, though, was an eye-opener as Auburn flunked its first real test of the season and was dominated at the line of scrimmage.

Saturday marked the second consecutive game against Power 5 competition that Auburn has allowed six sacks (Alabama also had six in last year’s Iron Bowl). It was also the second straight game against a Power 5 opponent that Auburn gave up double-digit tackles for loss; Alabama finished with 15 in last November’s meeting at Jordan-Hare.

On top of the poor showing in pass protection and an inability to create a push up front for the likes of Tank Bigsby and Jarquez Hunter, Auburn’s offensive line was responsible for four of the offense’s six penalties against Penn State. There were a pair of false start calls against right guards Kam Stutts and Keiondre Jones, who have continued to split time at the position, while Troxell was called for a hold that wiped out a 12-yard run by Bigsby, and Brandon Council was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct that negated a 13-yard run by Finley late in the first half.

“We didn’t play up to our standard or what we were capable of doing,” Auburn coach Bryan Harsin said. “So, some of that was us. Some of that was Penn State. Sometimes, you get in a one-on-one matchup, you just get whooped. So, what is that? It’s a fundamental correction that you’ve got to make. Is it a scheme correction or is it just pure fundamental correction? Those are things that we assessed. It’s a little bit of both.”

When asked if he’s considering any changes up front, Harsin — like he was Monday when asked a similar question about the quarterback position — was noncommittal.

“Not that I would tell you right now,” Harsin said.

Auburn has used two different starting combinations along the line through three games. Left tackle Kilian Zierer, Council at left guard, Tate Johnson at center and Troxell at right tackle have started all three games for Auburn so far. The only change was last week against Penn State, when Jones got the nod over Stutts, who started the first two games at right guard.

The unit has struggled despite a considerable amount of experience outside of the center spot. Council is in his seventh season, while Troxell is a sixth-year senior. Zierer and Stutts are redshirt seniors, while Jones is a redshirt junior who started each of the last two seasons.

Whether Harsin and offensive line coach Will Friend decide to switch things up with the lineup as SEC play begins, one thing is clear: Auburn needs much improved play up front if it hopes to correct course after its worst home loss in a decade, because if the Tigers can’t win at the line of scrimmage, doing so on the scoreboard will be increasingly difficult.

“We’ll let guys compete (in practice),” Harsin said. “Yeah, I think that’s the beauty of it, too. Guys are still competing. This is not a set team. I don’t think any team—there’s a few teams, I take that back. There’s a few teams that are set that I’ve seen that are pretty good. But they’ve got guys that want to play. You’ve got to let guys compete.”

Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.

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Statistically speaking: Context for Auburn's unsustainable turnover margin

Published: Sep. 19, 2022, 7:05 a.m.

13-16 minutes

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Turnovers — a propensity for making them on offense and an inability to create them on defense — have been among Auburn’s most glaring issues through its first three games this season.

That was again the case during Saturday’s bludgeoning at the hands of Penn State, when Auburn committed four turnovers and failed to force any defensively during its 41-12 loss at Jordan-Hare Stadium. The Tigers threw two interceptions (one each by T.J. Finley and Robby Ashford) and lost a pair of fumbles (one again by Finley, the other by wide receiver Shedrick Jackson) in the team’s humbling loss to the Nittany Lions. It was the first time since a 2019 loss at Florida that Auburn has committed four turnovers in a game and the first time since 2017 against Mercer that the Tigers finished with a turnover margin of minus-four or worse in a contest.

“The turnovers have to be cleaned up,” Auburn coach Bryan Harsin said. “We’ve got to be better at that. And we’ve got to win that turnover battle. Our goal is always plus-one (in turnover margin), but we haven’t been that. In a game like this, when you’re playing a really good football team and you turn the ball over that many times, they’re going to take advantage of it. They’re going to put points on the board.”

Read more Auburn football: Auburn debated playing QB Zach Calzada in blowout loss to Penn State

Bryan Harsin explains why Tank Bigsby got so few touches in loss to Penn State

Talty: Auburn should get Lane Kiffin because Bryan Harsin isn’t the guy

Penn State only scored seven points off those four Auburn turnovers, but the giveaways by the Tigers sunk the team’s hopes on a day the offense struggled to establish any sort of groove. Auburn now has a minus-eight turnover margin on the season, which is the second-worst differential among 131 FBS teams through three weeks. Only New Mexico State, at minus-nine through four games, has a worse turnover margin than Auburn this season. Auburn’s average turnover margin of minus-2.67 per game is also the second-worst nationally, ahead of only Stanford (minus-3.5 in two games).

The Tigers have committed eight turnovers in three games (six interceptions and two lost fumbles) and have failed to force any on defense. Auburn is one of only four FBS teams yet to force a turnover this season, joining Temple, Notre Dame and Fresno State. It’s the first time since at least 1996 (as far back as Auburn’s game-by-game team stats are archived) that the program has gone three straight games without a takeaway, let alone three consecutive games to open the season.

“That’s not a sustainable formula,” Harsin said. “We pride ourselves on taking care of the football. We talk about ‘all about the ball.’ We’ve done that in the past. We’ve taken care of the ball. We’ve got to get it. We’ve got to set some takeaways on the defensive side. But we can’t turn it over. I think everybody knows that.”

Here’s a look at that concerning stat, as well as where Auburn ranks in the SEC and among FBS teams in various other statistical categories through Week 3:

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RUSHING OFFENSE (SEC rank, FBS rank)

2013: 328.3 (1st, 1st)

2014: 255.5 (2nd, 13th)

2015: 196.4 (5th, 35th)

2016: 271.3 (1st, 6th)

2017: 218.3 (4th, 26th)

2018: 167.5 (10th, 68th)

2019: 199.1 (4th, 33rd)

2020: 162.5 (7th, 67th)

2021: 161.5 (9th, 66th)

After Mercer: 285.0 (3rd, 14th)

After San Jose State: 247.5 (3rd, 14th)

After Penn State: 204.7 (6th 40th)

Why: Auburn ran for 119 yards against Penn State.

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PASSING OFFENSE

2013: 173.0 (11th, 106th)

2014: 229.5 (7th, 66th)

2015: 173.6 (12th, 110th)

2016: 169.5 (14th, 112th)

2017: 233.4 (5th, 65th)

2018: 222.5 (9th, 74th)

2019: 207.5 (9th, 87th)

2020: 220.3 (10th, 71st)

2021: 240.0 (8th, 59th)

After Mercer: 212.0 (11th, 84th)

After San Jose State: 190.0 (12th, 103rd)

After Penn State: 225.3 (9th, 87th)

Why: T.J. Finley and Robby Ashford combined for 296 passing yards.

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PASS EFFICIENCY OFFENSE

2013: 149.63 (6th, 24th)

2014: 156.79 (1st, 8th)

2015: 124.47 (10th, 79th)

2016: 135.17 (6th, 54th)

2017: 153.59 (5th, 13th)

2018: 140.11 (8th, 51st)

2019: 128.35 (9th, 89th)

2020: 122.96 (11th, 89th)

2021: 126.85 (12th, 94th)

After Mercer: 143.37 (9th, 61st)

After San Jose State: 123.23 (12th, 94th)

After Penn State: 121.20 (12th, 104th)

Why: Auburn’s quarterbacks completed 21-of-28 passes for 296 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions.

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TOTAL OFFENSE

2013: 501.3 (2nd, 11th)

2014: 485.0 (2nd, 16th)

2015: 370.0 (10th, 94th)

2016: 440.8 (6th, 43rd)

2017: 451.6 (3rd, 26th)

2018: 389.9 (11th, 78th)

2019: 406.5 (6th, 64th)

2020: 382.8 (9th, 77th)

2021: 401.5 (10th, 67th)

After Mercer: 497.0 (7th, 49th)

After San Jose State: 437.5 (9th, 57th)

After Penn State: 430.0 (8th, 61st)

Why: Auburn had 415 yards of offense against PSU.

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SCORING OFFENSE

2013: 39.5 (2nd, 12th)

2014: 35.5 (4th, 35th)

2015: 27.5 (8th, 75th)

2016: 31.2 (6th, 49th)

2017: 33.9 (4th, 27th)

2018: 30.9 (8th, 47th)

2019: 33.2 (3rd, 28th)

2020: 25.1 (9th, 89th)

2021: 27.8 (11th, 71st)

After Mercer: 42.0 (7th, 34th)

After San Jose State: 33.0 (9th, 67th)

After Penn State: 26.0 (11th, 91st)

Why: Auburn scored 12 points in Week 3.

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SACKS ALLOWED

2013: 18 sacks, 1.29 per game (3rd, 22nd)

2014: 15 sacks, 1.15 per game (3rd, 15th)

2015: 19 sacks, 1.46 per game (4th, 33rd)

2016: 19 sacks, 1.46 per game (3rd, 27th)

2017: 36 sacks, 2.57 per game (10th, 100th)

2018: 23 sacks, 1.77 per game (6th, 39th)

2019: 18 sacks, 1.38 per game (4th, 18th)

2020: 20 sacks, 1.82 per game (6th, 41st)

2021: 22 sacks, 1.69 per game (5th, 31st)

After Mercer: 0 sacks, 0.00 per game (1st, 1st)

After San Jose State: 1 sack, 0.50 per game (2nd, 12th)

After Penn State: 7 sacks, 2.33 per game (10th, 84th)

Why: Auburn allowed six sacks against Penn State.

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THIRD-DOWN CONVERSIONS

2013: 46.5 percent (4th, 24th)

2014: 52.5 percent (1st, 2nd)

2015: 41.3 percent (6th, 49th)

2016: 41.8 percent (4th, 53rd)

2017: 45.5 percent (3rd, 15th)

2018: 36.9 percent (11th, 90th)

2019: 40.5 percent (6th, 60th)

2020: 44.9 percent (6th, 32nd)

2021: 40.2 percent (8th, 61st)

After Mercer: 50.0 percent (7th, 40th)

After San Jose State: 42.1 percent (8th, 57th)

After Penn State: 38.2 percent (10th, 78th)

Why: Auburn converted five of its 14 third-down attempts in Week 3.

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RED ZONE OFFENSE

2013: 88.5 percent (2nd, 21st)

2014: 87.9 percent (4th, 31st)

2015: 90.2 percent (2nd, 13th)

2016: 85.5 percent (5th, 52nd)

2017: 88.1 percent (6th, 36th)

2018: 81.1 percent (11th, 88th)

2019: 90.4 percent (3rd, 21st)

2020: 85.0 percent (6th, 50th)

2021: 84.8 percent (7th, 55th)

After Mercer: 100.0 percent (1st, 1st)

After San Jose State: 100.0 percent (1st, 1st)

After Penn State: 83.3 percent (11th, 73rd)

Why: Auburn scored on 2-of-4 red-zone trips, settling for field goals both times.

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RUSHING DEFENSE

2013: 162.1 (10th, 62nd)

2014: 168.8 (10th, 67th)

2015: 182.7 (11th, 81st)

2016: 132.8 (3rd, 27th)

2017: 137.0 (5th, 35th)

2018: 135.9 (6th, 32nd)

2019: 123.2 (4th, 25th)

2020: 163.4 (8th, 62nd)

2021: 128.1 (5th, 29th)

After Mercer: 74.0 (3rd, 25th)

After San Jose State: 64.0 (1st, 10th)

After Penn State: 124.3 (8th, 55th)

Why: Penn State ran for 245 yards and five touchdowns, averaging 6.3 yards per carry against Auburn.

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PASSING DEFENSE

2013: 258.6 (13th, 100th)

2014: 230.1 (12th, 68th)

2015: 222.5 (11th, 63rd)

2016: 229.2 (9th, 67th)

2017: 182.4 (5th, 18th)

2018: 219.5 (7th, 58th)

2019: 213.8 (8th, 47th)

2020: 242.6 (4th, 79th)

2021: 245.8 (12th, 96th)

After Mercer: 197.0 (7th, 56th)

After San Jose State: 236.0 (11th, 83rd)

After Penn State: 234.7 (11th, 81st)

Why: Auburn allowed 232 yards through the air against PSU.

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PASS EFFICIENCY DEFENSE

2013: 126.88 (9th, 63rd)

2014: 124.19 (10th, 52nd)

2015: 116.99 (8th, 31st)

2016: 116.83 (4th, 22nd)

2017: 113.84 (4th, 19th)

2018: 118.12 (6th, 31st)

2019: 120.71 (9th, 32nd)

2020: 139.34 (7th, 75th)

2021: 136.73 (9th, 75th)

After Mercer: 122.63 (9th, 66th)

After San Jose State: 120.06 (10th, 63rd)

After Penn State: 129.03 (11th, 73rd)

Why: Penn State completed 17-of-23 passes for 232 yards against Auburn.

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TOTAL DEFENSE

2013: 420.7 (12th, 86th)

2014: 398.8 (9th, 64th)

2015: 405.2 (13th, 71st)

2016: 361.9 (5th, 28th)

2017: 319.4 (5th, 14th)

2018: 355.4 (8th, 38th)

2019: 337.0 (7th, 28th)

2020: 406.0 (6th, 63rd)

2021: 373.8 (9th, 61st)

After Mercer: 271.0 (3rd, 35th)

After San Jose State: 300.0 (6th, 40th)

After Penn State: 359.0 (10th, 56th)

Why: Auburn allowed 477 yards of offense against Penn State.

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SCORING DEFENSE

2013: 24.7 (9th, 48th)

2014: 26.7 (10th, 62nd)

2015: 26.0 (11th, 54th)

2016: 17.1 (4th, 7th)

2017: 18.5 (3rd, 12th)

2018: 19.2 (4th, 14th)

2019: 19.5 (6th, 17th)

2020: 24.7 (4th, 38th)

2021: 21.8 (5th, 27th)

After Mercer: 16.0 (8th, 48th)

After San Jose State: 16.0 (6th, 42nd)

After Penn State: 24.3 (9th, 66th)

Why: Auburn allowed 41 points against Penn State.

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SACKS

2013: 32 sacks, 2.29 per game (4th, 46th)

2014: 21 sacks, 1.62 per game (11th, 95th)

2015: 19 sacks, 1.46 per game (13th, 104th)

2016: 25 sacks, 1.92 per game (8th, 75th)

2017: 37 sacks, 2.64 per game (5th, 25th)

2018: 38, 2.92 per game (3rd, 16th)

2019: 28 sacks, 2.15 per game (9th, 64th)

2020: 26 sacks, 2.36 per game (6th, 53rd)

2021: 35, 2.69 per game (7th, 40th)

After Mercer: 1 sack, 1.00 per game (7th, 71st)

After San Jose State: 4 sacks, 2.00 per game (3rd, 61st)

After Penn State: 4 sacks, 1.33 per game (9th, 98th)

Why: Auburn failed to record a sack against Penn State.

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THIRD-DOWN DEFENSE

2013: 33.0 percent (1st, 13th)

2014: 36.0 percent (4th, 29th)

2015: 44.9 percent (13th, 109th)

2016: 34.8 percent (4th, 25th)

2017: 32.9 percent (3rd, 20th)

2018: 34.7 percent (6th, 30th)

2019: 29.9 percent (2nd, 8th)

2020: 50.3 percent (14th, 121st)

2021: 35.8 percent (7th, 37th)

After Mercer: 44.4 percent (10th, 92nd)

After San Jose State: 38.7 percent (10th, 87th)

After Penn State: 40.5 percent (11th, 91st)

Why: Penn State converted 5-of-11 third-down tries against Auburn.

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RED ZONE DEFENSE

2013: 73.1 percent (2nd, 10th)

2014: 74.1 percent (4th, 13th)

2015: 75.5 percent (5th, 15th)

2016: 74.4 percent (3rd, 11th)

2017: 83.3 percent (6th, 64th)

2018: 82.9 percent (9th, 64th)

2019: 71.8 percent (2nd, 8th)

2020: 76.3 percent (3rd, 27th)

2021: 81.6 percent (6th, 58th)

After Mercer: 100.0 percent (8th, 78th)

After San Jose State: 87.5 percent (12th, 83rd)

After Penn State: 92.3 percent (14th, 108th)

Why: Penn State scored on all five of its red-zone opportunities, with four touchdowns and a field goal.

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NET PUNTING

2013: 40.54 (2nd, 9th)

2014: 37.44 (12th, 67th)

2015: 37.58 (7th, 54th)

2016: 39.90 (5th, 21st)

2017: 35.61 (14th, 115th)

2018: 41.91 (2nd, 5th)

2019: 38.50 (9th, 63rd)

2020: 38.70 (9th, 64th)

2021: 41.79 (3rd, 20th)

After Mercer: 29.00 (11th, 111th)

After San Jose State: 39.75 (8th, 66th)

After Penn State: 40.71 (6th, 52nd)

Why: Auburn’s Oscar Chapman averaged 42 net yards on three punts in Week 3.

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KICK RETURNS

2013: 23.40 (5th, 27th)

2014: 20.03 (11th, 82nd)

2015: 27.94 (2nd, 4th)

2016: 19.04 (12th, 100th)

2017: 23.22 (3rd, 25th)

2018: 21.52 (6th, 48th)

2019: 20.50 (7th, 67th)

2020: 21.96 (6th, 43rd)

2021: 23.88 (6th, 25th)

After Mercer: 7.67 (12th, 108th)

After San Jose State: 5.20 (14th, 127th)

After Penn State: 11.56 (14th, 124th)

Why: Auburn 19.5 yards on four kickoff returns.

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KICK RETURN DEFENSE

2013: 25.79 (14th, 121st)

2014: 21.73 (9th, 84th)

2015: 21.17 (12th, 61st)

2016: 18.00 (1st, 13th)

2017: 27.20 (14th, 129th)

2018: 19.44 (3rd, 39th)

2019: 22.30 (11th, 96th)

2020: 26.67 (13th, 121st)

2021: 17.36 (3rd, 15th)

After Mercer: 13.00 (8th, 35th)

After San Jose State: 13.67 (4th, 20th)

After Penn State: 17.75 (5th, 35th)

Why: Auburn allowed one 30-yard kick return against Penn State.

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PUNT RETURNS

2013: 11.78 (2nd, 22nd)

2014: 17.82 yards per return (1st, 4th)

2015: 11.93 yards per return (7th, 28th)

2016: 10.69 (5th, 24th)

2017: 8.52 (8th, 51st)

2018: 10.75 (6th, 39th)

2019: 12.83 (4th, 18th)

2020: 9.11 (6th, 44th)

2021: 8.30 (7th, 60th)

After Mercer: 9.00 (3rd, 35th)

After San Jose State: 11.17 (4th, 33rd)

After Penn State: 10.88 (7th, 42nd)

Why: Keionte Scott averaged 10 yards on two returns against Penn State.

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PUNT RETURN DEFENSE

2013: 7.0 (8th, 51st)

2014: 7.79 (10th, 72nd)

2015: 12.43 (11th, 110th)

2016: 3.17 (1st, 8th)

2017: 11.43 (14th, 108th)

2018: 3.36 (3rd, 9th)

2019: 17.29 (14th, 130th)

2020: 2.75 (3rd, 17th)

2021: 4.12 (2nd, 23rd)

After Mercer: 0.00 (1st, 12th)

After San Jose State: 0.00 (1st, 13th)

After Penn State: 0.00 (1st, 14th)

Why: Auburn has not allowed a punt return through three games.

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TURNOVER MARGIN

2013: even, 0.0 per game (9th, 61st)

2014: plus-seven, 0.54 per game (4th, 27th)

2015: plus-two, 0.15 per game (8th, 51st)

2016: plus-three, plus-0.23 per game (6th, 42nd)

2017: minus-one, 0.07 per game (7th, 71st)

2018: plus-nine, 0.69 (3rd, 16th)

2019: plus-six, 0.46 per game (3rd, 27th)

2020: plus-four, 0.36 per game (6th, 38th)

2021: plus-one, 0.08 per game (8th, 64th)

After Mercer: minus-two, minus-2.00 per game (13th, 106th)

After San Jose State: minus-four, minus-2.00 per game (14th, 121st)

After Penn State: minus-eight, minus-2.67 per game (14th, 130th)

Why: Auburn committed four turnovers and did not force a takeaway against Penn State.

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PENALTY YARDS PER GAME

2013: 40.64 (7th 30th)

2014: 68.92 (14th, 112th)

2015: 46.38 (7th, 34th)

2016: 36.54 (1st, 6th)

2017: 38.36 (2nd, 13th)

2018: 56.69 (9th, 75th)

2019: 55.23 (10th, 74th)

2020: 49.82 (7th, 56th)

2021: 46.38 (6th, 44th)

After Mercer: 20.00 (2nd, 5th)

After San Jose State: 52.50 (7th, 53rd)

After Penn State: 55.33 (7th, 60th)

Why: Auburn committed seven penalties totaling 61 yards against Penn State.

Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.

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Auburn football: Did Robby Ashford show enough to take over as QB1?

Glenn Sattell

5-6 minutes

On the big stage, against a top-25 team, in front of an orange-clad Jordan-Hare Stadium crowd, the Auburn Tigers showed they are not ready for prime time; not by a long shot. A mistake-prone Auburn team gift-wrapped visiting Penn State a lopsided 41-12 decision to fall to 2-1 for the season.

Is it time to change the quarterback? Is it time for Robby Ashford to take over as Auburn’s starter? Did he do enough Saturday in mop-up duty to convince head coach Bryan Harsin to make the switch?

One thing is sure. Harsin cannot use the two QBs the way he did Saturday, not in the first half anyway.

I’m all for giving Ashford an opportunity, but the times in which he was inserted into the Penn State game was puzzling, at least through the first 2 quarters. Starting drives, sure. Bringing some sort of spark to the offense, of course. But that’s not how Harsin chose to use his backup QB. Employing him in the middle of drives is suspect. To put him in when the Tigers are driving and starter T.J. Finley is beginning to get into a rhythm is the head-scratcher.

The times when Harsin deployed Ashford only served to disrupt those drives and to take Finley out of any rhythm he had developed. And it did nothing to put Ashford in a situation to succeed nor gain any confidence.

But it certainly seems like a time for change. Finley’s offense continues to struggle with turnovers. For all the gains Finley may have made Saturday in regard to moving the team and building confidence in his running abilities when it was needed, Finley kept derailing himself, and the team, with bad passing decisions under duress and – to a greater extent – by not protecting the football in those situations. He fumbled 3 times, losing 1.

Three of Finley’s first 7 possessions ended in turnovers. He threw an interception that stopped a 12-play drive, and fumbled another possession away. It’s nearly impossible to beat a top-25 team that way.

The Tigers moved the football, that wasn’t the problem. Finishing drives was. Their first 3 drives took 9, 12 and 12 plays and totaled 147 yards, but produced just 6 points. Instead of taking an early lead and building momentum and confidence, the Tigers trailed, 7-6. It was all downhill after that.

Those initial marches ultimately bogged down and ended in two field goals and a Finley interception. The offense was deflated, lost its confidence and didn’t reach the end zone until Ashford drove them to pay dirt in the 3rd quarter.

That was after Ashford threw an interception in the red zone on his first drive of the 2nd half. And the Ashford-led Tigers gave it up on downs in the red zone on their final possession as well.

So Harsin has a tough decision to make. It appears it’s time to pick a starter and stick with him. Otherwise, the two QBs will continue to struggle for any sort of continuity in their game and the Tigers will suffer for it.

Ashford is clearly the better dual-threat quarterback, and that gives opposing defenses something extra to have to defend. He ended the game on Saturday with a better QB rating (123.1) than Finley (114.6).

But is that enough to make him QB1? Statistically speaking, both were similar. They both threw a pick. Ashford did not fumble. He does a little bit better job of protecting the football.

So, it seems to come down to what Harsin’s vision is for Auburn’s offense. That ultimately will decide which QB is the starter moving forward, because neither has been overly impressive.

And where in the world is Zach Calzada?

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Bryan Harsin gets roasted after Auburn gets beaten by Penn State

Chris Wallace

4-5 minutes

Auburn had a big opportunity to make a statement Saturday with a home game against No. 22 Penn State.

Instead, Bryan Harsin and the Tigers laid a massive egg in a 41–12 loss.

The Nittany Lions dominated the game throughout in a matchup that provided none of the drama that many expected.

After losing his final 5 games in his 1st season a year ago and having his program investigated by the University during the offseason, Saturday’s outcome was not the kind of result that Harsin can afford.

Auburn fans have high standards for their football program, and they were out in full force during the game on social media to voice their displeasure with the 2nd-year coach.

And they were joined by plenty of others, all of whom are now wondering how long Harsin might survive at Auburn:

Bryan Harsin is gonna kill it on SEC Network next year

— Connor Jackson (@ConnorC_Jackson) September 17, 2022

Bryan Harsin is a dead man walking…

— Friend of the Program (@TheFOTP) September 17, 2022

I’m sorry this is against everything I want to stand for as a fan but Bryan Harsin shouldn’t be allowed to leave this field as the Auburn coach. This was a terrible hire from a below average Athletic director who has since been shown the door #fireharsin

— Hays Kassen (@hays_kassen2) September 17, 2022

I’m shocked Auburn is letting Bryan Harsin coach the 4th quarter.

— Patrick Schmidt (@PatrickASchmidt) September 17, 2022

Just a pathetic coaching performance from Bryan Harsin today. He won't go down as bad a hire as Chad Morris, but could easily be one of the worst SEC hires of the last decade.

— John Talty (@JTalty) September 17, 2022

I can’t wait to hear the excuses Bryan Harsin is going to make in the press conference

— Sauce_Mill (@MillerHowze) September 17, 2022

Bryan Harsin should have been fired last year

— . (@jamfan40) September 17, 2022

RIP Bryan Harsin. It was nice knowing you

— Eric Wendt (@prakdeskott) September 17, 2022

I hope Bryan Harsin spends his buyout money well

— Nathanael Rutherford (@Mr_Rutherford) September 17, 2022

Bryan Harsin needs to go. #WarEagle

— Andrew Brian Sommers (@ABSommers) September 17, 2022

Feels like this is it for Bryan Harsin

— Jared Stillman (@JaredStillman) September 17, 2022

Bryan Harsin not up to the task at Auburn. I said that early last year and been saying it ever since. This is the rock bottom part of his tenure so far.

— Ian Cameron (@bobano) September 17, 2022

Bryan Harsin should not be employed

— de?️ressed Auburn Fan (@AuburnHatesMe) September 17, 2022

Bryan Harsin's agent is the busiest man in the world right now

— Roar Lions Roar (@RLRblog) September 17, 2022

Bryan Harsin may be the worst coach of all time….

— Kolby Gordon (@KolbyGordon61) September 17, 2022

Bryan Harsin was an awful hire the day it was made official. Never made any sense. Such a terrible fit there. Absolutely wild these administrators make so much money to make such obvious poor decisions.

— Jon (@JWag85) September 17, 2022

 

 

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saturdaydownsouth.com

 

Bryan Harsin, Auburn garner more bad press, claim No. 1 spot in ‘Misery Index’

Chris Wallace

1-2 minutes

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The bad press for Auburn football coach Bryan Harsin just keeps coming.

The Tigers were hammered at home by Penn State on Saturday, 41-12.

But that’s only part of the story for Harsin, who’s 2-6 in his last 8 games and had his program investigated by the University during the offseason.

On Sunday, USA Today’s Dan Wolken was the latest to shine a negative light on Harsin and the Auburn program, as he moved the Tigers to No. 1 in his weekly college football “Misery Index” rankings.

“Things will probably get better for Auburn at some point,” Wolken wrote, “but for now the Tigers are No. 1 in the Misery Index, a weekly measurement of which fan bases are feeling the most angst about the state of their favorite program.”

Wolken specifically pointed to Auburn’s struggles on the recruiting trail since hiring Harsin and also questioned whether Boise State was an adequate proving ground for what was to come in the SEC.

Auburn will look to get back on track Saturday in their SEC opener, a home game against Missouri.

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Auburn football coach Bryan Harsin as seat warms: 'You guys don't sit in the meetings'

Bennett Durando

4-5 minutes

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AUBURN — Bryan Harsin's weekly news conference ahead of the SEC opener covered his quarterback dilemma, more scrutiny regarding his under-usage of the run game, his team's mental focus and (sort of) his job security. To every topic, he brought plenty of snark.

Whether he has any bite to match his bark is to be determined as Auburn football prepares to face a struggling Missouri team Saturday (11 a.m. CT, ESPN) in a must-win game for his long-term employment.

When asked about that notion (without the specifics of his hot seat), he scoffed that "I would categorize every Saturday as a must-win. I don't really have an answer for you there. Yes? Any time you ask me that from this point on, yes, it's a must-win."

QUARTERBACK CONTROVERSYCan TJ Finley reprogram himself to save Auburn football again?

His most persnickety moment, however, came when pressed again about whether he plans to run the ball more frequently against Missouri (2-1) after a 41-12 loss in which Auburn (2-1) called 20 designed run plays on 74 offensive snaps. Most notably, preseason first-team All-SEC running back Tank Bigsby only had nine carries in the blowout by Penn State (3-0).

"We want to run the football, but every game is different. You guys don't sit in the meetings and all that," Harsin said. "And look at the game plan and what (opponents) are trying to do, too. There's really very little understanding of what their defense was trying to get done as well. That dictates the game."

Faced with other tough questions – pretty standard procedure when a team is playing poorly – and even one about silver linings, Harsin kept returning to the theme of media not sitting in meetings.

"Again, you guys get to see a very small portion of what we do," he said. "You get to see the game. Which is the most important thing, right? At the end of the week, that's the test. You guys get to watch the test. All the prep and all the things that we've been doing, I think there's some really good things that we've done."

MAILBAGWill Bryan Harsin make it through the season? Here's what needs to happen for him to have a chance

The Penn State game was Auburn's worst home loss in terms of point margin since 2012, a year that ended in a coaching change. Auburn tight end John Samuel Shenker said Saturday that "I don’t think we came out with the right intentions" after halftime. The Tigers trailed 14-6 at the time and lost 27-6 in the second half. Shenker attributed it to "lack of focus."

"I thought, for the most part, it was just sloppy all around," he said.

Fast forward fewer than 48 hours, when Harsin was asked about Shenker's comments. The answer sounded like a hot-seat coach on the defensive.

"It's not necessarily a mentality of the team. It's what you're asking, right?" Harsin said. "So, yeah, there were mess-ups. There were things we didn't do correctly. That's the execution piece. That's the part that I talk about. Execution is the key, right? If you've got to be in a gap, you're in a gap. If you've got to cover a man, you cover a man. If you've got to run a right route, you run the right route. That's not anything to do with the mentality."

It does have to do with preparedness. This week, Harsin faces his latest important decision in which quarterback to entrust with his job vs. Mizzou. T.J. Finley was benched. Robby Ashford didn't play much better. Zach Calzada hasn't left the sidelines, and Harsin insists it's not because the Texas A&M transfer is hurt: "He's competing like everybody else."

The coach hasn't decided who will start that SEC opener. "We try to play the best players," he said. "That's what happens from Sunday through Friday."

All that the rest of us get to see are those measly little games.

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SNAP JUDGMENTS: #22 Penn State 41, Auburn 12

JackCondon@CollegeAndMag

3-4 minutes

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I know you’ve been hankering for content after that game, and that you’re not really just in the mood to ignore football completely. We can shift to basketball season soon enough, but we need to figure out this coaching situation first. If you don’t think it’s happening soon, you’re in denial.

-Josh Black

Fire this f***ing a**hole.

-James Jones

-Will McLaughlin

what a dumpster fire of a game. Not sure how the staff survives this.

-Josh Dub

Worst case scenario for everyone employed to make sure that isn’t the way the football team at auburn looks.

-Son of Crow

Unacceptable performance on both sides of the ball. The only position group on this team that looks solid is the defensive line. Their counterparts on the offense continue to be absolutely dismal.

-Eamon Smith

That was the worst home performance I have seen out of an Auburn football team since A&M in 2012

There is no coming back from this

You don’t sell your program as a hard-nosed, blue-collar, takes the stair kinda program & then get punked at home week 3.

Nothing is being built.

There is no proof of concept to fall back on.

Even before February shenanigans recruiting was a failure. Both portal & prep.

Defense has regressed. Offense too.

In the world of portal it doesn’t take years to rebuild a program. Move fast & restore hope.

There will be better days ahead but not until Auburn football has some at the helm that truly understands what it takes to be elite in the SEC. Auburn has that person in basketball & baseball. I refuse to believe it can’t also be found in football.

-AU Nerd

This game was so bad, I’m actually making a contribution. The single worst performance you could’ve imagined. Hopefully change is on the horizon.

-Thomas Northcutt

I love Bruce Pearl.

-AU Chief

I’ve watched Auburn get smashed at home a fair few times, and this one smelled like someone died, similar to A&M in 2012. Don’t know how much longer you can keep Harsin, but the move has to be made at some point. Right now, Nebraska and Arizona State are looking for coaches, and I think we’re at least a better gig than both of those schools. There are plenty of guys that we can choose from, but whoever sits in that AD chair needs to make the right decision, and there will be a ton of opinions on what the right decision actually is.

In terms of gameplay, nothing worked. The fans showed up and weren’t given anything to cheer about. Every time the team made a stride, like three straight good gains or a couple of really stout defensive plays, they’d give it all back on a fumble or by allowing a huge gain. They didn’t look composed, they didn’t look ready, and somebody mentioned in the C&M Slack that they looked lethargic running out of the tunnel. Maybe they knew what was coming. Everyone can smell the blood in the water now, and we’ll be on our way to a 3-9 year again if we don’t find something that’ll work... with or without Harsin leading the team (hopefully without).

-Jack Condon

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si.com

 

Are the wheels in motion for the powers that be in Auburn?

Zac Blackerby

2 minutes

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Some folks have wanted Bryan Harsin out as soon as he was hired. 

The battle between Harsin and powers that be at Auburn has been ongoing since the beginning of his tenure on The Plains. Over the next month or so, many are expected that battle to come to an end. 

AL.com's John Talty joined the Paul Finebaum show to discuss what is going on at Auburn. He was asked what he thinks the people behind the scenes are looking at right now. 

"I think they're thinking about who the next guy is going to be," Talty said. "I think they are thinking about how much they are going to have to contribute to make this problem go away. I think that those wheels are already in motion and they've been in motion for a while. You could argue that the day he was hired against the wishes of some of those people, the wheels were in motion for him to inevitably get fired."

Auburn is also looking for a new athletics director after the man who hired Harsin, Allen Greene, stepped away with a few months left on his contract. 

"He's been fighting such an uphill battle since day one because he was not the preferred choice of these people," Talty told Finebaum. "You know, I think it's already led to Allen Greene being gone, we've talked about that in the past too. He very publicly bucked the wishes of these people, hired Bryan Harsin with no ties to the south or the SEC and it has played out predictably poorly."

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The game time has been set for the LSU-Auburn football game

PATRICK MAGEE | Staff writer

1 minute

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The SEC announced on Monday that the LSU-Auburn football game is set for a 6 p.m. kickoff in Auburn, Alabama, on Oct. 1.

That means that LSU will start the season with five consecutive night kickoffs. The Auburn game will be LSU's first official road game of the 2022 campaign.

LSU is 2-1 and 1-0 in SEC play entering Saturday's 6:30 p.m. non-conference home game against New Mexico. 

LSU is looking to avenge last season's 24-19 loss to Auburn in Baton Rouge.

Email Patrick Magee at PMagee@TheAdvocate.com or follow him on Twitter, @Patrick_Magee.

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Bryan Harsin gives update on Auburn quarterback T.J. Finley’s shoulder

Published: Sep. 19, 2022, 2:54 p.m.

3-4 minutes

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Auburn quarterback T.J. Finley throws a pass against Penn State during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022, in Auburn, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)AP

The shoulder injury T.J. Finley sustained during Auburn’s loss to Penn State last weekend does not seem to be a serious one.

Auburn coach Bryan Harsin indicated Monday that Finley will not miss any time because of the injury, saying the junior quarterback will be “good going into this week” as Auburn begins SEC play against Missouri. Auburn (2-1) and Missouri (2-1) will meet at 11 a.m. Saturday in Jordan-Hare Stadium, with the game airing on ESPN.

Read more Auburn football: Does Charles Barkley want to be Auburn’s next AD? “They can’t afford me”

Statistically speaking: Putting Auburn’s unsustainable turnover margin into context

Auburn debated playing QB Zach Calzada in blowout loss to Penn State

Finley hurt his shoulder late in the first half of last weekend’s 41-12 loss to Penn State when he took a hit and fell on it. He appeared to be favoring it heading into halftime. The junior remained in the game and started the third quarter for the Tigers, but he was pulled after two second-half drives, the last of which ended when he was sacked on third-and-12 and fumbled the ball, which the Nittany Lions recovered. It was his second turnover of the game and one of four Auburn committed Saturday.

“It’s football, right?” Harsin said. “Guys get (banged) up.”

Harsin indicated after the game that Finley’s shoulder had nothing to do with the decision to remove him from the game. Instead, the quarterback was benched due to ineffective play, with Harsin and offensive coordinator Eric Kiesau wanting to see what Robby Ashford could do in extended action on an afternoon that Auburn’s offense struggled against Penn State. Finley finished the game 11-of-19 passing for 152 yards, an interception and two fumbles, one of which he lost.

In three starts this season, Finley has completed 33-of-53 passes (62.3 percent) for 431 yards, one touchdown and four interceptions. He has turned the ball over five times in total, as Auburn has posted a minus-eight turnover margin on the season, which is the second-worst in the nation.

Finley was still listed atop Auburn’s depth chart at quarterback Monday, but Harsin was noncommittal during his weekly press conference about who would start at the position against Missouri this weekend, echoing his postgame comments from Saturday when he said the coaching staff will continue to evaluate that position, like it does every position, to put the best players on the field.

Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.

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Charles Barkley for Auburn athletics director? 'They can't afford me'

Bennett Durando, Montgomery Advertiser

Mon, September 19, 2022 at 12:47 PM·2 min read

In this article:

Charles Barkley

American basketball player

Allen Greene

Baseball player (1977-)

OPELIKA — Charles Barkley has officially taken his name out of the running for Auburn athletics director. Not that he ever was in the running in the first place.

Barkley was asked, half-jokingly, Monday at the Bruce, Barkley and Basketball Golf Classic if he wants the job.

"They can't afford me," he said.

Barkley is the most eminent basketball alum in school history. The NBA Hall of Famer holds court at the donor golf event with Auburn basketball coach Bruce Pearl annually to raise funds for the program.

Barkley, asked about what he thinks of Auburn's AD search and Allen Greene's resignation, said, "Allen Greene is a great friend of mine. I was disappointed he’s not going to be around. I talk to him quite a bit. I love the guy. I think he did a fabulous job at Auburn, and he’s going to be missed.”

Pearl offered supportive words for interim AD Rich McGlynn, who has worked at Auburn since 2006 and handles the basketball team's NCAA compliance issues.

MAILBAGAuburn football: What's coach Bryan Harsin's job status after Penn State loss?

FOOTBALL ANALYSISWhy isn't Auburn football using Tank Bigsby more? Bryan Harsin's answer doesn't add up

"Rich is a guy that paid his dues,” Pearl said. "When our players found out that Rich had been elevated to the position he’s in right now, our players reacted really positively. It had nothing to do with Allen being gone; they loved Allen, but they were happy for Rich. So, if the players respond that way, that kind of tells you something about the relationship he has with everybody. I think you get to feel that with the donors, too. They’re happy for Rich.”

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Charles Barkley for Auburn AD? 'They can't afford me'