9/27/22 Auburn Articles

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Deion Sanders coaching options: Georgia Tech, Auburn and what it will take to stay at Jackson State

Carl Reed

5-7 minutes

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With Georgia Tech firing Geoff Collins on Sunday (a move that will become official Monday), it’s my understanding that the program has tabbed Jackson State head coach Deion Sanders as its top target.

It makes a lot of sense. Is there anyone more popular in the city of Atlanta than the former Atlanta Braves and Atlanta Falcons star? It is a natural recruiting fit in a city where Sanders is revered and in one of the most fertile grounds of top tier football talent in the country. This move would bring excitement to a fan base that is starving for Georgia Tech to become a player in the major college football scene. 

Here's how I currently peg the landscape as far as Sanders is concerned. Remember this: Sanders is already a very rich man. He won't make decisions for money. He will make decisions for legacy. I'll talk more about all of this today on The Block (1 p.m. ET, 247Sports' YouTube page). 

GEORGIA TECH ISN'T A PERFECT FIT

There are questions and drawbacks, though. Is Georgia Tech committed — I mean, really committed — to playing football at the highest level? Sanders doesn’t play for second place and he will expect to be able to compete with all the blue bloods in facilities, recruiting, NIL and amenities for the players. Academically, Georgia Tech is a difficult school to get into. Being just an academic qualifier won’t be enough. You will have to be serious about being an elite student if you want to play at Georgia Tech. There are many big-time players that have great grades, but they do not all want to compete at that type of academic level when they are chasing their NFL dreams. This is something Sanders will have at the top of his mind when weighing this job. 

As much as there is a natural fit for Coach Prime and the city of Atlanta, and an urge to reunite the two, there are significant details that would have to be worked through. Georgia Tech’s power brokers have to decide what its identity as a college football program looks like, because just being located in Atlanta isn’t enough to compete at the highest levels. You need an elite staff, recruiting and personnel department, you need NIL commitment and opportunities, and you of course need an academic support staff for football to make sure that the players have every resource to navigate the course load you demand as a university. Clemson and Miami for example are all in. Is Georgia Tech really ready to try to compete with them? 

THE AUBURN EQUATION

As the carousel continues to turn, Sanders will have other options. With it almost seeming imminent that Auburn and Bryan Harsin will part ways, Sanders is going to be somebody Auburn seriously considers. The wheelers and dealers at Auburn are always making moves behind the scenes; don’t rule out the possibility of somebody at Auburn, through an intermediary, gauging Sanders’ interest even before a move is made on Harsin. 

Auburn would be a much better fit for Sanders, and with it looking like Florida State’s not coming open any time soon (Mike Norvell has righted the ship and has the Seminoles cooking), it also stands to be the best opening in the 2022 cycle. Sanders has the recruiting chops to go head-to-head with the best of the SEC West and Auburn would pony up with whatever he needs as far as recruiting personnel. The Tigers would become instant contenders for the top players in every recruiting class. Auburn is an Under Armour school and Sanders is affiliated with Under Armour, too — this would be a huge factor on the recruiting trail with the number of top players who attend camps run by UA and its personnel. There’s a Nike/Oregon-esque impact to be had here. 

With the college football playoffs going from 4 to 12 teams in the near future you also don’t have to win the SEC every year to get in. Consistently winning 10 games will be enough for Auburn to always be there in the end with a chance to hold the trophy. 

COACH PRIME COULD STAY

Let’s not discount that staying at Jackson State is a very real option and one that many in the HBCU community hope plays out. Sanders knows that part of his legacy could be helping grow HBCU football across the board. And his mission is taking Jackson State (and HBCU with it) to a national level that has never been seen before. In his heart of hearts, I believe this is what Sanders would prefer to do. 

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However, just like Georgia Tech, Sanders needs to know Jackson State is committed to reinvesting in its football program. Sanders wants Jackson State to look into moving up to the FBS level. He has made that clear to the Jackson State administration. Otherwise, Sanders is going to feel boxed in, stunted in a spot that’s not big enough for the vision he has. It’s a complicated move and will take a lot, but Sanders is leaving those logistical concerns up to the administration; for now, the ball is still in Jackson State’s court.

Carl Reed is a College Football Analyst for 247Sports and former head coach at St. Louis (Mo.) Lutheran North, where he won the state championship in 2019. He played college football at Austin Peay.

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Assessing Auburn’s offense through four games

Published: Sep. 26, 2022, 6:40 p.m.

6-7 minutes

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Bryan Harsin is four games into his second season as Auburn’s head coach. Eight games remain, including Saturday’s (6 pm C.T.) game against LSU.

While there is a lot of football remaining, there’s so much we’ve learned about Harsin’s squad in four games this season.

Good news: Auburn is 3-1 and 1-0 in the Southeastern Conference after Saturday’s 17-14 O.T. win against Missouri at Jordan-Hare. A win against LSU this week would leave the Tigers with four wins out of five home games to start the season.

Read More Auburn Football: Bryan Harsin addresses Auburn’s quarterback situation

Impactful plays from Auburn’s 17-14 OT win against Missouri

Tate Johnson to miss 6-8 weeks as Auburn moves on to 3rd starting center -

Bad News: Auburn got blasted by 29 points against Penn State. Wins against Mercer and San Jose State weren’t awe-inspiring since the Tigers trailed at the half against the Spartans. Beating Missouri was miraculous, considering the Tigers had 217 yards of offense and didn’t score in the second half.

Ugly News: The Tigers have been outscored 94-18 in the second half during their last six games against Power 5 opponents dating back to last season’s losing streak. Auburn is 1-5 in those games, including the Missouri win, which was the first SEC win for Auburn since last October against Ole Miss.

“We don’t want to come out in the second half and not be more productive,” Harsin said. “That’s the goal that you wanna have at halftime. You know what they’re doing. You know where you’re at. You’ve got to make some of those adjustments and then get some of your best plays and the ball in your best player’s hands in the second half. We’re still a work in progress there, but that’s a focus we want to get better at.”

Auburn had 88 rushing yards against Missouri. That’s a low number, especially for a team that wants to establish the run to set up play-action passes. The Tigers ran the ball on 14 consecutive plays on the game’s opening drive, resulting in a touchdown. However, they struggled to gain traction after taking a 14-0 lead against Missouri.

“We want to be better. I know we all do. So as coaches — scheme, drills, techniques — we’ve got to coach it, we’ve got to prepare them, we’ve got to get those guys ready, we’ve got to execute it. All those things have to happen,” Harsin said. “That’s why every single week, you go back to work. We go back to doing those same drills. Or if it’s not working, we go back to doing something else that’s going to be better for us, alright, on the practice field to get us in a position to where we go out and actually play, we’ve improved in those areas.”

Tank Bigsby scored Auburn’s first touchdown against Missouri and had nine carries on the first drive. However, he was mostly quiet for the rest of the game. It’s easy to say Auburn should run the ball more. But what happens when teams continue to load the tackle box?

Offensive line play also reflects in pass protection. Tiger quarterbacks got sacked seven times against Penn State and four versus Missouri. It’s hard to win when quarterbacks don’t have enough time to throw, and the running backs get tackled behind the line of scrimmage.

“I’ve seen where we can create opportunities in the run game,” Harsin said. “I’ve seen the protection be really, really good. We’ve just got to be consistent with that. That’s what we’re doing right now. Putting together those plans so that we can coach that so we can get the guys in the right spot, give them a chance to be successful.

Another area where Auburn struggles is on third down. The Tigers only converted three of 16 third down attempts against Missouri. This trend showed up primarily from the third quarter until Auburn’s last drive in the fourth quarter. Missouri and Auburn exchanged 12 punts until Auburn failed on a 4th down from the 29-yard line with less than two minutes left.

Neither T.J. Finley nor Zach Calzada played against Missouri despite each player dressing and going through pre-game warmups. Robby Ashford got the start. He threw for 127 yards and rushed for an 11-yard touchdown to give Auburn a 7-0 lead. Harsin told reporters that Finley would practice this week, which could mean a return to a two-quarterback system.

“I think it’s a lot better than what a lot of schools do with their two-QB systems because we go in knowing. We prep every week like we’re starters,” Ashford said. “Even if I’m not starting, I’ve got to go in there and prepare like I’m the starter. It’s football. Anything can happen. You’re always one play away from playing the whole game.”

Injuries are piling up for the Tigers. Auburn lost starting center Nick Brahms to medical retirement. Tate Johnson replaced Brahms, but he’s out for 6-8 weeks with an injury suffered against Missouri. Auburn played its fourth-string quarterback during the Missouri game because Ashford got dinged up trying to block for Koy Moore in the third quarter.

“That’s just me being just a player,” Ashford said. “I mean, I want to do whatever for the team. But I learned my lesson a little bit. I won’t be as competitive as hard-going. Just try to get my body out there and set up a block in any way. Probably not try to take them to the ground, but maybe just a little push or something to create a little space.”

Despite the litany of concerns, Auburn has a 3-1 record a quarter through the season. Auburn is 10-10 on scoring in the red zone during three wins. They were 2-4 with no touchdowns in the Penn State loss and scored touchdowns on each red zone possession against Missouri.

As bad as it’s been on offense, the Tigers have a vital stat in their favor regarding scoring points in the red zone this season. Auburn’s red zone offense will be tested against LSU, who enters the game as a nine-point favorite on several Vegas sportsbooks.

Note to readers: if you purchase something through one of our

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John Samuel Shenker on Auburn-LSU rivalry: ‘There’s a real hatred’

Chris Wallace

1-2 minutes

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LSU and Auburn meet on The Plains on Saturday night in what is a huge game for each program.

Auburn coach Bryan Harsin needs to put together wins to work his way off the “hot seat,” while LSU’s Brian Kelly will be looking to string together a 4th consecutive victory after the Tigers’ season-opening loss to Florida State.

And make no mistake about it: this is a rivalry game.

If you have any doubt about that, check out what Auburn tight end John Samuel Shenker had to say about the game.

Said Shenker during media availability Monday: “It’s probably one of the more physical games that you ever play in. … It ranks up there with Georgia and Alabama in my opinion. … The attitude, there’s a real hatred when you step on the field.”

Shenker is Auburn’s 3rd-leading receiver on the season with 9 catches for 105 yards and a touchdown.

The battle of the Tigers is set for 7 p.m. (ET) and will be televised by ESPN.

LSU is currently a 9-point favorite.

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The Monday After: How a win felt like a loss against Missouri

Patrick Conn

3-4 minutes

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On the Monday after the 17-14 win over the Missouri Tigers, it felt more like a loss for Auburn. After building up a 14-0 lead with their first two possessions, the home team’s offense went into hiding until the overtime period.

The only time that Bryan Harsin’s offense went the length of the field was the opening possession but even that was a short field that started in plus territory. The defense forced Missouri to go three and out with a net of -10 yards. Auburn ran 14 plays, all runs on the box score. Some were called passes but quarterback Robby Ashford tucked the ball and got upfield, capping off the drive with an 11-yard touchdown run.

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The opening drive even needed two fourth-down conversions to even get to that point. The team ran the ball more with Tank Bigsby after hearing about the offense abandoning the run all week. While they made a more concerted effort to get No. 4 the ball, he struggled. Bigsby averaged just 2.3 yards per carry. Even worse is that he averaged 3.3 yards after contact per carry. He had more yards after contact than he had the entire game.

If it wasn’t for a couple of gaffs from Missouri with a missed chipshot field goal in the fourth quarter and a fumble in overtime, Auburn is like 2-2. Moving forward they need to step it up a notch or two, especially with one of the toughest schedules in college football really getting ramped up this week. The run of Mercer, San Jose State, Penn State, and Missouri has nothing on the next four weeks.

Against LSU this week, the offense is going to need a huge improvement. The visiting Tigers have the No. 3 total defense in the SEC and the No. 8 scoring defense in the country (13.3 points per game). With so much emphasis on running the football, LSU is likely to load up the box. Auburn has yet to show they can hurt teams throwing the ball, as they haven’t scored on a passing touchdown to a wide receiver this season.

With pass rushers such as BJ Ojulari and Ali Gaye lining up against Auburn’s offensive line, the offense is going to need to have a quick strike attack. In four games, the LSU defense has tallied 65 total pressures on the quarterback. That breaks down to an average of 16.3 per game. This year Auburn has given up pressure on 33.8% of Ashford’s dropbacks and 42% of TJ Finley’s dropbacks. That number will likely increase against LSU.

On the defensive side of the ball for Auburn, they will be tested against LSU. Former Arizona State quarterback Jayden Daniels has proven to hurt teams with his legs and his arm. Looking back at the win over Mississippi State in Week 3, Daniels accounted for two touchdowns. He ran for 93 yards and threw for another 210 yards. Keeping him corralled is priority No. 1. We will dive more into the matchups between these two this week but you get the gist, Auburn’s work will be cut out for them this week.

If Harsin’s offense isn’t able to put together a better game plan and execution, we will be back to discussing just how long the leash is for the head coach. Especially with the Georgia Bulldogs (Week 5), Ole Miss Rebels (Week 6), and Arkansas Razorbacks (Week 😎 coming up after Saturday’s showdown with LSU.

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Despite mixed results, Auburn freshman QB Geriner praised by Ashford and Harsin

Mark Murphy

4-6 minutes

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AUBURN, Alabama–Going into the opening game as Auburn’s fourth string quarterback, true freshman Holden Geriner cerainly looked to be heading towards a redshirt  season. That may still be the case, but ready or not he made his college football debut in the third quarter of Auburn’s 17-14 overtime victory over Missouri.

Geriner got the call when Robby Ashford was pulled from the game after hurting his shoulder while trying to make a block. Geriner, who is 6-3, 212  pounds out of Benedictine Military School in Savannah, Ga., joined the Auburn team in January as an early graduate.

On Monday, when asked about Geriner, Ashford had plenty of good things to say about his backup.

“I?think Holden did a great just coming out there when I went out,” said Ashford, a redshirt freshman who made his first college start vs. Missouri. “He prepares every week like he is the starter.”

Ashford said that Geriner is “so smart” for a freshman quarterback who loves football and is “a student of the game.” Ashford added that Geriner is a good passer. “I would probably say he throws the best ball in the room. Holden did really good. I am excited to see what his future holds for him.”

With starter T.J. Finley out for the Missouri game with a shoulder problem and backup Zach Calzada expected to miss the season due to an injury, the door opened for the freshman to see prime-time action vs. Missouri. Players can compete in as many as four games without losing their redshirt.

Geriner’s snaps before Ashford returned were an adventure. He was sacked twice and on one of those plays he passed the ball sideways that was ruled a fumble for an 11-yard loss when it was recovered by tight end John Samuel Shenker.

He also zipped a pass into Shenker’s midsection for eight yards against tight coverage for what was one of the team’s three third down conversions in 16 tries vs. Missouri.

Asked about the freshman, who led his team to a Georgia Class 4A state championship last season, Coach Bryan Harsin said, "He was good. I mean, it didn't look that productive when he was out there, but he came off the sideline and really for him it’s to just settle in and play ball. But you can imagine running out there, right

"You can practice a certain way," Harsin said. "You can do all these things. You can have a great demeanor, but when you run on the field it doesn't matter who you are. For the first time, the juices are flowing, and he's only going to get better for it. He's still going to be a guy that we are going to keep in the mix and we will see how he operates this week. I thought he was really good last week, especially in preparation.

"Here's a guy that when you walk in the building on Monday, he's sitting in the coaches' offices studying film so he has those qualities. The execution piece, playing in that position, the experience, all that stuff's going to come, but as far as his approach and his attitude, all the things you want in the guy that's going to prepare to play that position, he's got it. He's only going to get better.

Holden Geriner is shown in action in vs. Missouri. (Photo: Greg McWilliams, Inside the Auburn Tigers, 247Sports)

"He kind of came into a tough situation as well," Harsin pointed out.  "He was thrown right in there and it was good that Robby was able to come back, but he'll have himself prepared this week and he's got a better idea of what he needs to do going into this game so if he's thrown back in there again, he's ready to go out there and execute the plays and do his job. I'm excited for him. I think he is, too. He got a little taste and because of that it will be a better week for him.”

When Geriner entered the game he became the 10th true freshman to play this season joining running back Damari Alston, defensive back Austin Ausberry, wide receivers Camden Brown and Jay Fair, wide receiver Omari Kelly, cornerback J.D. Rhym, tight end Micah Riley-Ducker, safety Caleb Wooden and linebacker Robert Woodyard.

5COMMENTS

Next up for the 3-1 Tigers is a Saturday home game vs. LSU. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. CDT for a contest that will be televised by ESPN vs. the 3-1 visitors from Baton Rouge, who like Auburn are 1-0 in the SEC.

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SEC analyst Paul Finebaum reveals way Bryan Harsin can save his job

Taylor Jones

3-4 minutes

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Since the conclusion of the 2021 season, which ended with Auburn losing five straight games after starting the season 6-2, head coach Bryan Harsin’s job has been in jeopardy.

After fighting an offseason coup to remove him from the job in the offseason, Harsin led Auburn to a 2-0 start with wins over Mercer and San Jose State to begin the 2022 campaign. While the games were not played perfectly, it appeared that Harsin had his team trending in the right direction.

That all changed when Penn State visited Jordan-Hare Stadium on Sept. 17 and handed Auburn their most lopsided loss since the 2012 Georgia game. Last week, Auburn avoided their second loss in as many weeks thanks to a missed field goal and a fumble before the goal line that allowed the Tigers to escape with a 17-14 win over Missouri.

Now, it appears that Harsin’s seat is hotter than ever.

It does not help Harsin’s case that there are Power Five jobs opening around the country just four weeks into the season. That could put pressure on Auburn to make a move so that they can hire a quality replacement before all of their options have secured new jobs.

The job is not open, however. There is still time for Harsin to take strong leadership of this prestigious program that competes in the nation’s best conference. How can he do that? One college football expert weighs in.

Paul Finebaum of the SEC Network was a guest on the radio show “McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning” on Jox 94.5 in Birmingham Monday morning to share his thoughts on the weekend that was in the SEC. As is customary for an Alabama-based radio show, Harsin was discussed.

Finebaum criticized several of Harsin’s coaching decisions in last weekend’s win over Missouri but went on to say that the pressure that he has been dealt at Auburn is not entirely his fault. He says that Auburn has struggled in recruiting, dating back to the previous era.

“(Gus) Malzahn had moments. I think he was able to get some real, difference-making players on that roster as we all know. But, with Malzahn, it caught up to him at the end. His recruiting trailed off,” Finebaum said. “As Georgia became a juggernaut on top with Alabama and LSU has always made a difference, it just became more difficult.”

Last recruiting cycle, Auburn reeled in the No. 21 class according to 247Sports and sits currently at No. 56 in the 2023 rankings with 10 commitments. Harsin’s recruiting efforts have also been condemned, but Finebaum believes that if Harsin can put life back into recruiting, that could be one step towards keeping his job.

“You can overcome bad coaching decisions if you have a little bit of talent. But there just isn’t any talent,” Finebaum said. “I realize Auburn was shorthanded from a quarterback standpoint… but I’ve never seen less imagination and more sandlot ball than (vs. Missouri) in my life.”

Out of the 10 commitments that Auburn has received for the 2023 cycle, seven of them are rated as four-star prospects according to 247Sports. The class is headlined by running back Jeremiah Cobb, wide receiver Adam Hopkins, and safety Terrance Love.

List

The full Auburn depth chart for Week 5

Story originally appeared on Auburn Wire

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Tate Johnson out at least 6 weeks, Auburn football moves on to 3rd-string center

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Bennett Durando, Montgomery Advertiser

Mon, September 26, 2022 at 2:55 PM·2 min read

In this article:

Bryan Harsin

American football player and coach

AUBURN — Auburn football will be using its third-string center for most, or maybe all, of the rest of this season.

Tate Johnson will undergo surgery on his elbow Thursday and is out at least six to eight weeks, coach Bryan Harsin said Monday. Johnson injured his elbow in the first half of Auburn's 17-14 win against Missouri and did not return to the game.

"Could be season-ending," Harsin said.

He started Auburn's first four games after Nick Brahms, who had started 33 games in his career, announced his medical retirement from football six days before the season opener.

STARTING CENTERAuburn football's Nick Brahms opens up about ending his playing career: 'Tough to swallow'

TATE JOHNSONAuburn football's new center is undersized. Bryan Harsin is putting trust in him anyway

In 97 pass blocking snaps, Johnson allowed eight quarterback pressures. According to Pro Football Focus, his season pass protection grade is 47.4. His run blocking grade is 57.9.

Auburn (3-1, 1-0 SEC) is expected to start third-string center Jalil Irvin on Saturday (6 p.m. CT, ESPN) against LSU at Jordan-Hare Stadium, but Harsin said he will use Tuesday and Wednesday to evaluate his best options. Irvin was Brahms' backup last season, playing 98 snaps. The 313-pound senior has appeared in games dating back to 2018 in a reserve role.

After replacing Johnson, Irvin struggled against Missouri with a run blocking grade of 46.4.

"We'll move some guys around and take a look at it," Harsin said. "Avery Jernigan has also played center for us. So we've got to figure that out, the best five, what that's going to look like. And there might be some rotation in there."

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Tate Johnson injury: Auburn football down to third-string center