The Curious Case of Robby Ashford

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Hey all - Sharing part of this great analysis about another time in CBHs history with serious echoes of our current QB situation. Sharing a portion of this one.

I know I've done this plug before, but if you are looking to spend 6 bucks a month, you can't spend it better than on a subscription to The Auburn Observer by Justin Ferguson.. Used to write for The Atlantic and now just does it through Substack. Best analysis in the game for football and does great basketball coverage too. If you get a year sub in the next couple of days, it's only 45 bucks. I make it a rule not to spend any money on AU football analysis or news, but this is the exception and it is worth every penny. (I get nothing out of this other than being a JFerg evangelist and wanting everyone to know about this.) https://www.auburnobserver.com/
 

The Curious Case of Robby Ashford

T.J. Finley is Auburn's QB1. But the last two weeks have still been intriguing ones for Robby Ashford — and a situation from Bryan Harsin's past could shed some light on it.

 

"...The situation somewhat parallels what Harsin had at quarterback in 2017 at Boise State. In 2015 and 2016, the Broncos failed to win the Mountain West title — which had become a point of frustration among the fan base, especially when it concerned quarterback Brett Rypien.

As a freshman in 2015, Rypien became the starter at Boise State during the first month of the season. Rypien finished the season with solid numbers, but they were below what the Broncos were used to at quarterback. He also had notably rough games in his three losses, from throwing three interceptions against Utah State and New Mexico to completing less than 50% of his passes for just 4.9 yards per attempt against Air Force.

Rypien’s completion percentage took a step backwards in 2016, but Boise State managed to win its first seven games. He had a touchdown-less performance in a road loss at Wyoming, then went just 9-26 through the air in a bizarre road loss to Air Force to close the regular season. (Rypien threw for 316 yards despite completing just 34.6% of his attempts.)

In 2017, Boise State picked up graduate transfer Montell Cozart from Kansas. Cozart was never consistently a starter during his four-year stint with the struggling Jayhawks, but the Broncos picked him up over the likes of North Carolina and Fresno State.

Despite transferring in hopes of winning the starting job, Cozart was not named the starter for the 2017 opener, as Rypien kept the job. (Sound familiar?) Cozart was expected to play some in the season opener at Troy, but after Rypien struggled, the dual-threat transfer got five full drives. Boise State scored both of its offensive touchdowns with Cozart in the game.

“We were winning and Montell was doing a great job, so really it wasn’t that hard for me,” Rypien said about the time on the sidelines, per The Idaho Press. “At the end of the day I want to win a championship and not getting it done my first two years here, that’s something I am really looking forward to. Whoever is in the game is in the game and whoever is rolling is rolling. I thought he did a great job of coming in and making plays.”

A week later, Boise State lost a triple-overtime thriller against Mike Leach’s Washington State, where Cozart provided another spark off the bench and put up 233 yards of offense, plus three touchdowns. But Cozart was only in the game that much because Rypien left the game early with an injury, one that kept him out of the following week’s MWC opener against New Mexico.

After beating New Mexico, Rypien returned as the starter in a home loss to Virginia in which Cozart featured off the bench. And, at 2-2, it looked like Boise State was going to fall victim to what fans often fear when a team goes with a two-quarterback system.

But, after an off week, Harsin and his offensive staff stuck to their guns. Both quarterbacks played in a decisive 17-point road win at BYU.

Then the Broncos used both quarterbacks rather evenly in another 17-point road win, this time against San Diego State. Rocky Long, the legendary defensive mind who was in charge of the Aztecs at the time, said that preparing for the Broncos was like “getting ready for two teams in the same week.”

"There seems to be this rule that if you have another quarterback play with your starter, you have an issue, that there's something wrong," Harsin said in the buildup to the SDSU game, per the San Diego Union-Tribune. "Montell is a guy who can make plays. He's a guy who deserves to play, and it would be a total disservice not to use him. We're not going to worry about ruffling other people's feathers. You've got to find areas where you can utilize what you have."

Cozart scored three touchdowns — one passing and two rushing — a week later as Boise State avenged its loss to Wyoming from the previous season.

 

Rypien turned the corner during that Wyoming game, and he threw for 12 touchdowns and just one interception while completing more than 70% of his passes over the next four weeks. The Broncos still used Cozart as a change of pace down the stretch, and he finished the season with 10 passing touchdowns, four rushing touchdowns and just one interception.

Boise State avenged its only conference loss, a road defeat to Fresno State, by beating the Bulldogs a week later for that long-awaited Mountain West title. The Broncos then capped the season by beating Oregon in the Las Vegas Bowl.

Using multiple quarterbacks isn’t easy, and there were some bumps in the road for both Rypien and Cozart. But adding Cozart’s running ability in certain situations and packages to what Rypien brought as a passer made Boise State a better offense in the long run. And Rypien’s drastic improvement during that season after two tough seasons was a major highlight for the program.

 

What’s also interesting is that the 2017 season was also Kiesau’s first year with Harsin, as he served as his wide receivers coach. There is familiarity, and it wouldn’t be the biggest surprise to see Auburn entertain a scenario where both Finley would start and Ashford could contribute.

It definitely fits the M.O. of an offensive staff that wants to make defenses think that it could hit them with a wide range of options on that side of the ball.

 

Only time will tell during this game week what Auburn plans to do at quarterback beyond Finley, who has earned the right to be the starting quarterback despite the struggles to close the 2021 season. Seeing Ashford get significantly more reps with the regular two-deep than Calzada or freshman Holden Geriner would suggest that the Tigers want to see the newcomer in more than just garbage time.

The progressive nature of Auburn’s 2022 schedule — an opener against an FCS team, then a Week 2 matchup against a Group of Five opponent, then a headliner game against a Power 5 foe — lends itself well to this type of strategy early.

If you want to see what Ashford really looks like in live action for the first time, why not do it when you’re a comfortable home favorite? Why not do it when there’s more of a margin for error for a quarterback who was described by coaches as starting to “figure it out” in camp?

The plan could catch fire and show you who should be getting more snaps after learning what you couldn’t get fully in preseason practice. It could also spark improvement from the more experienced starter, like it did for Rypien at Boise State in 2017.

And, most importantly, it could help an Auburn offense that desperately needs to show improvement after last season’s five-game losing streak. With Harsin’s job security not guaranteed, this is feeling a like an “all hands on deck” situation for the program on the head coach’s preferred side of the ball.

Five years ago, Harsin made a quarterback system with an embattled returning starter and a dynamic dual-threat transfer work when fan frustrations were high.

Different conferences, different schedules, different quarterbacks and different shades of orange and blue, yes — but it’s not like Auburn’s head coach has never been in this spot before.

(Hope JFerg doesn't mind me sharing this - thought it was great. WDE)

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Love Ferg and the Observer! 
 

If this is the route Harsin takes we are in for a wild ride.