10.7.23 Football Articles

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auburnwire.usatoday.com

Brian's Column: Auburn needs to develop a passing attack following the bye

Brian Hauch

3–4 minutes

The Auburn Tigers have lost two games in a row to drop to 3-2 (0-2 SEC) overall entering the bye week.

Those two losses are not on the defense.

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If Auburn is going to go bowling this year, the offensive side of the ball needs to be better. Specifically, quarterback Payton Thorne and the group of pass-catchers Thorne is throwing the ball to.

The Tiger’s offensive line and running backs improved greatly against Georgia last week after struggling for much of the season, but the one-dimensional Auburn offense fell flat in the second half, ultimately leading to Georgia storming back to steal on in Jordan-Hare.

It is pretty clear that head coach Hugh Freeze is not interested in making a change at the quarterback position, at least for now.

While Thorne hasn’t been very good, his receivers have not helped him out much at all.

The headline of this tweet is slightly misleading as some of these catches have a high level of difficulty.

Still, when you are playing the number-one team in the country, some of these plays need to be made.

The first thing the Auburn coaching staff should be evaluating this week is the rotation at wide receiver.

jay fair has been fine in most games and above average in a few, as the junior leads all Auburn wide outs with 18 receptions and 196 receiving yards through five games.

Rivaldo Fairweather has also done his part. The Auburn tight end is second on the team in receptions and yards, with 15 and 145, respectively.

The next four recievers on the Auburn depth chart, Shane Hooks, Ja'Varrius Johnson, Jyaire Shorter and Camden brown have combined for just 15 catches combined.

The aformentioned Johnson going down with an injury in week 2 hasn’t helped, but one or two of Auburn’s pass catching threats needs to step up in the second half of the season to give Payton Thorne another option besides his slot receiver, tight end, or running back.

Auburn’s quarterback needs someone else he can trust. Until then, he’s going to continue making mistakes.

This game-ending interception is a perfect example of Thorne not trusting any of his receivers.

Auburn’s quarterback spends the majority of his time in the pocket staring down jay fair before attempting to force a ball into tight coverage.

It doesn’t work, and Auburn loses the football game.

The Tigers need another option to step up in the passing game after the bye, or interceptions, drops, and misreads will continue to be an issue for the offense.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on  X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Brian on Twitter @TheRealBHauch

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si.com

 

Five Auburn Tigers that may see more time following bye week

Steve Simpson

3–4 minutes

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Here are five Auburn players that could see more playing time after the bye week.

Auburn's off week couldn't come at a better time. After tough, back to back losses to Texas A&M and Georgia and suffering from numerous injuries among the ranks, time to reflect, heal and improve is much welcomed. 

The off week will see the coaches take a serious look at the roster to see who is available, who's is playing well, who needs to improve and who isn't making the cut. These five players could benefit greatly from the time off and see a lot more playing time when the Tigers return to action in Baton Rouge next week.

Brian Battie

Eric Starling/Auburn Daily

This may seem like an unusual choice since he has been a key contributor so far this season. Those contributions are why, I believe the coaches are going to figure out some more ways to get him the ball. Whether it's short passes, reverses or running the ball, look for him to be much more involved in the offense going forward.

Keldric Faulk

Eric Starling/Auburn Daily

Faulk has seen limited playing time so far this season, but has played well when he's been on the field. The unfortunate, season ending injury to Mosiah Nosili-Kite presents Faulk with the opportunity to step into some significant playing time. He will be a key factor in the continued success of the defense the rest of the way.

Nehemiah Pritchett

Eric Starling/Auburn Daily

Pritchett should be able to get back on the field at close to full strength after an extra week to heal from an earlier injury. His return will greatly help the defense, especially if he can pair with Jaylin Simpson, who is also hopeful to return after an undisclosed injury against Georgia.

Nick Mardner

Eric Starling/Auburn Daily

Mardner has had nagging injuries since the season began and as a result has seen very limited action. The off week should give him time to heal up and rehab so he can get back on the field against LSU. His height could be very helpful to Payton Thorne and the passing game.

Jeremiah Cobb

Eric Starling/Auburn Daily

In his limited snaps, Cobb has flashed the potential of greatness that he possesses. After wearing down a defense with Hunter and Alston, the fresh legs of Cobb against a tired defense could yield some explosive plays during the course of a game.

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saturdaydownsouth.com

 

Hugh Freeze says play of Payton Thorne is moving in right direction

Sydney Hunte | 1 day ago

~3 minutes

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Hugh Freeze was behind the mic for his weekly “Tiger Talk” show with Auburn in an open week following a 27-20 loss to Georgia.

One of the areas of discussion centered around the play of Payton Thorne at quarterback. The former Michigan State signal-caller threw for just 82 yards against the Bulldogs, but made some plays with his feet as he finished with 92 yards on the ground.

While were some moments during the game that Freeze noted should have resulted in more positive plays for Thorne, the Aubrun head coach is optimistic moving forward. “I do think we’re moving in the right direction, and we’re getting better,” he said on Thursday.

Auburn has lost its last 2 games after a 3-0 start and will next take the field on Oct. 14 as it travels to LSU. Freeze mentioned that his players were off for the upcoming weekend, but that they did “individual work” geared more toward defense during the week.

“You want to get as healthy as you can, but you have to get work in,” he said, adding that the team must improve their pass rush.

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si.com

Jayson Jones: 'The freshman, he's going to have to step up'

Zac Blackerby

~2 minutes

Auburn will need more from some of the younger defensive linemen.

Earlier this week, reports surfaced that Auburn would be without Mosiah Nasili-Kite for the remainder of the season.

Nasili-Kite played 176 snaps so far this year along the defensive front. He was a big part of the starting rotation for the Tigers during this first five games.

Auburn defensive lineman Jayson Jones reacted to the news.

"I know for me it's kind of sad because I miss having him around, personally," Jones said. "He's a great guy and I've never had any complaints about him. But it just means that people have to step up."

Eyes will now turn primarily to the five-star freshman Keldric Faulk.

"Keldric Faulk, the freshman, he's going to have to step up," Jones said. "Zykevious Walker, he's going to have to get more snaps. We're going to have to move some stuff around. I don't know where but we're going to have to move some stuff around because the most important thing in this league is depth. If you don't have depth, then you don't have fresh players, and if you don't have fresh players, then you can't put the best out there."

Faulk has played 92 snaps so far this season. He played a season-high 26 against Samford and a season-low 16 against Georgia.

Walker has been on the field for 54 snaps this season. He played a season-high 15 against UMass and a season-low seven against Cal.

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auburnwire.usatoday.com

Auburn is an early leader for elite 2025 OL Cortez Smith

JD McCarthy

1–2 minutes

Cortez Smith is one of the top offensive linemen in the 2025 recruiting cycle and the Lilburn, Georgia product is a major target for Hugh Freeze and Auburn.

He was able to take his first visit to the Plains to watch Auburn take on the Georgia Bulldogs and it could not have gone better.

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“It was great. Every single thing since I got here was great, atmosphere was big,” Smith told Auburn Undercover’s Christian Clemente.

In fact, it went so well that he revealed that Auburn is currently one of the leaders in his recruitment. They are joined by Georgia, Miami, Tennessee and South Carolina in his top group.

Smith is the No. 93 overall player and No. 3 interior offensive lineman in the 247Sports composite ranking. He is also the No. 15 player from Georgia.

Auburn has an advantage over the rest of his leaders, he is teammates with Auburn cornerback commit Jalyn Crawford.

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

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sports.yahoo.com

 

Auburn battling Miami for the signature of four-star wide receiver Ny Carr

Taylor Jones

~2 minutes

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Since his de-commitment from Georgia, four-star wide receiver Ny Carr has been high on Hugh Freeze’s radar.

Auburn felt great about their chances at landing his signature. He was one of many talented names that flocked to campus for Big Cat Weekend in July and paid a visit to campus for Auburn’s game against No. 1 Georgia last weekend. He tells Steve Wiltfong of 247Sports that the Tigers are heading in a positive direction.

“Wasn’t a bad game for them going up against the reigning champions,” Carr said. “They lost by a touchdown and extra point. That’s good for them. It was a great game. Tough match up for them when all the pieces are not filled.”

How much of a chance does Auburn have at landing Carr? According to projections from 247Sports and On3, Auburn has plenty of ground to make up if they plan to beat out Georgia and Miami for his signature.

On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine forecasts Miami with the best chance to earn Carr’s commitment at 90.9%. Next is Georgia, followed by Auburn, with programs having less than 5% odds.

Wiltfong is the lone 247Sports expert to drop a crystal ball prediction, giving it to Miami. He revealed the projection on Wednesday with a confidence level of 6.

Carr is a four-star rated wide receiver from Colquitt County High School in Moultrie, Georgia. He is the No. 9 player from the state of Georgia for the 2024 class and is the No. 11 wide receiver according to 247Sports.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on  X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__

Story originally appeared on Auburn Wire

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auburnwire.usatoday.com

Auburn continues pursuit of Florida's top 2024 commit

Taylor Jones

~2 minutes

Auburn is looking to beef up its pass rush with its 2024 recruiting class, and Florida‘s top commit could fit the need.

Four-star EDGE Jamonta Waller has been a Florida pledge since June, but that has not stopped Auburn from continuing its pursuit. On3’s Jeffrey Lee joined a recent episode of The Inside Scoop with host Josh Newburg, where he shared his take on the strength of Waller’s commitment to Billy Napier and the Gators and how much of a chance Auburn has at flipping him.

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“You’d like to believe — if you’re an Auburn fan — the trajectory of the program is up. You saw that Saturday against Georgia,” Lee said. “You look down South and you see Florida struggling, you’ve got to think that weighs somewhat in the recruitment of these guys. The need on defense and Auburn’s success on defense with the guys that they have is something Jamonta’s certainly noticing.”

Despite being a Florida pledge, Waller was on campus for Auburn’s game against No. 1 Georgia on Sept. 30. He, along with Alabama commits Caleb Odom and Ryan Williams, were among several outside commits to visit during the weekend.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on  X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__

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247sports.com

 

Gonzalez back throwing as Auburn baseball opens fall practice

Jason Caldwell

4–5 minutes

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A day for watching TV football

Looking forward to watching 12 hours of college football today without having to write about any of them. Alabama at Texas A&M, Georgia at Kentucky and LSU at Missouri should be fun. And, of course, there is the Red River Rivalry between Texas and Oklahoma.

I picked Alabama, Georgia, LSU and Texas to win those games, but all of them could easily go the other way.

Thorne makes progress

As Auburn goes back to work on preparation for LSU, it is clear that coaches feel better about quarterback Payton Thorne than maybe they did a couple of weeks ago. They believe he was much more consistent in going where he needed to go with the ball and would have had much better numbers if catchable balls had been caught.

It’s also important to remember that Thorne has Auburn’s two longest runs from scrimmage this season.

"I do think we're moving in the right direction,” Freeze said Thursday on Tiger Talk, “and we're getting better."

What I expected and what I didn’t

Nothing that follows should be construed as second-guessing or anything other than what I expected before the season and what I have seen. Coaches don’t tell me how to write stories, and I don’t tell them how to do their jobs.

Things I expected to see more of:

--More uptempo offense.

--More passes thrown in the middle of the field.

--More deep 50-50 balls for tight end Rivaldo Fairweather.

Things I didn’t expect:

--How well Auburn has run the ball.

--How well Auburn has stopped the run.

--The performances of defensive tackle Marcus Harris and linebacker Eugene Asante.

--Jaylin Simpson’s emergence as one of the top safeties in the SEC. I knew he was good, but he’s been even better.

Hard times don’t last

For fans of programs accustomed to winning, going through difficult times can be extremely challenging. Patience is hard to find. It is wise to remember everyone goes through those times.

Auburn and Florida are trying now to overcome some bad times. After Alabama won the national championship in 1992, it went 17 years without an SEC championship and had three losing seasons. Tennessee experienced hard times for the better part of two decades. LSU won the national championship in 2019 and had back-to-back non-winning seasons. Speaking of LSU, before Nick Saban arrived in 2007, it had losing records in seven of 11 seasons.

Eventually, things change. Football is extremely important for teams mentioned above. Sooner or later, their time always comes.

Really bad football

Maybe you have seen bad football, but Nebraska’s 20-7 win over Nebraska on Friday night was in a league of it’s own. Here’s how the second half went, possession by possession:

--Nebraska punts.

--Illinois fumbles.

--Nebraska kicks a field goal, the highlight of the second half.

--Illinois punts.

--Nebraska misses a field goal try.

--Illinois turns ball over on downs.

--Nebraska fumbles.

--Illinois punts.

--Nebraska throws an interception.

--Illinois throws an interception.

--Nebraska fumbles.

An impressive statistic

Georgia has won 22 straight games and two straight national championships. But here’s another amazing statistics: The Bulldogs have won 33 consecutive regular-season games. Their last regular-season loss was 44-28 to Florida on Nov. 7, 2020. Yes, doing that is easier in the SEC East than it would be in the West, but it is impressive, nonetheless.

Ted Roof’s defense has been dominant

Oklahoma has one of the top defenses in college football so far, giving up just more than 10 points a game. The coordinator is Ted Roof, Auburn’s defensive coordinator from 2009-2011. It’s easy to be happy for him. He’s one of the really good people I have come across in college football. He will, of course, face his toughest challenge of the season today against Texas.

My ranking of SEC teams

This will probably change before the day is over, but here is how I would rank SEC teams. Some will believe I have Missouri and Kentucky too high, and I probably do. But they deserve credit for being undefeated. They are both underdogs today.

1-Georgia

2-Alabama

3-Missouri

4-Texas A&M

5-Kentucky

6-Ole Miss

7-Tennessee

8-LSU

9-Auburn

10-Florida

11-Arkansas

12-South Carolina

13-Mississippi State

14-Vanderbilt

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[SaltyTiger 7,890]

Thanks Fiddy. Did not see anything on Gonzo throwing so linked it.

https://247sports.com/college/auburn/article/joseph-gonzalez-is-back-throwing-this-fall-217394912/

[bostic up the middle 80]

11 hours ago, aubiefifty said:

 

this one brought a tear to my eye! 19:24 is the inspiration for my name - thanks fiddy!