10.17.23 Football Articles

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247sports.com

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

Jason Caldwell

4–5 minutes

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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auburnwire.usatoday.com

 

Hugh Freeze press conference review: Ole Miss week

Taylor Jones

11–14 minutes

---

Hugh Freeze spoke with the media ahead of this weekend’s game against No. 12 Ole Miss at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Several topics of discussion include his team’s effort in a forgettable game at No. 19 LSU, injuries, and offensive tempo.

One of the main topics that he discussed Monday was the quarterback rotation. Payton Thorne passed for just 102 yards in Saturday’s loss, while Robby Ashford gained just 71 total yards and a touchdown. Has Freeze settled on just one quarterback? It is still early in the week, but do not bet on it.

“Yeah, I have not really seen the staff much today because of everything I have to do Monday mornings, but that is still being discussed. I would expect that you would see both QBs.”

Here is a rundown of everything Hugh Freeze said Monday ahead of Saturday’s game against Ole Miss.

Matthew Hinton-USA TODAY Sports

“Obviously, we’d like to put Saturday night behind us as fast as possible. It was really a dominating performance by LSU in all facets. They were more physical. They played harder, which is embarrassing and hurtful to say. It’s one thing for a team to have more talent, but I didn’t think we showed up with the right energy and drive and competitive spirit, and that lies in my lap. That’s disappointing. I could go through all the truths of the game, but it was really a dominating performance. I think they’re a very good football team. I think they’ve improved defensively in the last two weeks. Offensively, they’re one of the better ones that I’ve seen and faced. Their quarterback is playing at an extremely high level, so give them a lot of credit. We’ve got a lot to learn from that game. There’s certainly no time to hang our heads or feel sorry for ourselves, because we’ve got another team that’s very much like them coming in. I think this is the third straight week that we’ll be facing the top three offenses in the conference – Georgia, LSU, and Ole Miss. It’s going to be a tremendous challenge. I’m thankful that we’re at home in Jordan-Hare. We need it to be at its all-time best, and I know it will be. We’ll get ready and excited to play in this challenge, but it’s a really good football team coming in.”

Matthew Hinton-USA TODAY Sports

“Heck yeah, it will make you sad when you’re not competing like you hoped you would. I don’t know if anger is the right response that our kids need right now. They need some hard truths that I’ll give them today as soon as I meet with them. I miss meeting on Sundays. I really wish we did that, but I can’t wait to see them today and give them the truths of the game – the truths from what I saw and the truths I’ve already given the coaches and myself. It’s disappointing for sure, not to compete any better than we did. I wasn’t heartbroken. I understand this game. I understand where we are in our program. I understand that it’s going to take some time to build it. I certainly wasn’t happy. Whether you call it sad, angry, or whatever, I was definitely not happy. You know, you certainly look at yourself first. I do. I just want to get it fixed and get us to be competitive like Auburn should be. I know that in this conference, things start going against you, particularly on the road. There are some teams that can put it on you pretty good, and that’s what happened.”

Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

“I think it actually helps a lot. Jill and I talked about that because it removes the, ‘Hey, it is your first time playing Ole Miss since your departure from there.’ So, I think it is very helpful. That was an emotional day originally, but I was truthfully overwhelmed. I have a lot of friends there and a lot of people who, I think, appreciate the good things that we did and certainly wish things were different in the end, just like I do. We are seven or eight years removed from my seasons there, and I have got a lot of friends there, but the trip back there absolutely helps. This is not something that is new.”

Austin Perryman/Auburn Tigers

“In building a program, you certainly hope you do not have to revisit that all the time just because you are going to lose some games in this conference, and it is only going to get harder. I think we are approaching the ‘NFC/AFC’ version somehow, some way. You don’t want to have to, every time you lose a game, ask what we going to do to finish the year. We are playing to win a game in Jordan-Hare Saturday night and hear the truth of how we can improve to win it. We should play for each other, we should serve each other, and we should love each other enough to play and that is a greater challenge in today’s times than ever before, truthfully. I think we are all dealing with it. I talked to two coaches this morning in this conference that are friends of mine, and I think we all are dealing with some of the same things. Coaching is becoming a harder challenge at this level, and it is one that we have to embrace and continue to lead well. Hopefully, we have enough players that lead well enough that we see another opportunity to represent each other and our university and another step toward hopefully getting better as program, but how we prepare this week will show on Saturday. It always does, and that will be the message.”

Adam Cairns-The Columbus Dispatch

“It’s great that you can honor players sometimes because they really did things the right way. They practice the right way, they’re doing the things we say are the standard in this program, and Caleb has done that. It was exciting to see him get his first reps and I expect him to get more.”

© SCOTT CLAUSE/USA TODAY Network / USA TODAY NETWORK

“Offensively, we have struggled to be consistent. We had four possessions in that game to cut it to a one score game. Not saying we would have won the game or saying what would have happened, but it certainly would have given us confidence and momentum. We had three before the half and one right out of the half and we found a way in three of the four to kill the drive. I say we found a way – the players and coaches. One of the four, I give LSU total credit. But the margin of error again on where we are, we can’t do that. Let’s just imagine we get 10 points in the four drives, that’s 20-17. We got three points from the four drives to make it 20-10 and then it snowballed after that. We will continue to try every personnel to make sure we are playing the best kids. I think the plan was good, an awful start and I don’t think that helped. With the first procession going like it did, we looked like zombies on the sidelines after that. It just snowballed. No real earthshaking personnel changes to try and get the best plan our kids understand, and they can execute with who we have. It’s one thing to walk out there and say, ‘Hey, I know we can throw a post route.’ Well, great. Who is going to run that route? Is he able to correctly? Is he able to beat that corner matchup there? Who is going to throw it? Are we good enough to do that and win the game? If we are, we need to figure out who those people are. We are having a lot of discussions that go into certain plays that truthfully, I haven’t had a lot of.”

Austin Perryman/Auburn Tigers

“We consider everything and everybody. That will continue to be in our thoughts.”

Jamie Holt/Auburn Tigers

“I probably wouldn’t be sitting here today if it wasn’t for tempo offense and RPO world. So, it’s a very uncomfortable feeling for me to not be in that world. But yes, we are very, very thin. You get in that kind of game with that game last week, LSU, this week with Ole Miss, they want that kind of game. I mean they thrive in that kind of game. It’s not working right now the other way either so it’s a struggle. If you say, “Hey man, let’s just go fast” with them and see if we can do that then you are asking Marcus Harris to play 80 snaps a game. Depth issues are… not just Marcus but other defensive linemen, and I’m not sure that’s smart either, so we are still kind of debating on what’s the right approach.”

Matthew Hinton-USA TODAY Sports

“Well, there were just two plays. That’s the shocking thing and it never happened again. The whole game. That is baffling to me. And I don’t have an answer and neither did our kids. I know it was probably the loudest it was going to get at that moment because you are starting from the student section, but I mean for it to not be an issue for the rest of the game. But two out of the first three plays are kind of baffling to me and certainly disappointing. I just don’t have an answer. I thought they heard the clap, but there was no clap.”

Austin Perryman/Auburn Tigers

“When I say these things, it is a combination. I want to be clear. It is not just the quarterback that makes the passing game go with the protections, the routes, the correct routes. And we had some inconsistencies at the quarterback’s spot. On throws we always come back from that. Those two mishaps on the first possession, you will complete the pass and we saw another one too. Luke Deal was wide open, and we missed the throw. There was great protection, the route was good. Then there are others where the route may be a little deep and the balls coming out on the timing as it should. It is a combination, but the passing game is still inconsistent.”

© Mickey Welsh / Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK

“It does not look good for Damari (Alston). (Jaylin) Simpson was not 100 percent Saturday night, for sure. Hopefully he will get better. Hopefully we will get good news on Keionte (Scott) sometime soon. He makes a huge difference in our leadership. Austin Keys, I know he got out of his cast. I do not think he will be back this week but is getting closer.”

© SCOTT CLAUSE/USA TODAY Network / USA TODAY NETWORK

“I think our team has competed hard every game, except for times the other night. Obviously, when you say team you are not saying every individual. There are still some extraordinarily great efforts by certain individuals. It seemed flat. You don’t make too much of that in one particular game. Now if we have three or four in a row that are flat, then it becomes a real issue. For whatever reason maybe it is the way we started on both offense and defense that we were shocked. It seemed flat. I have not talked to the kids yet. I will see them this afternoon.”

John Reed-USA TODAY Sports

“It was critical in three of the drives. We had really good drives going, second and medium or short, and that put us in third down, which we are very poor on. If we hand it off, we are probably looking at a first down or a third and short. That is the system, but we have to figure out if that is who we really are. Whether the throw is a little off, or the corner just won, or whether we ran a route that allowed the corner to win. It’s a combination of all of those.”

Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

“They are similar. They go faster than LSU. LSU is not tempo all the time. Lane (Kiffin) and Charlie (Weis Jr.) want to go fast all the time. That is hard to prepare for, for sure. They do a few more running things than LSU and probably in the passing game too. Their quarterback is playing at a high-level. He’s turned it over maybe two times. (They have) talented receivers and great running backs. (Their) O-line is really solid. I have not watched much of their defense yet, but I will do that this afternoon. I know my guys have told me they are playing extremely hard on defense, for sure. They are stopping people for the most part. I think you have a complete team and give credit to the job Lane has done there. He has built it back to a competitive, top-25 program.”

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si.com

Kickoff time set for Auburn and Mississippi State

Zac Blackerby

~2 minutes

The Auburn Tigers now know what time they will face Mississippi State at Jordan Hare Stadium.

The Auburn Tigers will face the Mississippi State Bulldogs at 2:30 pm CT at Jordan Hare Stadium on October 28th on the SEC Network.

This will be Auburn's second home game in a row and the second team from the state of Mississippi as they take on Ole Miss this weekend. Auburn fans have been eying the battle with Mississippi State as a chance to get the record right after a brutal four-game stretch against Texas A&M, Georgia, LSU, and Ole Miss. 

Mississippi State has won the last two games of the series against Auburn. The Bulldogs will travel to Fayetteville, Arkansas this weekend before heading to Auburn on the 28th. Auburn will host Ole Miss this weekend.

Auburn vs Mississippi State Series History

Auburn leads the all-time series against Mississippi State 65-29-2. Auburn won the first-ever battle between the two teams in 1905 18-0 in Columbus Mississippi when Mike Donahue was the coach. Mississippi won the game last year when Auburn was led by interim head coach Carnell Williams. The final in last year's game was 39-33.

How to watch Auburn vs Mississippi State

Auburn will host Mississippi State at 2:30 pm CT on October 28th at Jordan Hare Stadium. The game will be televised on the SEC Network.

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saturdaydownsouth.com

Hugh Freeze offers extensive injury report ahead of Ole Miss

Andrew Peters | 15 hours ago

1–2 minutes

Following the loss to LSU on Saturday, Hugh Freeze gave an extensive list of injuries heading into the game against Ole Miss.

Freeze said that things aren’t looking good for running back Damari Alston to make a return this week. Alston suffered a shoulder injury against Texas A&M and has not played since. He was questionable for the LSU game, but did not make an appearance.

Freeze also said that defensive back Jaylin Simpson was not 100% against the Tigers. Simpson has been dealing with a calf injury, and Freeze hopes to get him back to 100% health before taking on Ole Miss on Saturday. Simpson has 20 tackles and 4 interceptions this season.

Linebacker Austin Keys, who has not played since the season opener due to a thumb injury, is out of his cast and is “getting closer” to a return.

Freeze said that he hopes to get good news about Keionte Scott soon. Scott has not played since the Samford game while dealing with an ankle injury.

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247sports.com

Hugh Freeze hints at Auburn personnel changes ahead of Week 8 Ole Miss clash

Grant Hughes

46–58 minutes

The Tigers coach isn't getting complacent after last week's 48-18 loss to LSU.

Auburn ranks last in the SEC in total offense after mustering just 293 total yards during its blowout loss to LSU last week, and head coach Hugh Freeze hinted that changes are needed before No. 13 Ole Miss comes into town this weekend.

"Offensively, we've obviously struggled to be consistent," Freeze said Monday. "We'll continue to try every personnel to make sure we're playing the best kids. We are just trying to get the best plan that our kids understand and that they can execute. We're having a lot of discussions that go into certain plays that, truthfully, I haven't had a lot of."

Saturday's game will be the second time Freeze has faced the Rebels since his controversial resignation in 2016. He discussed the emotions of playing his former program and analyzed the Tigers' quarterback rotation, "flat" play against LSU and the challenges Ole Miss presents, among other things.

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Here's everything Freeze had to say about Auburn and its matchup with Ole Miss during his Monday press conference:

OPENING STATEMENT

"We'd like to put Saturday night behind us as fast as possible. It was really a dominating performance by LSU in all facets. They were more physical. They played harder, which is embarrassing and hurtful to say. It's one thing for a team to have more talent, but I didn't think we showed up with the right energy, drive and competitive spirit. That lies in my lap. That's disappointing. It was really a dominating performance. They're a very good football team. They've improved defensively in the last two weeks. Offensively, they're one of the better ones that I've seen.

"Certainly no time to hang our heads or feel sorry for ourselves because we got another team that is very much like them coming in. This is the third straight week that we'll be facing the top three offenses in the conference in Georgia, LSU and Ole Miss. It's going to be a tremendous challenge. I'm thankful that we're at home. We need it to be at its all-time best. We'll get ready and excited to play in this challenge. Really good football team coming in."

ON LOOKING SAD INSTEAD OF ANGRY ON THE SIDELINES AT LSU

"It makes you sad when you're not competing like you hoped you would. I don't know if anger is the right response that our kids need right now. They need some hard truths that I'll give them today. Can't wait to see them today and give them the truths of the game, the truths from what I saw and the truths I've already given the coaches and myself. It's disappointing not to compete any better than we did.

"I wasn't heartbroken. I understand this game. I understand where we are in our program. I understand it's going to take some time to build it. I was definitely not happy. You certainly look at yourself first. I just want to get it fixed and get us to be competitive. In this conference, things start going against you, particularly on the road. There are some teams that can put it on you pretty well. That's what happened."

ON COACHING AGAINST OLE MISS AT LIBERTY IN 2021

"It actually helps a lot. That removes the, 'Hey, this is your first time playing Ole Miss since your departure from there.' It's very helpful. That was an emotional day, but I was truthfully overwhelmed. I have a lot of friends and a lot of people who appreciate the good things. I certainly wish some things were different at the end. We are 7-8 years removed. I've got a lot of friends there. The trip back there absolutely helps."

ON IF AUBURN PLANS ON ANY PERSONNEL CHANGES ON OFFENSE

"Offensively, we've obviously struggled to be consistent. We'll continue to try every personnel to make sure we're playing the best kids. The plan was good. Awful start didn't help. With the first possession going like it did, we looked like zombies on the sideline after that. No real Earth-shaking personnel changes. We are just trying to get the best plan that our kids understand and that they can execute. We're having a lot of discussions that go into certain plays that, truthfully, I haven't had a lot of."

ON WHETHER HE WANTS TO RUN MORE TEMPO

"I wouldn't be sitting here today if it wasn't for tempo offense and RPO. It's a very uncomfortable feeling for me not to be in that world. We are very, very, very thin. You get in that kind of game with LSU and Ole Miss -- they want that kind of game. They thrive in that kind of game. It's not working right now. It's a struggle. If you say, 'Hey, let's just go fast with them.' Then you're asking defensive linemen to play 80 snaps a game. I'm not sure they're smart, either. We're still debating what's the right approach."

ON AUBURN'S QUARTERBACK PLAY

"It's not just the quarterback that makes the passing game go. It's the protection. It's the routes. We had some inconsistencies at the quarterback spot. We almost came back from those two mishaps on the first possession. It's a combination, but the passing game is still inconsistent. I would expect that you would see both quarterbacks."

ON WHETHER AUBURN'S ISSUE IS TALENT OR LACK OF BUY-IN

"Our team team has competed hard in every game, except for times the other night. When you say team, you're not saying that it is every individual. There are still some extraordinarily great efforts by certain individuals, but it seemed flat. You don't make too much of that in one particular game. If we have 3-4 in a row that are flat, then it becomes a real issue. For whatever reason, maybe it's the way we started on both offense and defense that we were shocked. It seemed flat."

ON THE SIMILARITIES BETWEEN LSU AND OLE MISS

"They're similar. They go faster than LSU. Lane Kiffin wants to go fast all the time. That's hard to prepare for. They do a few more things in the run game than LSU and probably in the pass game, too. Their quarterback is playing at a high level. Talented receivers. Great running backs. The offensive line is really solid. They're playing extremely hard on defense. They have a complete team. Credit to the job Lane has done there since he took over. He has built it back into a competitive top 25 program."

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247sports.com

 

Lane Kiffin says Ole Miss losing streak at Auburn looms large That place has magical things happen

Grant Hughes

10–13 minutes

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The Rebels coach is looking to flip the script in Jordan-Hare Stadium this weekend.

Ole Miss hasn't won at Auburn since 2015 and has beaten the Tigers in Jordan-Hare Stadium just twice since the turn of the millennium. Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin said he doesn't know what makes Auburn so tough at home but is looking forward to the opportunity to turn the table this weekend.

"It's a challenge to try to win on the road there," Kiffin said Monday. "As a program, we have won once there in 20 years. It is exciting to have this opportunity to go in there and play a complete game, which will need to win. That place has some magical things happen in it. They're always sold out. Fans seem to be in it all game. They seem to play better there, especially at night if you look at the stats over the years."

Kiffin broke down Auburn's defense for the media two-quarterback system and revealed whether he's using tape from LSU's 48-18 win over the Tigers last week in his preparation. He also discussed his relationship with Auburn coach Hugh Freeze and the newfound parity in the SEC, among other things.

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Here's everything Kiffin had to say about Ole Miss' trip to Auburn this weekend:

 

INITIAL THOUGHTS ON THE MATCHUP WITH AUBURN

 

"Good to get back out on the field today. Guys had a lot of energy. They're really excited for this matchup. It is a very challenging place to go play and team to play that we struggled with early here. We ended up winning last year. It's a challenge to try to win on the road there. As a program, we have won once there in 20 years. It is exciting to have this opportunity to go in there and play a complete game, which will need to win. They have good players and really good coaching. This year, like a lot of years, they are a very different team at home. Their score last week mean anything."

 

ON HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH HUGH FREEZE

 

Kiffin's brother, Chris, served as Freeze's defensive coordinator at Ole Miss from 2012-16.

"I have not been around him that much. I met him a few times over the years. My brother coached here, and I really appreciated how he treated my brother during his time here. I had nothing but good interactions with him the few times I met him. SEC Media Days, and we played him at Liberty when they played here. That's about it."

 

ON WHETHER LSU GAVE A BLUEPRINT ON HOW TO SCORE ON AUBURN'S DEFENSE

 

"I do not look at it that way. LSU does that to everybody. Like I said after we played LSU, they and Washington have the best offensive personnel in the country and are the hardest to defend. They pretty much score and move the ball on everybody. Auburn plays really well on defense. They are really well-coached and play really hard. A lot of people are struggling to move the ball against them this season."

 

On the play of transfer safety Daijahn Anthony

 

Anthony played two seasons under Freeze at Liberty before transferring to Ole Miss this offseason.

"Daijahn Anthony has a really good size-to-speed ratio and the movement skills that top players have. Sometimes, these guys just try to fit in, and maybe they are really good players, but they don't really have the size-speed ratio and look like NFL guys. He does. He has good leadership skills and has made some good plays for us this year."

 

ON WHAT MAKES AUBURN SO TOUGH TO BEAT AT HOME

 

"I don't know that answer. The analytics support it. We like breaking records and doing things. If we win this game, it's the first back-to-back wins at Auburn in 71 years. That's a pretty exciting thing to be able to do. That place has some magical things happen in it. They're always sold out. Fans seem to be in it all game. They seem to play better there, especially at night if you look at the stats over the years."

 

ON THE TIGERS' DEFENSE

 

"They coach really well. They do not do a ton of things. They do them really well. Their defensive coordinator was at Baylor when we played them, and he did a great job against us. It is about running simple and effective schemes. They do not do as much but do it really well. They coach it really hard and play physical and tackle well. They have really good players, too, that were left there."

 

ON GAME PLANNING AGAINST AUBURN'S TWO-QUARTERBACK SYSTEM

 

"It is what it is. Quarterbacks are a little bit different, but Payton Thorne moves around a lot better than people initially thought he did. He has thrown the ball really well this year and done some really good things for Auburn. They have just missed some things when other guys are not making the plays or not on some deeper balls. They just haven't to hit those plays. Thorne has done a great job."

 

ON IF THE SEC IS TOUGHER NOW THAN IT WAS WHEN HE TOOK THE TENNESSEE JOB IN 2009

 

"I don't know that it's tougher. The SEC has been tough for a while. I can't speak for him, but when I came in, it was really tough. That year, you were playing Urban Meyer, Nick Saban and Steve Spurrier. For me, both times were really tough, and there were really great players and coaches that you play against."

 

ON WHY THERE SEEMS TO BE MORE PARITY IN THE SEC THIS SEASON

 

"There's a lot of parity and upsets. I don't have the answer to why. Even the marquee let some teams hang around with them longer than they used to. I'm not really sure why that is. People will say it's the portal. I'm sure if you asked them, Alabama and Georgia, they'd say it's because they lose players in the portal, especially some second-team guys and depth. I don't know that you can make that argument because they also go add great players at the spots they need help at.

"I am not really sure why that is. My guess is it's not coaching. It's not just the portal. You need to look at quarterbacks and quarterback play. Being able to watch some games and see the Pac-12 this weekend... People say the Pac-12 is the best conference, and why is that when it's been down for a while? Look at quarterbacks and look at quarterback play. That's why that argument to me comes up."

Returning to 'simplicity' of offense has largely contributed to revived ground attack

Sophomore Ole Miss RB Quinshon Judkins lacks no confidence and is catching fire at the right time...

The Ole Miss Rebels are back to their regularly scheduled program following the open week. The team has begun week two of preparations for their upcoming matchup against Auburn in the Plains. Since the year 2000, Ole Miss has won just two games when traveling to Auburn.

So in order to ensure a victory in a place that has been harsh to the Rebels in past years, Ole Miss will have to continue their dominant two-dimensional offense that they’ve displayed in their past two games.       

Star sophomore running back Quinshon Judkins has gotten back into his groove and has helped revive a run game that struggled mightily the first month of the season. 

“I think just the mentality and just going back to the simplicity of our offense and how we were successful last season,” Judkins said of the offense’s recent success on the ground. “Just doing those things, and it’s gotta get better than it is now, so just continuing to be better and having those details.”

Despite going into last year’s bye coming off a win and having just one loss, Ole Miss’ second-year back still sees a different kind of situation for this year’s team.

Ole Miss RB Quinshon Judkins greets AD Keith Carter (Photo: Petre Thomas , USA TODAY Sports)

“I would say just compared to this season and last season, we’re kind of not in the same situation. We did just come off a win though, so I would say that just the mentality that we have and how dialed in everyone is, you can already tell nobody's relaxed,” Judkins added. “They know what the goal is and everybody has come back focused.”  

Through six games, Lane Kiffin’s Rebels have already scored more fourth quarter points than they did all of last season. What has that been attributed to according to Judkins?

“I would say more so just the players that we have,” he said. “We have a lot of playmakers on our team and so many ways that you can spread the ball around. That’s what I would attribute that to and just our coaches that have given us the game plan to go out there and execute.”

Going into the season Judkins fielded a ton of questions revolving around how he could elevate his play. I mean how much further could he really elevate it after having a sensational freshman year that made him a household name around the country? If he does manage to accomplish that this season, Ole Miss probably has the best player in the country walking around their facilities.  

Statistically, at this point it might not be the same, but you can tell other parts of his game have continued to develop nicely. 

“I think I’ve progressed tremendously playing without the ball, compared to my freshman season. As a freshman you come in (and) you don’t really know that many things,” Judkins explained to reporters following Monday’s practice. “I think where I am now, I’m doing really good…If coach asks me to go play receiver, I’ll go do it. Just because I know my ability and what I can do as a player all around on the field. There’s no question there, but I think my receiving game is really good. I have a really good skill set to where you can use me anywhere on the field.”

In 2023, Judkins has rushed for 443 yards on 108 carries (4.1 YPC) to go along with six scores on the ground. Through the air, he’s accumulated 102 receiving yards on 12 receptions to go along with a touchdown in six starts. 

“Yeah, just being from Alabama those are two big rivalry schools. As an in-state player that’s something that you always look at, those two schools, just because they’re so close to home. But me being here at Ole Miss, there isn’t anything that I’m thinking about there.”

The Rebels will hit the road this weekend to resume SEC play against the Auburn Tigers at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. CT and can be seen on ESPN or listened to on the Ole Miss Radio Network. At the time of this writing, Ole Miss sits as a 6.5-point favorite.  Inside the Rebels will be on site to provide offseason notes, facts, observations and more.  

“Last week (during) the bye week we had practice days with the team. Just really going over our installs for the game plan this week,” Judkins explained. “Then just day in and day out, focusing on how we can be better. Then we came in on those last two days and just really prepared.”

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theplainsman.com

Hugh Freeze previews Ole Miss ahead of matchup against former team

4–5 minutes

Prior to Auburn’s SEC matchup against Ole Miss, Tigers head coach Hugh Freeze previewed what he’s seen from Ole Miss this season.

“It’s going to be a tremendous challenge,” Freeze said. “I’m thankful that we’re at home in Jordan-Hare. We need it to be at its all-time best, and I know it will be. And we’ll get ready and excited to play in this challenge, but really good football team coming in.”

Freeze spent five seasons as the head coach of the Rebels from 2012-16, but this won’t be Freeze’s first time facing his former team. While at Liberty, Freeze and the Flames faced No. 16 Ole Miss in 2021, in which the Rebels won 27-14 in Oxford, Mississippi. For Freeze, having faced Ole Miss once already since his departure is a good thing for his emotions.

“I think that it actually helps a lot,” Freeze said. “Because that removes the ‘hey this is your time playing Ole Miss since your departure from there’ and so, I think it’s very helpful. That was an emotional day originally… but we’re seven, eight years now removed from my seasons there.”

After the LSU game, Freeze questioned the energy his team came out with, saying he “didn’t think we fought as hard,” and that fell on him not preparing them. Auburn linebacker Eugene Asante echoed Freeze’s statement on the team’s lack of energy saying, “We need to be more juiced and ready to play the game and more excited to play the game.”

To try and reverse how Auburn came out in the Tigers’ blowout loss to LSU, Freeze is preaching a message to his team halfway through the season: opportunity.

“We’re playing to win a game at Jordan-Hare Saturday night… we should play for each other, and we should serve each other and we should love each other enough to play,” Freeze said. “... Hopefully we have enough players that lead well enough that man we see another opportunity to represent each other and our university and another step toward hopefully getting better as a program. But how we prepare this week will show on Saturday, it always does.”

Like Auburn’s opponent last week in LSU, the Tigers’ opponent this week in the Rebels have a prolific offense. Like the Bayou Bengals, Ole Miss is ranked in the top four in the SEC statistically in points per game (41.7), yards per game (489) and passing yards per game (306). LSU and Ole Miss played in a shootout just a few weeks ago that saw the two teams go toe-to-toe with the Rebels coming out victorious at home 55-49, proving that each team has a high-powered offense.

For Freeze, he sees many similarities between the two offenses and admitted it is difficult to prepare against Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin and offensive coordinator Charlie Weiss Jr.’s offense.

“They’re (Ole Miss) similar. They go faster than LSU. LSU’s not tempo all the time,” Freeze said. “Lane and Charlie, they want to go fast all the time, and that’s hard to prepare for, for sure. They do a few more things in the run game than LSU and probably in the pass game too. Their quarterback’s playing at a high level. I think he’s only turned it over two times. Talented receivers, great running backs, O-Line’s solid.”

Auburn (3-3) and Ole Miss (5-1) will kick off at 6 p.m. CST. The matchup between the Tigers and Rebels will be televised on ESPN.

Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.

Jacob Waters | Sports Editor

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247sports.com

Exit Survey Parting thoughts on Auburns drubbing at LSU

Nathan King

11–14 minutes

Dive in for our plays of the game, helmet stickers, areas of concern and exiting analysis on the loss at Tiger Stadium

Any hopes Auburn had of an upset in Baton Rouge hit the grass with a thud early, as the orange and blue Tigers trailed 17-0 in the first quarter, and LSU ultimately breezed past an overwhelmed Auburn team, 48-18.

Two of our football reporters — Jason Caldwell and Nathan King — took another look at Auburn's loss to the with some superlatives and final thoughts from the game in the Auburn Undercover Exit Survey.

Dive in for our plays of the game, helmet stickers, areas of concern and exiting analysis on the loss at Tiger Stadium — and what our observations could mean for the Tigers moving forward into a more manageable — but still challenging — stretch of their SEC schedule.

PLAY OF THE GAME (OFFENSE)

Jason: "For me, it has to be the throw from Robby Ashford to Brandon Frazier down the middle of the LSU defense for 39 yards. Frazier is a guy we’ve been waiting to see make plays and he did it by stretching the field. Part of a big day for the senior tight end."

Nathan: "The deep ball from Ashford to Frazier was not only Auburn's longest play of the game, but it also help to set up a field goal drive to trimmed LSU's lead to 20-10 early in the third quarter. Auburn seemed to possibly be building a bit of momentum before the ensuing kickoff was returned 60 yards, giving LSU a short field to begin its second-half onslaught, where it scored touchdowns on all four of its possessions."

PLAY OF THE GAME (DEFENSE)

Jason: "It was once again Jaylin Simpson making the play of the day for the Auburn defense. While he still wasn’t 100 percent, Simpson broke on a Jayden Daniels pass over the middle and while he didn’t come up with the interception, his deflection led to a pick by D.J. James. Another impressive play by the senior safety."

Nathan: "Speaking of Auburn's chances early in the second half, LSU could have built itself an even bigger lead if not for James' interception with 2:50 left in the first half. Simpson was beside himself for not coming up with the ball, but his athletic play created an opportunity for James, highlighting a strong second quarter for Auburn's defense in which it allowed only a field goal. The takeaway was squandered, though, after Auburn seemed to have some mojo with Ashford, but unsuccessfully switched to Payton Thorne later in the drive."

HELMET STICKER (OFFENSE)

Jason: "It has be Frazier for his play, grabbing three passes for 52 yards and a touchdown and also adding a two-point conversion. I also want to mention Jeremiah Cobb, who had 69 yards on just 10 carries. The true freshman continues to show he’s deserving of more touches."

Nathan: "Frazier gets the nod here in a losing effort. The redshirt junior tight end entered the game with five catches to his name, then racked up 52 yards in Baton Rouge, including a short touchdown. Auburn's offense, however, needed more than just a seldom-utilized tight end to produce in this game. The fact that Frazier ended up as the Tigers' best offensive player is a brutal reflection of how poorly this offense prepared and executed."

HELMET STICKER (DEFENSE)

Jason: "Linebacker Eugene Asante continues his strong season with another big performance. Finishing with 12 tackles, one sack and one quarterback hurry, Asante was all over the field for the Auburn defense in the loss."

Nathan: "Another game, another high-volume tackling performance for Asante. In addition to his 12 stops, the linebacker also sacked Daniels and tallied a hurry, too. Unfortunately for Auburn, though, there weren't nearly enough defensive playmakers in a game where Daniels and LSU essentially did whatever they wanted up and down the field."

HELMET STICKER (SPECIAL TEAMS)

Jason: "Auburn punter Oscar Chapman had another outstanding night, averaging 45.5 yards on six attempts. He had one inside the 20-yard line and one touchback, but it was a punt that landed inside the 10 with several Auburn players around that couldn’t find the ball."

Nathan: "Chapman had another strong performance, with a 45.5-yard average on six punts, including two that traveled more than 50 yards. He had a punt in the second half that could have pinned LSU deep, but his gunners weren't able to track it down in time. I'll give another mention here to LSU return man Kaleb Jackson, whose 60-yarder in the third quarter gave an instant jolt to LSU and wiped away any momentum Auburn may have been building. There's an argument that was one of, if not the biggest turning point in the game."

WHERE AUBURN TOOK A STEP FORWARD

Jason: "After taking some big strides in the loss over Georgia, I don’t think there’s any part of the game where you can look at Auburn and feel like there was an improvement. That’s disappointing following a bye week."

Nathan: "Yeah, this is a tough one. Going on the road and getting hammered after a bye week — against a defense that had allowed other teams to have plenty of offensive success this season — is a rough look for Hugh Freeze's team. There was certainly no defensive improvement after giving up 48 points, and the offense looked as inconsistent as ever."

WHERE AUBURN TOOK A STEP BACK

Jason: "Really everywhere you look there were issues for this Auburn team. To pinpoint an area, I would probably go with run defense after allowing 238 yards on the ground to LSU. That early success on the ground opened up the entire playbook for Daniels and company."

Nathan: "And on the flip side, take your pick here. It has to be frustrating for Auburn to make strides on offense against Georgia, at least marginally, and then punt six times on its first eight drives against the SEC's worst defense. I hesitate to turn my attention to the defense here because of the monumental task it was faced with, but allowing LSU to do whatever it wanted and easily glide into the end zone time and time again was certainly not what we've come to expect from this group and its execution this season."

BIGGEST SURPRISE?

Jason: "I thought the LSU offense would be a huge test for this Auburn defense, but I didn’t expect to see them just walk up and down the field with very little resistance. The ability for LSU to run the football really put the defense in a no-win situation."

Nathan: "Again, how did Auburn look so discombobulated offensively after a bye week, and for multiple drives? Any juice Thorne had with his pass-catchers seemed to dissipate, and the quarterback shuffle that began as early as the second quarter threw up a ton of red flags about how poorly this team was executing its game plan. Of course, Auburn was down 17-0 before it picked up its first first down, and players admitted after the game that their offensive script was thrown way out of whack as a result. Still, this was a completely discouraging performance in a spot Auburn felt it could build on its improvements from the past few games. Instead, the Tigers faceplanted."

Did this outcome affect your thoughts on this Auburn team?

Jason: "Even though it was the worst outing of the season, I have seen a bunch of Auburn teams play terrible in Baton Rouge and still have good years. This team has a lot of work to do, but it didn’t really impact my season thoughts on the Tigers."

Nathan: "Look, something had to give in this game: Either Thorne and Auburn's passing game were going to find a rhythm against a quality opponent for the first time all season, or LSU's defense was going to get going against a struggling offense at home. Perhaps it's not all too surprising that the latter ended up being the case, and I thought there was a decent chance LSU would play better defensively. But there's a difference between being overmatched as an offense and lacking execution of a game plan. This RPO system clearly is flawed in a huge way for Freeze, and it's unclear when it could be fixed — or how many games it will continue to weigh the entire team down. My opinion doesn't change much for Auburn's defense, though it does ramp up the urgency with another high-flying offense next on the docket in Ole Miss. At the end of the day, though, this three-game stretch for Auburn was always going to be difficult to notch any wins, and the Tigers are in the same position entering the second half of the season — needing just a couple SEC wins to make a bowl game — that most assumed they'd be in the offseason."

*** Subscribe to Auburn Undercover for the latest news and intel, podcasts, recruiting coverage and more ***

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Jason Caldwell's Monday morning quarterback column

Thoughts on Auburn football, college football and Auburn hoops.

Key stretch coming up

With back-to-back home games against Ole Miss and Mississippi State before road trips to Vanderbilt and Arkansas, Hugh Freeze and the Tigers have plenty of opportunities still ahead of them in what is really the key stretch of the season for this team. Playing at Texas A&M, at home against Georgia, and at LSU was always going to be the most difficult run of games for this team because of the physical nature of each team along with two of them being away from home.

Now you’ve got a much more favorable schedule for a team that needs to build some confidence and momentum. It won’t be easy against a very good Ole Miss team, but being at home on a Saturday night is a good place to start. The Rebels can score with anyone, which will be a challenge for an Auburn defense that continues to deal with injuries on that side of the ball. On the other side, Ole Miss has improved on defense, but it’s a group that can be attacked. Much like LSU, the damage has come mostly through the air. Once again the story remains the same for the Auburn offense, can they make some plays in the passing game? They’re going to need them to knock off the Rebels on Saturday night.

Fun season of college football

At roughly the halfway point of the 2023 season for most teams and just a few past that point, I still really don’t have an idea of what’s going to happen with the top teams in college football this season. It’s really the first time I haven’t had a strong feeling about at least three of the teams in probably more than a decade, and that’s great for the sport. I absolutely think there are issues with NIL and the transfer portal, but there’s not much debate on how healthy it has been for the sport overall because of the balance it has brought across the country.

Instead of having maybe five or six teams in the race for two spots at the end of the year, we probably have at least a dozen teams that have a legitimate shot at making the playoffs at the end of the season. That’s going to make for some fun games the rest of the way around the country.

Basketball thoughts

The more I watch this Auburn basketball team, the more excited I am about seeing them on the court together when they’re all on the same side. It’s not a team full of future NBA players across the board, but I think it’s a team that could be fun to watch as they develop chemistry this season. I do think this team is going to be able to score in different ways. While I’m not sure that the big guys are going to knock down their free throws at a high rate, the rest of this team can really knock them down. Denver Jones is someone that has great touch at the line and is also physical with the ball in his hands. I could see him being the guy at the end of games for this team in big moments. That’s always one of the keys to closing out close games and Jones could be in that position for the Tigers. 

I talked to several NBA scouts last week during Auburn’s pro day and they feel like this league is doing to be as deep and talented as it has been in a long time. It’s also going to be wide open with as many as half a dozen teams capable of winning the Southeastern Conference. Auburn, Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee and Texas A&M could all make a run this season with both Ole Miss and Mississippi State teams that are capable of making a push as well. Going to be a wild season of hoops in the SEC.

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lol   folks.........the talking sock!

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Thanks for doing these @aubiefifty

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