Tag: Alex McPherson

Instant Analysis: Auburn falls victim to Texas A&M’s second half explosion, drops SEC opener

A tight first half defensive battle turned into an Texas A&M offensive clinic on Saturday.

Auburn’s SEC opener against Texas A&M began as a defensive battle before ultimately turning into a second-half offensive clinic by the Aggies.

Texas A&M outgained Auburn 281-81 in the second half to pull away and earn a 20-10 win over Auburn at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas.

Leading 6-3 at halftime, Texas A&M (3-1, 1-0 SEC) owned a small advantage in the yards department, 121-112. Auburn (3-1, 0-1 SEC) held the advantage in rushing with 66 yards while Texas A&M passed for 70 yards.

In the second half, Aggies quarterback Max Johnson stepped up for the injured Conner Weigman and threw for two quick touchdowns in the third quarter to create separation in the second half.

Texas A&M scored on their first drive, but it was a win for Auburn. The Aggies only gained 46 yards on the initial drive with [autotag]Jaylin Simpson[/autotag] recording a tackle for loss. The Aggies jumped out to a 3-0 lead with 9:23 to go in the first quarter.

The Aggies’ next drive provided trouble for Auburn, but the defense turned up intensity within the red zone, thus forcing Texas A&M to kick another field goal. Texas A&M extended their lead to 6-0 with 5:31 remaining in the 1st quarter on a 32-yard field goal by Randy Bond. The key play of the drive was a 36-yard rush by Texas A&M running back Le’Veon Moss to set them up at the Auburn 23-yard line.

An otherwise successful drive turned into a near disaster for Auburn on their second possession. Running backs [autotag]Jarquez Hunter[/autotag] and [autotag]Damari Alston[/autotag] combined to rush for 45 yards on the drive before a supposed fumble was recovered by Texas A&M’s Edgerrin Cooper and turned into a 63-yard touchdown. However, after video review, it was determined that [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] attempted a forward pass to Alston, which fell incomplete. The drive ended with an Auburn punt.

Auburn’s only points of the half came in the final seconds when [autotag]Alex McPherson[/autotag] nailed a 53-yard field goal to cut into Texas A&M’s lead, 6-3.

The third quarter got off to a great start for Texas A&M. Aggies quarterback Conner Weigman was ruled out for the second half due to an injury he suffered late in the first half. Max Johnson stepped in and ended his first drive with a 22-yard touchdown pass to his brother, Jake, to push Texas A&M to a 13-3 lead with 9:42 remaining in the 3rd quarter. Johnson would connect on all three passes in his first drive for 44 yards.

Johnson extended the Aggies’ lead again with his second passing score of the game with 6:22 remaining in the quarter. He connected with wide receiver Evan Stewart from 37 yards out to advance Texas A&M’s score to 20-3.

Auburn’s first touchdown of the game would occur with 12:16 remaining in the contest. [autotag]Kayin Lee[/autotag] forced Aggies running back Reuben Owens to fumble, with the ball ultimately landing in the hands of [autotag]Eugene Asante[/autotag]. Asante would return the turnover 67 yards to cut Texas A&M’s lead to 20-10.

The final blow from Texas A&M came with 3:59 remaining in the game when Le’Veon Moss scored from four yards away to push Texas A&M to a 27-10 lead.

Auburn looks to bounce back next Saturday against No. 1 Georgia. The next edition of the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry will commence at 2:30 p.m. CT and will be televised live on CBS.

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Instant Analysis: The Freeze era debuts with dominating win over UMass

Auburn cruises to a 59-14 win over the UMass Minutemen to begin the season, 1-0.

The Hugh Freeze era has gotten off to an incredible start, as he has led the Auburn Tigers to a gigantic win to kick off the 2023 season.

Auburn (1-0) outgains UMass (1-1) 495-301 in the yards department, including a 289-140 discrepancy in the run game to win, 59-14.

The Tigers took a 17-7 lead into the second quarter but would proceed to score 21 points in both the 2nd and 3rd quarters to pull away from the Minutemen in the season-opener.

Auburn got on the board first at the 11:28 mark in the first quarter. USF transfer [autotag]Brian Battie[/autotag] returned the opening kick to the Auburn 38-yard line from seven yards deep in the endzone. The drive ended with a two-yard rush by [autotag]Damari Alston[/autotag], capping off an 11-play, 62-yard drive.

In the Tigers’ first drive, quarterback [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] completed 1-of-3 passes for nine yards and rushed for 16 more. Alston rushed for 25 yards and Battie gained nine yards on one carry.

The Minutemen answered on the ensuing drive by tying the game at 7-7 with 7:20 remaining in the quarter. UMass quarterback Taisun Phommachanh scored on a 1-yard rush to close out an 8-play, 89-yard drive. Phommachanh rushed for 50 yards on the drive, while Kay’ron Lynch-Adams rushed for 26 yards.

The Tigers’ second drive would see the season debut of Robby Ashford, who subbed in at quarterback for three plays, where he completed a pass for four yards and rushed for eight more. The drive would stall out, however, as Auburn was forced to kick a field goal. [autotag]Alex McPherson[/autotag]’s 37-yard attempt was true, thus extending Auburn’s lead to 10-7 with 2:11 remaining in the first quarter.

After forcing UMass to punt, returner [autotag]Keionte Scott[/autotag] set Auburn up in a great field position with a 56-yard return to the UMass 16-yard line. The drive was short-lived, as Ashford checked into the game to score on the opening play of the 2nd quarter on a 10-yard rush to extend Auburn’s lead to 17-7.

Ashford’s momentum carried into the next drive. He entered the game on the final three plays of Auburn’s next possession and rushed one yard into the endzone for his second score of the game to advance Auburn’s lead to 24-7 with 10:11 in the first half.

His third score of the game would come in the Tigers’ next possession. Auburn increased its lead to 31-7 thanks to a four-yard rush by Ashford to cap a five-play, 35-yard drive.

The Tigers ended the first half with 237 net yards. Thorne completed 9-of-16 passes for 112 yards. Ashford rushed for 36 yards on six carries, scoring three times. Auburn’s leading rusher was Alston, who carried the ball eight times for 43 yards. [autotag]Jay Fair[/autotag] reeled in four catches for 27 yards, while [autotag]Shane Hooks[/autotag] led in overall receiving yards with 41 yards on two catches.

Defensively, [autotag]Eugene Asante[/autotag] led the way with five tackles. [autotag]Donovan Kaufman[/autotag], [autotag]Marcus Harris[/autotag], and [autotag]Elijah McAllister[/autotag] each recorded a sack while Asante and freshman [autotag]Keldric Faulk[/autotag] teamed up to record another.

The second half began with a bang as [autotag]Jaylin Simpson[/autotag] picked off Phommachanh on the second play of the third quarter. Simpson returned the interception 50 yards for a Tigers touchdown, increasing Auburn’s lead to 38-7 with 14:43 remaining in the quarter.

Auburn quickly scored on its first true possession in the second half. The Tigers needed just one play and 10 seconds for Thorne to connect with Fair from 29 yards out for the first touchdown pass of his Auburn career to move the lead to 45-7.

Freshman [autotag]Jeremiah Cobb[/autotag] broke onto the scene later in the quarter by taking his second-ever college carry 42 yards for an Auburn touchdown to move the lead to 52-7 with 5:25 in the third.

Two of Auburn’s three touchdowns in the third quarter lasted just one play. Auburn ran just six plays in the quarter.

UMass got off one final punch in the 4th quarter. Minutemen quarterback Carlos Davis connected with Anthony Simpson for 58 yards to cut into Auburn’s lead, 52-14, with 8:50 remaining in the game.

[autotag]Sean Jackson[/autotag] became the fourth rusher to put points on the board. His 45-yard rush with 7:02 to go in the game pushed Auburn’s lead to 59-14.

The Tigers (1-0) will make the trip out west next weekend to face Cal at California Memorial Stadium. Kickoff is set for 9:30 p.m. CT and can be seen on ESPN.

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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__

Auburn picked to finish 6th in SEC West, 6 Tigers make All-SEC

Brian Battie was named First-Team All-SEC with five others making the third team.

There is optimism about [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag]’s time at Auburn but it might take some time for that to turn into wins. The Tigers were picked to finish sixth in the SEC West by the media in this year’s preseason poll, the SEC announced Friday morning.

The Georgia Bulldogs were predicted to win the SEC East with 265 first-place votes and Alabama received 165 to win the West, edging out LSU who received 117. The Bulldogs were picked to win the SEC Championship with 181 points.

Six Tigers were named to the All-SEC teams with [autotag]Brian Battie[/autotag] being the first team kick returner. Running back [autotag]Jarquez Hunter[/autotag], cornerbacks [autotag]D.J. James[/autotag] and [autotag]Nehemiah Pritchett[/autotag], punter [autotag]Oscar Chapman[/autotag] and kicker [autotag]Alex McPherson[/autotag] all made the third team.

Here is a look at the full poll.

Six Tigers earn place on Phil Steele’s preseason All-SEC team

Jarquez Hunter and Nehemiah Pritchett headline Auburn’s representation in the preseason publication’s rankings.

As a program looking to get back to its traditional winning ways, Auburn will have plenty of tools to get them on the right track this season.

Phil Steele has dropped his selections for preseason All-SEC and has included six Tigers.

Steele’s list is headlined by running back [autotag]Jarquez Hunter[/autotag] and cornerback [autotag]Nehemiah Pritchett[/autotag]. Hunter is set to be the team’s premier back after serving two seasons as Tank Bigsby’s protege. As for Pritchett, he returns as one of the top defensive players for the Tigers.

Also included in the list are USF transfer [autotag]Brian Battie[/autotag], linebacker [autotag]Cam Riley[/autotag], kicker [autotag]Alex McPherson[/autotag], and punter [autotag]Oscar Chapman[/autotag].

Battie will be a part of a three-headed monster at running back alongside Hunter and [autotag]Damari Alston[/autotag], but will also be a vital piece to Auburn’s return game. Cam Riley was the team’s second-leading tackler last season and looks to anchor the linebacking corps.

Oscar Chapman returns to Auburn for his third season as the team’s punter, while Alex McPherson takes over the kicking duties to become the first Auburn kicker not named “Carlson” to assume the role since 2014.

Here’s a deeper look at Auburn’s representatives on the preseason All-SEC team from Phil Steele.

Top photos from a rainy A-Day

The scrimmage ended in a 24-24 tie.

The Auburn Tigers had their annual A-Day game to end spring practice on Saturday and despite the bad weather, the fans were happy to see their Tigers back in action.

The game was the start of the [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] era and offered some glimpses of what fans can expect in the season. While the rain certainly played a part in the play calling, the Tigers leaned heavily on the run game, calling 51 runs to just 12 passes.

They enjoyed great success too, with eight different backs combining to rush for 280 yards and two touchdowns. [autotag]Sean Jackson[/autotag] led the way with 77 yards.

The offense was able to erase the 24-0 deficit they started with and [autotag]Alex McPherson[/autotag] drilled a 33-yard field goal as time expired to end the game in a tie.

Here are the top photos from the first A-Day of Freeze’s tenure at Auburn.

Instant Analysis: Auburn throttled by Alabama 49-27 in Iron Bowl

Alabama scored touchdowns on five of their seven first-half drives to take control of the game.

After taking an early lead Auburn was unable to keep up with Alabama in the 2022 Iron Bowl, falling 49-27 to the Crimson Tide Saturday.

Auburn has now lost its last six games inside Bryant-Denny Stadium and none of them were decided by less than double digits. With the loss, Auburn failed to automatically qualify for a bowl game and will need help to keep playing.

Auburn (5-7, 2-6 SEC) took an early 7-0 lead thanks to two big runs by [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag]. He scrambled for 25 yards early in the drive and took a designed carry 24 yards around the right side of the line for his first touchdown.

He finished with 121 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries. Auburn’s ground game had another strong performance, the Tigers averaged 7.4 yards per carry and finished with 318 yards rushing.

[autotag]Jarquez Hunter[/autotag] rushed for over 100 yards for the third consecutive game, finishing with 134 yards on just 11 carries.

Auburn may have opened the scoring but Alabama quickly took command of the game, they scored on their next three possessions to take a 21-7 lead at the start of the second quarter.

The Tigers were unable to get pressure on Bryce Young and the reigning Heisman winner picked apart Auburn’s defense. He completed 20-of-30 passes for 343 yards and three touchdowns. He added 48 yards and one score with his legs.

Auburn did not fold though, the Tigers responded with a 10-play, 76-yard drive to stop the bleeding. Ashford capped it off with a beautiful 20-yard pass to [autotag]Ja’Varrius Johnson[/autotag] to make it a 21-14 deficit.

Despite averaging 6.2 yards per play, Auburn’s two turnovers prevented the Tigers from keeping up with Alabama, who scored touchdowns on five of their seven drives to start the game and averaged 8.1 yards per play.

Auburn held Alabama to 14 points in the second half but was unable to take advantage of the opportunity. They scored on their first two drives of the second half but it was too little too late as that made it a 42-24 game with 12 minutes to play.

The Tigers had one last chance when [autotag]Owen Pappoe[/autotag] picked off Young with 6:36 left to play and Auburn trailing 42-24. They once again showed their fight, converting on fourth down, and [autotag]Alex McPherson[/autotag] made a 39-yard field goal to cut it to a 42-27 game with 2:08 to play.

Auburn’s 27 points are the most they have scored in Tuscaloosa since scoring 44 in 2014. The Tigers were unable to recover the ensuing onside kick and Alabama added on one last touchdown to make it a 49-27 game.

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Photo Gallery: The best images from Auburn’s win over Texas A&M

Relive an incredible night at Jordan-Hare Stadium with this photo gallery from Auburn’s victory over Texas A&M.

The Auburn Tigers snapped its five-game losing streak on Saturday night by defeating the Texas A&M Aggies, 13-10 at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Defense ruled the game for Auburn, as they limited the Aggies to just one trip to the red zone, and only 215 yards of total offense. Offensively, [autotag]Tank Bigsby[/autotag] and [autotag]Jarquez Hunter[/autotag] both rushed for 121 yards despite neither back getting into the end zone.

It was also a big night for [autotag]Alex McPherson[/autotag], who got the start at kicker in place of the injured [autotag]Anders Carlson[/autotag]. His Auburn debut resulted in going 2-for-3, making field goals of 34 and 26 while pushing a 54-yarder wide right in the 3rd quarter.

The win also marked the first under interim head coach [autotag]Cadillac Williams[/autotag]. The Auburn legend earned his first victory in front of a sold-out crowd.

Saturday night was incredible, and it is a great time to relive each special moment. Here is a look at the best images from Auburn’s win over the Aggies.

Instant Analysis: Tigers defense takes over in 13-10 win over Texas A&M

Cadillac Williams has his first win as Auburn’s head coach.

On a night when Auburn’s offense was unable to get anything going the Tiger’s defense took over and led them to a 13-10 victory over Texas A&M Saturday night in Jordan-Hare Stadium.

With the win, Auburn (4-6, 2-5 SEC) snapped a five-game losing streak and gave [autotag]Cadillac Williams[/autotag] his first win as head coach of the Auburn Tigers.

Despite giving up 0 points in the first half, Auburn’s defense kicked it up in the second half. They forced five consecutive three-and-outs and held the Aggies to -2 yards in the third quarter.

The Aggies were without star running back Devon Achane and were unable to get anything going on the ground, they averaged 3.9 yards per carry and were forced to keep turning to true freshman quarterback Conner Weigman to bail them out.

Auburn’s defensive line made sure that did not happen. They may have with 3.0 sacks but they kept Weigman under constant pressure. He never looked comfortable and at one point he missed on 13 straight pass attempts. He finished the night 14-for-36 for 121 yards.

After Auburn nearly committed their fourth turnover of the game, they were clinging to a 10-3 lead late in the fourth quarter and Texas A&M had a chance to tie it up.

[autotag]Colby Wooden[/autotag] had other plans. He beat the left tackle and stripped Weigman and [autotag]Morris Joseph Jr.[/autotag] recovered to give Auburn the ball at the Texas A&M 32-yard line.

Auburn was once again unable to finish the drive with a touchdown but [autotag]Alex McPherson[/autotag] made a 26-yard field goal to give Auburn a 13-3 lead with 3:02 to play.

On a night when Auburn’s defense took over, Wooden led the way. His strip sack was his only tackle but he finished with three quarterback hurries and was constantly in the backfield.

Auburn’s offense was able to move the ball throughout the game but once again failed to finish their drives. They averaged 4.9 per play and crossed the 50-yard line on their first five drives. However, they managed just seven points on those drives.

The biggest missed opportunity came in the third quarter when Auburn started the ball at midfield after a short punt by the Aggies. [autotag]Jarquez Hunter[/autotag] ripped off a 25-yard run to get Auburn right outside the red zone. Two plays later a miscommunication between [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag] and [autotag]Tank Bigbsy[/autotag] resulted in a fumble and the Aggies recovered to end the scoring opportunity.

After Texas A&M opened the game with nine straight punts, Ashford was picked off by Edgerrin Cooper to give the Aggies the ball at Auburn’s 39-yard line.

Auburn’s defense once again stood up though and they held the Aggies to a field goal to keep it a 10-3 Auburn lead with 10:38 left to play.

The Aggies had their best drive of the game after falling behind by two possessions with 3:02 left to play. They scored their first touchdown of the game with 1:33 left to play but failed to recover the onside kick and it was over.

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Auburn to use new kicker in Texas A&M matchup

There’s a new McPherson in town in the SEC.

The Tigers are making a late change on the roster ahead of their game on Saturday.

While the team’s Week 11 depth chart has kicker [autotag]Anders Carlson[/autotag] retaining his starting duties, it seems Auburn is moving in a different direction. Justin Hokanson of On3 reported on Friday that the Tigers will start [autotag]Alex McPherson[/autotag] at placekicker.

The move comes on the heels of a late missed field goal by Carlson during the Mississippi State game. However, it’s equally possible the team simply wants to get its future kicker some reps. Regardless of reason, McPherson is set to debut on home field against a very talented Texas A&M squad.

The McPherson name is most often associated with his brother, Evan, who was a placekicker at the University of Florida and is playing for the Cincinnati Bengals in the NFL. Alex will have his chance to live up to the family name during his starting debut. He has never kicked in a college football game to this point.

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Tracking every Auburn football committ on early signing day

Get to know the newest Auburn Tigers

As of right now, at 4:40 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 15, Auburn has the 14th best recruiting class in the country and seventh in the SEC.

Auburn has signed 17 players and has one more commit who will not sign in the early signing period. Also, top target Jeffrey M’ba will not be announcing where he signed until Dec. 19th.

Here is a look at every player Auburn has signed and the one commit who has yet to sign.