Cadillac Williams – Page 10 – Syndication Server

Jeffrey M’ba a game-time decision against Western Kentucky

Auburn could be without a key defensive lineman Saturday against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers.

Auburn could be without a key defensive lineman when they face Western Kentucky Saturday.

Defensive tackle [autotag]Jeffrey M’ba[/autotag] is a game-time decision for the game head coach [autotag]Cadillac Williams[/autotag] announced Wednesday during the SEC coaches teleconference.

“Definitely haven’t ruled him out,” Williams said. “We’re hopeful that he can play. It’s going to come down, honestly, to a game-time decision.”

M’ba left Auburn’s game against Texas A&M with an ankle injury and went into the locker room before returning to the sideline.

The 6-foot-6, 305-pounder has become a rotation member along the defensive line after signing with Auburn as the No. 1 ranked JUCO player in the 2022 recruiting cycle.

He has made six tackles, 1.0 tackle for loss, 1.0 sack, and forced a fumble in nine games.

M’ba and the rest of the Tigers are set to face Western Kentucky Saturday in Jordan-Hare Stadium. The game is set to start at 3 p.m. CT and will be on the SEC Network.

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Five things to know about the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers

Auburn will have to shut down a high-flying Western Kentucky offense in Jordan-Hare Saturday.

[autotag]Cadillac Williams[/autotag] wasted no time turning the focus to Western Kentucky after Auburn beat Texas A&M last Saturday.

The Hilltoppers are 7-5 overall and 5-2 in Conference USA play but have a potent offense. They are led by transfer quarterback Austin Reed who has kept the offense humming in his first year with them.

Auburn (4-6, 2-5 SEC) is a one-score favorite over the Hilltoppers and has to win the game to keep their bowl hopes alive. Auburn’s defensive depth will be put to the test by an offense that loves to throw the ball and play quickly.

Here are five things to know about Western Kentucky before Saturday’s game in Jordan-Hare, which is set to start at 3 p.m. CT and will be on the SEC Network.

Auburn set to face Davey O’Brien semifinalist on Saturday

Western Kentucky quarterback Austin Reed is among the top in his position in several categories this season.

The strong suit of Auburn Football’s next opponent is definitely its passing game.

The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers are led by quarterback Austin Reed, who currently sits at No. 2 in College Football with 3,550 passing yards, and has completed 31 passes for touchdowns, which ranks No. 3 nationally.

Because of his strong season, he was recently named a semifinalist for the Davey O’Brien Award, the annual award given to College Football’s best quarterback.

Reed is joined alongside the likes of Georgia‘s Stetson Bennett, LSU‘s Jayden Daniels, C.J. Stroud of Ohio State, and former Auburn quarterback Bo Nix, who is currently the quarterback at Oregon.

Reed leads the Hilltoppers’ offense that averages 484 yards per game and scores an average of 38.2 points per game. Reed’s best outing came in Western Kentucky’s 59-7 win over Charlotte on Nov. 5, where he threw for 409 yards and six touchdown passes to beat the 49ers. His season-low in yards came against UAB last month when he passed for just 128 yards in the Hilltoppers’ win.

Western Kentucky comes to town at a good time for Auburn’s defense. Since [autotag]Cadillac Williams[/autotag] took over as interim head coach, the Tiger defense has improved in defending the pass.

According to Pro Football Focus, Auburn received a grade of 73.1 in pass rush, which was the highest since grading out at 78.6% against San Jose State.

When defending opposing receivers, Auburn graded at 81% and 77% in each of its last two games respectively. Prior to Nov. 5’s game at Mississippi State, the highest grade Auburn received in pass coverage was 72% against Mercer in the season-opener.

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Cadillac Williams earns praise from ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit

Williams’ first career win last Saturday caught the attention of the College Gameday host.

Paul Finebaum is not the only ESPN talking head that has developed a respect for Auburn interim head coach [autotag]Cadillac Williams[/autotag].

Kirk Herbstreit, co-host of ESPN’s premier Saturday pregame show, College Gameday, recently revealed his list of top-performing coaches from week 11. Williams was one of nine coaches to make the cut.

Williams earned his first win as interim coach in front of a sold-out crowd at Jordan-Hare Stadium last Saturday, defeating Texas A&M 13-10. During Monday’s press conference, Williams took time to thank Auburn fans for their support during this stage of his coaching career.

“I am very appreciative of the Auburn Family and the way that they showed up Saturday night,” Williams said. “Wow, what an atmosphere and a great win.”

Joining Williams as top performing coaches from week 11 include Vanderbilt’s Clark Lea, Florida head coach Billy Napier, UConn’s Jim Mora, and Washington’s Kalon Deboer.

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How Auburn’s win over Texas A&M affects its place in latest ESPN FPI rankings

Auburn rises in several categories, but not in the overall ESPN Football Power Index ranking.

Auburn claimed a spot in the win column on Saturday for the first time in almost two months last Saturday, when they defeated Texas A&M, 13-10 at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Auburn rode its momentum from the near win at Mississippi State two weeks ago into the game and came away with the win. The win was historic, as it marked the first victory under interim head coach [autotag]Cadillac Williams[/autotag]. He became the first former Auburn player to lead his alma mater to a win since [autotag]Shug Jordan[/autotag] in 1951.

How did the win over Texas A&M affect the Tigers’ place in the latest ESPN Football Power Index ranking? Let’s take a look at the numbers.

Auburn saw a rise in strength of record, overall efficiency, and defensive efficiency, but dropped in the overall rankings.

Here is a look at Auburn’s placement in the latest ESPN Football Power Index.

The saga of Cadillac Williams moves from ‘nice story’ to ‘legit contender’

One analyst believes that Auburn should strongly consider removing Cadillac Williams’ interim tag after the Tigers’ win over Texas A&M.

The turnaround that Auburn Football has experienced in two weeks under [autotag]Cadillac Williams[/autotag] is unfathomable.

The interim head coach has appeared to have united a passionate fanbase, and has all but healed a broken roster full of talented athletes who just want to succeed on the field. Has Williams done enough to be considered a legitimate head coaching candidate? Many fans believe he has, as has one college football expert.

In a recent episode of “McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning” on Jox 94.5 in Birmingham, SEC Network’s Paul Finebaum says that Williams’ price has risen drastically in a short span.

“A week ago, I said it was a nice story but I didn’t think it would change anything. I think it has changed things now because you’re getting an opportunity to see what a coach’s impact is on players,” Finebaum said Monday. “I think, first of all, you have to determine, are we overreacting to the moment, because of the comatose level of excitement that Bryan Harsin brought? Yeah, probably. But that doesn’t matter if it’s real. Only the people on that campus can tell if it’s real.”

Williams sold himself well last Saturday, as he led the Tigers to its first win since Sept. 24, a span of six games. He did so in front of a sold-out crowd filled with energetic fans and former teammates. The performance was well-received. So much so, that several current players are calling for Auburn athletic director John Cohen to “remove the tag” from Williams’ title.

Williams has two more opportunities to “interview” for the head coaching job. His next chance will come Saturday when Auburn hosts Western Kentucky at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

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Everything coach Cadillac Williams said ahead of the Western Kentucky game

Interim head coach shares his thoughts ahead of Saturday’s home finale with Western Kentucky.

It’s Western Kentucky week, and interim head coach [autotag]Cadillac Williams[/autotag] has a lot to say.

Williams had his weekly press conference on Tuesday, where he addressed a variety of topics. He talked about facing the air raid yet again after getting a glimpse of it against Mississippi State, getting game ball after his performance coaching against Texas A&M, getting the receivers more involved in the offensive game and the confidence of the team’s running backs, among other topics. Willaims will be looking for his second consecutive win as interim head coach of the Tigers this upcoming Saturday.

Check out everything he said on Tuesday below:

Report: T.J. Finley to sit out remainder of season

Finley had played just three snaps since Auburn’s loss to Penn State on Sept. 17.

Junior quarterback [autotag]T.J. Finley[/autotag] has made a decision on his immediate future.

According to a report from Jason Caldwell of Auburn Undercover, Finley has elected to sit out the remaining two games of the regular season. Finley’s opt-out leaves Auburn with three scholarship quarterbacks on its depth chart.

A source has told Caldwell that Finley will sit out the remaining games in an effort to heal a shoulder injury that has given him complications since Auburn’s loss to Penn State on Sept. 17 at Jordan-Hare Stadium. He was diagnosed with a grade 2 sprain to his AC joint, which is believed to have happened during the later stages of the first half of that game.

Since that game, Finley has only appeared in one game, taking just three snaps in Oct. 15th’s game at Ole Miss. He did not attempt a pass in the game but lost seven yards of rushing thanks to a sack.

Finley started three games for Auburn this season, where he completed 33-of-55 passes for 431 yards, throwing four interceptions to just one touchdown. He only appeared in four games this season, so Finley could still take a redshirt option and have three years of eligibility remaining says Caldwell.

Speculation of Finley’s future with the program began swirling last week when a report surfaced that suggested that he was looking to enter the transfer portal. It grew on Monday when Finley’s name was left off of the two-deep depth chart ahead of Auburn’s game with Western Kentucky on Saturday.

With Finley’s news, Auburn is down to [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag], [autotag]Holden Geriner[/autotag], and [autotag]Trey Lindsey[/autotag] as scholarship quarterbacks.

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Is Auburn on Lane Kiffin’s mind? One analyst says yes

The smoke brewing between Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin and the vacant Auburn job does not appear to be simmering.

Over the last two weeks, only two coaches have publically shut down rumors that they would be leaving their current program for Auburn, or any other coaching vacancy.

Following Jackson State’s 41-14 win over Texas Southern on Nov. 5, head coach Deion Sanders shared with his team that he would miss the following practices on Tuesday and Wednesday due to personal matters, not to meet with other programs about open positions.

“I’m keeping it 100 with y’all. That’s not happening,” Sanders told his team. “So that’s what it is. I’m going to see you again Tuesday evening or Wednesday.”

Oregon’s [autotag]Dan Lanning[/autotag] shut down rumors last week of mutual interest between him and Auburn during his midweek press conference.

“The grass is not always greener,” Lanning said Monday of the Auburn rumors. “The grass is damn green in Eugene. I want to be here in Eugene for as long as Eugene will have me. This is a destination, not just for me but for elite players.”

There is one candidate, however, that has not publicly stated interest in the Auburn job, but has not silenced the rumors, either. That would be Ole Miss head coach, [autotag]Lane Kiffin[/autotag].

Kiffin, who is known to poke fun at certain situations that arise throughout the SEC, has not tweeted about the Auburn opening, in either a positive or a negative fashion. Could there be a reason for that? One SEC football expert believes so.

Paul Finebaum, SEC Network analyst and radio show host joined the Monday edition of “McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning” on Jox 94.5 in Birmingham to recap the week that was in SEC football. Among those topics, was Lane Kiffin’s potential interest in the vacant Auburn head coaching position. Based on a recent conversation, Finebaum feels that Kiffin has thought strongly about pursuing the opportunity.

“It’s just my observation that Lane Kiffin is thinking about it,” Finebaum said Monday. “The subject came up in one circumstance that I was in. He just kind of nodded his head and shook his head as Lane likes to do. He’s been very careful not to say anything about it. I don’t think there’s any doubt that it’s on his mind.”

Kiffin joins Liberty head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] as an outside name that has gotten the most attention since Bryan Harsin’s firing on Oct. 31. However, interim coach [autotag]Cadillac Williams[/autotag] has quickly become a favorite amongst current and former Tiger players. The sweepstakes appears to be an open book until the end of the month.

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Here is Auburn Football’s week 12 outlook according to College Football News

How much did Auburn’s win over Texas A&M impress the experts at College Football News?

Guess what Auburn fans, you can finally breathe.

The Auburn Tigers snapped its’ five-game losing streak last Saturday night by knocking off Texas A&M, 13-10.

Entering the game, one would have no idea that both Auburn and Texas A&M had identical 3-6 records and five-game losing skids. The atmosphere at Jordan-Hare stadium rivaled that of an Iron Bowl where both Auburn and Alabama are playing for the SEC West title.

Auburn fans flooded to the Plains in support of interim coach [autotag]Cadillac Williams[/autotag] following the team’s near-win at Mississippi State the week prior. In return, Williams led the Tigers to an exciting victory.

How impressive was the win in the eyes of the folks at College Football News? Each week, the outlet posts a weekly SEC power ranking, an overall ranking, and a bowl outlook. Here’s how the experts at College Football News have placed Auburn ahead of week 12’s action.