Cam Coleman – Page 2 – Syndication Server

Instant Analysis: Turnovers plague Auburn in loss to California

Five Auburn turnovers led to 14 California points in the Bears’ 21-14 win over Auburn at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

The confidence that Auburn built in its season-opening win over Alabama A&M last week quickly dissipated on Saturday as it dropped its first game of the 2024 season in a turnover-ridden affair.

A second-quarter interception by [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] and a stripped ball in the fourth quarter led to 14 California points in the Golden Bears 21-14 win at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Alabama.

Each team traded scores in the first quarter. Cal (2-0, 0-0 ACC) gained momentum in the second quarter thanks to Nohl Williams’ interception of Thorne with 12:15 in the first half. Cal capitalized with a three-play drive to score the go-ahead touchdown. Cal’s Fernando Mendoza connected with Nyziah Hunter to move the Bears ahead of Auburn (1-1, 0-0 SEC), 14-7. Cal took advantage of a stripped ball in the early stages of the fourth quarter by turning it into seven points to extend its lead to 21-7.

Thorne scampered into the end zone with 6:06 to go in the game to help Auburn cut into Cal’s lead, 21-14. However, the Tigers did not find the end zone past that point.

Auburn avoided disaster in its first possession. On the game’s second play, Thorne threw a pass intended for running back [autotag]Jarquez Hunter[/autotag] that was initially ruled an interception and returned for a touchdown by the Cal defense. However, after review, it was determined that the pass hit the ground before bouncing into the hands of a Bear defender.

The review worked in Auburn’s favor as the drive ended with a 15-yard touchdown pass from Thorne to [autotag]KeAndre Lambert-Smith[/autotag] to push Auburn ahead, 7-0, with 11:42 to go in the first period.

Cal responded by scoring touchdowns on two of its next three drives to take a 14-7 lead into halftime. The Bears held onto the ball for over 10 minutes longer than Auburn in the first half and outgained the Tigers, 222-178.

The third quarter saw both teams alternate five possessions with punts, with Cal capping the quarter with an interception of Thorne, their second of the day. Luckily for Auburn, Cal kicker Ryan Coe missed his 55-yard field goal attempt wide right on the ensuing possession to keep the score 14-7 with 12:55 remaining in the game.

The first play following the missed field goal, Cal’s Teddye Buchanan stripped the football away from Hunter to regain possession. Two plays later, Jaivian Thomas rushed 32 yards to the end zone to extend the Bears’ lead to 21-7 with 11:27 remaining in the contest.

In all, Auburn committed five turnovers in the loss, with Thorne tossing four interceptions. California outgained Auburn, 332-286 and limited Auburn’s pass-driven offense to 153 yards. Freshman [autotag]Cam Coleman[/autotag] led all receivers by hauling in two passes for 53 yards. Auburn’s defense allowed Cal quarterback Fernando Mendoza to complete 25 passes to nine different receivers for 223 yards.

Next up for Auburn is a home tilt with New Mexico on Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT.

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 X @TaylorJones__

Tale of the Tape: Auburn vs. Cal

Will a deeper dive into the tale of the tape show Cal has a higher chance of stalling Auburn’s momentum on the Plains than the experts believe?

The Auburn Tigers (1-0) take on ACC opponent California (1-0) on Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Auburn comes into the matchup fresh off a 73-3 beatdown of FCS in-state “rival” Alabama A&M, while the Golden Bears took care of business in their opener as well, taking down UC Davis 31-13.

Hugh Freeze’s Tigers played about the most efficient game they could in week one. The new-look and heavily improved offense managed 9 touchdowns and a field goal, taking 6 plays or less on every single scoring drive. While the output was heavily impressive, Cal’s defense is sure to provide more resistance than the Bulldogs did a week ago.

Still, sports books like Auburn’s chances of improving to 2-0 on the young season, as the Tigers are favored by 12.5 points on BetMGM.

ESPN FPI likes the Tigers chances of staying undefeated as well, as the system gives Hugh Freeze’s squad an 81.4% chance to play well enough for the Auburn faithful to roll Toomers Corner after the dust has settled.

Will a deeper dive into the tale of the tape show Cal has a higher chance of stalling Auburn’s momentum on the Plains than the experts believe? As we always, we’ll start by looking at the quarterbacks.

Auburn senior Payton Thorne played arguably his best game as a Tiger in week one. The former Michigan State Spartan threw for 322 yards and 4 touchdowns in the win over Alabama A&M, despite completing just 13 passes. The Naperville, IL native showed how well he can perform with solid playmakers around him during his time with Kenneth Walker II in East Lansing, and Tiger fans got a peak at his ceiling in last week’s victory.

On the other side, Cal quarterback Fernando Mendoza comes into 2024 fresh off of a solid second-half performance to end last season. The redshirt sophomore did not play in last season’s Cal-Auburn matchup in Berkeley, but he took over the starting quarterback job shortly after and has been given the keys to the offense ever since. The former Miami Hurricane wasn’t fantastic in week one, but he was good enough to help the Golden Bears earn the win. In total, Mendoza completed 15 of 22 passes for 158 yards and a touchdown.

With the experience and the dual-threat ability on the side of Payton Thorne, Auburn earns the clear edge in the quarterback battle heading into this matchup on the Plains. As for the skill position battle, the talent gap is closer, but still leans in the direction of the Tigers.

Cal running back Jaydn Ott is an electric 6-foot, 200-pound playmaker with 4.46 40-speed and a nose for the end zone. The junior managed 70 yards and a touchdown when these programs matched up a year ago, but took 20 carries to get there. The problem, at least for the Golden Bears, is the talent on the offensive side is almost completely funneled through Ott. Last season’s leading receiver, Jeremiah Hunter, is now playing his football for Washington. Cal does return junior Trond Grizzell and sophomore Jack Endries, who combined for almost 900 receiving yards in 2023, but the room is fairly barren after that.

On the other side, Auburn features running back Jarquez Hunter, who is not far behind Cal tail back Jaydn Ott in terms of sheer talent. After Hunter, Auburn’s pass catchers simply have more talent and big-play ability than their Golden Bear counterparts. [autotag]KeAndre Lambert-Smith,[/autotag] [autotag]Cam Coleman[/autotag], [autotag]Perry Thompson[/autotag], and Malcolm Simmons combined for 6 touchdowns and 315 receiving yards in week one. That output is almost double that of Cal’s entire passing attack as it currently stands.

With Robert Lewis and Rivaldo Fairweather in the fold as well, Auburn’s skill position players have a major edge over Cal’s in this game.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Tigers have the edge as well. Although Cal’s defense is solid, Auburn features possibly the best linebacker tandem in the SEC with Eugene Asante and Jalen McLeod. The Tigers were on the field for nearly 80% of the week one win and managed to hold Alabama A&M out of the end zone. Cal on the other hand let up 13 points to UC Davis. The Golden Bears best defensive player from a season ago, safety Patrick McMorris, now plays in the NFL for the Miami Dolphins. Their best linebacker from 2023, Kaleb Elarms-Orr, now plays his college football at TCU.

Auburn lost some pieces as well, but the Tigers were able to re-tool much better in 2024 than their counterparts from the west coast.

After taking a look at the tale of the tape, it’s clear Auburn has the edge in this rematch of Power 5 programs. While Cal nearly beat the Tigers a season ago, the home-field advantage and changes in personnel on both sides give Auburn the clear edge in the rematch on Saturday.

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

Auburn stays put at No. 12 in SEC Power Poll after opening night victory

Despite the emphatic statement victory, most experts still believe the Tigers are a long way from contending for an SEC title.

The Auburn Tigers collected one of the best wins in the college football world on Saturday night, as the offense hummed their way to 73 points in a 70-point shellacking on in-state opponent Alabama A&M. Despite the emphatic statement victory, most experts still believe the Tigers are well on the outside looking in when it comes to competing for an SEC Championship.

This sentiment held true for Tuscaloosa News’s SEC writer Chase Goodbread, who ranked the Tigers at the No. 12 spot in his SEC power poll after week one. Even after the Auburn’s new-look offense had their way with an inferior opponent, the Tigers rank ahead of only South Carolina (16), Mississippi State (15), Arkansas (14), and Vanderbilt (13) on the list.

After telling fans he needed to see explosive sparks from Auburn’s new offense last week, he warns that the Tigers could be on upset alert this week against ACC opponent Cal, making it fairly clear he was not convinced after [autotag]KeAndre Lambert-Smith[/autotag], [autotag]Cam Coleman[/autotag], [autotag]Malcolm Simmons[/autotag], and [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] tore up an inferior Alabama A&M defense in week one.

It is important to remember Alabama A&M was a 45-point underdog in Jordan-Hare a week ago. 315 combined receiving yards from the quartet of Simmons, Lambert-Smith, Coleman, and [autotag]Perry Thompson[/autotag] was a fantastic first step, but experts will need to see success against better competition before claiming the Tigers offense as top notch.

Payton Thorne and company have the opportunity to prove week one wasn’t a fluke as soon as this Saturday when Auburn hosts Power four opponent Cal from Jordan-Hare stadium. Another assertive win could push [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag]’s squad closer to the top of Goodbread’s poll.

Currently, the top five consists of Georgia (1), Texas (2), Alabama (3), Ole Miss (4), and Tennessee (5). While a win this week is unlikely to leapfrog Auburn near the top, it could help them fly by Florida (11) and Texas A&M (10), who both lost in week one.

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

Tigers of the Game: Shades of ‘vintage’ Thorne graced Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday

Auburn football grabbed the season-opening win over Alabama A&M due in part to Thorne’s great passing.

Auburn quarterback [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] had a disappointing season in 2023 where he passed for just 1,755 yards and 16 touchdowns. [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] overhauled the receiving unit during the offseason in hopes of giving Thorne the opportunity to replicate his 2021 success when he passed for over 3,000 yards and led Michigan State to 11 wins and a Peach Bowl win.

It is still too early to tell if Thorne can bring Auburn similar success in 2024, but he has gotten off to a great start.

Thorne passed for 322 yards and four touchdowns in Auburn’s season-opening win over Alabama A&M on Saturday. Thorne eclipsed the 300-yard mark for the first time as a Tiger and his four touchdown passes are the most he has thrown since the 2022 season in Michigan State’s season-opening win over Western Michigan. It was his best performance in an Auburn uniform since he passed for 230 yards and three touchdowns against Mississippi State last October.

After the game, Thorne discussed his excitement of being able to connect on multiple deep passes.

“It was great, nice to see that we were able to take some shots down the field and connect on them and then obviously finish it the rest of the way and get in the endzone. It means a lot. You know it’s good to get out here and do it against another team and see it happen and it’s something we have to build on.”

Who are some other players that are worthy of a “Tiger of the Game” nod? Here are the players that caught the eyes of Auburn Wire writers Taylor Jones, Brian Hauch, Tyler Raley, and Auburn fans for their performance against Alabama A&M.

Following a strong scoring output, it is easy to see why the Auburn offense is earning a bulk of the attention. However, limiting Alabama A&M to three points and 242 yards can not go unnoticed. Jalen McLeod was Auburn’s top defensive player on Saturday after recording five tackles with two tackles for loss and a sack.

The “Freeze Four” had a stellar debut as [autotag]Malcolm Simmons[/autotag], [autotag]Perry Thompson[/autotag], [autotag]Bryce Cain[/autotag], and [autotag]Cam Coleman[/autotag] all logging at least one reception, with three of them finding the endzone.

However, it was Simmons that had the most impressive debut. Simmons hauled in a team-leading 91 receiving yards with an offensive touchdown. His first score came in the 3rd quarter when he recovered a blocked put in the end zone and earned his first receiving touchdown seven minutes later when he brought in a 57-yard pass from [autotag]Hank Brown[/autotag].

The debut of “Big Play Dre” was memorable. Penn State’s leading receiver from a year ago ended his first game in orange and blue with three catches for 80 yards and a team-leading two touchdowns. Look for Lambert-Smith to be a life force for Payton Thorne this season.

Auburn fans have spoken, and they have chosen quarterback Payton Thorne as the “Tiger of the Game” after his performance against Alabama A&M. To have a say in who wins next week’s “Tiger of the Game” award, visit Auburn Wire on X (formerly Twitter) after every game to cast your vote.

Here’s an updated look at how many “Tiger of the Game” honors each Auburn player has earned this season:

KeAndre Lambert-Smith (1)
Payton Thorne (1)
Malcolm Simmons (1)
Jalen McLeod (1)

Instant analysis: Revamped passing game shines in Auburn’s season-opening win over Alabama A&M

Auburn receivers lived up to expectations in the Tigers 73-3 win over Alabama A&M on Saturday.

Auburn football fans entered the 2024 season hoping to see new life within the passing game.

Through one game, it is safe to say that quarterback [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] and the Tigers’ receivers lived up to fans’ expectations.

Thorne and backup quarterback [autotag]Hank Brown[/autotag] combined to complete 18-of-28 passes for 451 yards and six touchdowns in Auburn’s 73-3 victory over Alabama A&M. The duo combined to connect with 10 different receivers.

After [autotag]Jarquez Hunter[/autotag]’s 34-yard touchdown run with 14:13 in the 1st quarter, Auburn went on to record four receiving touchdowns over its next six drives. On the Tigers’ ensuing possession, Thorne connected with Penn State transfer [autotag]KeAndre Lambert-Smith[/autotag] on a 67-yard pass to push Auburn ahead, 14-0 with 12:47 remaining in the opening quarter. Thorne and Lambert-Smith hooked up again later in the quarter on a 4-yard touchdown pass. In-between Thorne and Lambert-Smith’s connections, freshman [autotag]Cam Coleman[/autotag] hauled in his first collegiate pass for a 44-yard touchdown to push the Tigers ahead, 21-0.

Thorne’s final passing score of the night came with 10:10 remaining in the first half when he found another true freshman, [autotag]Perry Thompson[/autotag], for a 70-yard touchdown pass to extend the lead to 38-0. Thorne passed the torch to Brown after calling his own number for a four-yard rush to give Auburn the 45-3 lead with 3:22 in the 2nd quarter.

Brown picked up where Thorne left off by throwing two touchdown passes of over 35 yards. He found freshman [autotag]Malcolm Simmons[/autotag] for a 57 yard score and later connected with Cal transfer [autotag]Sam Jackson V[/autotag] from 37 yards out. Brown’s home debut concluded after passing for 96 yards and two scores.

[autotag]Holden Geriner[/autotag] finished the game by leading Auburn’s final drive that lasted five plays, 36 yards. However, it resulted in a lost fumble.

Three Auburn receivers recorded over 80 yards of receptions: Malcolm Simmons (91 yards), Perry Thompson (82), and KeAndre Lambert-Smith (80). Cam Coleman logged 62 yards on two catches with a touchdown in his highly-anticipated debut.

Auburn football kicks off the 2024 season with a 1-0 record. Next week, the Tigers will look to remain unbeaten by hosting Cal at Jordan-Hare Stadium for a 2:30 p.m. CT kickoff.

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__

Pregame sights ahead of Auburn football’s season opener with Alabama A&M

Take a look at the best images from Tiger Walk ahead of the 2024 season opener!

The day we had long awaited was finally here. It is game day on the Plains!

Auburn football has gone through the traditional “Tiger Walk” and is warming up on the field ahead of the season opener with Alabama A&M. Players such as [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag], [autotag]Jarquez Hunter[/autotag], [autotag]Rivaldo Fairweather[/autotag], and [autotag]Eugene Asante[/autotag] return to the Plains for another season while [autotag]Cam Coleman[/autotag], [autotag]Robert Lewis[/autotag], [autotag]Philip Blidi[/autotag], and [autotag]Jerrin Thompson[/autotag] make their much-awaited debut in orange and blue uniforms.

Ahead of Saturday’s season opener, here’s a look at the best images from Tiger Walk before Auburn’s game with Alabama A&M.

Brian’s Column: Auburn’s new weapons need to make a statement on Saturday

On paper, this is far and away the best starting wide receiver core Auburn has had in some time.

The Auburn offense heads into the 2024 season after spending much of 2023 in a state of flux. While quarterback Payton Thorne showed flashes of competence, specifically in the late SEC season, his lack of explosive weapons and inexperience in the Hugh Freeze offense led the Tigers to one of the worst offensive outputs in the conference.

Still, Auburn was able to win six games behind a dynamic defense that was consistently ranked in the top 20 in ESPN’s Football Power Index. That defense lost some key pieces this offseason however, further creating a need to [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag], Hugh Freeze, Derrick Nix, and the Auburn offense to carry a bigger load in 2024.

If the Tigers are going to have a successful campaign, the offense needs not only improve, but improve drastically. That needs to start on Saturday against Alabama A&M, and it starts with the pass catching threats on the outside.

Only two wide receivers eclipsed the 300-yard mark a season ago on the Plains. Those players, [autotag]Jay Fair[/autotag] and [autotag]Ja’Varrius Johnson[/autotag], both play college ball for different programs now. Only two incumbent wide receivers that made a decent impact, [autotag]Caleb Burton II[/autotag] (226 yards, 2023) and [autotag]Camden Brown[/autotag] (110 yards, 2023) remain on the Auburn roster this season.

The Tigers do return tight end [autotag]Rivaldo Fairweather[/autotag] and his team-leading 394 receiving yards from a season ago, but Payton Thorne needs to have faith in other weapons outside the numbers when Auburn kicks off its season in a tomorrow. Those weapons, which are all due to make their Auburn debut, have plenty of talent. On Saturday, they have to prove to Thorne, Hugh Freeze, and the Auburn family that they can make an impact.

Auburn’s top receiving trio is set to be Penn State transfer [autotag]KeAndre Lambert-Smith[/autotag], Georgia State transfer [autotag]Robert Lewis[/autotag], and five-star recruit [autotag]Cam Coleman[/autotag]. Each respective member of the trio has high expectations going into this season for different reasons. If they all live up to or exceed those expectations, Auburn’s offense could be one of the best in the conference.

Lambert-Smith comes to the Plains after an illustrious career in Happy Valley. His 123 career receptions and 1,721 receiving yards rank just outside the top 15 in Penn State history, and he likely would have entered the top 5 in both categories had he stayed in State College for his final year of eligibility. The 6-foot-1, 182-pound big-play threat decided to join Hugh Freeze on the Plains however, where he’ll likely slot in as the “Z receiver”. He and his 13.7 yards per reception give Auburn a proven, experienced, number one receiver that it hasn’t rostered since Seth Williams. If Auburn’s offense is going to reach its potential, the senior needs to be the first Tiger to surpass 800 yards since the aforementioned Williams in 2019.

Auburn’s projected starting slot receiver, Georgia State transfer [autotag]Robert Lewis[/autotag], brings much of the same pure speed and route running ability as Lambert-Smith. After hauling in a team-leading 70 receptions for 877 yards in 2023, Lewis has the potential to become a quicker and more explosive version of [autotag]Jay Fair[/autotag], who racked up 31 receptions for 324 yards in this scheme a season ago. While Lewis’s 40-yard speed of 4.45 isn’t as fast as Lambert-Smith’s blazing 4.30, he’s shown elite ability to make defenders miss around the line of scrimmage. When the Auburn offense is at its best, Lewis will be in motion, catching short passes that open up the opposing linebackers, allowing the Auburn run game to thrive.

While the two transfers offer incredible quickness and speed, freshman Cam Coleman has the potential to become a true, dominant, “WR1”, or X receiver, on the Plains. The 18-year-old’s 6-foot-3, 200-pound frame combined with a 4.40 40-time give him all the physical tools needed to dominate in the SEC. There will be growing pains, but if the Phenix City, AL native can put it all together in his freshman season, Auburn’s ceiling could be as high as the College Football Playoff.

On paper, this is far and away the best starting wide receiver core Auburn has had in some time. With freshman Perry “Uno” Thompson and Bryce Cain waiting in the wings as well, quarterback Payton Thorne has little excuse to not take a major step forward in his final season on the Plains. That step forward must begin in the season opener against Alabama A&M.

The Tigers are heavy favorites, and the receiving core needs to show why on Saturday. If they don’t, things could derail quickly for Auburn.

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

Tale of the Tape: Auburn vs. Alabama A&M

Will a dive into the tale of the tape show Alabama A&M has a higher chance of shocking the college football world than the experts believe?

In-state SWAC opponent Alabama A&M travels onto the Plains this weekend to open the season against the Auburn Tigers at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

While the Bulldogs aren’t nearly as fierce of a rival as the more well-known SEC squad with the same mascot, Alabama A&M did finish 2023 with a respectable 5-6 record.

As for the home team, Auburn went bowling last season after finishing the regular season slate 6-6. Unfortunately the Tigers played a tune on the world’s saddest violin in the Music City Bowl, losing in blowout fashion to Maryland to finish the year.

Hugh Freeze’s Tigers have a new-look heading into 2024, as the receiving core and secondary have undergone a new complete overhaul. While familiar faces still exist at the quarterback, running back, and linebacker positions, much of Auburn’s roster is going to look different this season.

Even with all the roster movement, Auburn comes into the opener as a near 7 touchdown favorite according to BetMGM.

ESPN’s FPI doesn’t like the Bulldogs chances of pulling off an early-season miracle either, as the Football Power Index gives Auburn a 99% chance to claim victory on Saturday.

Will a deeper dive into the tale of the tape show Alabama A&M has a higher chance of shocking the college football world than the experts believe? As we did last season, we’ll start by looking at the quarterbacks.

Auburn senior signal-caller enters his second season on the Plains after a turbulent first year in the Hugh Freeze offense. After starting off the season poorly, [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] had a superb stretch of play in early November against Mississippi State, Vanderbilt, and Arkansas, totaling 753 all-purpose yards and 9 touchdowns over that span. Unfortunately the 22-year-old struggled against New Mexico State, Alabama, and Maryland to end his season, once against casting doubt over his status heading into 2024.

In total, the junior finished 2023 with 1,755 passing yards, 16 passing touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. He added 515 yards and 3 touchdowns on the ground as well. Head coach Hugh Freeze has displayed confidence in his “QB1” throughout spring and summer camp, and Thorne will once again have the keys to the Tigers offense.

On the other side, Alabama A&M quarterback [autotag]Cornelious Brown IV[/autotag] enters his sixth season of college football on his third team. Still with two years of eligibility remaining, the junior has struggled to stay on the field throughout his career, as he’s only attempted more than 30 passes twice in five years. While Brown IV has plenty of experience, including games against Vanderbilt and UNC, the clear edge in the quarterback matchup goes to Auburn’s Payton Thorne.

The Tigers have an even clearer edge in the skill position battle. Alabama A&M’s best player on the offensive side of the ball is easily running back Donovan Eaglin. In an interesting twist that has become more common by the season in the NIL and transfer portal era, the running back started his career with Payton Thorne at Michigan State before transferring to Alabama A&M in 2022. Since then, the 5-foot-11 bruiser has averaged a clean 5.3 yards-per-carry on his way to 1,568 rushing yards and 13 rushing touchdowns.

Unfortunately for Eaglin, Auburn’s Jarquez Hunter is the much better back. Auburn’s longest-tenured offensive starter, Hunter rushed for 909 yards and 7 scores a season ago to vault his all-time rushing total to 2,170 yards. He enters 2024 just over 500 yards short the top 10 all time rushing leaders in Auburn history. While it would take a magnificent campaign for Hunter to pass Ben Tate’s top 5 mark of 3,321 yards, a solid season from the senior could vault him past Tre Mason (2,979) for the No. 6 spot on the list.

The largest skill-gap may be on the pass catching side of things. Auburn offers one of the better receiving quartets in the SEC, with transfer receivers [autotag]KeAndre Lambert-Smith[/autotag] (673 yards, 2023) and [autotag]Robert Lewis[/autotag] (877 yards, 2023) joining five-star freshman [autotag]Cam Coleman[/autotag] and 2023 receiving leader [autotag]Rivaldo Fairweather[/autotag] (394 yards, 2023) as weapons for Payton Thorne.

In another unusual but increasingly common storyline, Lewis, who transferred from Georgia State this offseason, spent some time catching passes from Alabama A&M starting quarterback Cornelious Brown IV during their time as Panthers in 2021.

As for Brown IV’s weapons, Alabama A&M’s receiving core was mostly gutted by graduation and the transfer portal. The only returning players to accumulate over 100 yards a season ago are senior Jacolby Hewitt (516 yards, 2023) and junior Keenan Hambrick (386 yards, 2023).

Auburn has the clear edge on every aspect of the offensive side of the ball, including the offensive line which is simply bigger and more physically imposing than their SWAC counterparts.

The defensive side of things is much of the same. The Bulldogs do offer a pair of studs in the secondary in Emari Pait and Kaleb Dawson, but the Tigers duo of [autotag]Keionte Scott[/autotag] and [autotag]Kayin Lee[/autotag] still gets the edge due to their experience against more talented receivers.

The most glaring mismatch may be in the front seven, where Auburn holds one of the best linebacker duos in the country in [autotag]Eugene Asante[/autotag] and [autotag]Jalen McLeod[/autotag]. That duo, along with Tigers de-facto defensive line captain Keldric Faulk, combined for 11.5 sacks a season ago, which is more than half (20) of the sacks created by the entire Alabama A&M defense in 2023.

Throughout all the positional groupings, Auburn is simply better and more dominant on both sides of the ball. That’s not to say an upset can’t happen, but it’s just extremely unlikely.

Going into a game as 7 touchdown favorites may seem hefty, but the tale of the tape says the spread is just about on the mark. We’ll see if Alabama A&M can prove the doubters, and the tape, wrong when the two in-state opponents face off on Saturday at 6:30 PM CST.

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

Auburn Quarterback Payton Thorne praises Cam Coleman for ‘competitor’ mentality

Thorne described how he sees a lot of his younger self in the former five-star recruit.

Auburn quarterback [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] is one of the more experienced players in college football. When Auburn opens up the season this weekend, his favorite receiving target could be one of the least.

Auburn’s QB1 has been working tirelessly throughout camp to develop a repertoire with highly-touted freshman receiver [autotag]Cam Coleman[/autotag], and that connection has seemed to blossom as the season approaches.

Speaking with the media this week, Thorne described how he sees a lot of his younger self in the former five-star recruit. “Cam is an awesome guy. I really enjoy playing with him and enjoy just hanging out with him, honestly. I feel like we’re very like-minded. He’s a competitor and that’s probably what I like most about him, honestly.”

Thorne has seen that competitor mindset from Coleman in camp, specifically when he makes a mistake. Auburn’s starting quarterback recalled a time earlier in the summer when the 18-year-old messed up a rep.

“He got really, really pissed off.. I freaking love that.” Thorne said. “I just enjoy playing with him so much because I see in him a lot of my younger self and how pissed off I used to get if I messed something up that I knew and stuff like that,”

Thorne further went on to praise Coleman’s work ethic, going as far as to compare him to former Michigan State receiver and current Buffalo Bill Keon Coleman, a former teammate of Thorne’s, telling reporters “there’s a lot of similarities” between the two.

Auburn’s offense is expected to take a major step in the right direction under head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag]’s second year on the Plains. In order to take that important step, the quarterback is going to have to play much better than he did a year ago.

Players like Coleman should make the life of Thorne a whole lot easier, especially if they are on the same page on game day. Thorne and Coleman’s first test comes in just a few short days when the Tigers host Alabama A&M from Jordan-Hare Stadium.

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

Where does Auburn land in this week’s USA TODAY Sports SEC Power Poll?

Will the Tigers have the chance to improve their stock with a win over Alabama A&M?

As SEC football gets underway this weekend, the Auburn Tigers look to make a strong impression among its fanbase and college football experts with a great showing at home against Alabama A&M.

Auburn football is on a quest to win more than six games for the first time this decade and has the talent on its roster to make that dream turn into reality. However, many experts are not ready to give Auburn “SEC Championship contender” status this season until they have a few games under their belt, including Chase Goodbread of the Tuscaloosa News. Goodbread released his debut SEC Power Poll ahead of the 2024 season and has given Auburn the No. 12 slot.

His early assessment of the Tigers is spot on, as he declares that Auburn fans will “demand more explosiveness from Hugh Freeze’s offense this year.” Freeze has done wonders this offseason by nearly gutting last season’s wide receiver room and rebuilding the unit with solid transfers including former Georgia State star [autotag]Robert Lewis[/autotag] and Penn State transfer [autotag]KeAndre Lambert-Smith[/autotag]. Freshmen [autotag]Cam Coleman[/autotag] and [autotag]Perry Thompson[/autotag] are expected to contribute heavily this season alongside the Tigers’ leading receiver from a year ago, [autotag]Rivaldo Fairweather[/autotag].

If the Tigers do not improve upon last season’s output, which ranked last among SEC teams at 162.23 yards per game, Auburn fans will become understandably frustrated. However, Freeze’s track record proves he will continue building Auburn into an offense powerhouse in 2024. Goodbread leaves the door open for Auburn to climb in the rankings in upcoming weeks if the Tigers can provide enough offensive firepower.

Georgia, Texas, Alabama, Ole Miss, and Tennessee make up the top five while Kentucky and Texas A&M are ahead of Auburn for a top-10 placement.