Tag: Jeremiah Cobb

Top plays from Auburn’s win over Cal

The Auburn Tigers won a defensive battle in week two, defeating Cal 14-10 to move to 2-0 on the season. Here are some of the best plays.

The Auburn Tigers squeaked out a gritty road win over Cal on Saturday night, improving to 2-0 on the young 2023 season.

Both teams struggled mightily on the offensive side of the ball, combining for just 503 yards of offense between them.

Auburn’s offense in particular was not very good. Quarterback [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] seemed lost for most of the game, throwing for just 94 yards.

The run game was slightly better, as the quintet of [autotag]Jarquez Hunter[/autotag], [autotag]Damari Alston[/autotag], [autotag]Jeremiah Cobb[/autotag], and Robby Ashford picked up 132 yards on the ground.

The Tigers did manage to put some good film out there despite the rough game though. Here are some of the best highlights from the 14-10 win.

Tale of the Tape: Auburn vs. California

These two teams are eerily similar, but who has the edge?

A pair of 1-0 teams will face off in week two, when the Auburn Tigers travel across the country to take on the California Golden Bears in Berkley California.

Auburn is coming off a 59-14 thumping of UMass in their home opener, while Cal’s week one game went eerily similar, as they coasted on the road against North Texas, 58-21.

Despite these similar results and Auburn having to travel all the way to the west coach and play in California Memorial Stadium, BetMGM currently has the Tigers as a 6.5 point favorite, giving the Tigers an implied odds of 71.43 to win the matchup outright.

ESPN’s FPI calculator sees this game going differently, as the Index is giving Cal a 54.9% chance to win their home opener.

With the differing opinions on how this game is going to play out, we’ll take it to the tale of the tape to provide some more clarity.

This game features two transfer quarterbacks who have yet to play a full game for their new teams.

On the home side, quarterback [autotag]Sam Jackson V[/autotag] played sparingly in his first two seasons for TCU, completing 6 passes in 6 attempts for 125 yards.

Jackson was named the starter in week one, but an early injury forced him to miss the remainder of the game after he completed 3/4 passes for 33 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for 18 yards on three carries.

NC State transfer Ben Finley came in to replace him and played well, collecting 279 yards and a touchdown in the win. Still, Cal head coach Justin Wilcox told Jackson he wants him back, as he’s been named the starter for week two.

On the Auburn side of the ball, [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] played well in his 3+ quarters of action in week one, collecting 141 passing yards and a touchdown while completing 59% of his passes.

Auburn head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] also used a second quarterback frequently in week one, giving [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag] a handful of packages in the red zone that led to 51 rushing yards and three touchdowns.

The edge in the quarterback department goes to Auburn, based on the fact Thorne and Ashford boast much more experience than Jackson and Finley.

As for the battle of the skill positions, that is much closer.

Auburn played week one without their number one running back in [autotag]Jarquez Hunter[/autotag]. That didn’t stop the Tigers from rushing for 289 yards thanks to great games from their o-line, the aforementioned [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag], [autotag]Sean Jackson[/autotag], and [autotag]Jeremiah Cobb[/autotag].

Cal on the other hand rushed for 312 yards on the back of sophomore running back [autotag]Jaydn Ott[/autotag]’s 188. Ott’s 188 yards and two-touchdown performance comes off the back of a very impressive freshmen season in which he racked up 1,218 total yards (897 rushing) and 11 touchdowns for a team that won a single game.

Ott is probably the best skill position player in this game, and the fact he is paired with a true number-one receiving threat in Jeremiah Hunter (965 receiving yards in 2022) gives Cal the edge over Auburn’s committee backfield and unproven receiver room.

The defenses in this game also stack up fairly evenly. Last year, Cal’s defense was in the middle of the pack in Division 1, giving up an average of 433.2 YPG. Auburn was slightly better, conceding 406.5 YPG to its opponents in 2022.

It was Cal who had the edge in week one of 2023 however, as they were able to hold a solid North Texas team to just 225 total yards. Auburn on the other hand gave up 301 to a UMass team that isn’t very good.

It’s too early in the season to give one team the edge on defense.

If these comparisons have taught us anything, it’s that this game will be as close as many experts expect it to be. These teams very similarly had bad seasons in 2022 and good starts to 2023, but only one of them will continue the positive vibes into week three.

This game should be a doozy, and it all kicks off at 9:30 p.m. CST on Saturday.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1364]

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 Brian on Twitter @TheRealBHauch

Auburn is surging for elite 2025 RB Alvin Henderson

Alvin Henderson is a major Auburn target and the Tigers are in a good place to land the talented running back.

Whenever Auburn running back coach [autotag]Cadillac Williams[/autotag] identifies a running back that he wants the chances are pretty good that Auburn will land that player.

There’s also a great chance that they will produce when they make it to the Plains. It worked with [autotag]Jaquez Hunter[/autotag] and it’s early but [autotag]Damari Alston[/autotag] and [autotag]Jeremiah Cobb[/autotag] both look like future studs for Auburn.

The player that Williams and Auburn have singled out in the 2025 recruiting cycle is [autotag]Alvin Henderson[/autotag] and they are now surging for him.

Henderson was back on Auburn’s campus for the season opener against UMass, the fourth time he has visited since they hired [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag].

This visit was enough for On3’s Chad Simmons to log a prediction for Henderson to commit to Auburn. That prediction gives them an 88.2% chance of landing him, according to On3’s recruiting prediction machine.

Henderson is the No. 88 overall player and No. 8 running back in the On3 industry ranking. The Elba product is also the No. 9 player from Alabama.

He is coming off of a dominant sophomore season in which he rushed for 2,636 yards and 47 touchdowns in 12 games.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1367]

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

Everything Hugh Freeze said after Auburn crushed UMass

Hugh Freeze had plenty to say after Auburn’s first win of the season.

The Auburn Tigers started the [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] era off with a bang, beating UMass 59-14 Saturday afternoon in a packed Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Auburn’s rushing attack was the story of the game as they rushed for 289 and six touchdowns. [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag] led the way with three touchdowns and 51 yards as he dominated inside the red zone.

[autotag]Damari Aslton[/autotag], [autotag]Jeremiah Cobb[/autotag] and [autotag]Sean Jackson[/autotag] all added a rushing touchdown of their own as Auburn showcased its depth.

Starting quarterback [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] wasn’t asked to do much but he did his job, completing 10-of-17 passes for 141 yards and one touchdown.

Freeze spoke with the media and had plenty to say after Auburn’s first win of the season, here is a look at what he said.

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.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1364]

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__

Luke Deal is excited about Auburn running the ball

Auburn tight end Luke Deal is a believer in Auburn’s running game.

Auburn’s running backs have had a great offseason and are expected to be a strength of the offense, however, their success has some wondering if they are that good or if Auburn’s run defense needs improvement.

“We’ll find out more Saturday.” [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] said Monday. Are we effective running the football kind of team against other opponents or has our defense made us look that good? I think when you start getting into a game week and start game planning and you figure out that this is what we’re going to try to do, hopefully we’ll be in the right spots and play well on both sides. That’s the hope.”

Senior tight end [autotag]Luke Deal[/autotag] is confident that Auburn’s running backs are just that good and that Auburn will have success running the ball this year.

“I think our running game is really good. I think you guys have seen it, even in the past. There are some familiar names in that running back room who have done some really great things at Auburn so far. Jarquez (Hunter) is an incredible back, that entire room, Damari (Alston), Sean (Jackson), even Jeremiah (Cobb), a young guy coming up, (Brian) Battie all those guys are really really good players.

“We’ve got such a talented room that I would lean on the side that we have a really good run game and we’ve seen production in the past. I’m excited to see how that works out against another defense.”

“Hopefully, our defense stops that run too against UMass.”

Auburn’s five running backs each bring something different but together they give Auburn a deep and talented rotation that should be able to keep all of them fresh during the game. They are also set to benefit from Auburn’s reworked offensive line, which has three transfers set to start.

UMass has already played one game on the season, a 41-30 win over New Mexico State, and struggled to stop the run. The Minutemen allowed 222 yards and one touchdown on the ground as the Aggies rushed for 5.8 yards per carry.

Auburn will look to enjoy similar success when they face UMass on Saturday in Jordan-Hare Stadium. The game is set to start at 2:30 p.m. CT and will be on ESPN.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1364]

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

Auburn Tigers Snapshot Profile: No. 27 Jarquez Hunter

After two seasons as a back up, it is Hunter’s turn to be the top running back.

Going into the 2023 football season, Auburn Wire will be looking at each scholarship player listed on the Tigers’ roster.

Over the preseason, each profile will cover where the player is from, how recruiting websites rated them coming out of high school, and what role they will play for [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] in his first season on the Plains.

Up next is star running back [autotag]Jarquez Hunter[/autotag]. There are questions about Hunter’s availability for the season but he is Auburn’s top offensive player and should be the focal point of the offense when he’s on the field.

Preseason Player Profile

Hometown: Philadelphia, Mississippi

Height: 5-10

Weight: 212

Class in 2023: Junior

247Sports Composite Ranking

Three-Star / No. 12 in Mississippi / No. 43 RB

Career Stats

Year G Carries Yards YPC TDs Receptions Receiving Yards
2021 12 89 593 6.7 3 12 61
2022 12 104 688 6.4 7 17 224

PFF Grades

Year Offense Runs Passing Pass Blocking Special Teams
2021 80.4 82.0 78.4 50.0 75.6
2022 80.1 82.7 69.1 26.8 41.1

Depth Chart Overview

Hunter burst onto the scene as a freshman, becoming Auburn’s top backup to [autotag]Tank Bigsby[/autotag] and would have had a bigger role if Bigsby wasn’t so talented. With Bigbsy off to the NFL, it’s Hunter’s time to shine and he has a chance to be one of the top running backs in the SEC due to his combination of speed, strength and pass-catching ability.

He is Auburn’s top offensive player and headlines a running back room that is the strength of the team. [autotag]Brian Battie[/autotag], [autotag]Damari Alston[/autotag] and [autotag]Jeremiah Cobb[/autotag] provide strong backups to help keep Hunter fresh, a must at such a physical position.

Jarquez Hunter’s Photo Gallery

Auburn Tigers Snapshot Profile: No. 23 Jeremiah Cobb

He has the makings of a star running back for Auburn.

Going into the 2023 football season, Auburn Wire will be looking at each scholarship player listed on the Tigers’ roster.

Over the preseason, each profile will cover where the player is from, how recruiting websites rated them coming out of high school, and what role they will play for [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] in his first season on the Plains.

Up next is freshman running back [autotag]Jeremiah Cobb[/autotag]. He is a dynamic talent and has the ability to make an early push for playing time in a loaded running back room.

Preseason Player Profile

Hometown: Montgomery, Alabama

Height: 5-11

Weight: 191

Class in 2023: True Freshman

247Sports Composite Ranking

Four-Star / No. 13 in Alabama / No. 9 RB

High School Stats

G Carries Yards YPC Rushing TDs Receptions Yards Receiving TDs
50 639 6,567 10.3 75 51 1,142 15

Depth Chart Overview

Auburn is loaded at running back with [autotag]Jarquez Hunter[/autotag], [autotag]Brian Battie[/autotag], [autotag]Damari Alston[/autotag] and Cobb. He is the youngest of the bunch but Cobb looks like a future workhorse and it would not be shocking for him to make a serious push for the RB2 role.

He has the ability to be a threat in the passing game and that could be his route to early playing time in a crowded group. Hunter is the clear leaded of the group but the rotation behind him is still far from set, something Cobb will look to take advantage of.

Jeremiah Cobb’s Photo Gallery

Auburn Tigers Snapshot Profile: No. 21 Brian Battie

He is part of Auburn’s dynamic combo at running back.

Going into the 2023 football season, Auburn Wire will be looking at each scholarship player listed on the Tigers’ roster.

Over the preseason, each profile will cover where the player is from, how recruiting websites rated them coming out of high school, and what role they will play for [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] in his first season on the Plains.

Up next is transfer running back [autotag]Brian Battie[/autotag]. He is set to give Auburn a dynamic rushing attack with [autotag]Jarquez Hunter[/autotag] and should be a valuable weapon on kick returns.

Preseason Player Profile

Hometown: Sarasota, Florida

Height: 5-7

Weight: 170

Previous School: USF

Class in 2023: Junior

247Sports Composite Ranking

Three-Star / No. 245 in Florida / No. 104 RB

Career Stats

Year G Carries Yards YPC TDs Receptions Yards
2020 (USF) 7 46 332 7.2 1 4 35
2021 (USF) 12 58 324 5.6 1 7 67
2022 (USF) 12 176 1,186 6.7 8 14 91

PFF Grades

Year Offense Runs Passing Pass Blocking Kick Return
2020 80.9 82.5 66.3 71.8 67.6
2021 74.9 73.9 75.1 47.8 90.2
2022 87.5 91.6 51.4 54.1 69.9

Depth Chart Overview

Battie brings some big-play ability to Auburn’s rushing attack and should see plenty of action behind Hunter. He averaged over 6.0 yards per carry last season for a bad USF team and should be even more dynamic behind Auburn’s improved offensive line and passing attack.

While he is a proven playmaker, sophomore [autotag]Damari Alston[/autotag] and freshmen [autotag]Jeremiah Cobb[/autotag] are both talented enough to earn playing time and will push Battie for the RB2 job.

He returned three kickoffs for touchdowns in 2021 en route to being named an All-American and should bring some explosive ability to an area Auburn has been lacking over the past couple of seasons as well.

Brian Battie’s Photo Gallery

Auburn reveals jersey numbers for freshman summer enrollees

Here’s a look at what number each of Auburn’s freshman summer enrolles will wear.

Auburn put some finishing touches on its roster Tuesday with the announcement of the jersey numbers for the transfers and freshmen who enrolled during the summer.

Eleven freshmen enrolled over the summer and were officially added to the roster including running back [autotag]Jeremiah Cobb[/autotag], the highest-ranked offensive player from [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag]’s transitional class.

While Cobb has a chance to contribute immediately, quarterback [autotag]Hank Brown[/autotag] and offensive tackle [autotag]Tyler Johnson[/autotag] will likely need time to develop before they are ready to see the field.

They also got some much-needed reinforcements in the secondary with cornerbacks [autotag]Colton Hood[/autotag], [autotag]JC Hart[/autotag], [autotag]Champ Anthony[/autotag], and [autotag]Tyler Scott[/autotag], in addition to safeties [autotag]Sylvester Smith[/autotag], [autotag]Terrance Love[/autotag], and [autotag]C.J. Johnson[/autotag] all making it to the Plains.

They also welcome defensive lineman [autotag]Darron Reed Jr.[/autotag] who can play anywhere across the defensive line for the Tigers.

Two members of the 2023 recruiting class are still missing from the roster, freshman wide receiver [autotag]Daquayvious Sorey[/autotag] and JUCO defensive lineman [autotag]Quientrail Jamison-Travis[/autotag].

Here is a look at each number the freshmen summer enrollees will wear their first season at Auburn.

Number Name Position
15 Hank Brown QB
18 Colton Hood CB
19 Sylvester Smith S
20 JC Hart CB
23 Jeremiah Cobb RB
24 Terrance Love S
25 Champ Anthony CB
27 Tyler Scott CB
29 C.J. Johnson S
45 Darron Reed Jr. DL
79 Tyler Johnson OL

[lawrence-auto-related count=4 category=1364]

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