Tag: Robby Ashford

Brian’s Column: Auburn’s running game needs to show up against Texas A&M

The Auburn Tigers have gotten off to an undefeated start this season, but the running game has struggled. It needs to be better on Saturday.

For the past decade, the Auburn football offense has run through the running game.

The best player on the offensive side of the ball for the Tigers has always been their running back, whether it’s [autotag]Tank Bigbsy[/autotag], [autotag]Kerryon Johnson[/autotag], [autotag]Cameron-Artis Payne[/autotag], or Tre Mason, the offense has literally run on running the ball.

This year that has not been the case. The team’s leading rusher through three weeks is quarterback [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag].

The team’s leader in rushing touchdowns is backup quarterback [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag]

In a year in which starting running back [autotag]Jarquez Hunter[/autotag] was voted to the preseason All-SEC team, he has rushed for a grand total of 90 yards and 1 touchdown in non-conference play.

If Hugh Freeze’s team is going to be successful in SEC play, the running backs are going to have to start running the ball and running it well.

This week Auburn travels to play a familiar opponent, the Texas A&M Aggies, who are currently giving up just over 4 yards per carry on the ground.

Auburn’s running backs are averaging 4.3, and that number dips almost below 4 if you take away long touchdown runs by [autotag]Jeremiah Cobb[/autotag] and [autotag]Sean Jackson[/autotag] against UMass.

That is simply not good enough for a team that has issues throwing the ball as well. This week the Tigers are going to have to score points against an A&M offense that averages 44 points per game.

If Thorne and the receivers falter in the passing game, the running game has to pick them up.

While Payton Thorne ran free last week, it was mostly due to him being a superior athlete against FCS competition. The run game needs to be more fundamentally sound against A&M and avoid sequences like the one below.

This sequence is downright brutal from first to fourth down.

Auburn tries to run an outside concept on first down, and it get’s completely blown up. The line of scrimmage immediately shifts to the Auburn backfield, and [autotag]Damari Alston[/autotag] is left with little to do but string out the run as long as he can before hoping a hole develops.

It does not, and Auburn is left with a second and long.

Now for second down.

Everything about this play is executed perfectly besides the most important part.

#77 [autotag]Jeremiah Wright[/autotag] and #72 [autotag]Izavion Miller[/autotag] execute their pulls perfectly, and have the edge completely locked up for Payton Thorne to follow them to the endzone.

Wide receiver #0 [autotag]Koy Moore[/autotag] does his part as well, taking his defender completely out of the would-be-play.

This should have been 6 points for Auburn. Instead, [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] handed the ball off and the Tigers gained one yard.

Fourth down is just as bad as first and second. Just like they did on the outside run, the Auburn lines gets bullied on this inside run, leaving [autotag]Jarquez Hunter[/autotag] with nowhere to go.

Auburn had many drives similar to this one during their 45-13 win last week. They were able to get away with it because of their talent,

That won’t be the case this week.

If Auburn is going to win as 8-point underdogs, the running game has to show up. The offensive line and running backs need to take some of the pressure off of Payton Thorne.

We’ll see if they can when the Tigers kick off SEC play Saturday at 11 CST.

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Tale of the Tape: Auburn vs Texas A&M

The Aggies are favored, but is this game closer than it looks?

The undefeated Auburn Tigers travel to College Station this week to take on conference rival Texas A&M to kick off 2023 SEC play.

The Tigers come into this game riding high off their dismantling of Samford in the homecoming game last week, while Texas A&M is also coming off a blowout win, a 47-3 thumping over Louisiana Monroe.

Overall, the Tigers are 3-0 and the Aggies are 2-1.

While Auburn comes in with the better record, A&M’s “12th man” home-field advantage paired with their recent recruiting superiority have them favored by a touchdown according to BetMGM.

ESPN FPI gives the Tigers even less of an implied chance at winning, as the Index gives Auburn just a 32.8% chance of improving to 4-0 on the season.

Will a deeper dive into the tale of the tape show Auburn has a higher chance of pulling off a win in College Station than the experts believe? As always, we’ll start with the quarterbacks.

Auburn signal caller [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] broke out in a monstrous way against Samford. After struggling with inconsistencies in his first two games as a Tiger, Thorne lit up the stat sheet in week three, accumulating 405 all purpose yards and 3 total touchdowns.

Thorne did throw two interceptions however. Turnovers have been a problem for the Michigan State transfer, as he now has 4 of them in just 3 games.

In those three games, Thorne has thrown for 517 yards, picking up 4 touchdowns while throwing 3 interceptions.

Auburn’s QB1 has also shown an unexpected knack for running the ball, as he’s rushed for 140 yards and two touchdowns, fumbling once.

On the other side of the ball, Texas A&M quarterback [autotag]Conner Weigman[/autotag] has been outstanding.

In three games, Weigman has thrown for 909 yards and eight touchdowns.

The sophomore’s 909 yards rank 14th among all FBS quarterbacks, and his eight touchdowns have him tied for 14th in the nation.

The young star has also added a nice 69 rushing yards and two touchdowns on the ground.

For the first time this season, Payton Thorne and Auburn lose the quarterback matchup in the tale of the tape, and by a wide margin.

Auburn is a little closer to A&M when you look at the offensive lines and running back rooms.

The Aggies are averaging 129.7 rushing yards per game and have scored 6 times on the ground this season.

Auburn meanwhile has been great on the ground, averaging nearly 100 more yards on the ground than the Aggies.

Between Thorne, [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag], [autotag]Jarquez Hunter[/autotag], and the other Auburn running backs the team has rushed for 215.7 rushing yards a game, scoring 10 times on the ground.

The Tigers are averaging 5.2 yards per carry, which is tied for 24th in the FBS.

Texas A&M’s offensive line has been better in pass protection however. Starter [autotag]Conner Weigman[/autotag] has only been sacked twice this year, and wasn’t sacked at all in the loss against 20th ranked Miami.

The Auburn offensive line has allowed Payton Thorne to be sacked 5 times in three games against sub-par competition, although 3 of those 5 came against Cal when the offense looked lost.

Despite the slightly bigger struggles in pass protection, Auburn gets the edge up front because of their rushing prowess in the early season.

In terms of defense, it’s impossible to give either team an edge because both units excel at stopping what the opposing offense is best at.

[autotag]Jimbo Fisher[/autotag]’s team has thrown the ball 36 more times this year than they have run it. The team has nearly as many completions (87) as they do rushing attempts (91).

This play style caters right into the strength of an Auburn defense that is exceptional against the pass and mediocre against the run.

The Tigers have allowed just 160.5 pass yards per game to opponents this year. That number currently ranks 17 in the nation.

As good as Auburn’s defense has been against the pass, Texas A&M’s has been nearly as good against the run.

The Aggies rank in the middle of the pack in rush yards allowed per carry with 4.3, but they rank high in opponent’s total rush yards per game (98.3) because of their offense’s ability to make the opponent play from behind.

Because of the play styles of both offenses playing into the strengths of the opposing defenses, I’m calling this a wash.

This game is going to be close. How close is going to depend on the play of Texas A&M quarterback [autotag]Conner Weigman[/autotag].

If Weigman can take over the game and put up points on Auburn’s pass defense it’s going to be a tough ask for the Tigers offense to keep up.

If Weigman struggles, Auburn has a chance to improve to 4-0 for the first time since 2019.

Auburn kicks off SEC play against Texas A&M on Saturday at 11 CST.

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Hugh Freeze press conference review: Texas A&M week

Hugh Freeze address topics such as QB rotation, red zone woes, and perparing for Bobby Petrino’s offense.

The Auburn Tigers are 3-0 and are now shifting their focus to College Station, Texas.

Auburn will travel to Texas A&M to face the Aggies on Saturday morning at 11 a.m. CT for the SEC opener. SEC Nation will be on hand to preview the game between two of the top teams within the SEC West.

One of the biggest areas of concern for Auburn through three games is the quarterback rotation of [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] and [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag]. In last week’s win over Samford, head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] elected to use Thorne more. Thorne used the opportunity to gain 402 yards of total offense.

How will Auburn use their quarterbacks this week? Freeze addressed the rotation during Monday’s press conference.

“That’s the plan, as long as we are playing well. Look, this is like life. You got to do your job well, and if you do your job well, things usually work out and if you don’t, things usually don’t work out. We have confidence and I thought he (Thorne) threw it really well the other night. He made one bad decision, I thought, but the others, we kind of shed on as coaches, and so I hope he continues to build on that. The guy was 18 yards from doing something that an Auburn quarterback hasn’t done in a really long time, maybe ever. So, I hope we build on that and gain confidence from that. At the same time, I’ve been clear about Robby (Ashford) having a role and I do believe that, particularly against the level of athleticism we are about to see. I think there is a role for him, too. He threw it well when he came in the other night, but you can’t be ‘herky-jerky, in-and-out’ and that’s something we all agree on.”

The head coach covered everything on Monday from injury concerns, red zone woes, and setting up to battle Bobby Petrino’s offense. Here’s everything Hugh Freeze said ahead of this Saturday’s game at Texas A&M.

Tigers of the Game: Auburn fans get taste of Payton Thorne’s potential

Auburn quarterback Payton Thorne showcased a new side of his skillset in Saturday’s win, which brings a new level of excitement to the fanbase.

Auburn knocked off Samford, 45-13, on Saturday, and several players played a role in the big win.

Offensively, six players recorded a carry while ten players caught at least one pass. At the quarterback position, both [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] and [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag] completed 75% of their passes.

During the opening statement of his postgame press conference, head coach Hugh Freeze says that he was pleased with several aspects of Auburn’s win.

“They are always sweet,” Freeze said of Auburn’s win. “I thought there were some really good things tonight, and obviously, some things we still need to work on and clean up. But congratulations to our kids and staff for going 2-0 at Jordan-Hare and 3-0 for the season.”

Following the game, Auburn Wire writers as well as Auburn fans revealed their picks for “Tiger of the Game” after the solid win, here are the results.

Instant Analysis: Slow start leads to homecoming win for Tigers

After a scoreless first quarter, Auburn outgained Samford 444-159 over the final three quarters to run away with the win.

It is not always about how you begin, but it is always about how you finish.

The Auburn Tigers and Samford Bulldogs failed to post any points in the first quarter, but it would be the Tigers who would find momentum and cruise with it to a 45-13 victory.

Auburn (3-0) would outgain Samford (1-2) 444-159 in the yardage department through the final three quarters in the win.

The first half began very slowly for Auburn, as the game remained scoreless through one quarter. Quarterback [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] completed 10-of-14 passes for 93 yards, but could not find the end zone. He had one opportunity to do that in the quarter but threw an interception in the end zone to kill a 3rd-and-goal situation.

The action began to pick up in the 2nd quarter as Auburn delivered the first blow with 9:31 remaining in the half. Thorne connected with [autotag]Shane Hooks[/autotag] for a 32-yard score to push Auburn ahead, 7-0.

Thorne found the end zone one other time in the half, this time with his legs. Thorne rushed for five yards with 3:04 to go in the 2nd quarter to extend Auburn’s lead to 14-0. Thorne tossed another end-zone interception in the quarter that stopped what could have been another scoring play.

Alex McPherson kicked a 22-yard field goal within the final minute of the half to push Auburn’s lead to 17-0 at halftime.

Thorne nearly matched his 2023 season total during the first half. He entered Saturday’s game with 235 yards passing. Through one half against Samford, he passed for 232 yards on 18 completions. [autotag]Jay Fair[/autotag] and [autotag]Rivaldo Fairweather[/autotag] each had over 50 yards of receptions, while Jarquez Hunter rushed for 31 yards in the first half.

After not taking a snap in the first half, quarterback [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag] finally played a role in an Auburn score. On the 13th play of Auburn’s first drive of the second half, Ashford scampered across the goal line to increase Auburn’s lead to 24-0 with 8:30 to go in the quarter.

It would not take long for Samford to respond, as the Bulldogs found the scoreboard for the first time on the ensuing drive. Samford used a five-play, 75-yard drive in less than two minutes to strike when Michael Hiers connected with Chandler Smith from 36 yards away to cut the Tigers’ lead to 24-7 with 6:35 to go in the 3rd quarter.

Like the first two possessions of the 3rd quarter, the next two would also result in scores by both teams. Hunter would find the end zone for the first time this season with 4:29 remaining on a one-yard rush. The next drive for Samford would see Hiers rush from three yards out to end the quarter with Auburn ahead, 31-13.

The Tigers would score the final two scores of the game to put the game to rest. Thorne would showcase his wheels again with 9:44 remaining in the game to move Auburn ahead, 38-13, and the final blow came with 5:32 left when Ashford connected with Micah Riley on a 32-yard pass.

Thorne ended the game with 405 total yards (282 passing, 123 rushing) and three total touchdowns. His leading receiver, Fair, hauled in seven passes for 93 yards. Defensively, Caleb Wooden led the team in tackles with six, while Jaylin Simpson recorded an interception for the third-straight game.

Auburn returns to the road next weekend to open SEC play at Texas A&M. Kickoff from Kyle Field in College Station, Texas is set for 11 a.m. CT next Saturday.

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Auburn fans react to Payton Thorne’s running ability

Who knew Payton Thorne could run like that?

Auburn fans are excited to learn of a new development with their team’s starting quarterback.

In Saturday’s game against Samford at Jordan-Hare Stadium, quarterback [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] has shown off his running skills, which truly make him a dual-threat quarterback. This development has changed the way that Auburn fans feel about the ongoing rotation between Thorne and [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag].

Through the 9:44 mark in the 4th quarter, Thorne has rushed for 123 yards and two touchdowns, and Auburn fans are buzzing.

Here are the best reactions from Auburn fans following Thorne’s big day on the ground.

Tale of the Tape: Auburn vs Samford

Auburn should win Saturday, but there is one aspect that they should keep an eye on.

The Samford Bulldogs travel to Jordan-Hare stadium to wish undefeated Auburn a happy homecoming this Saturday at 7 p.m. CT.

The Bulldogs are coming off a rough 30-7 loss at the hands of conference opponent Western Carolina, while the Tigers head into this game without a loss, most recently beating California in Berkeley 14-10.

It is clear Auburn has the edge in this game, not only from a pure talent standpoint but also because of the emotional advantage of a homecoming game.

ESPN FPI gives the Tigers a 98.7% chance of winning and improving to 3-0 on Saturday, a record Auburn hasn’t achieved since 2019, when they started the season 5-0.

Most of the country will check off this week three showdown as a blowout, but will the tale of the tape show us this game could be closer than most think?

The quarterback matchup is fairly interesting heading into this one.

Auburn quarterback [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] has been serviceable this season, completing 19/31 passes for 235 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception.

He has also fumbled once.

[autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag] has also seen ample playing time for the Tigers, completing 3/9 passes for three yards.

Most of his damage has been done on the ground, where he has rushed for 59 yards on 13 carries, finding the end zone thrice.

On the other side, Samford quarterback [autotag]Michael Heirs[/autotag] has been absolutely electric for the Bulldogs since he transferred to the school in 2022.

Heirs was the 2022 SoCon Offensive Player of the Year last season, collecting 3,544 yards through the air and tying the school record with 36 touchdown passes.

The 36 touchdowns and 3,544 yards were fourth and sixth in the entire nation, respectively.

Heirs also checks in at 6″1 tall and 215 pounds. While you would expect an FCS quarterback to be undersized, his attributes are very comparable to Thorne, who stands 6″2 and weighs in at 203 pounds.

With all that being said, the clear edge in quarterback play still goes to Payton Thorne and Robby Ashford, as the experience and quality wins against FBS opponents outweigh the accolades of Heirs.

A more clear advantage for Auburn is on the defensive side of the ball, where they shined in week two against Cal.

The Tigers’ defense has been decent against the pass this season but struggled against the run in week one against UMass. The good news for Auburn is that run defense seemed to fix itself in week two.

The front seven was able to hold NFL talent [autotag]Jaydn Ott[/autotag] to 3.9 YPC off the back of linebacker [autotag]Eugene Asante[/autotag]’s SEC co-defensive player of the week performance.

The even better news for Auburn is Samford does not run the ball, as their running backs combined for just 14 carries a week ago.

The Bulldogs passing attack is better than most FCS teams, but Auburn’s defensive strength so far in 2023 has been against the pass.

As for Samford’s defense, the glaring stat is the 25.4 PPG they gave up in 2022 to FCS teams. The number itself is respectable, Auburn is much steeper competition.

Auburn gets the edge in defense.

The final edge to Auburn goes in the sheer size department. Auburn’s offensive line weighs an average of 313 pounds.

The average weight of Samford’s interior defensive lineman is 270 pounds.

Discrepancies like that exist throughout the field. Even if the Bulldogs play a great game, the physical tool endured by them may be too much by the time the second half rolls around.

Auburn kicks off its homecoming game against Samford at 7 PM CST on Saturday at Jordan-Hare.

It should be a very happy homecoming for Tiger fans.

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Five reasons why Auburn will beat Samford on Saturday

Expect the Tigers to put on a show for Auburn alumni on homecoming Saturday.

Auburn welcomes Samford to Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday evening and hopes to work out several kinks ahead of next Saturday’s SEC opener at Texas A&M.

One of the major aspects that head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] wants to build on is consistency at the quarterback position. The rotation of [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] and [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag] has seen its ups and downs through two games, and Freeze wants to keep working to figure out the right way to utilize both players.

“That’s a big challenge, and I do not like the way the other night went with it,” Freeze said during his weekly press conference on Monday. “At the same time, I think Robby (Ashford) has to get his touches. That is absolutely on my mind, and we have to figure it out.”

There are many reasons why Auburn has the advantage over Samford, but we broke it down to five. Here are five reasons why Auburn should take care of business on Saturday night.

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.

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Auburn moves up to No. 22 in this week’s ESPN FPI

Auburn was extremely efficient on the offensive side of the ball, and the defense played well enough to merit the Tigers jumping 10 spots from last week’s ranking.

Following a very impressive 59-14 win on Saturday, the Auburn Tigers have moved up 10 spots from their preseason ranking on the ESPN FPI Index.

Auburn showed signs of strength in several categories. This week, the Tigers crack the overall top 25, boast a top-25 offense, and a top-50 defense.

The FPI ranks each college football team by a variety of factors; Strength of record, strength of schedule, offensive efficiency, defensive efficiency, and overall efficiency.

Here’s a look at where Auburn ranks in several major categories in the ESPN FPI ahead of a West Coast trip to California.