Tag: Zach Calzada

Report: Auburn QB Zach Calzada to have surgery, done for the year

More bad news for Auburn on the quarterback front.

The hits just keep on rolling in for the Auburn Tigers, especially at the quarterback position. After a report earlier this week that starter [autotag]T.J. Finley[/autotag] would miss Saturday’s SEC opener against Missouri, it appears that [autotag]Zach Calzada[/autotag] will also be out. Although his prognosis is much longer.

According to On3, Calzada will require surgery on his non-throwing shoulder effectively ending his season.

The sophomore quarterback transfer from Texas A&M plans to schedule a second surgery on his non-throwing shoulder in the coming weeks. The procedure will take place in the coming weeks. Calzada will apply for a medical redshirt and if granted, will still have three years of eligibility remaining.

It was a difficult decision for Calzada, sources around the Auburn program tell Auburn Live. The redshirt sophomore competed for the quarterback position, remained prepared to play, as head coach Bryan Harsin said on Wednesday, and was available to play since the season started nearly one month ago.

Until the surgery, Calzada will continue his work on the scout team and helping prepare the Tigers’ defense.

This news involving Calzada leaves former Oregon Ducks transfer [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag] and true freshman [autotag]Holden Geriner[/autotag] as the lone healthy scholarship quarterbacks on the roster. We could get a glimpse of the future on the Plains a lot sooner than expected.

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How long will Auburn’s identity crisis at quarterback last?

Through three games, a quarterback has yet to earn Bryan Harsin’s complete trust. How much longer until the job is ultimately won?

Auburn Football began the season with an identity issue at quarterback. It was a crisis that head coach [autotag]Bryan Harsin[/autotag] had hoped would be resolved by week three’s crucial home game against Penn State.

As Auburn enters week four against Missouri for the SEC opener, the quarterback issue has shown zero signs of settling.

Both [autotag]T.J. Finley[/autotag] and [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag] had their best game passing the football in Saturday’s loss to Penn State, as both players attempted 19 passes and threw for over 140 yards each. However, both players threw an interception, so there was not a clear contender left standing once the dust settled.

When neither quarterback takes a commanding lead, how hard is that to assess? Head coach Bryan Harsin told the media Wednesday that scouting overall performance is not as complex as one would think, but it is the big picture that can provide a challenge.

“It doesn’t make it difficult to assess. The situation is difficult, but you watch the plays, watch how they execute them, watch the operation. You can evaluate that,” Harsin said during his weekly press conference on Monday. “Sometimes you get into the last final few minutes of the game, and you try to do some things that may be crazy to try and get back into it and that’s hard.”

Looking at the depth chart that Auburn provided on Monday, Finley is listed as the clear-cut starter over Ashford. However, the ensuing week of practice will tell the ultimate story of who gets the most snaps on Saturday.

“Like I said, we’ll let guys compete this week,” Harsin said. “We haven’t decided yet what we’re going to do. Through the week of practice, it will be decided. But we’ll let guys compete, and we’ll put the best guys out there on Saturday to go play.”

There is one name, however, that has gotten lost in the shuffle, and that is [autotag]Zach Calzada[/autotag]. Calzada, who transferred to Auburn in the offseason from Texas A&M, was expected to take over the role of starting quarterback earlier this offseason. Through three games, he has yet to take a snap.

Could this be the week that Calzada plays a role in the quarterback battle? Harsin says that Calzada will keep competing this week, just like Finley and Ashford.

“(Calzada) is competing like everybody else,” Harsin said. “Every single week those guys get opportunities, and we try to play the best players. Again, that’s what happens from Sunday through Friday.”

Harsin says that in addition to each quarterback competing for the job this week, all three candidates will be healthy for Auburn’s game with Missouri at Jordan-Hare Stadium this Saturday.

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T.J. Finley is not satisfied with just being the starting quarterback

Finley was ecstatic to learn that he had won the starting quarterback job. But, he understands that the “job isn’t done.”

Since he arrived on Auburn’s campus as a transfer student-athlete from rival LSU, quarterback [autotag]T.J. Finley[/autotag] has had goals of winning three achievements.

Win the starting quarterback job, win an SEC Championship, and win a National Championship.

He has officially crossed one item off the list, as he was named Auburn’s starting quarterback ahead of the season opener against Mercer on Saturday night.

Now that he has won the starting job, he knows that it is just a small stepping stone on the path to achieving greater goals.

“I didn’t come here just to win a starting job. I came here to lead this team and win an SEC championship and a national championship,” Finley said during Monday’s press conference. “As soon as I found out the news yesterday, my dad actually punched me in the chest and told me, ‘Son, the job isn’t done. You can be happy now that you won the job and that it’s released, but the job isn’t done.’ I plan on doing my best to lead this team to an SEC championship and a national championship.”

Finley was technically the incumbent in the starting quarterback race after taking over for the final three games of the 2021 season, but with the addition of [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag] and [autotag]Zach Calzada[/autotag] from the transfer portal, he was hit with the challenge of showcasing his unique qualities in an effort to create separation.

He did just that, not only by doing the right things on the practice field but by continuing to improve off it as well.

“I’m a big guy, so just following through on my release and being pinpoint accurate on most of my throws and really dissecting the offense and meeting with Coach Kiesau and Coach Harsin on what the little things are what we want to accomplish this season to take this offense to the next level,” Finley said. “My maturity has allowed me to get to that level within the offense to where I understand every aspect of the offense. I understand what we want to do on first-and-10, second-and-7, or more.”

Finley admittedly said that he was not mentally prepared to take over the offense for the final three games of last season following Bo Nix’s ankle injury. But now that he has his coach’s trust and has worked hard to fix issues from last season, Finley enters the 2022 campaign with newfound confidence.

“When your head coach tells you that you’re the guy we’re rolling the carpet out with, it definitely brings a level of confidence that nobody wants to see later in the season,” Finley said. “I did some observations after the season, and mentally I wasn’t where I needed to be to lead this team to finish the season out strong. But I strongly believe I’m there this year.”

Finley appeared in nine games last season for Auburn. He completed 70 passes for 827 yards and six touchdowns while throwing only one interception.

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Photo Gallery: T.J. Finley’s time as an Auburn Tiger

As T.J. Finley prepares to lead the offense, here’s a look at the best images from his appearances from the 2021 season.

The Auburn football community is buzzing following the announcement that T.J. Finley has won the quarterback battle, beating out Oregon transfer [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag] and Texas A&M transfer [autotag]Zach Calzada[/autotag] for the job.

Finley has been praised recently by head coach [autotag]Bryan Harsin[/autotag] for his ability to lead the offense in a smooth manner, which is believed to have been the deciding factor in being named the starting quarterback for Auburn’s opener against Mercer this Saturday.

He also has the most experience under Harsin’s offensive scheme, as he appeared in nine games last season for the Tigers, starting the final three contests after Bo Nix’s season ended prematurely due to an ankle injury that he suffered against Mississippi State. In nine games, Finley completed 70-of-128 passes for 827 yards and six touchdowns, throwing just one interception.

Like Ashford and Calzada, Finley came to Auburn via the transfer portal. He spent one season playing for his home-state school, LSU. He signed with coach Ed Orgeron during the 2020 recruiting cycle and would go on to appear in five games for the Tigers during the shortened season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He threw for 941 yards and five touchdowns in 2020.

He also appeared in LSU’s game at Auburn that season. He completed 13-of-24 passes for 143 yards, and he threw two interceptions in the 48-11 loss at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

As Auburn prepares for the new season under Finley’s leadership, here’s a look at the best images from Finley’s first season as a Tiger in 2021:

REPORT: T.J. Finley to be named Auburn’s starting quarterback

T.J. Finley has reportedly won the quarterback battle and will start against Mercer on Satuday.

Auburn football has their new starting quarterback. According to ESPN’s Chris Low, [autotag]T.J. Finley[/autotag] will be the Tigers starting quarterback.

Auburn opens the season Saturday against Mercer in Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Finley, who started Auburn’s last three games in 2021, beat out Oregon transfer [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag], Texas A&M transfer [autotag]Zach Calzada[/autotag], and true freshman [autotag]Holden Geriner[/autotag] to win the job.

Finley, who is Auburn’s only returning quarterback from last season, completed 70-of-128 passes for 827 yards, six touchdowns, and one interception last season. He memorable led a 98-yard touchdown drive to beat Georgia State in relief of Bo Nix.

The 6-foot-7, 250-pound Finley began his career at LSU and started five games as a true freshman before transferring to Auburn ahead of the 2021 season.

Calzada was seen by many as the favorite to win the job but Finley has improved both as a leader and addresses some of his accuracy concerns. This allowed him to surge ahead of an inconsistent Calzada. According to Low, Finley impressed Harsin with his “improved command of the offense.”

Auburn has not made an official announcement.

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Game-by-game predictions for Auburn’s 2022 season

Auburn once again has an extremely tough schedule, here is a game-by-game prediction for Bryan Harsin’s second season as Auburn’s head coach.

We have nearly made it to the college football regular season and it is time to make our final predictions for the 2022 season.

Our projections for both the offensive and defensive depth charts have been published and now it is time to predict how the season will go.

The Tigers are set to open the season on Sept. 3 against Mercer in Jordan-Hare Stadium and will have five straight home games. This represents a golden opportunity for [autotag]Bryan Harin[/autotag] and the rest of the coaching staff to figure out any lingering questions from fall camp.

The biggest of these is who will be the starting quarterback and while [autotag]T.J. Finley[/autotag] has surged ahead of [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag] and [autotag]Zach Calzada[/autotag], an official announcement has not been made yet.

The Tigers will have games against Mercer and San Jose State to see how the offense looks under Finley and the other candidates before their first test in Week 3 when Penn State comes to Jordan Hare.

Here are our game-by-game predictions for how the 2022 season will go for Auburn.

Look: The best images from Saturday’s open practice

Here’s a look at the best images from Saturday’s practice at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Auburn football held an open practice on Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium, in an effort to give the public a chance to watch the team prepare for the season opener against Mercer next Saturday.

Fans got to see the team take part in several drills. They also had a chance to see the three candidates for the open quarterback job in live situations.

As we move into game week, one thing to watch for this week is the naming of a starting quarterback. No one knows for sure when the announcement will be made, but head coach [autotag]Bryan Harsin[/autotag] is set to host his game-week press conference on Monday afternoon.

While we await the decision, take a look at the best photos from Saturday’s open practice:

Calzada was the expected front runner for the starting QB job, what changed?

Zach Calzada’s chances of taking the first snap in the season opener appear to be dwindling. What has changed about his role in the starting QB race?

The starting quarterback battle at Auburn has been a whirlwind from the beginning.

Before fall camp, it was believed that Texas A&M transfer [autotag]Zach Calzada[/autotag] would win the job due to the struggles that T.J. Finley went through to end last season and Oregon transfer [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag]’s lack of starting experience.

However, now that fall camp has concluded, it would appear that Finley will get the nod for Auburn’s season-opener on September 3 against Mercer. Head coach Bryan Harsin says that he likes the way that Finley directs the offense, which gives him comfort for the first game of the season.

With the perception that Finley has won the job, the next question that Auburn fans are asking is, “what changed with Zach Calzada?” One Auburn beat writer has weighed in.

Jason Caldwell of Inside the Auburn Tigers was recently a guest on the local radio program “Sportscall” on Tiger 95.9 in Auburn to talk about the latest happenings surrounding Auburn football. While there, the quarterback battle was discussed. The media has been granted a small window to watch practice on select days during camp, which has provided Auburn’s most trusted sources to make their own evaluations and form their own conclusions.

According to Caldwell, there was not anything in particular that Calzada did to lose the job, but he did not stand out during fall camp, either.

“(Calzada) hasn’t played so bad that he’s lost (the starting quarterback job), but he hasn’t played well enough to go get it,” Caldwell said.

When describing the expected winner, T.J. Finley, he echoed what Harsin has said recently about Finley’s consistency and his experience of working with Harsin for a season really making a difference.

“T.J. Finley has been more consistent, that’s not really a surprise,” Caldwell said. “He’s a guy that’s got experience in this offense, (he’s) been in this offense for a year, and it is essentially the same thing that they did last year in terminology wise, and everything. That’s a big advantage.” 

Caldwell has also gone on record to say that he believes that Ashford will get snaps as well during the season-opener as well. However, he may need more time to truly develop into the quarterback that he has the potential to be.

“Robby Ashford’s development, we are hearing words like “clicking”, it’s starting to click,” Caldwell said. “That is a really good sign because he’s really athletic, he’s really talented.”

To listen to the complete interview with Jason Caldwell, click here.

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Analyst says eventual Auburn starter must be ‘like a pilot’

One College Football analyst says that Auburn needs a “pilot” at quarterback in order to produce the best results.

All three contenders for Auburn’s starting quarterback job each possess a skill that could help the offense become successful in 2022.

Outside of skill, head coach [autotag]Bryan Harsin[/autotag] has said that he wants to trust his starter to execute, as well as set up the play.

“I mean, I know everybody wants to see these guys go out there and just make plays,” Harsin said following last Friday’s scrimmage. “But you have to get the call from the sideline, you got to communicate it, you got to operate.”

Harsin went on to say that [autotag]T.J Finley[/autotag] has exhibited that well recently. That, along with Harsin complimenting Finley’s experience in the system, has led many to believe Finley will get the starting nod on September 3 against Mercer.

Host of “The Hard Count” podcast from On3, J.D. PicKell, has also recently weighed in on the dwindling battle, echoing Harsin’s need for a quarterback to operate the offense as smoothly as possible, saying that the eventual winning candidate needs to possess skills similar to those of a pilot.

“As an airplane pilot, you are tasked with a couple of things. At the most basic level that is a smooth takeoff getting us going the right direction in a smooth landing,” PicKell said. “We don’t need you to go Top Gun: Maverick Tom Cruise doing loop-de-loops, get us out of a jam flying high and doing all these acrobatics. We’re not asking (you) to be Johnny Manziel. We’re not going to go five-wide, have you run around back there and make a play. You don’t need to be a game breaker but you do need to be a pilot.”

PicKell also shares his opinion on who best shows that type of leadership, and it is the quarterback with the most experience under Harsin.

“You do need to, like I said, get lined up. Get all our guys organized. Get the playing — you have to be able to effectively move this offense and make good decisions kind of get us to the right place. Similar to an airplane pilot,” PicKell said. “So that’s why I think right now the lean is T.J. Finley. Because, if you remember correctly, he is the most experienced guy in this group.”

Finley, as well as Zach Calzada and Robby Ashford, will continue battling for the top spot on the quarterback depth chart as they prepare for Auburn’s season opener against Mercer on September 3 at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

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Previous experience gives T.J. Finley an advantage in Auburn’s QB race

Finley took over the starting QB job late last season, and his experience could give him an advantage to winning the job this year.

Each player competing for the starting quarterback position brings unique factors with them to the offense, but it appears that one candidate may have a slight advantage over his fellow competitors.

When discussing quarterbacks following Auburn’s scrimmage last Friday, head coach [autotag]Bryan Harsin[/autotag] took the time to share with the media what makes a quarterback an ideal fit in his style.

“You can tell who your quarterback is when you walk into a room, I think,” Harsin said. “That guy is sitting there and has his notebook out and he’s dialed in. He sits in the meeting room and knows the answers. He’s flowing with the coach. He’s one of the first guys out there on the field getting warmed up. He’s got command of what’s going on. It’s every single thing.”

Is there a contender that matches that description step-by-step? Look no further than incumbent [autotag]T.J. Finley[/autotag].

Finley, who has the most experience in Harsin’s system, has a “coach’s mentality,” Harsin says.

“(Finley) sees things out there. Not everybody conceptually picks things up very quickly. It takes a little bit of time. He’s got that mentality,” Harsin said. “Some guys have it. It takes some time for others and you’ll figure it out. But we’re all good at something, and some guys are really good at football and just seeing it.”

Harsin shared an example of Finley showcasing that mentality during Friday’s scrimmage, which was a testament to his extra experience with Harsin’s system.

“We get the play in late, the clock’s running down, it’s going to be a timeout situation. Well, he’s getting everybody lined up and getting the snap count to what it needs to be so we can get the snap up and get the play what we need to be,” Harsin said. “There’s no panic, he’s just doing it with urgency. He gets everybody lined up then bang, we convert a third down and nine. So those are things, to me, I think he does a really good job of.”

Finley’s first notable appearance came on Sept. 25 against Georgia State. Auburn was struggling against a lower-tier program and needed a shot in the arm. Finley relieved [autotag]Bo Nix[/autotag], and would ultimately throw the go-ahead touchdown pass to [autotag]Shedrick Jackson[/autotag] with 0:45 remaining to give Auburn the 27-24 lead, which erased a 12-point halftime deficit.

He then took over the offense for good late in the season following an ankle injury to Nix in the Mississippi State game. He would go on to start in Auburn’s final three games, which all ended in defeat as part of Auburn’s five-straight losses to close the season.

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