These days everyone seems to have their eyes on the Plains. The reason for the microscope is Auburn Tigers head coach Bryan Harsin, who is 9-10 in his first 19 games for War Eagle. Not to mention the mark of 4-7 in SEC play. It is time for a change and while it doesn’t seem that the brass is ready to move on from Harsin just yet, there needs to be a change made on the offensive side of the ball.
We are talking about the quarterbacks, for now.
In 2022, there have been two quarterbacks who have made starts for Harsin. [autotag]T.J. Finley[/autotag] got the early nod after being named the starter coming out of fall camp, but he has missed a couple of games due to injury. Oregon transfer [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag] has started the last two games but he has flashes of brilliance and folly.
| QB | Comp-Att | Comp% | Yards | YPA | TD-INT | Fumbles Lost |
| Finley | 33-53 | 62.3 | 431 | 8.1 | 1-4 | 1 |
| Ashford | 59-123 | 48.0 | 874 | 7.1 | 4-3 | 2 |
When you break down the play of the two quarterbacks you have a combined five touchdowns and a combined 10 turnovers. The offense has ground to a halt over the last several games. Against Georgia, LSU, Missouri, and Penn State, the Auburn offense is averaging just 14 points per game, while giving up 29.5 points.
The defense is being put in precarious situations by an offense that can’t sustain drives. The 4.9 yards per play this season ranks at No. 96 overall. The 4.5 yards per play over the last three weeks ranks No. 113 in FBS. The team’s yards per point are 21.3, which lands them at No. 123 overall. Over the last three weeks that number drops to 20.8 but still ranks Auburn at No. 125 overall.
The offense needs a kickstart this week against the No. 9 Ole Miss Rebels, who have yet to lose a game through the first half of the season. It might be time to see if true freshman quarterback [autotag]Holden Geriner[/autotag] can give this team anything. Ashford does provide a boost in the running game but when it comes to throwing the football, he has become a liability.
Somethings got to give and perhaps injecting the new blood into the lineup could give Auburn the edge it needs over the last six games of the season.
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