On the eve of the 2021 football season and the dawn of the Bryan Harsin era on the Plains, I'm elated to welcome the Auburn family back to Jordan-Hare Stadium. Today and every day, it's great to be an Auburn Tiger!
from AuburnTigers https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOn7k4OHmBU
Tuesday, August 31, 2021
Auburn football: Bryan Harsin bullish on WR room ahead of Week 1
Auburn football has a game this week, I repeat, Auburn football has a game this week! This Saturday, the Tigers will face off against the Akron Zips and Bryan Harsin will make his debut appearance on the sidelines. Ahead of the first game, Harsin announced the official depth chart for week #1 with Bo Nix […]
Auburn football: Bryan Harsin bullish on WR room ahead of Week 1 - Fly War Eagle - Fly War Eagle - An Auburn Tigers Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and more.
from Fly War Eagle https://flywareagle.com/2021/08/31/auburn-football-harsin-bullish-wr-week-1/
NumerAUlogy — 4 Days
you probably guessed the player, but did you know the game?
Over the years, we’ve done different countdowns to kickoff (or tipoff). This year, we’re putting a twist on the classic “Best Auburn Player to Ever Wear Each Number” list. Football is all about lighting up the scoreboard in 2021, so let’s take a walk down memory lane and review the last time a player in each uniform number put up points.
#4 — Tank Bigsby, RB
Game — Auburn vs. LSU, October 31, 2020
I knew Tank dealt with injuries down the stretch, but if you’d asked me when he scored his last touchdown of 2020, I wouldn’t have guessed the LSU game.
Tank was good against LSU with 15 carries for 71 yards and 2 touchdowns. Both scores came in the third quarter, and the second of them was a cake walk.
This is a major alignment issue by LSU here. LSU has 6 defenders to the right side of the formation, which more or less matches what Auburn is showing with a two tight-end look. However, when Stove goes in motion, Auburn now has an overload to the left. The safety widens to account for Stove, the linebacker to that side picks the wrong gap, and Tank strolls into the end zone.
I’m going to go out on a limb and say Tank’s touchdown drought doesn’t last past the first two games of 2021.
from College and Magnolia - All Posts https://www.collegeandmagnolia.com/2021/8/31/22650033/numeraulogy-4-days
Auburn football: RR says WFT fans will be happy about Peyton Barber release
It’s the Red Wedding of NFL releases today for Auburn football fans, as several former Tigers are on their way out of their respective professional teams. Already, we have seen the greatest legend in the history of Auburn football, Cam Newton, released from the New England Patriots in favor of former Alabama QB Mac Jones. […]
Auburn football: RR says WFT fans will be happy about Peyton Barber release - Fly War Eagle - Fly War Eagle - An Auburn Tigers Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and more.
from Fly War Eagle https://flywareagle.com/2021/08/31/auburn-football-peyton-barber-cut/
Auburn football: Fans react to the Patriots’ release of Cam Newton
It’s kind of a depressing day for Auburn football fans. Just this morning, the New England Patriots announced that they have released former Tiger quarterback Cam Newton and named former Alabama quarterback Mac Jones as the official starter. Yep, you read that correctly. Cam Newton was released and Mac Jones is now the Pats’ QB1. […]
Auburn football: Fans react to the Patriots’ release of Cam Newton - Fly War Eagle - Fly War Eagle - An Auburn Tigers Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and more.
from Fly War Eagle https://flywareagle.com/2021/08/31/auburn-football-fans-react-patriots-cam/
Auburn football: Denver Broncos fans unhappy about Seth Williams release
Look, if Fly War Eagle went ahead and published a piece about Auburn football fans being unhappy about Seth Williams being released from his first NFL team just five months after being drafted in the sixth round of the NFL Draft, your response would be: “well…duh”. Tiger fans are upset, sure, but that’s not the […]
Auburn football: Denver Broncos fans unhappy about Seth Williams release - Fly War Eagle - Fly War Eagle - An Auburn Tigers Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and more.
from Fly War Eagle https://flywareagle.com/2021/08/31/auburn-football-williams-broncos-cut/
NEW EPISODE: Orange and True Podcast!
Episode 161: Depth Chart Depth Charge!
As always, the show starts with the much-anticipated Auburn soccer talk, and you can hear discussion on the only 3-0 team on campus.
Of course, we can’t not talk Auburn basketball as well, with new scholarship player Preston Cook, and a debate on if this year’s Tiger starting five would beat an Auburn All-Star team from under Bruce Pearl.
Then we get to the meat after the break, where the official depth chart was debuted yesterday for football, and we’re going through it with a fine-toothed comb. Kickoff against Akron comes Saturday night!
from College and Magnolia - All Posts https://www.collegeandmagnolia.com/2021/8/31/22649964/new-episode-orange-and-true-podcast
Monday, August 30, 2021
Auburn football: Tyrone Truesdell becomes second AU-FL DL transfer
When Auburn football first said good-bye to Gus Malzahn and hello to Bryan Harsin there was a bit of an adjustment period for the players. It was made clear from the beginning that you can get on board with Harsin’s changes or you can leave the Plains. Since the former Boise State head coach took […]
Auburn football: Tyrone Truesdell becomes second AU-FL DL transfer - Fly War Eagle - Fly War Eagle - An Auburn Tigers Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and more.
from Fly War Eagle https://flywareagle.com/2021/08/30/auburn-football-truesdell-au-fl-transfer/
"All About the Ball": Episode 2
Go behind the scenes with Auburn Football as the 2021 season journey begins!
from AuburnTigers https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPy-YVz_8HA
from AuburnTigers https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPy-YVz_8HA
DEPTH CHART: 2021 AUBURN FOOTBALL
See who’ll take the field first when Auburn kicks off on Saturday!
The official 2021 Auburn football depth chart has dropped. Here you go:
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There aren’t too many surprises here, but let’s run it down:
- QUARTERBACK: After Bryan Harsin announced recently that Bo Nix would be the starter if we kicked off last week, then it pretty well set in stone that T.J. Finley wouldn’t be able to do enough to catch up and overtake him before Akron. There have been reports that Finley’s been a better passer than Bo in drills, but game action is still TBD. No shock here.
- RUNNING BACKS: Duh, the most important player on the Auburn roster is TB1. Tank Bigsby retains his spot, and Shaun Shivers brings the upperclassmen moxie in the backup spot. I know they’ll both play, and both get a ton of carries. Hopefully we do get to see a truly Heisman-like campaign from Tank, though, as that would honestly just be a lot of fun.
- TIGHT END: Is this the year that we finally see the tight end utilized properly? MAYBE. Bryan Harsin has used the big guys more than Gus Malzahn did in the past, and John Samuel Shenker gets the nod as the first guy on the field. Interesting that we don’t see Brandon Frazier anywhere there after he got some good playing time in 2020.
- WIDE RECEIVERS: Basically all we heard in fall camp was that Ja’Varrius Johnson and Demetris Robertson were the guys that showed huge improvement and the skills to be actual stars for Auburn at receiver. What’s troubling and interesting is that they combined for 12 catches in 2020 (all by Robertson), and now have overtaken guys that played quite a bit for Auburn last season. Shedrick Jackson may be poised to finally break out with a starting role, but he only had 6 receptions a season ago. Ze’Vian Capers and Kobe Hudson each grabbed 7 passes in 2020, and both are now second teamers.
- OFFENSIVE LINE: While there aren’t many surprises in terms of starters, it remains to be seen exactly how good this group will be. There are a couple of questions lingering out there. First, can they all stay on the field when it comes to COVID. There were multiple players missing time over fall camp. Second, even if they stay on the field, are they talented enough to make a push against the Georgias, Alabamas, and Texas A&Ms of the world? Pass protection was, quite honestly, awful at times last year, and it’s a big reason why Bo Nix has the hair trigger on bailing. We have four seniors and a sophomore in the starting five (unless you swap Tashawn Manning for Keiondre Jones with the OR statement, then it’s five seniors). This may end up being the most important position on the team, but we won’t know until week three in Happy Valley.
- DEFENSIVE LINE: This is going to be a different group from last season, with new faces all throughout the middle due to the transfer market and position switches. Despite that, they’ve reportedly been a force in fall camp. Are they good, or are they just going against the Auburn offensive line? We shall see. Colby Wooden slides outside, and the transfers Tony Fair and Marcus Harris move inside (Tony Fair is 330 pounds at nose tackle, my word), while Derick Hall is up to 251 pounds and likely to disrupt the industry hard.
- LINEBACKERS: No questions, complaints, or issues here. Auburn’s two captains, Owen Pappoe and Chandler Wooten (technically the “Star” position, but we’ll lump it in with the backers) sit here and should be poised for giant seasons. Wooten returns from the sit-out in 2020 and was voted captain by his teammates, so you know he’ll be ready to make his mark, while Pappoe and Zakoby McClain likely form the best linebacker duo in the league. McClain led the nation in tackles last year, and he could do the same again.
- DEFENSIVE BACKS: No real surprises here either. Auburn was honestly stacked at this position, as it was an area of stockpiled talent over the past couple of seasons under Gus. Roger McCreary could very well end up as Auburn’s next first-round cornerback, and Nehemiah Pritchett brings 25 tackles and TEN pass breakups from 2020 into the other starting slot. Ro Torrence got a ton of talk in fall camp, and Jaylin Simpson played very well as a true freshman last season. We don’t even see Dreshun Miller, the WVU transfer, on the two-deep, so Auburn is in good hands at corner. Safeties are also a solid group, with Smoke Monday back again for his senior season, joined by Bydarrius Knighten, the grad transfer from SEMO, and Donovan Kaufman, a follower of Derek Mason, who spent last year at Vandy now coming in as a backup.
- SPECIAL TEAMS: Anders Carlson comes back for his senior year as placekicker, we’ll have to see how quickly his older brother can start popping out babies. Oscar Chapman returns at punter after averaging 41.0 yards on 28 punts in 2020. The punt returners are two of the starting receivers in Johnson and Robertson, and Kaufman/Pritchett will share kickoff return duties. Kaufman averaged over 27 yards per kick return last season at Vandy, but the other three guys have never returned a punt or a kickoff in their collegiate careers.
Overall, the offense has promise. Depending on offensive line play, and whether Bo Nix has learned to step up in the pocket and take the hit, we could have a pretty good little attack. We’re not talking Alabama of last year or the Joe Burrow Show or 2019, but something that allows Auburn to stick around against everyone on the schedule. If not, it’ll look a good bit like it did in 2020. Defensively, the team could be very good. Like, top ten nationally. It’s no stretch to say that with the returners in the back seven, and the versatility of the unit as a whole should allow Auburn to match what basically every offense wants to do and provide a counter against the different attacks we’ll see throughout the season.
from College and Magnolia - All Posts https://www.collegeandmagnolia.com/2021/8/30/22648875/depth-chart-2021-auburn-football
Staff Roundtable: Auburn 2021 Season Predictions
Any of you got the guts to say it out loud?
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Ryan Sterritt: Last year I went on the record saying I had no idea what the team was going to be like. I had questions about the development of a sophomore Bo Nix, the ability of a true freshman running back to be a workhorse, the overall quality of the offensive line, and how a defensive front that was missing Derrick Brown and Marlon Davidson would be able to fill those voids. Not to mention, y’know, COVID. I thought that team had 9-1 potential if all those question marks hit, or 5-5 if the all missed.
Without rehashing 2020, I feel the opposite about this season. I think we know Tank Bigsby will show out as one of the top two or three running backs in the nation this year. I’m going to call my shot and say the defense finishes as a top 10 unit in advanced metrics like SP+. But unfortunately, I feel like the upside of this team is limited by Bo Nix and the offensive line. That’s not to say they can’t take a big step forward, but it would be the exception to the rule if an offense massively improved with the same players learning a new system under a whole new staff.
All that said, here’s my predictions:
- Auburn goes 8-4, with losses at LSU and Texas A&M and at home against Georgia and Alabama. A win over Penn State and a 0.500 conference record isn’t a bad year one by any means.
- Bo Nix starts every game, and ends the year in second place on Auburn’s career passing yards leaderboard. He needs just 2342 yards to pass Jason Campbell for second, fewer than he’s had each of the last two seasons. To up the ante a bit, I’ll say he completes this in Jordan-Hare against Mississippi State.
- Shedrick Jackson finally breaks out as a reliable pass catcher. He won’t set the world on fire, but he’ll quadruple up his career catches (10) by catching 40 balls this year.
- I said it above, but this defense ends the year as a top 10 unit in most advanced metrics (SP+, FEI, FPI, etc).
Son of Crow: This season is going to happen just to spite me I think. I am not ready for it, and really have become disillusioned by Auburn football recently. I’d like to have my normal 12-0 optimism, but I just don’t see any way this team wins more than 8 games on its best day. Mark me down for 7-5. I hope I am wrong, but it just seems inevitable that Auburn will lose a game it shouldn’t, have key players miss time in a game because of COVID, and struggle to pass-block all season. Sorry to be the Negative Nelly. I AM excited, however, to see Shaun Shivers and Tank Bigsby run the ball and for Owen Pappoe to end his Auburn career with a chance at a national award. I think the defense will be salty, but I am not sure Auburn can hit passes downfield.
Josh Dub: 12-0, 0-12, or somewhere in between. Folks, I’m walking into 2021 with zero expectations, zero prejudices, zero feats. For the first time in a long, long time, Auburn’s football coach isn’t Gus Malzahn. I’m going to embrace that for what it is — new.
AU Nerd: Auburn is notoriously difficult to project. Even more so under a brand new coaching staff facing the usual gauntlet that is the Tigers’ schedule. The Tigers aren’t getting much love from the human pollsters with some even seeing them as the 6th best team in the SEC West. At the same time, advanced projection systems like SP+, FPI & FEI see Auburn as a top 25 team and a top 5 team in the SEC. But they too project trouble ahead due to the difficulty of Auburn’s schedule.
For me, I keep going back to the fact that Auburn was one of only 5 teams to have a winning record against that SEC only schedule last fall. Sans defensive back and wide receiver, Auburn returns the majority of that 2020 roster including arguably the top running back in the country. They also hit the portal hard and seem to have found a number of impact players on defense and at wide receiver.
I still don’t trust Bo Nix or this offensive line so I will continue to approach this year with caution. However, I think a lot of folks are underestimating this team and it would not shock me at all if a trip to College Station in early November was to decide who will challenge Bama for the top spot in the West. Obviously, we’ll know pretty quickly whether Harsin’s debut squad can play spoiler this year as Auburn faces three top 15 teams in their first 6 weeks. But they get to ease into those contests with 2 cupcakes to open the season.
With all that said, I am going to say the 2021 Tigers finish 8-4. They go 4-2 to start the year with a tough loss on the road in Happy Valley but snag a streak ending victory in Baton Rouge. UGA, A&M and Bama just have recruited at too high a level for me to pick the Tigers in those games though it would not shock me in the least if Auburn somehow stole one of those contests. Arkansas and Ole Miss are the trap games to watch but I think Auburn’s talent wins out in those.
Mostly, I am just ready to see what a Bryan Harsin coached team looks like. Outside of the year not to be mentioned, since 2009 Gus Malzahn’s influence has loomed large of Auburn football. It’s time to discover what a post Malzahn world looks like.
AU Chief: 11-1
Will McLaughlin: Over my years of following Auburn Football, I have learned that going into seasons with no expectations tend to be much more fun than the seasons when so much is expected preseason. This is one of those years.
With a new coach, changes to the offense, along with all the uncertainly of COVID and other issues, I’m with Crow when I’m thinking this will be a 7-5 season.
QB and OL continue to be major question marks but unlike last season, there’s QB depth if things go south with Nix. Auburn should be pretty stout on defense though so hopefully Auburn’s offense won’t be asked to do too much but when in doubt, get Tank Bigsby the ball. We aren’t going to really know what to expect with this group though until after the trip to Happy Valley.
Jack Condon: There have been very few games that I’ve ever watched where I went in thinking that Auburn had absolutely no shot at winning. None, whatsoever. There were some during the 2012 season, and I think last year’s Iron Bowl was another. Before that, I probably conjured up an inkling of confidence in every game except some late 90s Spurrier-era Florida games.
That said, I think I’m chalking up the Alabama game this year as a loss AS OF NOW, since I probably did the same thing preseason in 2013. We don’t know how we’ll turn out yet, but at this point the best I would say we could do is 11-1. That’s top end, dream first season under Bryan Harsin. Realistically, I think we have about a pretty good chance to start 4-0 and win our non-conference games (Penn State was bad last year, y’all, and AU Nerd has told me that our defense will be snarky). If we go into Baton Rouge and beat an Ed Orgeron team in Death Valley, count me into that 11-1 best case prediction. I think we will end the streak just because they were so bad last year as well. I still think Georgia gets us, they’re too talented, and Lane Kiffin is absolutely going to beat us at home for some reason. The stunner win will come when we keep our unbeaten streak alive in College Station, and we won’t fight with each other in Columbia, instead actually beating the Gamecocks instead of ourselves. All that said, 9-3 is the prediction for me, because I’m just too full of Auburn, y’all. Besides, this is the year. Bo Nix will improve so much under this new offense. He’ll be focused. He’ll have fun. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s a darkhorse for the Heisman.
AU_Jonesy: You know what? I’m just so freakin happy to be able to tailgate. To be in Jordan-Hare Stadium again. To be amongst my people. I haven’t really given a lot of thought to the record this year. There’s been good news, bad news...disappointing news. Here’s what I feel like I know today:
- This offense can probably control the ball and be diverse enough to score between 20-30 points per game. They may not be explosive enough to get into the 40s against anyone but Akron and Alabama State, but there’s enough here to feel okay.
- This defense might be really really really good. As in hold-everyone-but-the-absolute-best-on-the-schedule-under-25 good (look, we’re not gonna see the 1988 defense again).
I think what probably happens is that there are 5 games on this schedule that should be wins. There are 3 games on this schedule that I just don’t see Auburn winning. That’s not to say they won’t inexplicably drop one to the first five, or just as inexplicably beat one of the latter 3, but I think those are the knowns at this point. The other four games are Penn State, LSU, Arkansas, and Ole Miss. I figure 2-2 is a decent result there. It’s something to build on. I’m not sure any of us would be thrilled with 7-5, but let’s see something that can serve as a foundation. Let’s enjoy Auburn football again. Not just for wins, but for what it truly means to all of us. That stadium is our home. Let’s have some fun.
Josh Black: On paper, I shouldn’t see Penn State, LSU, Arkansas, Ole Miss, South Carolina, and Mississippi State on this schedule and not be able to assume that we should win 4 of these. Because we’re a better football team than all but LSU on this list in my opinion. And yet I cannot sit here and assume Auburn can win a meaningful road game again until they do it, so I’m putting Penn State and LSU down as losses.
On paper I should not assume Auburn can contend with Georgia and Alabama based on the chasm of talent between our programs despite the games being played in Jordan-Hare Stadium. Texas A&M is trending in that same direction despite us never losing in Aggieland. I’ve seen enough of this offensive line and Bo Nix for me to predict those upsets. So I have these as losses.
We’ve got 3 gimme games on this schedule that I wouldn’t dare assume the worst. So 3 guaranteed wins and 3 guaranteed losses for me. This is where I’d like to get optimistic about the other 6 games on this schedule and predict an upside of 8-4 or 7-5…and all I can do is remember how last year if we had to play Mississippi State during the original week it was scheduled it would be a double forfeit under this year’s rules around Covid.
We don’t want to talk about it. It’s exhausting and we just want to enjoy this. I know we all do. But here’s how I see it: you won’t see a forfeit on this schedule because rightly or wrongly I don’t see any program in this league not manipulating their way out of revenue losses. I do, however, see Covid as a negative impact with potential losses at position groups at various times that if it catches us in 50% of this schedule could result in a loss. It’s widely reported among Auburn sites that we are not where we could and should be in terms of vaccinations. I believe that to be accurate based on their reporting and based on my own knowledge of the situation.
Look, I’d love to be optimistic here. I’d love to be enthusiastic about the legitimate good Bryan Harsin has done with this program. I’d love to not be in a global pandemic that directly has impacted this sport for almost 2 years now. But I can’t look past a lack of vaccinations at positions that would truly alarm us if it were widely reported and think this team is suited to overcome it when they had an outbreak towards the end of last year after all the students had gotten back. Covid doesn’t play fair, and with where I personally feel we have had a lack of leadership in being PRO VACCINE by GETTING THE SHOT AND PROMOTING IT to your players and the residents of a state with no ICU beds, I hate to tell y’all that any optimism I want to have stops right there. I think there’s a game out of those 6 toss ups not named Penn State or LSU where it negatively impacts us and probably drop those two because of where it has already impaired us from having a consistent offensive line in fall camp.
6-6.
from College and Magnolia - All Posts https://www.collegeandmagnolia.com/2021/8/30/22648257/staff-roundtable-auburn-2021-season-predictions
NumerAUlogy — 6/5 Days
Over the years, we’ve done different countdowns to kickoff (or tipoff). This year, we’re putting a twist on the classic “Best Auburn Player to Ever Wear Each Number” list. Football is all about lighting up the scoreboard in 2021, so let’s take a walk down memory lane and review the last time a player in each uniform number put up points.
#6 — Christian Tutt, DB
Game — Auburn vs. LSU, October 31, 2020
When you drop 7 touchdowns on a conference foe, it’s a fun one to come back to. For better or worse, there were plenty of guys whose last touchdown came in this game. Thankfully this one is at least a defensive score.
What we’re gonna focus on here:
- Great job by Derick Hall to get to the quarterback
- An excellent scoop-and-score by Tutt where he fought off an LSU player
What we’re not gonna focus on:
- the quarterback that may have held the ball a little too long.
#6 now belongs to Ja’varrius Johnson, who appears to be the nailed-on starter as a slot receiver. Hopefully this one becomes an offensive score very soon.
#5 — Anthony Schwartz
Game — Auburn @ Arkansas, October 19, 2019
So it’s pretty obvious this one is going to be a repeat player, since Schwartz scored the final touchdown in the game referenced above, but let’s go back to when he was wearing #5.
Auburn absolutely bulldozed Arkansas in the second half of this game, turning a 17-3 sleepy first half into a romp. This was a beautiful throw by Bo as he stands in against a free blitzer, and Schwartz did a good job to get separation from his defender and make it look like a 7-on-7 type play.
Right now, #5 is owned by WVU transfer cornerback Dreshun Miller, so barring a pick-6, this one could stay on the board for a while.
from College and Magnolia - All Posts https://www.collegeandmagnolia.com/2021/8/30/22648562/numeraulogy-6-5-days
Sunday, August 29, 2021
WATCH: Auburn football class of 2022 weekend highlights
Auburn football’s recruiting class of 2022 is finally starting to take shape. Ranked second-to-last in the SEC and 39th nationally, first-year head coach Bryan Harsin and his staff have secured 11 commits so far. Another commitment could be secured on Monday morning when Auburn target Jacob Hood, a 3-star offensive tackle out of Tennessee, makes […]
WATCH: Auburn football class of 2022 weekend highlights - Fly War Eagle - Fly War Eagle - An Auburn Tigers Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and more.
from Fly War Eagle https://flywareagle.com/2021/08/29/auburn-football-watch-class-2022-commits/
Auburn football fans react to week zero of college football
College football is finally back, and by this time next week, Auburn football will have played its first game of the 2021 season. Though Tiger fans didn’t have their home team to cheer for this weekend, they did not miss out on all the action. Perhaps the most talked-about game of Week Zero was the […]
Auburn football fans react to week zero of college football - Fly War Eagle - Fly War Eagle - An Auburn Tigers Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and more.
from Fly War Eagle https://flywareagle.com/2021/08/29/auburn-football-fans-react-week-zero/
Saturday, August 28, 2021
Auburn football fans take note of Scott Frost debacle at Nebraska
The 2021 Auburn football begins next week, but Tiger fans love the sport of college football. They didn’t sit out Week Zero of the college football season. We began a five-game FBS slate on this seven-day warning for Akron with the earliest Big Ten conference matchup ever: Nebraska vs. Illinois. Auburn football fans are familiar […]
Auburn football fans take note of Scott Frost debacle at Nebraska - Fly War Eagle - Fly War Eagle - An Auburn Tigers Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and more.
from Fly War Eagle https://flywareagle.com/2021/08/28/auburn-football-fans-scott-frost-debacle/
NumerAUlogy - 7 Days
Who else could it have been?
Over the years, we’ve done different countdowns to kickoff (or tipoff). This year, we’re putting a twist on the classic “Best Auburn Player to Ever Wear Each Number” list. Football is all about lighting up the scoreboard in 2021, so let’s take a walk down memory lane and review the last time a player in each uniform number put up points.
#7 - Pat Sullivan, QB
Game — Auburn vs Oklahoma, Sugar Bowl, 1/1/1972
Most of the common offensive uniform numbers have had touchdowns scored in the last season or two, as we’ve seen in this countdown. Obviously, that’s not the case with #7.
Pat Sullivan is a legendary figure on the Plains. Right in the middle of the dynasty on the other side of the state, Sullivan became one of the most dynamic quarterbacks the nation had ever seen. As a junior in 1970, he led the nation in yards and set an NCAA record in yards per play. In his Heisman-winning 1971 season, Sullivan tied the all-time NCAA record with 72 career touchdowns.
It’s that final of his 72 career touchdowns we’re here to talk about today. Unfortunately, the record-tying pass came late in a blowout loss to #3 Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl. However, despite the score, Sullivan played hard until the end of the game, leading the offense to 22 second half points.
With under four minutes remaining, Sullivan found Terry Beasley down the middle of the field to get Auburn into the redzone. On the very next play, he hit Sandy Cannon through traffic to give Auburn another score.
With his number retired at Auburn, it’s safe to say nobody else will take Sullivan off this list.
It’s been almost two years since we lost not just a great football player, but an even better man. If you have the time, I invite you to take a look back and remember his life.
Pat Sullivan: The Man, The Myth, Auburn
from College and Magnolia - All Posts https://www.collegeandmagnolia.com/2021/8/28/22646497/numeraulogy-7-days-pat-sullivan-sugar-bowl
Friday, August 27, 2021
Paul Finebaum says Auburn football ‘won’t be great this year’
Auburn football, meet bulletin board material. Paul Finebaum, an analyst on ESPN’s SEC Network who has often been accused of having an Alabama football bias due to his Birmingham roots in the business, went ahead and said that Bryan Harsin will have a reasonable leash this year. “Why is he talking about Harsin’s leash?” Well […]
Paul Finebaum says Auburn football ‘won’t be great this year’ - Fly War Eagle - Fly War Eagle - An Auburn Tigers Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and more.
from Fly War Eagle https://flywareagle.com/2021/08/27/finebaum-auburn-football-not-great/
Auburn football: Forbes names AU 7th most in-demand CFB team in 2021
Auburn football is in for one heck of a season. After massive changes on the Plains, from new coaches to new playing schemes to new players, things have been shaken up quite a bit from Gus Malzahn’s era. Bryan Harsin still has many questions to answer in order to prove himself on the Plains. Can […]
Auburn football: Forbes names AU 7th most in-demand CFB team in 2021 - Fly War Eagle - Fly War Eagle - An Auburn Tigers Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and more.
from Fly War Eagle https://flywareagle.com/2021/08/27/auburn-football-7th-demand-cfb-team/
Auburn football: Top teams to beat for Jacob Hood on commitment day
Auburn football’s first-year head coach Bryan Harsin is working hard on the recruiting end of things to build up the Tigers’ offensive line. The two-deep for the 2021 offensive line was just recently announced, but there are going to be major holes to fill in the coming seasons. Enter Auburn football offensive tackle target Jacob […]
Auburn football: Top teams to beat for Jacob Hood on commitment day - Fly War Eagle - Fly War Eagle - An Auburn Tigers Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and more.
from Fly War Eagle https://flywareagle.com/2021/08/27/auburn-football-teams-beat-jacob-hood/
NumerAUlogy — 8 Days
Shaun Shivers makes another appearance!
Over the years, we’ve done different countdowns to kickoff (or tipoff). This year, we’re putting a twist on the classic “Best Auburn Player to Ever Wear Each Number” list. Football is all about lighting up the scoreboard in 2021, so let’s take a walk down memory lane and review the last time a player in each uniform number put up points.
#8 — Shaun Shivers, RB
Game — Auburn @ Mississippi, October 24, 2020
This is what happens when guys change numbers. We already saw this with Harold Joiner, and now we have it with Worm.
This touchdown came after the literal representation of this meme:
“Fuck it , Seth down there somewhere” pic.twitter.com/FkXegapK3Y
— Grayson (@Mik3d_UP) October 17, 2020
I mean sometimes it just worked.
Shivers’s touchdown would tie the game, and Auburn would eventually come back to win 35-28.
Worm still has #8, so I’m fairly certain we’ll see a few more touchdowns in 2021. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if this one comes off the board against Akron.
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Auburn football: Chris Doering doesn’t have AU in SEC West’s 2nd tier
I think most Tiger fans can agree that the biggest question mark heading into the 2021 season is whether or not Auburn football can keep itself in the thick of things in the SEC Championship picture this season. If you ask Chris Doering–which Jake “Jboy” Crain did on his show–AU isn’t in the second tier […]
Auburn football: Chris Doering doesn’t have AU in SEC West’s 2nd tier - Fly War Eagle - Fly War Eagle - An Auburn Tigers Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and more.
from Fly War Eagle https://flywareagle.com/2021/08/27/auburn-football-sec-west-2nd-tier/
Auburn football: Ranking every SEC West team’s Week One matchup
Eight days, Auburn football fans. We could count on two hands how many sleeps it will be until Week One for the SEC West’s seven programs begins, and soon it will be one. Hell, the games have begun for the NAIA level and begin tomorrow for the FBS with a Big Ten matchup between Nebraska […]
Auburn football: Ranking every SEC West team’s Week One matchup - Fly War Eagle - Fly War Eagle - An Auburn Tigers Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and more.
from Fly War Eagle https://flywareagle.com/2021/08/27/auburn-football-ranking-sec-west-week-1/
Thursday, August 26, 2021
Auburn football: Gus Malzahn instrumental in potential UCF Power Five jump
If you ask me, UCF would be a worthy entrant into the SEC for several reasons. There is a built-in history with Auburn football, but new head coach Gus Malzahn has also mentioned Alabama by name this season as well. Add it up with a Sunshine State turf war with the Florida Gators for the […]
Auburn football: Gus Malzahn instrumental in potential UCF Power Five jump - Fly War Eagle - Fly War Eagle - An Auburn Tigers Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and more.
from Fly War Eagle https://flywareagle.com/2021/08/26/auburn-football-ucf-p5-jump-imminently/
Auburn fans ecstatic for Sunisa Lee joining Dancing with the Stars
It’s been a NIL dream for Sunisa Lee since July 1st when the NCAA allowed its athletes to cash in on their personal brands. Lee comes to Auburn with the chance to become the highest-paid NIL athlete in the entire country. Being an American hero and winning the gold medal in the all-around routine after […]
Auburn fans ecstatic for Sunisa Lee joining Dancing with the Stars - Fly War Eagle - Fly War Eagle - An Auburn Tigers Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and more.
from Fly War Eagle https://flywareagle.com/2021/08/26/auburn-fans-ecstatic-sunisa-lee-dwts/
Auburn football: Bryan Harsin says TJ Finley is pushing Bo Nix for QB1
Everyone wants to know who Auburn football’s starting quarterback is going to be in 2021. Though first-year head coach Bryan Harsin said Wednesday that Bo Nix, returning two-year starter, would be the #1 guy if the season were to start right now, that hardly means anything until September 4. Since TJ Finley transferred from LSU […]
Auburn football: Bryan Harsin says TJ Finley is pushing Bo Nix for QB1 - Fly War Eagle - Fly War Eagle - An Auburn Tigers Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and more.
from Fly War Eagle https://flywareagle.com/2021/08/26/auburn-football-harsin-finley-nix/
Auburn football: Bryan Harsin announces starting offensive line
The speculating is over when it comes to Auburn football’s 2021 starting offensive line. Perhaps the biggest question mark heading into Bryan Harsin’s first season on the Plains, much is expected from Nick Brahms, Brodarious Hamm, and the rest of the OL. After making it through the training, workouts, and practices of the offseason, the […]
Auburn football: Bryan Harsin announces starting offensive line - Fly War Eagle - Fly War Eagle - An Auburn Tigers Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and more.
from Fly War Eagle https://flywareagle.com/2021/08/26/auburn-football-harsin-announces-ol/
NumerAUlogy — 9 Days
The Pride of Port Arthur, Texas!
Over the years, we’ve done different countdowns to kickoff (or tipoff). This year, we’re putting a twist on the classic “Best Auburn Player to Ever Wear Each Number” list. Football is all about lighting up the scoreboard in 2021, so let’s take a walk down memory lane and review the last time a player in each uniform number put up points.
#9 — Kam Martin
Game — Auburn vs. Mississippi State, September 28, 2019
For the second time in five days, we have a pile-on touchdown late in a rout over Mississippi State. This time it’s Port Arthur, Texas’s Kam Martin:
I’m really gonna miss the buck sweep.
#9 is still owned by Zakoby McClain. He has one pick-6 to his name. I’d rather not think to much about how close he was to one against Texas A&M last year. How about another? Perhaps in the Iron Bowl again?
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2021 Depth Chart: Final Projection
Things get real next week.
We are single digit days away from the return of college football. Auburn seasons are typically unpredictable but it feels even more difficult this off-season given the coaching change, COVID controversy and usual toughness of the schedule. By the end of week 6 we will know real quickly how good or not good this team will be in 2021.
Next week, Auburn will enter game week prep and head coach Bryan Harsin stated this week that they have already created the scout team and are in the final stages of nailing down the depth chart. So before things become official, I figured I’d take one last stab at what the two deep might look like come kickoff.
This won’t be a deep dive like previous versions but instead just a high level view of where things appears to be trending heading into next week. If a player isn’t listed it means I don’t see them playing a major role for the Tigers this fall.
Offense
Unquestionably the biggest concern heading into the 2021 season is Auburn’s offense. Is this really the year for Bo Nix and has he really improved so much? Can Auburn’s offensive line be good enough to give the offense a chance? How far can Tank carry this team? Do the Tigers have any weapons at wideout?
Plenty of questions to be answered. Here’s a rundown on how I think things look next week.
- QB: Bo Nix | TJ Finley
- RB: Tank Bigsby | Shaun Shivers | Sean Jackson OR Jarquez Hunter
- WR (X): Ze’Vian Capers | Elijah Canion
- WR (H): Ja’Varrius Johnson | Tar’Varish Dawson
- WR (Z): Demetris Robertson | Shedrick Jackson | Malcolm Johnson Jr
- TE: John Samuel Shenker OR Luke Deal | Tyler Fromm OR Landen King
- LT: Austin Troxell | Kilian Zierer
- LG: Brandon Council | Alec Jackson | Kameron Stutts
- C: Nick Brahms | Jalil Irvin
- RG: Keiondre Jones | Tashawn Manning | Kameron Stutts
- RT: Brodarious Hamm | Brenden Coffey
Barring a surprise twist, Bo Nix will be Auburn’s starting quarterback against Akron. But Bryan Harsin made it very clear that things could change quickly if needed. Nix has reportedly had a very Nix like camp. Flashes of brilliance followed by frustrating decisions or inaccuracy. Consistency has eluded Nix for much of his career and if it continues to do so Harsin will have no qualms inserting TJ Finley.
The LSU transfer was clearly behind Bo to start camp and from everything I heard had the worst first scrimmage between Nix, Finley and Dematrius Davis. But in recent weeks things have started clicking for Finley and those who attended practice this past Saturday thought the big man looked more impressive than Auburn’s returning starting quarterback. As I have mentioned before, who starts vs Akron is not interesting to me. Who starts vs LSU and Georgia? That’s when things could get REALLY interesting.
There are no controversies at running back with Tank and Shivers leading the way. Unfortunately, much hyped true freshman Jarquez Hunter has missed a substantial number of practices due most likely to COVID protocols. That left an opportunity for someone to step up in that 3rd RB spot and from the sound of things walk-on Sean Jackson has done just that.
Jackson was high school teammates with former AU commit Armoni Goodwin and a 3-star prospect with a handful of G5 offers. However, the big man felt he had SEC talent and agreed to walk on at Auburn. He’s been one of the bright spots for the offense running with violence and proving to be a weapon in the passing game as well. Long term, Hunter is probably still the better bet to see the most carries behind Tank and Worm but don’t be surprised if the 3rd back out on the field next Saturday night is the freshman walk-on.
There hasn’t been a ton of clarity at wide receiver outside of the fact that this group has improved from their spring performances and that UGA transfer Demetris Robertson is emerging as the leader of the unit. Recently, veteran Shedrick Jackson has been earning praise for his play and is pushing for a starting role. Ze’Vian Capers, Ja’Varrius Johnson and Elijah Canion are all likely to see plenty of action too this fall.
Auburn will spend the majority of its time this fall in 11 and 12 personnel sets. This is in part due to the talent in that tight end room but it’s also due to concerns with Auburn’s offensive line. Luke Deal appears poised for a breakout season while there’s a ton of growing buzz surrounding true freshman Landen King. If he can start showing more reliable hands he could be an x-factor in this offense this fall.
Finally, there’s the group fans are most concerned about. Surprisingly, Harsin was very open about where things stand up front heading into the final weekend of the pre-season listing a true 2 deep for reporters.
Auburn's starting OL hasn't been set, but here's the two-deep at the moment:
— Justin Ferguson (@JFergusonAU) August 25, 2021
LT: Austin Troxell and Kilian Zierer
LG: Brandon Council and Alec Jackson
C: Nick Brahms and Jalil Irvin
RG: Keiondre Jones and Tashawn Manning
RT: Brodarious Hamm and Brenden Coffey
The biggest surprise is unquestionably Tashawn Manning currently running with the 2nd team. I thought he was Auburn’s most consistent offensive lineman last fall behind Brandon Council. I am going to take that as a positive in that Keiondre Jones is emerging as an impact player. He was a rare 4-star OL signing for Malzahn and the big man has the potential to be one of the sturdier run blockers in the conference.
Defense
While Auburn’s offense has had a tough fall camp things have been a lot of fun on the defensive side of the ball. Derek Mason’s group appears to be clicking and is loaded with impact players especially in the back 7. The Tigers were aggressive in the portal on this side of the ball and it appears to be paying off.
For this depth chart, I am going to stick to just a starting 11 featuring a nose tackle on the field, one edge and a nickel.
- DE: Colby Wooden | Zykeivous Walker | Caleb Johnson
- NT: Tony Fair | Marquis Burks | Lee Hunter
- DE: Marcus Harris | Dre Butler | JJ Pegues
- EDGE: Derick Hall | TD Moultry OR Eku Leota OR Romello Height
- MIKE: Owen Pappoe | Chandler Wooten
- WILL: Zakoby McClain | Wesley Steiner OR Cam Riley
- N: Donovan Kaufman | Ladarrius Tennison
- CB: Roger McCreary | Ro Torrence OR Dreshun Miller
- CB: Nehemiah Pritchett | Jaylin Simpson
- FS: Bydarrius Knighten | Zion Puckett
- BS: Smoke Monday | Cayden Bridges
Auburn’s front has had their way with the first and second team offensive lines. There’s not a player on Auburn’s roster right now that can block Colby Wooden and I am not sure there are ton in the conference that can either. More importantly though has been the emergence of Tony Fair who has wowed coaches and players alike with his combination of size, quickness and work ethic. There were some concerns about Fair being in good enough shape to contribute this fall but he’s very quickly eased those by how hard he’s worked since arriving on the Plains.
Marcus Harris is the other DL transfer and appears set to see a starting role. He’s a perfect fit for what Derek Mason wants to do up front and is someone that could very quietly have a monster year for the Tigers. Even better is that he and Fair shouldn’t have to play a ridiculously high number of snaps due to the emerging depth up front. I fully expect to see plenty of Walker, Butler, Burks, and Hunter this fall.
Probably the biggest story for the defense leaving fall camp has been the improved play of Auburn’s outside linebackers. Derick Hall is the leader of the group but Moultry, Leota, and Height have all gotten positive reviews. Pass rush has been a problem for Auburn especially when it comes to speed off the edge. There’s been enough buzz to make me believe we will see improvement in that area this season.
There’s no question who will lead Auburn’s defense and team in 2021. The linebacker duo of Pappoe and McClain will likely challenge for the honor of being the best backer pair in the country. Chandler Wooten is 1B and has reportedly had a strong camp. It’s a testament to that room that the two players selected to be team captains are both linebackers.
Congratulations to our 2021 season long Captains @TheFreak and @ItsMeWootang.
— Bryan Harsin (@CoachHarsin) August 25, 2021
The ultimate honor, being selected by their teammates.#WarEagle | #AuburnMade pic.twitter.com/ttUSsnYuZ8
Where things get really exciting is on the backend of this defense. I truly believe Auburn has a chance to field the best secondary in the conference this fall. Roger McCreary and Smoke Monday return has veteran leaders but it’s been the play of the transfers Kaufman and Knighten that could really elevate this unit.
Both came in ready to contribute immediately and have consistently been apart of the first team. Ladarius Tennison is a durn good football player and the fact he might not be a starter just shows the talent level in Auburn’s secondary. Knighten’s starting role might not be completely sewed up though because Zion Puckett has been turning head too. Undoubtedly, Auburn will mix and match personnel depending on matchups each week.
The biggest surprise has to be at cornerback where highly regarded West Virginia transfer Dreshun Miller has struggled to break through. My understanding is that it hasn’t been due to poor play on his part, in fact there are some who believe he’s one of the best cover corners on the team, but more a testament to the play of guys like Pritchett, Simpson and Torrence.
Pritchett very quietly had an incredible season last fall and looks poised to build on that success. A healthy Simpson gives Auburn essentially a 3rd starter at cornerback. But more surprising has been the play of late JUCO signee Ro Torrence who looks poised to see some meaningful playing time this year. He’s a big kid at 6’3” but also possesses excellent speed and is probably someone you use in specific packages or matchups where you want to play some press coverage on a big bodied wideout.
I have high expectations for this Auburn defense in 2021.
War Eagle!
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Wednesday, August 25, 2021
Auburn football fans torn on Bryan Harsin saying Bo Nix is current QB1
Ever since former LSU QB TJ Finley announced his intentions to join the Auburn football program this past May, the biggest storyline on the Plains heading into the 2021 season has been the competition for the role of starting signal-caller. With the looming threat of an underwhelming legacy QB, after a serious sophomore slump, having […]
Auburn football fans torn on Bryan Harsin saying Bo Nix is current QB1 - Fly War Eagle - Fly War Eagle - An Auburn Tigers Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and more.
from Fly War Eagle https://flywareagle.com/2021/08/25/auburn-football-fans-torn-nix-qb1/
Auburn football: Jboy predicts the end of SEC West and SEC East
Auburn football fans, if you hate being mandated to play Alabama, LSU, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, and Arkansas every season…we got good news. It might not be a thing for long. The SEC was split into two divisions in 2012 when Missouri and Texas A&M made their way to the conference, and with […]
Auburn football: Jboy predicts the end of SEC West and SEC East - Fly War Eagle - Fly War Eagle - An Auburn Tigers Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and more.
from Fly War Eagle https://flywareagle.com/2021/08/25/auburn-football-jboy-end-sec-west/
Auburn football issues late offer to 2022 4-star offensive tackle
The recruiting game is still on in regards to Auburn football’s recruiting class of 2022. Though the Tigers are no longer at the bottom of the barrel in the SEC when it comes to rankings, the second-to-last place isn’t much better. However, Harsin and his inaugural coaching staff are still fighting for top players in […]
Auburn football issues late offer to 2022 4-star offensive tackle - Fly War Eagle - Fly War Eagle - An Auburn Tigers Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and more.
from Fly War Eagle https://flywareagle.com/2021/08/25/auburn-football-late-offer-agbo/
Auburn football: Bryan Harsin announces linebacker duo as team captains
Despite the many challenges of running the Auburn football program in the midst of a worldwide pandemic and COVID-19 constraints, first-year head coach Bryan Harsin and the Tigers are gearing up for a grueling 2021 schedule. As September 4 draws closer, Harsin has named a duo of defenders as the 2021 team captains, who were […]
Auburn football: Bryan Harsin announces linebacker duo as team captains - Fly War Eagle - Fly War Eagle - An Auburn Tigers Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and more.
from Fly War Eagle https://flywareagle.com/2021/08/25/auburn-football-pappoe-wooten-captains/
NEW EPISODE ALERT: Orange and True Schedule Preview
Episode 160!
It’s time for the penultimate pre-season episode of Orange and True as Crow, Ryan, and Chief give you the skinny on the turbulent last week in Auburn athletics. We’ve got some basketball talk, soccer talk, and then a large download on the COVID-riddled coaching staff at Auburn and a look ahead to the football schedule!
from College and Magnolia - All Posts https://www.collegeandmagnolia.com/2021/8/25/22641553/new-episode-alert-orange-and-true-schedule-preview
NumerAUlogy — 11/10 Days
Z-Spot scores again
Over the years, we’ve done different countdowns to kickoff (or tipoff). This year, we’re putting a twist on the classic “Best Auburn Player to Ever Wear Each Number” list. Football is all about lighting up the scoreboard in 2021, so let’s take a walk down memory lane and review the last time a player in each uniform number put up points.
#11 — Shedrick Jackson, WR
Game — Auburn vs. Alabama, November 30, 2019
I mentioned in the 18 Days post (that was actually wrong, but just roll with me here) that we would see that 2-point conversion play again. Generally, teams have a set number of 2-point plays that are designed to work specifically in that setting. The Malzahn staples were a throwback drag route to a tight end, a buck-sweep action reverse with an RPO, and the classic rollout trips “Z Spot”:
Shed Jackson starts as the outermost receiver and runs a “slant” where his true objective is to find a soft spot and give his quarterback a target. The inside receiver, Eli Stove in this case, runs into the flat to hopefully pull a defender with him. The middle receiver runs a corner route to add a vertical stretch to the route combination (as much as you can have one in the end zone). Bo’s first read is open, and he makes a good throw.
Shed still has #11, though he is sharing it with potential starter at safety Zion Puckett,
#10 — Bo Nix, QB
Game — Auburn vs. Northwestern, January 1, 2021
Same one from Day 17. Again, I’d rather not dwell on a meaningless game featuring a lame duck interim staff and about 25 people in the stands. 2020 was dumb.
Let’s get this one off the list quickly, Bo.
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Tuesday, August 24, 2021
Auburn football: CFB fans laugh at the idea of ACC-Big Ten-Pac-12 Alliance
When Texas and Oklahoma declared their intentions of joining Auburn football in the SEC, the rest of the college football world knew the game had changed forever. So to combat college football’s most dominant conference picking up two of the highest revenue-producing programs in the nation, the next best three conferences formed the ‘Alliance’ to […]
Auburn football: CFB fans laugh at the idea of ACC-Big Ten-Pac-12 Alliance - Fly War Eagle - Fly War Eagle - An Auburn Tigers Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and more.
from Fly War Eagle https://flywareagle.com/2021/08/24/auburn-football-cfb-fans-laugh-alliance/
Auburn football: Former kicker Cody Parkey placed on Browns’ injured reserve
In the last decade or so, Auburn football has been known for its strong kickers. From Wes Byrum’s title-winning field goal to the Carlson dynasty, the Tigers have enjoyed long-term confidence in the kicking game. Former Auburn placekicker Cody Parkey has spent seven seasons in the NFL since leaving the Plains, but his eighth season […]
Auburn football: Former kicker Cody Parkey placed on Browns’ injured reserve - Fly War Eagle - Fly War Eagle - An Auburn Tigers Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and more.
from Fly War Eagle https://flywareagle.com/2021/08/24/auburn-football-cody-parkey-ir/
Monday, August 23, 2021
Auburn football: Owen Pappoe “hasn’t seen anything like” the new facility
Auburn football will finally have its own, dedicated facility in the year 2022, and the ground-breaking ceremony was held over the weekend. Athletic Director Allen Greene, Auburn University President Jay Gogue, and Auburn football player Owen Pappoe were present at the ceremony on Saturday. The new 233,400 square foot facility, which sits on the former […]
Auburn football: Owen Pappoe “hasn’t seen anything like” the new facility - Fly War Eagle - Fly War Eagle - An Auburn Tigers Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and more.
from Fly War Eagle https://flywareagle.com/2021/08/23/auburn-football-pappoe-new-facility/
Auburn football: FanSided forecasts a fourth place SEC West finish for AU
No one is quite sure where to put Auburn football in the pre-season predictions. Some think that first-year head coach Bryan Harsin will make a big splash and finish the 2021 season with a better record than that of Gus Malzahn last year. Others harp on the fact that teams cannot be at their best […]
Auburn football: FanSided forecasts a fourth place SEC West finish for AU - Fly War Eagle - Fly War Eagle - An Auburn Tigers Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and more.
from Fly War Eagle https://flywareagle.com/2021/08/23/auburn-football-fansided-sec-west/
Auburn football: Colby Wooden makes BGB’s top-50 edge rushers list
When it comes to Auburn football’s offense, there are several question marks lingering ahead of the 2021 season. However, the defense is set to be the heart of the team, loaded with talent and experience. The Tigers may be well on their way to having one of the best defenses in college football this season. […]
Auburn football: Colby Wooden makes BGB’s top-50 edge rushers list - Fly War Eagle - Fly War Eagle - An Auburn Tigers Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and more.
from Fly War Eagle https://flywareagle.com/2021/08/23/auburn-football-wooden-edge-rushers-list/
NumerAUlogy — 12 Days
Over the years, we’ve done different countdowns to kickoff (or tipoff). This year, we’re putting a twist on the classic “Best Auburn Player to Ever Wear Each Number” list. Football is all about lighting up the scoreboard in 2021, so let’s take a walk down memory lane and review the last time a player in each uniform number put up points.
#12 — Eli Stove, WR
Game — Auburn vs. LSU, October 31, 2020
Of all the games that most of us missed in person last year, this one hurt the most:
- LSU
- On Halloween
- A freshman QB making his first road start
- The best Auburn would look all season
Both teams looked a little shaky to start, but Auburn appeared to be the better team. After a long missed field goal by LSU, Auburn went from their own 36 to the LSU 19 in 2 plays, then Seth Williams appeared to score a touchdown or maybe go out at the 1-yard line, but instead he fumbled out of the back of the endzone (your reminder that this rule is kinda dumb). Auburn didn’t let it affect them though, as Nehemiah Pritchett picked off a pass by some guy for LSU pay no attention to where he plays now I certainly don’t know, and ran it back inside the 5-yard line. After a procedure penalty, Eli Stove scored what would be his last touchdown as a Tiger.
That play remains one of my favorite RPOs. It splits the defense in two. If well blocked, the zone run could be a big hitter because the back-side safety has to stay at home for the bootleg action. In this case, they all followed the run, and Eli made a great cut to put Auburn on the board. They wouldn’t look back in a 48-11 it-wasn’t-even-that-close romp.
Oddly enough, number 12, one of the most popular numbers in football, is the sole possession of a walk-on safety, Sammy Cohen.
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Auburn football: 3 Tiger transfers who will and 3 who won’t shine in 2021
Just so we’re clear, every single player that has ever stepped foot inside an Auburn football training facility–whether they got time on the field or not or whether their official status is as a walk-on or on scholarship–is an elite athlete worthy of praise and celebration. That said, not every single player on the Tigers […]
Auburn football: 3 Tiger transfers who will and 3 who won’t shine in 2021 - Fly War Eagle - Fly War Eagle - An Auburn Tigers Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and more.
from Fly War Eagle https://flywareagle.com/2021/08/23/auburn-football-transfers-shine-2021/
A New Team to Embrace
Maybe I’m a little starved for Auburn football to start. Or, maybe I’m just ahead of the curve.
Every so often, the Auburn Family (TM) sinks its teeth into something new. And when it does, it goes All In (C).
Bruce Pearl brought it to the basketball program after so many years of apathy. A pair of Women’s College World Series runs brought sellout crowds for years to Jane B. Moore Field. Just last month, you would have thought there was a football game with the amount of Auburn fans living and dying at 3 AM with Suni Lee’s Olympic performance.
And while fall camp rages on for the football team, we might be seeing the next big thing blossoming right before our eyes, just across Samford Avenue at the Auburn Soccer Complex.
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Shanna Lockwood/AU AthleticsCoach Karen Hoppa has been at Auburn for longer than most of her players have been alive.
After six years at her alma mater of Central Florida, Hoppa took over the Auburn job in 1999, just the program’s 7th season ever. Now, in her 23rd season on the Plains, she’s the winningest active coach on campus. With an overall record of 256-168-14 and just four losing seasons, Hoppa is a testament to what consistency in a program can bring.
If you don’t quite recall how the soccer team’s 2020 season turned out, it can be forgiven. A byproduct of COVID wreaking havoc on anything and everything, the schedule was split between fall and spring, the first time that’s ever happened women’s college soccer.
While dealing with a heavy loss of production from the previous year’s team (shoutout to Bri Folds!), the Coach Hoppa guided the young Tigers to a 3-3-2 record in official SEC play in the fall, and a second round exit in the SEC Tournament. However, at the national level, the NCAA Tournament was postponed until spring, so a separate spring slate was created to boost the resume.
In the spring, Auburn went on a 6-1-1 tear, losing only to #9 Clemson and tallying a 16-3 goal differential across the eight matches.
Yet, come selection day for the NCAA Tournament, Auburn was left on the outside looking in.
Flash forward to two weeks ago when I sat down with Mac Matthews, who does some color commentary for the SEC Network when they are in town for Auburn soccer. At the time of the interview, the team had just come off a 0-2 exhibition loss to a solid Memphis program. The glaring weakness of not having a standout offensive threat seemed to be looming large yet again this season, as despite controlling to ball against Memphis, Auburn was unable to find the back of the net.
But Mac seemed unbothered. When we discussed the omission from the NCAA Tournament in the spring, he told us how that was lighting a fire under the team going into this year. He also made it a point to say that all of the youth and inexperience from last year was now a weapon for this year, with experienced talent at every level.
Anchors of this year’s team so far, Maddie Prohaska (GK) and Anna Haddock (midfielder) earned freshman All-SEC honors last season.
Seniors Hailey Whitaker (forward) and Alyssa Malonson (midfielder), along with talented graduate transfer Sabrina McNeill (midfielder) combine to solidify an Auburn attack that grows more potent by the match.
In the season opener at Samford last Thursday, the Bulldogs put up a goal in just the 3rd minute. That lead may have looked insurmountable for a team that only scored 27 goals in 18 matches last season. But not this team.
Instead, Malonson buried a header late in the first half to tie it up, and Haddock hit a rocket of a game-winner late to seal it.
Check the tape. ️
— Auburn Soccer (@AuburnSoccer) August 20, 2021
Catch all the highlights from last night's 2-1 win at Samford!#WarEagle pic.twitter.com/pZzLZCrEqX
But that’s no big deal, right? Surely Auburn should have no problem beating a small private school from up the road.
Well, 48 hours later the Tigers played host to the #12 team in the country, the BYU Cougars. Safe to say this was a bit more of a test. And I’m proud to tell you that in the first home event of the Auburn athletic calendar, the over 1,000 Auburn faithful brought the noise.
It was a fantastic night for Haddock, who’s on a warpath early this season. The sophomore attacked the net all night, and despite some quality play by the BYU goalkeeper, Haddock found open net twice. And twice was all Auburn needed to knock off the highly ranked Cougars.
Re-live all the action from tonight's top-15 dub! ️#WarEagle pic.twitter.com/zhuMeRF8NZ
— Auburn Soccer (@AuburnSoccer) August 22, 2021
Now at 2-0, with two dramatic wins, and what looks like an answer to the “where do the goals come from” question, this team is on its way to big things.
With the team’s first top-15 win since 2017 under its belt, the schedule relaxes for a few weeks while they play several local non-conference matches. Coming up are matches at Troy and South Alabama, and home matches against UAB, UT-Chattanooga, and Alabama A&M.
The non-conference slate ends with the ultimate test, though - a date with #1 Florida State at the Auburn Soccer Complex on September 12th. The Seminoles already have dropped #9 Texas A&M and Alabama by a combined 5-0 goal differential, and lost just one match all of last season. That match, of course, was the national championship, in which they took Santa Clara to penalties.
Coach Hoppa has a dynamic squad on her hands this year. It would be crazy of me to sit here and predict this teams goes on a crazy run, maybe even beating the preseason title favorite in the process.
But this is Auburn, and I’ve seen crazier things happen. If the Soccer Complex is struggling to find room for capacity crowds this fall, don’t say I didn’t warn you.
from College and Magnolia - All Posts https://www.collegeandmagnolia.com/2021/8/23/22637346/a-new-team-to-embrace-auburn-soccer
Sunday, August 22, 2021
Auburn football: Joey Gatewood’s teammates’ reaction to UCF transfer
While it was all but a definite the past week, former Auburn football QB Joey Gatewood has officially announced his transfer to the UCF Knights from the University of Kentucky football program. Gatewood, a former Tiger who infamously lost the QB battle to Bo Nix in 2019, will now be reuniting with the very coach […]
Auburn football: Joey Gatewood’s teammates’ reaction to UCF transfer - Fly War Eagle - Fly War Eagle - An Auburn Tigers Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and more.
from Fly War Eagle https://flywareagle.com/2021/08/22/auburn-football-gatewood-ucf-reaction/
Auburn football: Ryan Leaf predicts 6-6 record, sixth place finish in 2021
I don’t even know if the craziest thing about Ryan Leaf’s SEC predictions for 2021 is predicting a 6-6 record for Auburn football. This coming season promises to be as chaotically affected by COVID-19 as the last it seems, even with vaccines readily available. The key difference between this year and last, though, is the […]
Auburn football: Ryan Leaf predicts 6-6 record, sixth place finish in 2021 - Fly War Eagle - Fly War Eagle - An Auburn Tigers Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and more.
from Fly War Eagle https://flywareagle.com/2021/08/22/auburn-football-ryan-leaf-predictions/
Auburn football: AL.com says Bryan Harsin is mismanaging Tigers
Auburn football fans don’t like when non-football things–especially when they lean towards the political spectrum–make their way into the newswire. So, needless to say, when a head coach (a first-year HC at that) is judged by how he is handling a global pandemic and not by the progress of his players…Tiger fans pounce. What has […]
Auburn football: AL.com says Bryan Harsin is mismanaging Tigers - Fly War Eagle - Fly War Eagle - An Auburn Tigers Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and more.
from Fly War Eagle https://flywareagle.com/2021/08/22/auburn-football-harsin-mismanaging/
NumerAUlogy — 13 Days
Javaris Davis puts the capper on a blowout
Over the years, we’ve done different countdowns to kickoff (or tipoff). This year, we’re putting a twist on the classic “Best Auburn Player to Ever Wear Each Number” list. Football is all about lighting up the scoreboard in 2021, so let’s take a walk down memory lane and review the last time a player in each uniform number put up points.
#13 — Javaris Davis, DB
Game — Auburn vs Mississippi State, September 30, 2017
Auburn was fully in control of this one by the time the fourth quarter started, but a Kerryon Johnson 1-yard touchdown began to put the game away. Rod Bramblett even said “the Tigers may have just iced this one.” Just moments later, Javaris Davis left no doubt:
Auburn wasn’t even done scoring there. Malik Willis would pull on a zone read and race untouched for a 67-yard touchdown later in the fourth quarter. This one ended in a 49-10 laugher that served as Dan Mullen’s last game against Auburn as Mississippi State’s head coach.
Just as with #14, 13 is currently held by a backup quarterback and a DB. Though this time the quarterback is a walk-on, Trey Lindsey, and the DB is a returning contributor in Ladarious Tennison.
from College and Magnolia - All Posts https://www.collegeandmagnolia.com/2021/8/22/22636562/numeraulogy-13-days
Saturday, August 21, 2021
Auburn football: ACC, Big Ten, Pac-12 alliance proves strength of SEC
Auburn football fans, yesterday was another sign of the times. Those times–at least in the world of college football–are dominated by the SEC, and the alliance formed by the next three biggest conferences (ACC, Big Ten, Pac-12) is further evidence to support that notion. This offseason has been an eventful one, with Texas and Oklahoma […]
Auburn football: ACC, Big Ten, Pac-12 alliance proves strength of SEC - Fly War Eagle - Fly War Eagle - An Auburn Tigers Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and more.
from Fly War Eagle https://flywareagle.com/2021/08/21/auburn-football-alliance-strong-sec/
Auburn football: BGB puts 2021 AU ceiling at eight wins, floor at seven wins
The 2021 Auburn football season has wildly varying expectations depending on who you ask, but most level-headed objective opinions have a hopeful forecast for year one of the Bryan Harsin era. Of course, you have your haters like the lads at The Score, but again, we’re looking for level heads here. Our friend and popular […]
Auburn football: BGB puts 2021 AU ceiling at eight wins, floor at seven wins - Fly War Eagle - Fly War Eagle - An Auburn Tigers Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and more.
from Fly War Eagle https://flywareagle.com/2021/08/21/auburn-football-ceiling-8-wins-floor-7/
NumerAUlogy — 14 Days
Haven’t we already seen this
Over the years, we’ve done different countdowns to kickoff (or tipoff). This year, we’re putting a twist on the classic “Best Auburn Player to Ever Wear Each Number” list. Football is all about lighting up the scoreboard in 2021, so let’s take a walk down memory lane and review the last time a player in each uniform number put up points.
#14 — Zach Farrar
Game — Auburn vs Samford, November 23, 2019
Well, we’ve already seen this play haven’t we?
To be honest, I’m kinda surprised we hadn’t had this happen already.
#14 is now shared between 3rd to 4th string QB Grant Loy and incoming JUCO transfer CB Ro Torrence. Given what Loy has ahead of him in the depth chart, I wouldn’t be surprised if Torrence has a better chance of finding points.
from College and Magnolia - All Posts https://www.collegeandmagnolia.com/2021/8/21/22635562/numeraulogy-14-days
Friday, August 20, 2021
Auburn football: Does landing Omari Kelly mean losing Darrius Clemons?
Auburn football’s recruiting class of 2022 is finally taking a little more shape with a total of 11 commits so far. Eight of those 11 prospects hail from Alabama or Georgia, with the other three from Nebraska, Florida, and Texas. Most recently, the Tigers added 4-star dual-sport athlete Tre Donaldson, who also committed to Auburn […]
Auburn football: Does landing Omari Kelly mean losing Darrius Clemons? - Fly War Eagle - Fly War Eagle - An Auburn Tigers Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and more.
from Fly War Eagle https://flywareagle.com/2021/08/20/auburn-football-kelly-lose-clemons/
Auburn Head Football Coach Bryan Harsin Announces He's Been Diagnosed with COVID-19
Auburn football head coach Bryan Harsin announced he has been diagnosed with COVID-19.
ESPN's Adam Rittenberg provided a statement from Harsin, who will take part in meetings and practices remotely while assistant head football coach Jeff Schmedding handles in-person head coaching duties:
Harsin is in his first year as Auburn's head coach after leading the Boise State program from 2014-2020, amassing a 69-19 record and guiding the Broncos to four top-25 Associated Press poll finishes.
This article will be updated to provide more information on this story as it becomes available.
from Bleacher Report https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10010751-auburn-head-football-coach-bryan-harsin-announces-hes-been-diagnosed-with-covid-19
Auburn football: Damari Alston, other AU targets make GA All-State team
High school football is upon us, and many of Auburn football’s target prospects will be hitting the field with their respective teams very soon. One of those players is recent Tigers commit Damari Alston, a 4-star running back from Atlanta, Georgia. MaxPreps recently released their 2021 Preseason Georgia All-State football team, and more than one […]
Auburn football: Damari Alston, other AU targets make GA All-State team - Fly War Eagle - Fly War Eagle - An Auburn Tigers Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and more.
from Fly War Eagle https://flywareagle.com/2021/08/20/auburn-football-alston-ga-state-team/
NumerAUlogy — 15 Days
THE RETURN OF JORDYN PETERS
Over the years, we’ve done different countdowns to kickoff (or tipoff). This year, we’re putting a twist on the classic “Best Auburn Player to Ever Wear Each Number” list. Football is all about lighting up the scoreboard in 2021, so let’s take a walk down memory lane and review the last time a player in each uniform number put up points.
#15 — Jordyn Peters, DB
Game — Auburn vs. Liberty, November 17, 2018
This is not the first time we’ve featured this game. Heck it’s not even the second time we’ve featured this game. It’s not even the THIRD TIME we’ve featured this game. Like I said in an earlier feature: this type of thing tends to lend itself to a lot of random dudes scoring.
But this time it’s one of my favorite players putting his name in the paper. It’s not even the first time we’ve called out Jordyn Peters in this list, but this time he gets the points to his name.
Jordyn Peters made an Auburn career out of doing just that. He just seemed to have a knack for blocking punts. Here he doesn’t make some spectacular move. He gets a great burst off of the line, the personal protectors decide not to block him (granted there were plenty of other Tigers that needed attention), and he nearly takes the ball straight off the foot of the Liberty punter. To be honest, Liberty’s lucky it bounced out of the endzone. But if it had, we wouldn’t get to celebrate Jordyn Peters “scoring” the points.
Freshman cornerback AD Diamond has taken over #15 from Jordyn. Could he be an heir apparent? I can only hope.
from College and Magnolia - All Posts https://www.collegeandmagnolia.com/2021/8/20/22629630/numeraulogy-15-days
Thursday, August 19, 2021
Tigers Land 4-star Wide Receiver Omari Kelly!
Big day for the Tigers
What’s better than landing one blue chip player in a day? Landing two of course which is exactly what the Tigers have done on the trail today. Earlier, 4-star PG/S Tre Donaldson announced his intentions to be an Auburn Tiger. This evening, 4-star WR Omari Kelly did the same committing to the Tigers over Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, and UCF.
This has been a slow building recruitment. The Tigers didn’t seem to be a major factor earlier this year following the coaching change but things started trending AU’s way following a camp during June. Then Kelly made the trek down to the Plains for Big Cat Weekend and that appears to have sealed the deal.
Highlights
Scouting Report
Kelly is an intriguing prospect. He doesn’t necessarily posses a single elite trait that stands out but instead is a well rounded athlete capable of doing many things very well. He’s got good size at 6’2” 180 lbs, runs really good routes, has excellent hands and possesses enough speed to give defenses fits over the top. A number of programs, most notably UGA, like him on the defensive side of the ball at safety but the Tigers want him on offense where his skillset is a perfect fit for that Z or flanker spot in Harsin’s scheme.
The Class
Not a bad day for the Tigers adding two blue chip talents to the class. On July 1st, Auburn only had 3 commitments in the 2022 class. Now they are up to 11 and positioned well for the start of the 2021 season. New wide receivers coach Cornelius Williams is off to a strong start on the trail having landed his top slot target in Jay Fair and now keeping one of the best athletes in the state close to home. If he can snag 4-star WR Darrius Clemons in September, it’d be difficult to complain much about this WR class.
War Eagle Omari!
from College and Magnolia - All Posts https://www.collegeandmagnolia.com/2021/8/19/22632522/2022-4-star-wide-receiver-omari-kelly-commits-to-auburn
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