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AUBURN, Alabama – Auburn’s A=Day game was not a clinic in crisp football execution, nor should anyone have expected it to be. Neither was it an exercise in futility. As spring games go, there was some good and some bad.
Auburn’s football team, with new offenses and defenses and a new coaching staff, practiced together for just the 14th time Saturday. Many of those practices, as required by NCAA rules, did not include full-speed contact.
You can look at quarterback Bo Nix going 12-for-21 and believe he wasn’t particularly sharp. Or you can listen to head coach Bryan Harsin talk about the times when players around him didn’t do what they were supposed to do or didn’t catch balls they should have caught.
You had to like the way Tank Bigsby and Shaun Shivers ran with the ball unless you choose to fret that the defense didn’t stop them. You can worry that the offense only scored 17 points or you can like that the defense held the offense to 17 points. That’s the way of spring games. Both sides of the ball can’t look good at the same time.
It was a good day on lots of ways. The largest crowd since the 2019 Iron Bowl was on hand. Players played with enthusiasm. Big plays were made on both sides of the ball.
For what they are worth, here are some impressions:
-- Nix is, without any question or debate, the starting quarterback. Taking into account the circumstances, I thought he had a good day.
-- Bigsby is a horse, whether it’s a spring game, a real game or a practice.
--If Shaun Shivers gets the opportunity he’s never really had, I look for him to be a productive and important part of Auburn’s offense.
--Defensive lineman Colby Wooden came charging from out of almost nowhere last season. He looked good to me Saturday.
--I often heard about wide receiver Elijah Cannon last season, though he didn’t really surface until the bowl game. He looks to be a guy with great potential.
--Harsin does a good job of fielding questions about individual players. He doesn’t get carried with praise and doesn’t get carried away with criticism.
--I thought Auburn’s defense did a good job of swarming, getting lots of people to the ball.
--He surely has much to learn, but JJ Pegues looks at home on the defensive line.
--The Auburn football team is athletic and talented. Of course, lots of other SEC teams are also athletic and talented.
--I liked what I saw of the Mike Bobo/Harsin offensive scheme, especially ability to change the tempo.
--I will be surprised if Auburn’s defense isn’t really in the coming season.
--With much more experience than last season, I believe the offensive line woes are overstated.
--I saw a good number of receivers either making blocks or trying hard to make blocks. That is important.
OVERVIEW
I believe this Auburn football team has a real chance for success next season? The question is how quickly players will be able to negotiate the learning curves in new offenses and defenses.
It’s difficult to find anything to this point that Harsin hasn’t done well. He’s established who he is and the kind of program he intends to have. The question, as always, will be if he can get enough of the kinds of players it takes to challenge and beat the SEC’s best. For now, it’s difficult to imagine a better start
Auburn’s football team, with new offenses and defenses and a new coaching staff, practiced together for just the 14th time Saturday. Many of those practices, as required by NCAA rules, did not include full-speed contact.
You can look at quarterback Bo Nix going 12-for-21 and believe he wasn’t particularly sharp. Or you can listen to head coach Bryan Harsin talk about the times when players around him didn’t do what they were supposed to do or didn’t catch balls they should have caught.
You had to like the way Tank Bigsby and Shaun Shivers ran with the ball unless you choose to fret that the defense didn’t stop them. You can worry that the offense only scored 17 points or you can like that the defense held the offense to 17 points. That’s the way of spring games. Both sides of the ball can’t look good at the same time.
It was a good day on lots of ways. The largest crowd since the 2019 Iron Bowl was on hand. Players played with enthusiasm. Big plays were made on both sides of the ball.
For what they are worth, here are some impressions:
-- Nix is, without any question or debate, the starting quarterback. Taking into account the circumstances, I thought he had a good day.
-- Bigsby is a horse, whether it’s a spring game, a real game or a practice.
--If Shaun Shivers gets the opportunity he’s never really had, I look for him to be a productive and important part of Auburn’s offense.
--Defensive lineman Colby Wooden came charging from out of almost nowhere last season. He looked good to me Saturday.
--I often heard about wide receiver Elijah Cannon last season, though he didn’t really surface until the bowl game. He looks to be a guy with great potential.
--Harsin does a good job of fielding questions about individual players. He doesn’t get carried with praise and doesn’t get carried away with criticism.
--I thought Auburn’s defense did a good job of swarming, getting lots of people to the ball.
--He surely has much to learn, but JJ Pegues looks at home on the defensive line.
--The Auburn football team is athletic and talented. Of course, lots of other SEC teams are also athletic and talented.
--I liked what I saw of the Mike Bobo/Harsin offensive scheme, especially ability to change the tempo.
--I will be surprised if Auburn’s defense isn’t really in the coming season.
--With much more experience than last season, I believe the offensive line woes are overstated.
--I saw a good number of receivers either making blocks or trying hard to make blocks. That is important.
OVERVIEW
I believe this Auburn football team has a real chance for success next season? The question is how quickly players will be able to negotiate the learning curves in new offenses and defenses.
It’s difficult to find anything to this point that Harsin hasn’t done well. He’s established who he is and the kind of program he intends to have. The question, as always, will be if he can get enough of the kinds of players it takes to challenge and beat the SEC’s best. For now, it’s difficult to imagine a better start
