AUBURN, Ala. – Three weeks out from Kickoff on The Plains, Auburn scrimmaged Saturday morning at Jordan-Hare Stadium before mingling with fans and signing autographs in the afternoon.
While no statistics were released, Auburn shared a video on social media of Damari Alston’s long touchdown run.
“I thought we ran the ball really well early on,” Auburn coach Hugh Freeze said. “I thought the heat got to us a little bit.”
The offense had the upper hand when Auburn played at a fast pace, Freeze said. When he instructed the Tigers to operate at a slower tempo, the defense had the advantage.
“I thought the defense dominated the latter part of the scrimmage,” Freeze said. “They created negative plays on us that didn’t happen early in the game. They struggled stopping our tempo early on. I think we can go really fast when we want to.
“It’s hard for me to leave a scrimmage or a practice feeling great because when one side does well, I worry that we’re not getting it done on the other side and vice versa.”
The quarterback competition remains hotly contested, Freeze said, with Holden Geriner and Robby Ashford tossing touchdown passes in the turnover-free scrimmage.
“That’s priority No. 1 in offensive football,” Freeze said, adding that Payton Thorne twice had near misses on would-be TD passes when his receiver was ruled out of bounds. “All three looked good at times today.”
Narrowing the field from three to two, says Freeze, is proving difficult.
“Yesterday, I had my mind made up,” he said. “After today, I need to watch the film before I say.”
After a string of sweltering summer practices, Auburn will rest on Sunday before concluding preseason camp with Monday and Tuesday workouts prior to the first day of fall classes on Wednesday.
“They need the day off tomorrow,” Freeze said. “I take pride in making sure our teams are fresh when game time comes.”
The Tigers kick off the Freeze era Sept. 2 at home vs. Massachusetts at 2:30 p.m. CT on ESPN.
“I am very pleased with the want-to, the desire and the leadership I see being developed,” he said. “I’m encouraged as to where we are at this point in camp.”
AUBURN FOOTBALL LETTERMEN
Viewing the scrimmage from the shade near the top of the lower deck on the west side of JHS, approximately 150 members of the Auburn Football Lettermen Club liked what they saw.
“Unbelievable turnout,” said former Auburn quarterback Ben Leard. “Everybody’s excited about Coach Freeze, his staff and these players.
“There’s a lot more insurgence of excitement surrounding this program. We want to see wins in 2023 but there’s also a ton of excitement on what’s to come. The foundation he’s laying with how he recruits and the message he has for these kids, it’s unbelievable.”
Leard is serving his second stint as club president after taking over from former linebacker Justin Garrett.
“It’s an awesome role,” Leard said. “I’m so appreciative to be able to represent and be the talking head for so many unbelievable people who paved the way. Now it’s our turn to pave the way to do anything we can for these young men.”
FAN DAY FUN
After the scrimmage, Freeze and the Tigers headed to the Athletics Complex indoor facility for the Auburn Family Football Preseason Kickoff, presented by Golden Flake.
The football and volleyball teams signed autographs and took pictures with fans while Aubie, the Auburn University cheerleaders and golden eagle Aurea also provided popular photo opportunities.
The event marked Auburn’s first fan day since 2019 and set the Tigers apart from the majority of Power Five schools that have not brought back similar post-pandemic preseason gatherings.
