It may not matter who Auburn plays at quarterback vs Ole Miss

The Tigers' game plan may not require a specific quarterback on Saturday.

Author:
Lance Dawe
Publish date:
Oct 17, 2023 10:21 AM EDT

In this story:

There's been a lot of discussion surrounding Auburn's quarterback situation midway through the season.

It doesn't truly feel like an Auburn football season if there isn't.

Michigan State transfer Payton Thorne has really struggled to put things together in his first six games for the Tigers. Auburn can't throw the ball. And a lot of criticism has fallen on his shoulders.

Some fans want Hugh Freeze and Philip Montgomery to turn to Robby Ashford, a dual threat who fits better into the RPO mold Freeze wants his quarterbacks to fill.

They've really only gone to Ashford in awkward, herky-jerky fashion in the middle of drives. It's made the offense look worse at times because of the forced inconsistency.

Hugh Freeze said during a Monday morning press conference that he expects to use both quarterbacks again this weekend against No. 13 Ole Miss.

Whether or not that is true may not matter - whoever lines up to take snaps this weekend could be irrelevant.

Last season Auburn scored 34 points in a 48-34 road loss to Ole Miss. That was the most points the Tigers scored against a Power Five opponent and it's the most they've scored vs the P5 since.

In fact, in Auburn's last 33 games against Power Five competition only five times have the Tigers scored 34 points or more. Offense has been hard to come by.

Maybe examining what happened on the field in Oxford could be important when thinking ahead to this game against the Rebels, who still boast one of the strongest offenses in the SEC.

Robby Ashford completed 8-of-17 passes for 140 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions. However, he had 35 rushing yards and two scores on the ground.

That's what made the Auburn offense go against Ole Miss; the running attack. With the three-headed backfield the Tigers possess, it's hard to believe that they will stray away from trying the Rebels on the ground once again this weekend.

Star tailback Tank Bigsby ran for 179 and two scores while backup Jarquez Hunter had 80 yards of his own. The key to Auburn's scoring success came in the explosive plays. Bigsby had a 50-yard run, Hunter had one of 48 yards, and 22 of Ashford's 35 yards came on a single rush.

There may not be as many long runs against Ole Miss this season, as the Rebels' rush defense has improved (130 rushing yards allowed per conference game this season compared to 183.1 a year ago), but there may still be a strong ground presence for the Tigers. Auburn is 31st nationally in rushes of 10 yards or more (37) and has proven it can get those runs in a variety of ways. Jeremiah Cobb, Brian Battie and Jarquez Hunter should combine for solid results this weekend.

It may be enough to validate whatever decision Freeze makes at quarterback. It simply may not matter much to the game plan.