Auburn Football

Tammy Bullard, best known as an Auburn Tigers fan who made regular call-in appearances on The Paul Finebaum Show, died at the age of 52 on Friday. 

Per AL.com's Carol Robinson, Bullard and her 3-year-old granddaughter were killed in a car crash on U.S. Route 280. 

Alabama State Trooper corporal Jimmy Harrell explained the crash occurred when a commercial vehicle carrying "some kind of explosive material" overturned on the highway, veered into traffic on the opposite side of the road and collided with Bullard's vehicle. 

Finebaum tweeted out his condolences to Bullard and also announced the final hour of his show on Friday would be dedicated to Bullard and her granddaughter. 

It is with a heavy heart that we share the news our friend and loyal Auburn fan Tammy has died. #RIPTammy pic.twitter.com/ZdDCZPFJwX

— Paul Finebaum (@finebaum) November 16, 2018

Bullard's appearances on Finebaum's show often included her passionately supporting her beloved Tigers football team and criticizing their in-state rivals at the University of Alabama. 

Gus Malzahn isn't on the hot seat. His job isn't in jeopardy.

Unless the effectiveness of his offense improves rapidly, though, Auburn is at risk of becoming an afterthought in the SEC West.

Six games into the 2018 campaign, the Tigers own a 4-2 record. It's not a doom-and-gloom scenario on the Plains, but the program has steadily raised its expectations over the last two decades. If Auburn isn't competing for SEC and national titles, it's a problem.

And that's not going to happen with a 1-2 conference mark.

The disappointing start to SEC play is a result of the struggles by Malzahn's run-based, fast-paced offense to own the ground. During his five previous seasons, the Tigers have ranked no worse than 35th nationally in rushing yards per game. This year, they're 78th.

Prior to 2018, Auburn recorded fewer than 150 rushing yards in no more than four games in any season. This year's offense already has five.

Even more distressing, Auburn ranks 82nd in the country with 4.2 yards per carry—and that isn't the worst part. Remove any program's games against lower-division programs, and the Tigers plummet to 111th in yards and 116th in efficiency.

The primary issue is apparent.

"I think we've just went stagnant, because we might not have been able to get that initial first down, that initial big play, to get us rolling," said receiver Darius Slayton after the loss to Mississippi State, per Josh Vitale of the Montgomery Advertiser. "We've just got to find a way to get more of those."

At first glance, Auburn's 5.0 yards per first-down carry is tolerable.

But again, the average is skewed because of the team's painless victory over Alabama State. Remove that FCS outing, and the number plunges to 3.8. Instead of ranking 47th nationally on first-down rushes, the Tigers would be 106th.

Ineffective first-down plays lead to more—and tougher—passing situations. Quarterback Jarrett Stidham hasn't performed well in those.

According to Football Study Hall, Auburn ranks 100th nationally in efficiency on passing downs, which are classified as 2nd-and-8, 3rd-and-5 and 4th-and-5 or more. Last year, the offense was 46th.

Despite the calls for a quarterback change—ill-conceived as those may be—Stidham is the guy moving forward. Who he is, is what they've got.

Auburn OC Chip Lindsey on the quarterbacks: "Jarrett's our guy. Really no thoughts about changing that."

— Justin Ferguson (@JFergusonAU) October 7, 2018

Malzahn's system isn't designed to promote NFL-worthy development at quarterback, but Stidham's ball placement is not improving. Poor offensive line play hasn't helped, yet he often panics and bounces out of clean pockets.

The offense can't run consistently and can't make up for it with passing. No wonder the Tigers are 118th with a 32.5 third-down conversion rate—a category in which Malzahn's previous single-season lows were 53rd and 41.0, respectively.

This is the worst Auburn offense in his tenure, and it's not close.

Given all these issues, should Malzahn's job be on the line? Based on performance, sure. However, he's not going anywhere unless somebody donates a couple dozen million to offset the seven-year, $49 million contract Malzahn signed last December.

According to Tom Schad of USA Today, Malzahn's buyout is currently north of $32 million. Since he's due 75 percent of the remaining value of his contract at any given moment, that number won't be trimmed in half until after the 2021 season.

2021.

Firing Gus Malzahn is not an option. Get used to him people. He’s Auburn’s coach for at least 3 to 4 more years. Buyout details through 2020 are below.

$31,650,000 after this season. $26,475,000 after 2019. $21,225,000 after 2020.

— Freeze Warning (@AuburnOvertime) October 8, 2018

But this isn't a referendum on his style. While less resistance to change from Malzahn would be beneficial, no overhaul is needed.

Even following this disappointing year, the Tigers will have two SEC West titles, one conference crown and a national championship appearance in six years under Malzahn. With an effective offense complemented by an elite defense—and Auburn absolutely has one now—the team can thrive and has done so.

Yes, the issues are real. You can blame Stidham. You can criticize the offensive line. You can be frustrated with play-calling. With a remaining schedule that includes Texas A&M, Georgia and Alabama, there's potential for this to get a whole lot worse in 2018, too. The roster better grow up in a hurry.

"The reality is, after six games, the young guys aren't inexperienced anymore," Malzahn said. "We've got to start showing improvement."

Otherwise, the stumbling Tigers will disappear from the national conversation. Until the offense regains supremacy on the ground and can build a respected aerial attack off that success, they'll be wasting an elite defense.

That improvement would be stunning in 2018. It might not happen in 2019, barring huge growth up front. And with any decrease in defensive excellence, Auburn's status as an SEC contender will weaken.

But Malzahn? Well, he's not going anywhere regardless.

         

Stats from NCAA.com, cfbstats.com or B/R research. Quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow Bleacher Report CFB Writer David Kenyon on Twitter @Kenyon19_BR.

Auburn head football coach Gus Malzahn, alongside his wife Kristi, are donating $2 million to Auburn to help build a new football operations building for the program, according to Chris Low of ESPN.com.

"I love Auburn and am excited about our future," Malzahn said.

According to Low: "Auburn's current football operations building was built in 1989. Allen Greene, Auburn's first-year athletic director, made a pitch to the school's board of trustees on the need to build a football-only complex during a Thursday workshop with board members."

James Crepea of AL.com added, "Malzahn would prefer a new standalone facility like several SEC programs have built in recent years, but it's unclear whether Auburn would build a new one, most likely where Auburn's old track is currently, or renovate its current athletics complex, which was built in 1989."

Crepea added that the board of trustees was given an initial budget of $30 million for the facility, whether it's new or renovated.

Malzahn, 52, has been with the Tigers for the past six seasons, going 47-22 during his tenure and leading the program to the BCS National Championship Game in the 2013 campaign and five bowl games (1-4 in those contests) in total.  

The Tigers have started 2-0 this season and were ranked No. 7 in the Associated Press poll coming into Saturday ahead of their clash against No. 12 LSU.

Auburn offensive lineman Calvin Ashley was released from the East Alabama Medical Center Thursday following testing for a head or neck injury.

Auburn confirmed Ashley was discharged from the hospital, via Jay G. Tate of Rivals.com.

A source told Tom Green of AL.com that Ashley maintained "feeling and full movement in all of his extremities" at the time of the injury.

Ashley, a redshirt freshman, had been moved to guard from right tackle this summer and was battling for a starting spot at the position.

"That is just what (offensive line) coach (J.B.) Grimes is thinking is best at this time," head coach Gus Malzahn said Sunday, per James Crepea of AL.com. "(Ashley) does have the flexibility to play tackle, too. We have done that in the past—you think Braden Smith. He could play guard or tackle so that is not quite set in stone. I think Calvin enjoys that and he is competing for playing time at that position."

Mike Horton sits atop the depth chart at right guard, though he has been getting reps at center, with Tashawn Manning and Brodarious Hamm also working at guard.

  

The Auburn Tigers landed a late addition to their 2018 recruiting class Monday. 

Cord Sandberg, who was a 4-star prospect and the No. 8 dual-threat quarterback in the 2013 class, per 247Sports’ composite rankings, announced his intentions to join the SEC program on Twitter:

Absolutely humbled to have been given the opportunity to pursue a childhood dream of mine. After some visits and a lot of prayer I’m excited to announce I’m officially an Auburn Tiger! Fired up and ready to get to work! #WarEagle 🦅 @AuburnFootball pic.twitter.com/ot49iTRW9c

— Coach Cord Sandberg (@CordSandberg) July 30, 2018

Keith Niebuhr of 247Sports noted Sandberg was a member of the Philadelphia Phillies organization for six years, which delayed his entry into college football.

Sandberg also visited LSU, Auburn and North Carolina State, but Niebuhr pointed out the 23-year-old was given a full scholarship with the Tigers and was offered as a preferred walk-on at other programs.

However, Sandberg suggested the scholarship situation wasn’t the reason he chose Auburn, especially since the Phillies said they would cover his tuition if needed, per Niebuhr:

"When (Auburn coach Gus Malzahn) gave me a call maybe a month or so ago and said he would have interest in me, obviously the scholarship wasn't a deciding factor at all because if the best situation had been somewhere else that’s what I would have done. But when I talked to him and kind of knew playing quarterback at Auburn was a possibility, it was obviously something I grew up watching. The Iron Bowl is something pretty special and I grew up watching a lot of them. To have the opportunity to potentially play in one of those games and really all of the games that Auburn has a chance to play in and the venues the SEC has, it was definitely something that I knew was going to be tough to pass up. When I visited, (Sandberg and his fiance) were even more confident with the coaches and everything Auburn football is."

Sandberg previously committed to Mississippi State when he was a highly regarded high school recruit but ultimately chose baseball and the financial reward that came with it. He reached Double-A in the minor leagues but is now giving another shot to the gridiron at 23 years old.

While the NFL is an option at any time given he is three years removed from high school, he will have four years of eligibility at Auburn and will look to make his mark on a crowded quarterback room.

Jarrett Stidham, Malik Willis and Joey Gatewood are already on the roster, and playing time may be difficult to come by for Sandberg even if Stidham leaves for the NFL following the 2018 campaign.

Bo Nix is a 4-star prospect and the No. 1 dual threat quarterback in the 2019 recruiting class, per 247Sports’ composite rankings, and is headed to Auburn for his collegiate career. He figures to be the signal-caller of the future while Stidham is the current answer, but Sandberg turned heads in his past on the football field as a recruit.

He will look to do so again in the SEC.

Auburn and Alabama don't agree on much. However, their head football coaches are in full agreement: The new NCAA rule limiting headsets is terrible.

"The 20 headset rule is a joke," Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn told reporters at SEC spring meetings Wednesday. "There's no doubt about it. I think that's got the ability to hurt our game. That's a really big deal."

The NCAA instituted a rule earlier this month that limits the number of headsets a team can have on the sideline to 20. Malzahn said it will greatly affect his team's ability to communicate and chart plays throughout the game.

"I don't care if you have 50 off-field guys or two off-field guys, most teams in college football are going to have off-field guys on a headset at least charting or doing something like that," Malzahn said. "And then you talk about the signaling aspect...It affects the game."

Alabama coach Nick Saban ripped the rule Tuesday, albeit in more colorful language.

"I don't know who is driving all this stuff," Saban said, "but to me it's kind of like mouse manure when you're up to your ears in elephant doo-doo."

Malzahn said the rule was aimed at limiting communication between growing coaching staffs around the nation. Major programs like Auburn, Alabama, etc. have increased their coaching budget in recent years, leading to ballooning staffs. Most of these new hires are lower-level quality control types who are assigned specific areas of focus, allowing head coaches and coordinators to focus on the big picture.

However, there are only a select number of programs that can afford such large support staffs. Limiting the number of headsets is seen as a way to keep communication limited to essential staff during games. 

Safety C.J. Harris was set to be a preferred walk-on at Auburn as part of its 2019 class after helping lead Warner Robins High School to a Georgia state championship, but Cam Gaskins of WGXA in Macon, Georgia, reported the school said he couldn't play because he was using cannabis oil to treat epileptic seizures. 

The presence of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in the oil meant he wouldn't pass NCAA-mandated drug tests.

However, his father told TMZ Sports Harris would switch up the medication he takes if it meant he would be able to play college football.

"He wants to play," Curtis Harris said. "He's gotta find a way and he's willing to find something that doesn't have the THC in it. We don't want to look back and say we didn't try, but C.J.'s health is most important."

According to Gaskins, Harris tried other medications to no avail until taking the cannabis oil after he suffered his 14th seizure in January 2017. He has not had another seizure since he started using the oil.

Despite the report about the oil and presence of THC, Brandon Marcello of 247Sports reported the reason Harris won’t be joining Auburn is actually that the team physician didn’t medically clear him out of fear for his well being with epilepsy in a sport associated with head trauma.

"Harris' use of medicinal cannabis oil was not the issue at the time, the source said," Marcello wrote. "The prescription was never discussed by Auburn’s medical staff because he was not cleared after reviewing his medical history."

Harris' father told TMZ his son will look to attend a prep school for a semester before either going to Auburn for football or attempting to play at another school.

UCF finished the 2017 season with an undefeated record, including a 34-27 win over Auburn in the Peach Bowl. However, SEC analyst and former Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy believes the Knights "would've been dusted" by the Tigers if the stakes were higher.

"If a national championship was on the line, Auburn would've played a whole heck of a lot better," McElroy said Monday on ESPNU Radio, per Mark Heim of AL.com. "Just go watch the effort. Talk to the coaches. They may not want to tell you that."

Auburn was in line for a spot in the College Football Playoffs until suffering a 28-7 loss to Georgia in the SEC Championship Game.

"Getting those guys ready to play just after they got their heart ripped out (in the SEC title game) is really difficult," McElroy added.

The Peach Bowl upset allowed UCF to finish 13-0, with a win over an Auburn team that beat both the eventual national champion, Alabama, and runner-up, Georgia. Even though the squad finished No. 6 in the final Associated Press poll, the school has claimed itself as the national champion of the 2017 season.

Per Andrea Adelson of ESPN, the team has unveiled a banner commemorating the title while also giving out rings to the players and staff.

While it's difficult to stop the Knights from celebrating the accomplishment, McElroy doesn't believe the team would've succeeded against any of the top major conference squads last season for a variety of reasons, via ESPNU Radio:

Could the Group of 5 hang with the Power 5 if a National Championship was on the line? @GregMcElroy says no.

LISTEN 👇👇👇 pic.twitter.com/Us3oAgmprf

— College Sports on SiriusXM (@SXMCollege) May 7, 2018

Aside from Auburn, UCF's only win over a Power 5 Conference opponent was against Maryland in September, a team that finished 4-8 and also lost its second quarterback of the year to injury in the first half against the Knights.

Conversely, Alabama's 13-1 run to a national title featured all but three games against Power 5 Conference opponents, including a 24-6 win over Clemson in the Sugar Bowl and a 26-23 overtime win over Georgia in the national championship game.

As good as UCF was last season, succeeding against one of the top teams in the country with a championship on the line might have been too much to handle.

Auburn added a major talent to its 2019 recruiting class Tuesday when outside linebacker Owen Pappoe gave his commitment to the SEC powerhouse. 

Per Chad Simmons of Rivals.com, Pappoe explained why he picked the Tigers over Georgia:    

"I have been thinking about this for a long time, so it was really a pretty easy decision. In my mind, I had it down to Auburn and Georgia, then in mid-March, I knew where I wanted to go. I had made my decision.

"It came down to the comfort level at Auburn and how I can come in and make an immediate impact at linebacker. I could even start as a freshman, so that played into it some, but it really came down to how me and family feel about Auburn."

Pappoe is a 5-star recruit, the No. 1 outside linebacker and the No. 8 overall prospect in the 2019 class, according to 247Sports' composite rankings. 

His commitment is a huge win for head coach Gus Malzahn, especially considering the school that was Auburn's main competition for the star defensive playmaker. 

Georgia is riding a wave of momentum after beating the Tigers in the SEC Championship Game last season and defeating the Oklahoma Sooners in the Rose Bowl before losing in overtime to the Alabama Crimson Tide in the College Football Playoff Championship Game. 

The Bulldogs had the nation's top-ranked recruiting class this year, per 247Sports' composite team rankings. Auburn wasn't too far behind at No. 12. 

It's still early in the 2019 recruiting season, but Pappoe is the sixth commitment for the Tigers. 

After coming up short against Georgia in last year's SEC title game, Malzahn and his staff are putting themselves in a great position to get back on top of the conference and into the national title conversation.

Auburn Tigers fans were treated to football at Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday.

Spring football, but football nonetheless.

After a 10-win season (including a pair against No. 1-ranked teams) and a berth in the SEC Championship Game, Auburn fans were eager to see their team back in action. There are still nearly five months until the regular season kicks off, but the Tigers gave everyone a glimpse of what's in store for 2018 this weekend.

Gus Malzahn wasn’t interested in running through the smoke 😂😂 pic.twitter.com/EEtu4RzFba

— Benjamin Wolk (@benjaminwolk) April 7, 2018

It was a rather small crowd for this year's Auburn spring game, although the weather may have played a role in the low attendance:

A look at the crowd before Auburn's 2018 A-Day spring game: pic.twitter.com/r7YethZo42

— AUBlog (@AUBlog) April 7, 2018

The festivities started with 10 minutes of seven-on-seven. Although it may not be the most thrilling experience for fans, it gave them a chance to see starting quarterback Jarrett Stidham—who underwent shoulder surgery in January—in action.

Take it for what it's worth: Stidham was sharp, as James Crepea of AL.com noted:

Jarrett Stidham goes 7 for 8 in Auburn’s preposterous exercise of 7-on-7 before actual A-Day scrimmage

— James Crepea (@JamesCrepea) April 7, 2018

Then, it was time for the Blue vs. Orange scrimmage.

As CBSSports.com's Barrett Sallee noted, head coach Gus Malzahn would be looking for certain things in this showcase:

For Auburn’s spring game, it’s really just about staying healthy and maybe seeing something on the offensive line.

— Barrett Sallee 🇺🇸 (@BarrettSallee) April 7, 2018

With Stidham sidelined, young quarterbacks like Malik Willis (who will be a sophomore in 2018) and Joey Gatewood (sophomore) a chance to show what they could do. However, it was a titanic struggle for the offenses in the first half.

Willis was just 8-of-19 for 45 yards, zero touchdowns and one turnover for the Orange squad; meanwhile, Gatewood was 4-of-12 for zero yards.

Senior running back C.J. Tolbert gave fans a reason to cheer by ripping off a 79-yard run to set up the lone touchdown of the first half, courtesy of Scott Forester of ABC 33/40:

https://twitter.com/scott4ester/status/982729826300760064

Struggling quarterbacks led to a low-scoring half, a 15-3 Orange lead. One positive Malzahn could take away from the opening 20 minutes is the fact freshman kicker Anders Carlson went 3-of-3 on field-goal attempts (45 yards, 38 and 41).

Although the second half didn't provide much offense either, sophomore wideout Marquis McClain provided the highlight of the day with a circus catch on a 46-yard gain to start the fourth quarter.

Marquis McClain with the play of the day for the offense. Juggles pass, falls to knees in coverage and still catches the ball for a 46-yard gain from quarterback Wil Appleton.

— Brandon Marcello (@bmarcello) April 7, 2018

The star of the game was undoubtedly Tolbert, who played for both squads. He had six carries for 97 yards and a touchdown for the Orange team before adding 40 yards and a score on 10 rushes for the Blue squad. He was the only one to find the end zone.

Carlson also turned some heads, going a perfect 4-of-4 on field-goal attempts, including a 54-yarder in the fourth quarter.

In the end, the Orange pulled out an 18-10 victory.

That's a wrap for A-day from The Plains. 18-10 the final. Orange over Blue. pic.twitter.com/MqV2fl88iz

— Pat Smith (@patsmithradio) April 7, 2018

As with most spring games, it's tough to take much away from this scrimmage. Stidham didn't play and there was mix-and-matching going on with the squads. That being said, the offensive line had to have made a good impression on Malzahn, and like most of last season, the defense had a solid day.

The countdown to Sept. 1 kickoff against the Washington Huskies in Atlanta continues.