Auburn Football

Nine Auburn football players have tested positive for COVID-19, with another seven away from the team after being deemed high-risk, head coach Gus Malzahn confirmed to reporters Sunday.

"We're learning as we go here," Malzahn said. "Every day and every week is a challenge."

He added that two of the team's position groups had been impacted to an extent the Tigers didn't have full practices over the last few days.

Oklahoma had a similar issue earlier in the week, with head coach Lincoln Riley telling reporters all but one member of a specific position group had been forced to step away momentarily because of COVID-19 protocols.

The news underscores how tenuous the situation is for schools that are planning to play college football this fall. It doesn't take a major outbreak to throw a roster into complete disarray; a small handful of positive tests at one position can have an outsized impact.

ESPN's Alex Scarborough noted Auburn's COVID-19 policy stipulates that a player must wait at least 17 days before he can fully rejoin the team after testing positive. He has to quarantine for 10 days and then undergo a seven-day "re-acclimation period."

That would leave a player out for a minimum of two games if he tested positive during the season.

The SEC is using a 10-game conference-only scheduling format for this year because of the pandemic. The Tigers open the season Sept. 26 at home against Kentucky.

Job security is a temperamental topic in college football. Some coaches have become synonymous with the program, but most are at the mercy of their team's performance in a given season.

For Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn, it seems the perception of his future can waver depending on the week.

That ever-changing nature was on full display in 2019.

Malzahn entered the campaign on a moderately hot seat, but a 5-0 start that featured Top 25 wins over Oregon and Texas A&M quieted the muttering. The Tigers then dropped games to Florida, LSU and Georgia, cranking up the hot-seat talk as Malzahn found himself connected to Arkansas again.

But when Auburn won the Iron Bowl, Malzahn improved to 3-4 against rival Alabama. That may not seem particularly great, but it's better than any other SEC coach's record against Nick Saban.

For all the crap Gus Malzahn gets from his fan-base, he is now 3-4 as head coach versus Nick Saban.

All other current SEC coaches - a list that includes Jimbo Fisher, Kirby Smart and others - is a combined 1-23 against Saban.

The lone win was Ed Orgeron/LSU a few weeks ago

— Aaron Torres (@Aaron_Torres) December 1, 2019

However, a loss to Minnesota in the Outback Bowl promptly ended Malzahn's 30-day hot-seat vacation.

This process is all too familiar in his time at Auburn—a seven-year run of hope and letdowns, promise and disappointment.

Since 2013, the Tigers have owned a Top 10 ranking at some point in every season, earned a pair of SEC West titles and celebrated an SEC championship. Yet they've also finished the year unranked twice and outside of the Top 20 twice more. While Auburn has been at least 7-6 in each of his seven years, it has only a pair of 10-win seasons.

Auburn is a great example of the challenge of moving from nationally respected to perennial title threat.

That difference is razor-thin. Yet the variance in results can be dramatic.

Every year, Auburn has both the opportunity and challenge of playing Alabama, Georgia and LSU. Given the conference's normal regular-season structure, it's impossible for another SEC team to face that particular gauntlet. It's a nasty trifecta to encounter, yet defeating any of them can provide a considerable boost in Malzahn's favor.

So far under Malzahn, Auburn is 2-6 against Georgia, 2-5 against LSU and 3-4 against Alabama. Overall, that won't cut it.

But if Auburn wins any of those rivalry games, good things usually follow. There's the BCS Championship Game appearance in 2013, the Sugar Bowl to close 2016, an SEC West title in 2017. And last season, the Alabama win hushed rumors of a coaching change.

The timing of those peaks is the primary reason Malzahn has side-stepped a dismissal.

After his scorching 12-2 start in 2013, the Tigers dipped to 8-5 in 2014 and 7-6 in 2015. Since it was early in his tenure, Malzahn had a chance to redeem himself in 2016. That happened with a mid-year six-game winning streak that started with a victory over LSU. Auburn ended the season in the Sugar Bowl, then followed it up with an SEC West crown in 2017.

Although the 2018 regular season ended on a sour note with a blowout loss against Alabama, Auburn thoroughly smashed Purdue in the Music City Bowl. And we've already covered the roller coaster of 2019.

Malzahn has never consistently won the biggest games, but he's won enough of them to merit respect. Simultaneously, he hasn't lost enough of them consecutively to necessitate a firing. While that could've been the case if the Iron Bowl went Alabama's way last season, Auburn pulled out that win.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5XBgm3B6iU

Shown another way, Auburn has only one winning record against opponents that finished in the Top 25. Whether the Tigers can do so consistently under Malzahn is a fair question, yet they also have multiple wins over end-of-season Top 25 teams in five of his seven years on the Plains.

The evidence points to a distinct "maybe." Helpful, right?

Even beyond the financial implications of his enormous buyout, moving on from Malzahn would be risky. Making the wrong decision could set the program back a half-decade or more. Auburn isn't winning as much as it would like, but the program has never fallen off the SEC or national radar, either.

To his credit, Malzahn has stated Auburn holds a higher standard.

Last summer, he acknowledged that competing for a national championship is an inherent expectation of the Auburn job, per Bob Holt of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. 

"I've got a job that expects to win championships, and I expect to win championships. I knew that when I signed up for that. ... In the years that we win championships, it's good. The years we don't, it's hot seat this, hot seat that. I think out of the six years, four had been this same rodeo. It's just part of the job description."

Following the up-and-down 2019 season, make it five out of seven.

If the 2020 season can be played, it'll probably be six in eight years. But that doesn't mean Auburn won't win just enough—or at the perfect moment—to give Malzahn a chance at another hot-seat season.

             

Follow Bleacher Report CFB Writer David Kenyon on Twitter @Kenyon19_BR.

Former Auburn football head coach Tommy Tuberville is one step closer to becoming Alabama's next senator after winning Tuesday's GOP primary runoff election.

The Associated Press announced the victory Tuesday evening.

In the runoff with former Alabama Senator and United States Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Tuberville, a first-time politician, won 61.2 percent of the vote with 94.0 percent of precincts reporting, per NPR.

Sessions was trying to win back his former seat after serving nearly two years in the Trump Administration.

Tuberville, who earned an endorsement from President Donald Trump, will now face Democratic incumbent Sen. Doug Jones in the general election on November 3.

Should Tuberville defeat Jones in the general, he'll become the latest athletic figure to make the move to Capitol Hill, joining the likes of former Tennessee Titans linebacker Colin Allred, former Stanford tight end Cory Booker and former Indianapolis Colts receiver Anthony Gonzalez.

Hall of Fame coach Tom Osborne, who won three national championships with Nebraska in the 1990s, served as one of the state's representatives in congress from 2001 to 2007.

As of July 13, FiveThirtyEight gives Tuberville a 10-point lead over Jones in the general election.

When you're running for public office, it might feel like a foreboding sign when your campaign bus catches fire.

That's what happened to former college football coach Tommy Tuberville. According to AL.com's Ashley Remkus, the fire began Wednesday at 8 p.m. CT on a stretch of I-59 near Hammondville, Alabama.

DeKalb County sheriff says this Tuberville campaign RV caught fire on I-59 North tonight, the driver escaped unharmed pic.twitter.com/lSeKv3OyN2

— Jonathan Hardison (@WBRC6Hardison) July 2, 2020

#BREAKING Senate Candidate Tommy Tuberville not on bus. Recreational Vehicle currently on fire at the 227 mile marker of I-59 North, shutting down the northbound lane according to Dekalb Co. Sheriff's Office.

The driver escaped uninjured. pic.twitter.com/6Z16rSFosH

— Margo Gray (@MargoGray48) July 2, 2020

Paul Shashy, Tuberville's campaign manager, attempted to make light of the situation.

"Coach Tuberville's candidacy has obviously caught fire with voters...and our bus has, too," Shashy said, per Remkus. "We are thankful that no one was hurt in the incident and for the remarkable first responders who assisted immediately."

Tuberville is running against Jeff Sessions in the July 14 runoff election to challenge incumbent Doug Jones for a U.S. Senate seat. While Tuberville doesn't have Sessions' experience in politics, he secured an endorsement from Donald Trump in the spring.

The 65-year-old spent 21 seasons as a college football head coach. Most memorably, he led Auburn for 10 years, guiding the Tigers to a 13-0 campaign in 2004.

Some of the most notable members of the Auburn athletics department, including head football coach Gus Malzahn, head men's basketball coach Bruce Pearl and athletic director Allen Greene, joined in a Black Lives Matter protest on Sunday.

Giana Han of AL.com shared images and video of the proceedings, including when Pearl took a knee outside the Auburn Police Department:

Coach Malzahn, AD Allen Greene and his family, and many of their athletes march in the #auburn4change #BlackLivesMattter protest: pic.twitter.com/xpnsSWwjJc

— Giana Han (@giana_jade) June 7, 2020

Bruce pearl kneels outside the auburn police department at the #auburn4change #BlackLivesMattters march: pic.twitter.com/8iHN1ofkpt

— Giana Han (@giana_jade) June 7, 2020

Auburn athletes and staff make a strong showing at the #BlackLivesMattters march: pic.twitter.com/rdMWpjAp9u

— Giana Han (@giana_jade) June 7, 2020

Auburn Gold Mine passed along video of Malzahn leading the Tigers football team to the rally:

Gus Malzahn leads the Auburn football team to the Black Lives Matter rally at Toomer’s Corner on Sunday. pic.twitter.com/a8TPNNoJPU

— Auburn Gold Mine (@AUGoldMine) June 7, 2020

On May 29, Pearl tweeted, "Let's call it out when it's wrong and unacceptable and hold folks accountable. Then through love and understanding, prayer and practice let's try and improve our world! We can and we must do better!"

Greene, who is the first black athletic director in Auburn history, released a video in which he addressed racism in the country and said, "Issues of racial injustice and systemic inequities are complex, and often leave us angered, confused, conflicted and uncertain as to how to produce meaningful dialogue."

“Issues of racial injustice and systemic inequities are complex, and often leave us angered, confused, conflicted and uncertain as to how to produce meaningful dialogue.”

We must do better! We will do better!#WarEagle pic.twitter.com/unzZx8dLi5

— Allen Greene (@AGreeneIV) May 31, 2020

Malzahn reacted to Greene's comments, saying, "We need to use our influence for positive change in our country which is much needed right now."

Great words from our leader Allen Greene! I agree 100 percent.

We need to use our influence for positive change in our country which is much needed right now.

Our student-athletes deserve it. Their children, grandchildren and future generations deserve it! https://t.co/bVFcvYjHHu

— Coach Gus Malzahn (@CoachGusMalzahn) May 31, 2020

The protest at Auburn, as well as many more across the country and even the world, came in the wake of the killing of George Floyd on May 25. Video captured by a bystander showed former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes as Floyd said he couldn't breathe and pleaded for his life.

The protests have aimed to address police brutality and racial injustice in the country.

Chauvin was charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter, while the other three officers involved in the arrest—J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao—were charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter.

Josh Vitale of the Montgomery Advertiser noted there was also a protest at Auburn's Toomer's Corner last Sunday that featured a number of Tigers athletes and coaches.

Vitale also pointed out many Auburn athletes, including linebacker Chandler Wooten, linebacker O.C. Brothers, defensive back Traivon Leonard, quarterback Bo Nix, offensive lineman Keiondre Jones, softball player Alyssa Rivera and gymnast Sam Cerio, have been vocal about the need for change on Twitter.

The Auburn Tigers football team is scheduled to begin voluntary offseason workouts Monday, but three unnamed players will not be present after testing positive for COVID-19.

"Auburn players reported back to campus on Thursday evening and were all tested for the coronavirus on Friday ahead of the commencement of voluntary offseason workouts, which are set to begin Monday," AL.com's Tom Green reported Sunday, adding that a university spokesman confirmed the three players were asymptomatic.

Those three players will be quarantined before rejoining the team.

Spring football was canceled March 17, among other collegiate competitions, because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Prior to the positive COVID-19 tests, athletic director Allen Greene and head coach Gus Malzahn addressed how the program will keep players safe.

"One pertinent detail regarding positive tests is that Malzahn said a plan is in place for contact tracing should a player test positive for the coronavirus in order to attempt to stamp out any potential outbreak among the team," Green wrote June 2. "It's also why the program plans to make sure players are only around their roommate for those first 48 hours before test results come back."

Green added: "And we still have work to do. It's not foolproof, right? It's not foolproof. This virus, it's different. But the plan that we have in place is one of the best plans I've seen."

Auburn is not the first SEC school to have positive tests as campuses begin to reopen to student-athletes.

Fifty members of the Alabama Crimson Tide football team gathered for a workout last week, and at least five had positive COVID-19 tests:

... Further, I'm told that nearly 50 players were together yesterday on the band field. (As we saw in many videos) Those players "should" be in quarantine moving forward, source says. @CBS_42

— Simone Eli (@SimoneEli_TV) June 4, 2020

Should be noted this was not organized team activity, nor a voluntary workout — which begins next week.

This was Alabama players gathering together in their free time, on their own.

— Simone Eli (@SimoneEli_TV) June 4, 2020

The 2020 college football season is still scheduled to begin Aug. 29, but a delay or shortened season has not been ruled out.

Auburn announced former football coach Pat Dye has died at age 80:

We wouldn't be the Auburn we all enjoy and love today without Coach Pat Dye.

His impact on the community, athletics and countless individuals are immeasurable.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the entire Dye family. pic.twitter.com/Fyt6Ts2rVc

— Auburn Football (@AuburnFootball) June 1, 2020

Dye had tested positive for the coronavirus in May while he was already hospitalized for kidney-related issues. His son, Pat Dye Jr., told Mark Schlabach of ESPN the former coach was asymptomatic for the respiratory disease.

The Georgia native had spent 12 years leading the Tigers from 1981 to 1992 as part of a 19-year career as a Division I head coach. Including stops at Wyoming and East Carolina, he accumulated a 153-62-5 career record.

He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2005, while the field at Jordan-Hare Stadium was also named in his honor that year.

Dye helped build Auburn into a consistent SEC power, winning four conference titles while earning at least eight wins in nine straight seasons. He produced a 6-2-1 bowl record from 1982 to 1990.

The program had gone seven years without a bowl appearance before that stretch.

His success helped him earn the SEC Coach of the Year award three times during his tenure with the team.

"People will talk about all of the games Coach Dye won, all the championships and bowl games, but his greatest contribution is the difference he made in the minds of his players and the people who worked for him," former Auburn athletics director David Housel told John Talty of AL.com. "I am one of them. He made a difference in my life.

"He came to Auburn at a time when Auburn needed leadership and focus. He provided that leadership and focus, and Auburn will be forever better because of him."

Before becoming a head coach, Dye played his college football at Georgia. He also spent nine years as an assistant for Alabama under the legendary Bear Bryant before getting his first head coaching job at East Carolina in 1974.

After his retirement from coaching, he had spent time at his farm in Notasulga, Alabama.

The younger brother of quarterback Cam Newton is following in his sibling's footsteps and transferring to Auburn University. 

Caylin Newton, a redshirt junior, will join the Tigers from Howard University in Washington, D.C.

https://twitter.com/NewtonCaylin/status/1263988059764293632

The Atlanta native lit up the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference in 2018, leading the league in passing with 2,629 yards, 22 touchdowns and 17 interceptions. He was named the 2019 MEAC Preseason Player of the Year but announced his intent to transfer after four games in October.     

While not as highly touted as Cam coming out of high school, Caylin made a name for himself early at Howard by leading a 43-40 upset over UNLV in his first college game, passing for 190 yards and two touchdowns while gaining 140 yards and a score on the ground.

It was the largest upset versus the spread in college football history. The Bison entered the game as 45-point road underdogs. Caylin's performance caught the attention of Division I coaches around the country.

His older brother won the Heisman Trophy with the Tigers in 2010 before being selected No. 1 overall in the 2011 NFL draft and going on to be named the 2015 NFL MVP.

As for Caylin, it's unclear if he'll play quarterback at Auburn or switch positions. Josh Vitale of the Montgomery Advertiser noted Newton has recently posted videos to Instagram in which he's working out at wide receiver. 

At 6'0", 195 pounds, Newton could fit in as a slot receiver. If he stays at quarterback, he'll likely need to bide his time with true sophomore Bo Nix coming off an impressive freshman campaign. Nix passed for 2,542 yards, 16 touchdowns and six interceptions and led Auburn to a 9-4 record.

Because Newton graduated from Howard and only played four games in 2019, he'll be able to play immediately in 2020 with two years of eligibility left.

Former Auburn head football coach Pat Dye has been hospitalized for kidney-related issues after previously being diagnosed with COVID-19. 

Per ESPN's Mark Schlabach, Pat Dye Jr. issued a statement about his father's condition: 

"As has previously been reported, my dad has tested positive for the COVID-19 virus. However, his positive test occurred a number of days ago during a routine precautionary test pursuant to his hospitalization for kidney-related issues.

"He has essentially been asymptomatic for the virus and is resting comfortably. We fully anticipate his release from the hospital in the next few days once his kidney function is stable. On behalf of my family, I want to thank everyone for the overwhelming support for Dad and our family upon the reporting of this news."

Dye spent 19 combined seasons as a head coach at East Carolina (1974-79), Wyoming (1980) and Auburn (1981-92). He was familiar with the SEC from his playing days at the University of Georgia from 1958-60. 

The Tigers hired Dye when they were in the midst of an eight-game losing streak to rival Alabama. One of Dye's most iconic moments came during Auburn's interview process when he was asked how long it would take to beat the Crimson Tide: "60 minutes," he said. 

Auburn finally ended that streak against Alabama with a 23-22 win in November 1982 on Bo Jackson's famous go-ahead touchdown on fourth-and-goal late in the fourth quarter. 

Dye led the Tigers to a 99-39-4 record in 12 seasons. His 99 victories are tied with Mike Donahue for second-most in program history. He was named SEC Coach of the Year in 1983, 1987 and 1988. 

In 2005, Dye was enshrined into the College Football Hall of Fame and had the playing field at Auburn's Jordan-Hare Stadium named after him. 

Auburn landed one of the top quarterback prospects in the 2021 class as Dematrius Davis announced his commitment to the school Sunday:

Committed. pic.twitter.com/oWOpYOr5uk

— Dee 💰 (@Dematrius02) May 17, 2020

The 4-star recruit is considered the No. 6 dual-threat quarterback in the country and No. 130 player overall by 247Sports' composite rankings.

He accounted for more than 4,000 yards through the air and on the ground with 54 total touchdowns as a junior in 2019, per Sam Khan Jr. of ESPN.

Davis had previously committed to Virginia Tech but reopened his recruitment earlier this month.

The Texas native has already had an impressive high school career against quality competition:

Who is North Shore QB, 2021 Auburn commit Dematrius Davis? Here ya go:

✔️ 2 time Class 6A/D1 state champ
✔️ 31-1 record (2019, 2018)
✔️ Soph yr: 71% completion, 3350 total yards, 49 TDs / 2 INT
✔️ Junior yr: 2672 yds passing, 1446 rushing, 54 TDs pic.twitter.com/uLfMEk8Pql

— Simone Eli (@SimoneEli_TV) May 17, 2020

This includes some memorable heroics for the state title:

HOLY COW!!!

In one of the most amazing plays you will EVER see, @NSNationFB wins on a Hail Mary heave to the end zone!#UILonFOX pic.twitter.com/dLF0dkDQO4

— FanDuel Sports Network Southwest (@FanDuelSN_SW) December 23, 2018

Adding his resume to his skill set, he was a highly sought-after recruit nationwide.

Davis had more than two dozen offers around the country, listing LSU, Texas A&M and Virginia Tech among his finalist before settling on Auburn.

With at least four losses in each of the last six seasons, the Tigers could use another difference-maker offensively.

Though Auburn is happy with what Bo Nix provided as a freshman, Davis could be next in line to give the SEC squad another versatile weapon at quarterback.