Video: Auburn's Equipment Staff Makes Medical Masks Amid Coronavirus Pandemic
Mar 28, 2020
COLLEGE STATION, TX - NOVEMBER 07: Auburn Tigers helmet sits on the bench at Kyle Field on November 7, 2015 in College Station, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)
The Auburn athletic department's equipment staff has stepped up to help create masks for medical professionals amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The team released a video showing the process of making masks Saturday:
Several groups from Auburn University are doing what they can to help doctors and patients around the state, with multiple schools donating ventilators and other medical supplies, per Josh Vitale of the Montgomery Advertiser.
The athletic staff is doing itsr part as well to help create the masks that have run in short supply around the country.
"I hope to have, give or take, about 100 masks done in the next couple days and get these out to the people that need them," associate athletics director for equipment operations Dana Marquez said Thursday.
Marquez provided the latest updates in the video above, spotlighting his team members hard at work to help as many people as possible.
Auburn RB JaTarvious Whitlow Reportedly Enters Transfer Portal
Feb 5, 2020
Auburn running back JaTarvious Whitlow (28) carries the ball against Alabama during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 30, 2019, in Auburn, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Despite leading Auburn in rushing the last two seasons, JaTarvious Whitlow has reportedly entered the transfer portal.
Tom Green and Matt Zenitz of AL.com reported Whitlow entered the transfer portal Wednesday to explore his options. He rushed for 763 yards and 10 touchdowns while appearing in 11 games last season for the Tigers.
A 3-star recruit in 2017, Whitlow emerged as Auburn's most reliable rusher in a crowded backfield the last two seasons. He would have likely entered 2020 as the favorite to earn the starting job.
D.J. Williams will now likely head into the spring as the starter. Williams was the Tigers' second-leading rusher in 2019 with 400 yards and two scores. His best competition may come from true freshman Tank Bigsby, who arrives with major expectations after being ranked as the No. 39 overall recruit in the 2020 class by247Sports.
An Alabama native, Whitlow was not highly recruited coming out of high school. After two years of production at the Power Five level, though, odds are he will have his pick of top-flight schools looking to bring him in.
Whitlow will have one year of eligibility remaining after sitting out the 2020 season unless he is granted a waiver to play immediately.
Auburn Dean Trolls Alabama by Allowing Students an Extra Second for Final Exams
Dec 2, 2019
Auburn quarterback Bo Nix reacts after a penalty gave Auburn a first down and secured the win over Alabama during the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 30, 2019, in Auburn, Ala. Auburn won 48-45. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Every second counts in football, and apparently, final exams.
Auburn's Dean of the College of Liberal Arts Joe Aistrup told professors to give students one extra second for their upcoming tests after the Tigers' upset win over Alabama Saturday:
Though it doesn't seem like much, the extra time came up big in the 2019 Iron Bowl. An official review put 0:01 back on the clock after it appeared the first half was over, allowing the Tigers to kick a field goal that became consequential in a 48-45 win.
It was the second time in recent years of this rivalry one second on the clock made a huge difference. In the 2013 Iron Bowl, Alabama attempted a field goal with one second left but Chris Davis returned the miss for a game-winning touchdown.
Auburn will try to bring the same good fortune to its students while getting a good laugh at their rival's expense.
Auburn Fined $250K by SEC for Fans Rushing Field After Iron Bowl Win vs. Alabama
Dec 2, 2019
Auburn fans jump onto the field after they defeated Alabama 48-45 in an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 30, 2019, in Auburn, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
The SEC has fined Auburn $250,000 after fans stormed the field at Jordan-Hare Stadium following Saturday's 48-45 win over rivals Alabama in the Iron Bowl, per Aaron Suttles of The Athletic.
According to Michael Wayne Bratton of Saturday Down South, it was Auburn's "fourth violation since the SEC banned storming the field."
Auburn can add those costs to the landscaping fees it's about to incur after fans stormed the field:
For the 9-3 Tigers, it was the signature win they lacked in a disappointing overall season. Losses to top-10 teams in Florida, LSU and Georgia ended any SEC title or College Football Playoff hopes for the Tigers. But the wins over Alabama and Oregon this season were reminders of just how dangerous this Tigers team was and just how difficult its schedule was this season.
The Iron Bowl is always one of the highlights of the college football season. But this one wasparticularly zany.
There were the two pick-sixes for Auburn. Jaylen Waddle's 98-yard touchdown on a kickoff return for Alabama. Auburn getting one second put back on the clock at the end of the first half, allowing them to kick a field goal. Alabama's Joseph Bulovas missing a potential game-tying field goal late in the fourth quarter. Alabama forcing a three-and-out on the ensuing possession, only to get called for having too many men on the field on fourth down, giving the Tigers a first down and allowing them to run out the clock.
Just another instant classic between these two rivals.
Video: 2 Fans Get Caught in Bushes Trying to Storm Field at 2019 Iron Bowl
Nov 30, 2019
Auburn fans storm the field after they defeated Alabama 48-45 in an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 30, 2019, in Auburn, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
When you're rushing the field at Jordan-Hare Stadium, the bushes lining the pitch can be treacherous territory.
Moments after Auburn beat Alabama 48-45 in the Iron Bowl, CBS cameras caught sight of a pair of fans, one of whom was struggling mightily to find her way to the field:
It's not the first time the Jordan-Hare greenery has claimed a victim following an Iron Bowl.
The fans' actions in that instance was a costly infraction for Auburn, which received a $250,000 fine from the SEC.
That's a small price to pay when you'll have bragging rights over Alabama for an entire year.
Shaun Shivers delivered what proved to be the decisive score Saturday when he found the end zone on an 11-yard touchdown run. Joseph Bulovas had an opportunity to tie the game with two minutes remaining, but his 30-yard field goal attempt hit the left upright.
Bo Nix, No. 15 Auburn Hang on to Upset No. 5 Alabama in Dramatic 2019 Iron Bowl
Nov 30, 2019
AUBURN, ALABAMA - NOVEMBER 30: Bo Nix #10 of the Auburn Tigers reacts as he rushes for a touchdown against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the first half at Jordan Hare Stadium on November 30, 2019 in Auburn, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Alabama's quest for a College Football Playoff berth is all but over after the Crimson Tide lost 48-45 to Auburn in the Iron Bowl on Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Alabama.
Crimson Tide kicker Joseph Bulovas missed a 30-yard field goal with two minutes remaining in the game that would've tied the score.
THE KICK IS NO GOOD 🤭
No. 15 Auburn escaped No. 5 Alabama in a down-to-the-wire Iron Bowl finish, 48-45.
Since the playoff's inception in 2014, Alabama has qualified for the semifinals every year. That streak will likely end after the Tide suffered their second loss of the season.
Along with ruining the national title hopes of its biggest rival, Auburn grabbed Iron Bowl bragging rights for the second time in three years.
Notable Performers
Bo Nix, QB, Auburn: 15-of-30, 173 yards, one touchdown; six carries, 44 yards, one touchdown
Seth Williams, WR, Auburn: three receptions, 66 yards
Mac Jones, QB, Alabama: 26-of-39, 335 yards, four touchdowns, two interceptions; eight carries, 32 yards
Najee Harris, RB, Alabama: 27 carries, 146 yards, one touchdown
Henry Ruggs III, WR, Alabama: six receptions, 99 yards, one touchdown
Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama: four receptions, 98 yards, three touchdowns
Opportunistic Auburn Defense the Difference in Shootout
Entering Saturday, Auburn was allowing 306.5 yards per game, 14th in the FBS, and ranked fourth in SP+ defense, per ESPN'sBill Connelly. But the 23-20 loss to LSU showed the Tigers defense isn't impenetrable. Joe Burrow threw for 321 yards, while Clyde Edwards-Helaire went for 136 yards on the ground.
It quickly became apparent Saturday the 2019 Iron Bowl would be an offensive bonanza, with the outcome likely decided by which team could get a critical fourth-quarter stop.
Much like the Tide's unit, the Auburn defense had a night to forget. When the time came, however, it kept Alabama out of the end zone when the Crimson Tide had a 1st-and-goal from the 9-yard line.
The Tigers defense was also responsible for 14 points thanks to a pair of pick-sixes.
In a moment that was contentious at the time and grew in significance after Bulovas' missed field goal, Anders Carlson connected on a 52-yard field goal as time expired in the first half to bring Alabama to within four points.
It appeared the Tigers wouldn't have enough time to spike the ball to stop the clock and send out the field-goal unit. A video review stopped the game and allowed Auburn to line up for the attempt, though. Nick Saban's anger over the situation was visible before he headed for the locker room, and one could argue he had a good reason to be frustrated.
It is absurd that had the clock been administered normally Auburn would not have had time to get off a spike but since it wasn't they were allowed to kick a field goal instead.
Bo Nix has shown that Tua Tagovailoa and Trevor Lawrence are the exceptions rather than the rule when it comes to true freshmen leading the offense on teams with title aspirations. In an up-and-down first year, Nix has shown flashes of the quarterback he can become, and he didn't make any critical mistakes Saturday.
In addition, JaTarvious Whitlow only carried the ball 16 times but averaged 7.1 yards per carry, which provided much-needed support for Nix and the passing game.
Jaylen Waddle Shines in Losing Effort
This was Alabama's first real test since Tagovailoa's season-ending hip injury Nov. 16. The Tide were ahead 35-7 on Mississippi State when he got hurt, and playing Western Carolina was a tuneup ahead of the Iron Bowl. Mac Jones finished 10-of-12 for 275 yards and three touchdowns in a 66-3 victory over the Catamounts, which didn't reveal much.
As many on Twitter were quick to point out, Jaylen Waddle is the fourth wideout in Alabama's passing game. The sophomore entered Saturday with more return yards (494) than receiving yards (455).
Waddle had an Iron Bowl to remember.
He returned a kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter to help tie the game at 17. Then he had a 58-yard touchdown reception as Alabama went ahead 31-24.
Saban had an ulterior motive when hecalledAuburn—not No. 2 LSU—"the best team" the Crimson Tide have faced in 2019. He needed to do whatever he could to convince the playoff committee to put his team in the semifinals.
That's no longer a problem, and he largely has his defense to thank.
Wait, did the announcer just say Alabama is making a statement for the points they scored on Auburn’s defense and totally neglect the Swiss cheese that has been Alabama’s defense?
The Crimson Tide allowed 354 yards, which isn't a gaudy total. But Auburn scored on three of its first four possessions to open the second half. Shaun Shivers' 11-yard touchdown run was particularly pivotal as it came on a 3rd-and-5.
By holding Auburn to a field goal, the Tide would've still had the lead after Bulovas' miss.
What's Next?
Alabama and Auburn will play the waiting game to see where they'll be bowling. An Iron Bowl victory may not be enough for the 9-3 Tigers to earn a New Year's Six berth.
Bo Nix, No. 11 Auburn Hold on to Beat Ole Miss 20-14 Ahead of Georgia Matchup
Nov 2, 2019
AUBURN, ALABAMA - NOVEMBER 02: Bo Nix #10 of the Auburn Tigers passes against the Mississippi Rebels in the first half at Jordan-Hare Stadium on November 02, 2019 in Auburn, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Bo Nix and the 11th-ranked Auburn Tigers got back on track with a 20-14victory over the Ole Miss Rebels on Saturday.
Nix led the way for the Tigers with 340yards passing and a rushing touchdown.
Auburn entered Saturday having lost two of its last three games, falling to then-No. 10 Florida and then-No. 2 LSU. It marked the team's first home game since Sept. 28.
Notable Performances
Ole Miss
QB John Rhys Plumlee: 11-of-21, 86 yards, zero touchdowns, one interception; 17 carries, 92 yards, one touchdown
RB Jerrion Ealy: 14 carries, 44 yards
WR Snoop Conner: two catches, 33 yards; six carries, 20 yards, one touchdown
Auburn
QB Bo Nix: 30-of-44, 340 yards, zero touchdowns; eight carries, 20 yards, one touchdown
RB D.J. Williams: 24 carries, 93 yards, one touchdown
RB Harold Joiner: one catch, 78 yards; one carry, three yards
WR Anthony Schwartz: nine catches, 89 yards
K Anders Carlson: 2-of-5 FG
Nix Helps Tigers Overcome Early Mistakes Behind Career Night
Auburn and Ole Miss were locked in a scoreless battle for much of the first half.
However, the Tigers did have several chances to get on the board early on before they made critical mistakes.
Nix and Co. made their way inside of the Ole Miss 35-yard line on each of their first three possessions. But they missed two field goals and fumbled once, which left them with zero points.
Auburn finally scored with six minutes remaining in the first half. But before kicking a field goal from the Ole Miss 2-yard line, the Rebels nearly picked off Nix on an ill-advised throw to the end zone.
That field goal seemed to get the Tigers back on track offensively.
On their next drive, running back Harold Joiner took a pass 78 yards to the Rebels' 1-yard line, which set the table for the game's first touchdown. Running back D.J. Williams made his way into the end zone on the next play to extend the lead to 10-0.
After the field goal, Auburn scored on three of its next four possessions (not including a one-play "drive" at the end of the first half) to establish firm control, and Nix was right in the middle of the charge.
Entering Saturday night, the freshman had not attempted more than 37 passes in a game, nor had he completed more than 19 passes. He breezed past both of those totals en route to a career night.
He finished with a career-high 340yards, marking the second time this season he eclipsed the 300-yard plateau.
Bo Nix now has 300 passing yards for the second time in his career. He has the same amount of 300+ passing games as Cam Newton and Nick Marshall.
Nix was far from perfect, but he came through for his team on a night in which the Tigers had trouble getting out of their own way.
With matchups against No. 8 Georgia and No. 2 Alabama still looming, Auburn will have to clean up its offensive miscues to pull off either upset.
No two-loss team has ever made the College Football Playoff, but if the Tigers win out, they would have enough quality victories to give the committee something to think about.
What's Next
Ole Miss (3-6) will return home to host New Mexico State on Nov. 9. Auburn (7-2) will be off until Nov. 16, when No. 8 Georgia comes to town for a pivotal SEC showdown.
The Rise of College Football's Next Great QB
Oct 25, 2019
The young quarterback walked out of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Florida, on Oct. 5, and into the warm autumn day, his head down, his mind racing. Over and over, on the grainy film of memory, he replayed the day's missed throws, missed reads and missed opportunities. He couldn't let go.
Outfitted in a blue blazer and an orange tie, he continued to stroll through the growing late-afternoon shadows outside the stadium. Bo Nix was only a month removed from becoming the first true freshman to start the season at quarterback for Auburn since Travis Tidwell in 1946, and he had already achieved folk-hero status at Auburn after throwing a 26-yard touchdown pass to Seth Williams with nine seconds left to lead the Tigers to a 27-21 season-opening win over No. 11 Oregon. But on this day, he had authored the worst game of his just-beginning college career in Auburn's 24-13 loss to Florida. He threw three interceptions and completed just 11 of 27 passes for 145 yards. He looked, well, like a true freshman making his sixth career start against one of the top defenses in the nation in one of the loudest stadiums in the land.
Outside the Swamp, the 19-year-old silently moved past Tigers fans taking pictures of him and the what-the-heck-just-happened look carved onto his face. He stepped onto the idling team bus, taking a seat next to senior wide receiver Will Hastings, his roommate on road trips. Hastings glanced at his phone and saw that Nix was trending on Twitter—and not because he was the second coming of Cam Newton, who is Bo's football idol.
Nix gazed out the window, shaking his head. "How could I play like that?" he said to Hastings. "How could I make all those mistakes?"
"Let's not talk about the game," Hastings replied. "When I get down, I look at old pictures on my phone. They make me laugh.
"I know you want to talk ball 24/7, but take a look at your old pictures."
As the team busses rolled through darkening Florida evening toward the local airport, Nix pulled out his phone and lost himself in memories of his childhood. The pictures he stared at revealed the story of his rise—a narrative in images of why young Bo Nix, in spite of his struggles against the Gators, is poised to become one of the next elite quarterbacks in college football.
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - AUGUST 31: Bo Nix #10 of the Auburn Tigers during the Advocare Classic at AT&T Stadium on August 31, 2019 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Baby Bo wasn't interested in watching cartoons or playing with Legos. "Bo basically came out of the womb wanting a ball in his hands," says Patrick Nix, Bo's father, who played quarterback at Auburn from 1992 to '95. "The only time he watched television was when we put in old videos of football games. He wanted to play ball, watch ball and talk ball as a kid—that's it."
When Patrick was the offensive coordinator at Georgia Tech from 2002 to '06, he painted a football field in the backyard of the family home outside of Atlanta. On autumn weekend mornings, Little Bo would put on an Auburn uniform with full pads, place wristbands on his arms, and act like he was the Tigers starting quarterback, throwing passes to his father, mother and his three siblings.
Even then, Patrick marveled at his son's hand-eye coordination and the way the ball so effortlessly spiraled out of his right hand. In the backyard, the father taught his boy basic throwing mechanics, such as making sure his release was textbook-perfect and that his left foot was always aimed at his target. At night, Little Bo would stand in front of a mirror and pretend he was throwing a football, trying to emulate the college and pro quarterbacks he saw—strike that, studied—on television.
During some Georgia Tech practices, Bo would stand on the sideline, his eyes usually locked onto the quarterbacks, watching them closely, analyzing their every movement, every pass, how they carried out fake handoffs, even the way they interacted with their teammates. "Bo has been around football so much that he knew how to spot balls [after plays] on the left hash and the right hash on the correct yard marker even before he could count," Patrick says. "My dad was coaching high school [in Alabama] when Bo was little, and he was often at his practices and games, just watching and taking it all in. He was exposed to a lot at a very young age."
In 2009, after losing his job as the offensive coordinator at Miami, Patrick coached Bo's third-grade flag football team. At the kitchen table after dinner, Bo would help his dad install the game plan, telling him which plays he liked as the starting quarterback, which plays he didn't and why certain plays would work against the defense they were about to face. "Bo understood spacing and concepts of routes, like running high-lows, even when he was in flag football," Patrick says. "We threw the ball around a lot in our games, and he had success. He was doing things differently than other kids. That was when I knew, if he kept growing and improving, he had a chance to be special."
Before Bo began the fifth grade, Patrick took a job as the wide receivers coach at Charleston Southern in North Charleston, South Carolina. Bo spent the summer working out with the Buccaneer players. He threw passes to defensive backs during drills and listened intently with the other quarterbacks on the roster when they were being taught different protection schemes. He ran all the conditioning drills—and always became red-faced upset when he didn't win a particular contest. "I had to remind him that he was going against college players," Patrick says. "But Bo didn't care. He thought he should win every drill."
In the eighth grade, Bo became the starting varsity quarterback at Scottsboro (Alabama) High School, where his father became the head coach in 2013. Bo had grown to especially love the freewheeling, sandlot styles of Texas A&M's Johnny Manziel and Clemson's Deshaun Watson, and he already had an uncanny knack for locating—pre-snap—where the most vulnerable spot on the defense would be once the ball was in hands. By 10th grade, operating a run-pass option offense that is similar to what Auburn uses today, Bo could read the movements of defensive ends and linebackers at the same time—the key to making an RPO-based offense hum. "When a quarterback can read multiple defenders and run a complex offense by getting everyone in the right spot and on the same page, everything begins to slow down for the quarterback," Patrick says. "It did with Bo."
And always—alllllwaaaaaaaays—Bo wanted to talk ball with his dad. He'd stay up late finishing his homework at the kitchen table, waiting for his dad to return home from the office. Then together, under a circle of light at the table, the two would review the game plan for the upcoming opponent, talking deep into the night about what plays might work in different down, distance and field-position situations. On Sundays, they'd spend afternoons together on the living room couch reviewing game film, discussing which plays succeeded, which ones failed, and what Bo needed to do better.
Football was Bo's everything—the air he breathed, the sun in his expanding universe.
"My dad is my hero, and I've always wanted to be like him," Bo says. "He never forced anything on me. There isn't anything about football I don't like. I can't ever get enough of it."
After his sophomore season, Bo transferred from Scottsboro to Pinson Valley High School—where his dad became head coach in 2017. There, he would become the state's all-time leader in total offense (12,497 yards), touchdowns accounted for (161) and would lead his team to two state titles. At 6'2", 207 pounds and still growing as a high school senior, he was widely regarded as the top-dual threat quarterback recruit in the country. 247Sports ranked him as a five-star prospect.
So, was it a slam dunk that he would attend Auburn, where Patrick had graduated in 1995 as the school's leader in passing efficiency and where his dad had met his mother, also an Auburn alumnus? "No, it wasn't," Bo says. "It really came down to Auburn and Ohio State."
Bo had grown close with Tigers coach Gus Malzahn, who began recruiting him when he was in the eighth grade. "I watched him practice, watched him in basketball games, and what really stuck out were his physical ability and the intangible things like leadership," Malzahn says. "He had such great mental focus, and he treated every practice like it was the most important practice of his life. And being the son of a quarterback and a coach, he just knew how to handle himself with the other players. It's something that can be very hard to teach, but he just had the 'it' factor in terms of leadership. That is as important for a quarterback as the skill set, which he clearly had."
On Dec. 3, 2017—just as Nix was deciding between Auburn and Ohio State—Malzahn signed a seven-year, $49 million contract extension, which at the time was ridiculed as shortsighted by many Auburn fans. But it was no coincidence that five weeks later, Auburn landed the commitment of the highest-rated quarterback recruit of the Malzahn era. "The contract extension was the final straw and was what really caused Bo to go all-in and commit to Auburn," Patrick says. "His mom and I didn't know what he was going to do. We were already talking about possibly moving to be closer to Ohio State. But the new contract for Coach Malzahn sealed the deal in Bo's mind."
AUBURN, AL - SEPTEMBER 07: Head coach Gus Malzahn of the Auburn Tigers talks to quarterback Bo Nix #10 of the Auburn Tigers during their game against the Tulane Green Wave at Jordan-Hare Stadium on September 7, 2019 in Auburn, Alabama. (Photo by Michael C
Nix enrolled at Auburn in January. Soon after he arrived on campus, he began texting wide receivers, asking them to run routes with him at the Tigers' indoor practice facility. One afternoon, Hastings and fellow receiver Tyler Stovall, a former Auburn holder on point-after attempts who was the oldest player (28) in the SEC in 2017, took Nix to a local Buffalo Wild Wings. On the menu: advice from elders. "You need to lead by example," Stovall told Nix. "Be a voice, but don't overpower people."
"Just don't step on guys' toes, and be yourself," Hastings told Nix. "Don't come in and be the dominant force as a true freshman. Tell guys you'll be throwing at a certain time, and tell them that you'd love to have them meet you there. It's hard for some guys to be led by a freshman, but you can do it."
Slowly, as Bo sent out more tactful texts to his wide receivers, tight ends and running backs, more and more players began showing up at his throwing sessions. He even organized a pitch-and-catch practice around midnight after the Auburn basketball team lost 63-62 to Virginia in the Final Four on April 6.
"Bo likes his receivers to be very precise in their routes," Hastings says. "I remember him telling me once after I ran a five-yard route, 'You know, that's supposed to be six yards.' I was like, 'Bo, I know. I've been here a while.' But that just shows you his attention to detail. It shows he cares. And it's because he cares so much that he began to win over all the older guys on the team."
Another thing Bo did after shortly after stepping onto campus: He asked questions—and more questions and yet more questions. "Most freshmen are so shy and even look a little scared once they get here, but not Bo," says Mike Horton, a senior offensive lineman. "He wanted to know where things were, what the schedule was, what plays I liked, what it was like to play at different stadiums, what the coaches were like, just on and on. The questions were nonstop. And he adjusted to college life so quick, and he became a leader of this team so fast. Never seen anything like it. It was almost like he had a cheat sheet for what to do."
In late August, after three weeks of preseason practices, Malzahn named Nix the starter over redshirt freshman quarterback Joey Gatewood.
"Patrick Nix was a big-moment quarterback, and it was like he passed that characteristic down to Bo," Malzahn says. "Nothing is too big for him.
AUBURN, AL - SEPTEMBER 07: Quarterback Bo Nix #10 of the Auburn Tigers prior to their game against the Tulane Green Wave at Jordan-Hare Stadium on September 7, 2019 in Auburn, Alabama. (Photo by Michael Chang/Getty Images)
"The sons of coaches are just different. He got the other players to rally around him in summer camp. He worked on developing relationships. The guys believed in him. And out on the field, he showed he had the ability to get the job done as a true freshman."
Nix's entire family was in the stands at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, for Bo's first start, against Oregon. As Patrick watched his boy warm up, his thoughts drifted back through the mists of time, back to the 2011 national championship game at University of Phoenix Stadium—the last time Auburn had faced Oregon. Patrick remembered how on that night in the Arizona desert, Bo had sat next to him in the stands wearing a Cam Newton jersey, about how his apple-cheeked boy had run down to the first row after Auburn beat Oregon 22-19 to slap hands and celebrate with the Tigers players, how his son had been a picture of pure happiness as they drove back to the hotel in the wee hours of the morning. Yes, as Patrick continued to watch his son on the field in Arlington, he marveled at the many miles the two of them had traveled together. And now his boy was leading Patrick's beloved school—the father's wildest dreams never stretched so far.
Sitting next to his own dad—Bo's grandfather—Patrick and the rest of the Nix clan watched intently as Bo floated his final pass of the evening into the arms of Williams for the winning score. Seeing his son later that night, Patrick told Bo that he was worried the Ducks' safety might have intercepted the pass. "No, Dad, I saw his eyes, and he was looking in the other direction," Bo said. "I knew we had the one-on-one matchup we wanted."
Four weeks later against Mississippi State, Bo passed for a season-high 335 yards and two touchdowns in a 56-23 win at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn. He also rushed for 56 yards and a touchdown. That evening, the height of his talents were on full display—the strong-armed throws into tight windows, the ruthless accuracy on timing routes, and the foot speed to outrun linebackers to reach the perimeter when he kept the ball on RPO plays. It was a tantalizing performance, a look at all the physical ingredients Nix possesses, a peek at all that he could become with a dash of more seasoning and a sprinkle of more experience.
An hour after the game, Bo joined his family at their traditional tailgating spot in one of the outer parking lots. With the stadium lights aglow in the dark distance, Bo mingled with younger cousins and reviewed what he saw on the field with his dad. What a moment this was, the father and son sitting next to each other on folding chairs, the stars twinkling above them in the clear Southern sky, just talking ball like they were back home at the kitchen table. These are the memories—forged in the quiet, in close quarters with his boy—that the father cherishes the most, not what happens on the field.
Bo Nix is far from a polished quarterback. The nonstop, thundering crowd noise at the Swamp—"It was one of the two or three loudest road environments I've ever experienced," said one Auburn football staffer who has been with the team for more than two decades—made it difficult for Nix to communicate with his teammates, which in turn caused him to feel rushed as the time clock wound down, which in turn caused him to temporarily forget many of the lessons his father had taught him.
"I wasn't looking at my correct keys," Nix says. "On one play, for instance, when I was supposed to be reading the safety, I tried to read the safety and the linebacker and basically was just trying to do too much. And when you do that, when you try to see a lot on football field, you end up seeing too little. But I know I'll grow from the experience."
He indeed displayed growth last Saturday against Arkansas, bouncing back after a 4-for-9, 45-yard first half, to go 8-for-8 with 131 yards and touchdown passes of 48, 28 and 15 yards in the second half.
But don't forget that scene of Bo on the team bus after the Florida loss, scrolling through his phone, looking at all of those old pictures. You never know when a turning point for a young player will occur, but here, in the air-conditioned cool cabin, behind the tinted windows in a seat near the front, maybe it happened.
Because for a few fleeting moments, Nix put the performance against Florida out of his mind. For a few moments, he was just a 19-year-old kid again—happy and carefree and footloose. For a few moments, he smiled and remembered all of the games, the talks with his dad, the backyard throws, the boyhood summer workouts with college players and everything else that had led him to this seat on the bus as the starting quarterback of his favorite childhood team. That was when it dawned on him, a realization that can warm any wounded heart, an awareness that can lead to growth:
The best is yet to come.
Auburn RB JaTarvious 'Boobee' Whitlow out 4-6 Weeks After Surgery on Knee Injury
Oct 8, 2019
STARKVILLE, MS - OCTOBER 06: JaTarvious Whitlow #28 of the Auburn Tigers runs with the ball during a game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium on October 6, 2018 in Starkville, Mississippi. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
The No. 7 Auburn Tigers lost their first game of the season to No. 10 Florida on Oct. 5, but they suffered a larger loss on Tuesday when head coach Gus Malzahntold reporters starting running back JaTarvious "Boobee" Whitlow will miss four to six weeks following a surgical knee procedure earlier in the day.
Malzahn confirmed that Whitlow suffered the injury late in the game against Florida.
The 6'0", 210-pound sophomore leads the Tigers in rushing with 544 yards and seven touchdowns on 110 carries.
Second to Whitlow is quarterback Bo Nix with 191 yards and two touchdowns on 45 carries.
However, Malzahn expressed confidence in his other running backs moving forward.
"Obviously [Whitlow's] an impact player on offense," he said (h/t247Sports). "The good thing for that is we do have a deep group at running back."
"D.J. Williams, this is a big week for him," Malzahn added (h/t The Athletic'sJustin Ferguson). "We worked with Harold Joiner, and we've got our three other guys."
Williams has seen limited opportunities to this point in the season, notching just 32 yards on seven attempts as a true freshman. Auburn's other running backs are Kam Martin, Shaun Shivers and Malik Miller. Among those three, Martin has been the most productive with 174 yards and two touchdowns on 34 carries.
Whitlow has been the team's leading rusher in five of their six games, with Nix's 56 yards leading against Mississippi State.
On Sept. 30, following the 56-23 win over Mississippi State, Malzahnexplainedthat he had purposefully "spread some carries out" in the game. Williams had all seven of his carries in that game, while Martin (eight) and Shivers (four) also saw the ball a decent amount behind Whitlow's team-most 10 rushing attempts.
Malzahn's reasoning then was "specifically, [so] Boobee's fresh for the second half of the season."
Now, with Whitlow out potentially for the remainder of the regular season, Malzahn has no other choice.
Bo Nix, No. 8 Auburn Hang On to Beat Kellen Mond, No. 17 Texas A&M in SEC Play
Sep 21, 2019
COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 21: Bo Nix #10 of the Auburn Tigers throws a pass during warmups before playing against the Texas A&M Aggies at Kyle Field on September 21, 2019 in College Station, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)
The No. 8 Auburn Tigers made another early season statement with Saturday's 28-20 win over the 17th-ranked Texas A&M Aggies at Kyle Field.
Auburn started the year with a high-profile win over the Oregon Ducks. Saturday's SEC opener was also the Tigers' first true road game of 2019. Head coach Gus Malzahn's squad showed no fear and continued to make a strong case as one of the nation's best teams.
The Tigers looked to be on cruise control most of the way, taking a 28-10 lead midway through the fourth quarter.
Auburn's rushing attack carried the offense with 193 yards and two scores on 42 carries. Bo Nix struggled passing the ball with 100 yards on 12 completions.
Texas A&M made it interesting late with three straight scoring drives in the fourth, but it ultimately wasn't enough to overcome the early hole it found itself in.
The Aggies' late surge was sparked by Kellen Mond finally getting into a rhythm against Auburn's defense. His stat line is deceiving because the bulk of his 335 yards came late in the game.
Notable Performers
Auburn QB Bo Nix: 12-of-20 for 100 yards and one touchdown; 12 carries for 38 yards
Auburn WR Anthony Schwartz: two receptions for 30 yards; one carry for 57 yards and one touchdown
Auburn RB JaTarvious Whitlow: 18 carries for 67 yards and one touchdown
Texas A&M QB Kellen Mond: 31-of-49 for 335 yards and two touchdowns; nine carries for 26 yards
Texas A&M WR Quartney Davis: five receptions for 82 yards and one touchdown
Texas A&M WR Jhamon Ausbon: eight receptions for 111 yards
Auburn's Stout Defense Continues to Dominate
There are two ingredients to Auburn's formula for success: defense and running the ball.
Wide receiver Anthony Schwartz took care of the latter in the first quarter with a 57-yard touchdown run on the fourth play of the game:
Playing with a 14-point lead in the first quarter set up the Auburn defense to do what it's done so well this season. The Tigers held Texas A&M to 56 rushing yards and held firm against the pass for the first 50 minutes because of their ability to tackle:
Nickel-and-diming this Auburn defense just ain't working so far this season. The tackling in space has been too strong.
The defense was also instrumental in putting Auburn's offense in excellent positions to get points. Two of its first three touchdowns came on drives of 46 yards and 38 yards.
What LSU and Alabama are to offense, that's what Auburn is to defense.
Auburn's offense is in a growing phase with true freshman Nix at quarterback. Outside of the final drive against Oregon, Nix is still trying to find himself. He entered Saturday completing 52.4 percent of his passes and averaged fewer than six yards per attempt against Oregon and Tulane.
Having a defense capable of lifting everything else will allow Nix to grow as the season moves on and keep Auburn in the conversation as a playoff contender.
Kellen Mond Struggles on Big Stage
Texas A&M is in the process of trying to figure out what has happened to Mond. The junior quarterback seemed poised for a breakout 2019 after throwing for 3,107 yards and 24 touchdowns last season.
A difficult early season schedule against two Top 10 opponents with elite defenses hasn't done Mond any favors, but outside observers don't like what they have seen from the Texas native or how head coach Jimbo Fisher is using him:
Feels like every step that Kellen Mond took forward last year, he’s taken back this year.
Given Mond's inconsistent performance, Texas A&M needs the running game to step up in key spots. It didn't happen Saturday, leading to another disappointing result in a marquee game.
If there is a reason to be hopeful, Mond came alive in the fourth quarter when Texas A&M scored 17 points thanks to 193 passing yards and cut the deficit to 28-20.
Fisher is still building the Aggies roster with talent that best fits his scheme. He had a terrific recruiting class in 2019 that was ranked No. 4 in the nation by 247Sports. The incoming freshman class, combined with a strong nine-win campaign last season, may have raised expectations too high for the Aggies.
What's Next?
Auburn will be back at Jordan-Hare Stadium next Saturday to host Mississippi State, while Texas A&M will host Arkansas.
