Auburn Daily

Takeaways: What did we learn from the A-Day scrimmage?

What can we take away from a wet A-Day scrimmage?

Andrew Stefaniak

Takeaways: What did we learn from the A-Day scrimmage?
Takeaways: What did we learn from the A-Day scrimmage? /
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For the first time in a while, there was football played in Jordan-Hare Stadium. 

The Auburn football team took the field to scrimmage each other as the offense and defense tied 24-24, meaning steak for everyone. 

It was tough to gauge how everyone looked in this game, as the weather was a huge factor. 

While the weather took away from this scrimmage a bit, there were still some things to take away. 

Let's look at some takeaways from Auburn's 2023 A-Day scrimmage.

Quarterback battle

Robby Ashford
Eric Starling/Auburn Daily

We saw Robby Ashford, Holdern Geriner, and TJ Finley all take snaps for the Tigers on A-Day. Ashford made some nice plays with his legs, including a touchdown run, and had one beautiful downfield throw to Tar'Varish Dawson for a big gain. Geriner showed a little wiggle in the pocket to complete a big gainer to Landen King and also scampered in to convert a two-point conversion. TJ Finley had a big run to pick up a third and 12, but aside from that didn't make many competitive throws. We have to give all of these guys the benefit of the doubt, as the rain made it hard to throw the football well, and some passes went through the wet hands of the wideouts. But the winner of this group was Ashford. He made magic with his legs like we saw a year ago. I still believe Auburn's 2023 starting quarterback isn't on the roster, but if the season started tomorrow, it would be Ashford. 

The running back room is deep

Brian Battie
Eric Starling/Auburn Daily

We saw five running backs get a carry for the Tigers on A-Day, and they all moved the football. Jarquez Hunter only played one drive but had a few chunk runs. Damari Alston and Brian Battie both looked outstanding in this game. They both had big runs and showed elusiveness and burst. Battie really impressed me, and he will play a massive role for the Tigers in 2023. Many people were counting out Alston, but he looked deserving of a good amount of carries after his performance in the scrimmage. This Tiger running back room has depth and a lot of it. Expect a lot of guys to put up big numbers for the Tigers in Hugh Freeze's first year as the head man at Auburn. 

The offensive line looks legit

Dillon Wade
Eric Starling/Auburn Daily

There was a lot of excitement around the offensive line heading into A-Day, and it's clear that excitement was warranted. The starting five looked good as a unit, made holes for the running backs, and gave the quarterback time to get throws off. After watching the horrendous offensive line play last season, many wondered how this problem would be fixed. Coach Freeze brought in players like Dillon Wade, Gunner Britton, and Avery Jones, who have this unit looking good. I don't expect the offensive line to be an issue for the Tigers in 2023 unless they catch the injury bug. 

The defensive backfield looked as good as advertised

Jaylin Simpson at practice.
Eric Starling/Auburn Daily

Many expect the defensive backs to be a position of strength for the Tigers in 2023. They looked as good as advertised in this A-Day scrimmage. Now to be fair to the offense, the rain definitely helped the DB's, and the quarterbacks didn't throw it all that much, but aside from the big downfield completion from Ashford to Dawson, they were shut down. Kayin Lee made a really impressive play breaking up a fade route near the goal line intended for the six-foot-five King. This room will be very deep and make it hard for opposing offenses to move the ball through the air. 

Don't overreact

Auburn football pregame before the Iron Bowl.
Jason Homan/Auburn Daily

Another key for Auburn fans is to not overreact to what happened in this game. The rain made it really tough as players were losing their footing, and it was difficult for the quarterbacks and receivers to grip the ball. This team is also likely incomplete, as Coach Freeze and company will add more players in the upcoming transfer portal period. There is a lot to look forward to on the Plains as we look past spring practice and ahead to the 2023 season. 

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Andrew Stefaniak
ANDREW STEFANIAK

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