Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1472993
8 6 A U G U S T 2 0 2 2 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M Auburn was an interesting enigma in Bryan Harsin's first season as head coach. In addition to beating LSU, Arkansas and Mississippi, the Tigers gave Penn State all it could handle in Beaver Sta- dium and nearly upset eventual College Football Playoff finalist Alabama. But they also struggled to put away Georgia State during the nonconference season and ended their campaign with five con- secutive defeats, including a 17-13 loss to Houston in the Birmingham Bowl. As it turned out, interesting enigmas weren't what the university's leader- ship was looking for. A little more than a month after the Tigers finished 6-7 — their first losing season since 2012 — the university launched an investigation of Harsin's management of the program. Were disgruntled boosters behind the effort to oust the first-year coach? It was hard to shake that suspicion. As one anonymous source told AI.com, "We call ourselves the Auburn family, but we're more like 'Game of Thrones.'" In the end, the investigation came to nothing. With the 2022 season ap- proaching, the Iron Throne still belongs to Harsin. To keep it, though, he may have to win the Iron Bowl. That's going to be a huge annual challenge, and there are plenty of additional battles that await in the SEC West. Whether Auburn is poised for a turn- around against such a difficult confer- ence schedule is an open question. The Tigers need to find a quarterback now that Bo Nix has left for Oregon, replen- ish their receiver corps and build some depth on the defensive line. Auburn must also break in two new coordinators: Jeff Schmedding and Eric Kiesau. Schmedding took charge of the defense in January after Derek Mason left for Oklahoma State, while Kiesau is actually the team's third offensive co- ordinator in Harsin's 19-month tenure. Mike Bobo was fired after the 2021 sea- son, and his replacement, Austin Da- vis, resigned after six weeks on the job, prompting Harsin to promote Kiesau from his previous role as wide receivers coach. Both Kiesau and Schmedding came with Harsin from Boise State, so the pro- gram's leadership should be in sync when it comes to schematic issues. The Tigers appear to have some play- making potential on both sides of the ball. On offense, junior Tank Bigsby is one of the country's top running backs, having rushed for 1,099 yards and 10 touchdowns last season. Auburn still has to settle on a quarterback, with Texas A&M transfer Zach Calzada battling re- turnee T.J. Finley. But the ground game should be solid. On defense, linebacker Owen Pap- poe is hoping to stay healthy and fulfill his five-star potential as a senior, while safety Nehemiah Pritchett could be the latest in a long line of standout Auburn cornerbacks. — Matt Herb S E P T . 1 7 | 3 : 3 0 P. M . | C B S | J O R D A N - H A R E S T A D I U M | A U B U R N , A L A . Running back Tank Bigsby finished fourth in the SEC in rushing last season with 1,099 yards. PHOTO BY TODD VAN EMST/AUBURN ATHLETICS WEEK 3 AUBURN 2022 SCHEDULE Date Opponent 2021 Result Sept. 3 Mercer — Sept. 10 San Jose State — Sept. 17 Penn State L, 28-20 Sept. 24 Missouri — Oct. 1 LSU W, 24-19 Oct. 8 at Georgia L, 34-10 Oct. 15 at Mississippi W, 31-20 Oct. 29 Arkansas W, 38-23 Nov. 5 at Mississippi State L, 43-34 Nov. 12 Texas A&M L, 20-3 Nov. 19 Western Kentucky — Nov. 26 at Alabama L, 24-22 WHAT COULD GO RIGHT The Tigers could parlay a favorable early- season schedule — they open with five consecutive home games — into a hot start that enables them to build some mo- mentum heading into the season's brutal second half. WHAT COULD GO WRONG They could lose to Penn State in Week 3, a result that would surely prompt another round of complaints about how Bryan Har- sin, a native of Boise, Idaho, just isn't the right guy for this quintessentially Southern coaching job. QUICK FACTS All-Time Series: Penn State leads 2-1 Last Meeting: The Nittany Lions defeated visit- ing Auburn 28-20 on Sept. 18, 2021 Head Coach: Bryan Harsin (6-7 in one season at Auburn; career coaching record: 82-31) 2021 Record: 6-7, 3-5 SEC Returning Starters: 16 (7 offense, 7 defense, 2 specialists) RETURNING LEADERS Rushing: RB Tank Bigsby (1,099 yards, 10 TDs) Passing: QB T.J. Finley (827 yards, 6 TDs) Receiving: WR Shedrick Jackson (527 yards, 1 TD) Tackles: DE Colby Wooden (61) Sacks: DE Derick Hall (9.0) Interceptions: S Donovan Kaufman, CB Nehe- miah Pritchett, CB Jaylin Simpson (1)