This is an opinion column.
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My fanciful wish for Auburn after its 45-19 victory against New Mexico was that Lobos quarterback Devon Dampier would quit his current team and join Hugh Freeze on the Plains.
Maybe leave Dampier a bag of cash in his locker. Maybe buy him a truck or something. We need not know the messy details. Dampier belongs in the SEC, and Auburn needs a second quarterback before next week’s game against Arkansas.
But alas, stealing players immediately after games isn’t yet legal in college football.
Give it a year. By next season players will be switching teams for cash at halftime.
Sophomore Dampier gave Auburn’s defense fits on Saturday night at Jordan-Hare Stadium. The good thing for Auburn is that the Tigers found a starting quarterback just in time to match Dampier’s dazzling plays.
One week after Tigers quarterback Payton Thorne tossed four interceptions, Auburn’s new quarterback, Hank Brown, had four passing touchdowns to four different receivers. Roll the oaks with pride, Plainsmen, because the way this season is going in the SEC nothing is guaranteed. Just ask Georgia.
On the same night that Auburn started to trend upwards, the rival Bulldogs were humbled at Kentucky and struggled to a smelly 13-12 win.
Meanwhile at Texas, starting quarterback Quinn Ewers went out with an injury against UTSA.
Auburn might not be so bad after all, but it’s tough to know anything after victories against teams like New Mexico. Last Saturday, Auburn’s offensive line couldn’t block Cal. This week, Brown had time to complete his first nine passes of the second half.
No matter the opponent, it was a great sign going into the meat of Auburn’s schedule. Next up is Arkansas followed by Oklahoma and then Georgia.
Freeze isn’t happy with Auburn’s defense, but at this point any and all signs of positive growth deserve game balls and post-game celebrations. My favorite thing about Brown so far is his confidence. He looked calm in the pocket and made great decisions.
“We’re planning on putting up a bunch of points every game and continue doing what we did tonight,” Brown said after the game.
We’ll see, but the attitude is encouraging.
Brown put the game away with a 26-yard touchdown pass to Rivaldo Fairweather with 12:08 left in the fourth quarter. The score gave Auburn a 38-18 lead and Lobos quarterback Dampier was exhausted from carrying his team. He couldn’t keep up. Auburn’s defense allowed 448 yards but made stops when they needed it most.
There was never any doubt that Auburn was a better team than what it showed against Cal. The only question was whether or not Freeze was going to do the necessary thing and bench Thorne. He made the right call this week and now Auburn can begin game planning for the Razorbacks with a quarterback who can keep defenses honest.
Auburn isn’t expected to compete for the SEC title this season, but it’s time to start stacking victories and showing recruits and young players that major progress on the Plains isn’t far off.
The schedule to begin the season always favored Auburn as long as the Tigers could find a quarterback before SEC play. Arkansas struggled with UAB on Saturday and Oklahoma faces a tough test next week in Tennessee. The Tigers can build momentum before Georgia as long as the defense can make a few stops.
This is a random thought. Not sure who needs to hear this — maybe Freeze — but receiver Malcom Simmons needs more touches. Cam Coleman and others get all the attention, but whenever Simmons is in the game the ball finds him and he makes plays.
The ball finds energy. It’s one of the great psychobabble axioms of sports. I’m not saying Simmons is about to be a breakout star, but it feels like Auburn is saving a few things for its conference foes.
Freeze went out and found plenty of talent in the offseason. Hopefully he now has a quarterback who can unlock it all.
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Joseph Goodman is the lead sports columnist for the Alabama Media Group, and author of the book “We Want Bama: A Season of Hope and the Making of Nick Saban’s Ultimate Team.”
