Bryan Harsin addresses Auburn starting quarterback situation following Penn State loss

More quarterback questions are coming for Bryan Harsin and Auburn. During the Tigers’ loss to Penn State, Harsin pulled TJ Finley and put Robby Ashford in — and he addressed what direction he’ll go at QB1 going forward.

Finley started the game and struggled, going 11-for-19 for 152 yards, no touchdowns and an interception before heading to the bench in the third quarter. Ashford then came into the game and threw for a touchdown along with 144 yards on 10-of-19 passing.

The two were competing for the starting job throughout the offseason, and Harsin said he’ll look at all options going forward — including potentially using Zach Calzada, who Harsin and the staff “talked about” using against Penn State.

CLICK HERE to subscribe for FREE to the On3 YouTube channel

“We’ll see,” Harsin said, via Auburn Live’s Justin Hokanson. “We’ll evaluate everything going into this week.”

CBS’ Jenny Dell provided an update during the game on Harsin’s decision to pull Finley in favor of Ashford, noting the Oregon transfer started warming up after Finley committed a turnover.

“Right after Finley’s lost turnover, Robby Ashford started getting off the bench getting warmed up and ready to go,” Dell said. “I asked him about the mindset coming into these games and he said, ‘I need to prepare myself like I’m a starter because I always know I’m one call away, one play away from playing the rest of the game.’ He said, ‘In a split second, they could call my number.’

“And Gary, you were talking about that backup quarterback mentality. Well, looks like this is his moment here.”

It also appeared Finley was dealing with an injury, favoring his shoulder heading into the locker room at halftime. But he came back out onto the field for the second half before Ashford ended up coming in.

Bryan Harsin on Auburn quarterback rotation: ‘It’s a feel’

Harsin appeared on The Paul Finebaum Show on Friday and talked about getting “a feel” for who’ll help the Tigers win games. Finley and Ashford offer different skill sets, but Harsin said he’ll roll with whoever gives Auburn the best chance to win. He’s told the team that, too.

“It’s a feel,” Harsin said, in part. “It depends on how a guy’s playing in a game. Now, from coaching quarterbacks, playing that position, as well, it’s also important that if you’ve got some guys that can help your team, you want you utilize them. You don’t want to just leave somebody on the bench that can come out there and make a difference for your team. And that might be a quarterback. So work that into your plan, but let everybody know it’s not a surprise to the team when Robby comes in. It’s not a surprise if we’re going with someone else in certain situations.”