Defense wins the night in Auburn's first fall scrimmage

AUBURN | Auburn scrimmaged under the lights inside Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday night. The Tigers were scheduled to scrimmage at 6 p.m. CT, but rain delayed the start an hour.

The goal of tonight was to simulate conditions around the season opener against Akron, which is also scheduled for 6 p.m. CT on Sept. 4.

Auburn ran around 100 plays during the scrimmage with officials on the field, ending around 9 p.m. CT.

“We had a good time out there playing. They got the chance to cut it loose,” Bryan Harsin said late on Saturday night. “The operation and the communication was good. Now, we have to put together a depth chart — start putting together 1’s and 2’s. But great night, even with the delay, we love it. We’re excited about the season and preparing ourselves.”

Here’s our Insider, detailing the scrimmage happenings from a cumulation of sources.

Harsin reiterated some of what we reported.

Defense wins the night

The defense often times has the upper hand in early scrimmages, and that was no different tonight.

“Overall, I thought the D-line played pretty well,” Harsin said. “The linebackers were headed downhill and there were some negative plays the defense created. I thought the front seven did well. Secondary, there were some turnovers. Overall, defensively, what I was looking for was effort and see the guys make plays. I wanted to see the process between each play. They have so much they have to communicate and adjust — those guys communicating, that focus, and when the ball is snapped, that effort. They did a good job tonight.”

Harsin noted one or two fumbles. Auburn Live reported two interceptions by Jaylin Simpson and Nehemiah Pritchett.

Offense remains a work in progress

With the defense performing well, that means the offense has seen better nights, in particular the offensive line.

“It was a little inconsistent,” Harsin said. “I stand back behind the offense and I see the quarterback and the progressions. I see every little thing and I’m pretty critical. We ran the ball, we did strike, we missed some blocks, just flat out missed them. We have to communicate. Those things we have to correct. There were some false starts that we need to get corrected and address moving forward.

“They did better in pass protection. We ran the ball and got downhill, so there were some positive that way. It was all about consistency. When you have the D-line in your face and trying to penetrate, you have to be really, really good upfront. Our O-Line is improved, but moving forward, it’s about consistency. We have to make sure we have the right people and are physical and move the line of scrimmage.”

Receiving corps earns praise

As mentioned in our Insider piece detailing the scrimmage, Ze’Vian Capers and Elijah Canion both caught touchdowns. Harsin mentioned Demetris Robertson playing well and learning the playbook, too.

The receivers appear to have had a solid night.

“The wide receivers made a lot of progress. They showed up,” Harsin said. “They caught the ball well and had yards after catch — had big plays in critical moments. They’ve been doing that in practice. That carried over into the scrimmage tonight. That was a positive in terms of consistency. That was a positive in terms of making plays.”

Roller coaster quarterback play continues

Our Insider piece noted both touchdowns and turnovers from the quarterback group. Bo Nix and TJ Finley both had good and bad moments.

Harsin wants to see better decision making moving forward.

“There was some turnovers, something we created on offense and some we created on defense. It comes down to decision making,” Harsin said. “That’s a huge part of what we’re working through now. We’re learning the proper way to execute the offense and how it needs to look each and every day in practice, then making good decisions on the field. When you go out there and it’s time to play, you have to make great decisions. You have to take care of the football and make great checks. That goes back to preparation.

“There’s some really good things tonight at that position, but there’s plenty to correct. That’s the focus going forward, the decision making process.”

Freshman Dematrius Davis played well, but most of his work was against second and third team defense. Still, Harsin praised the youngster.

“He got a few runs that were designed and kind of pump faked two yards downfield. I don’t remember who he got, but he’s got some gamesmanship. Where he’s at right now, he understands now that he’s been in it. He’s improved through spring and summer — he’s able to play and react. I thought there were some good things from him. I liked his energy on the field. He had a good idea and grasp of what we were doing. He’s progressed.”

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