'We're here to win': Harsin instills confidence in the Tigers

AUBURN | The Tigers are picked to finish middle of the pack in the SEC this season, and that’s the optimistic predictions.

Auburn isn’t supposed to win more than eight games, others have said. But don’t tell that to Brandon Council and Owen Pappoe.

They see things very differently with first-year head coach Bryan Harsin running the show.

“Our mindset is to dominate. We’re here to win,” Council said. “Just because we have a new coaching staff — we’re here to win. We’re going to take it one game at a time.”

“He’s ready for it,” Pappoe said. “Coach Harsin is a winner. He’s not backing down from any challenge. He’s not intimidated that it’s the SEC and he comes from the Mountain West. His approach all year is we’re here to win championships. He’s established that.”

Auburn finished practice number five on Wednesday, moving indoors to give the outdoor turf a break from the grind.

For the Tigers to dominate or win consistently, the rushing attack has to be successful. With All-SEC back Tank Bigsby in the backfield and new offensive line coach Will Friend on board, Council is optimistic Auburn will get the job done.

“My opinion, we’re going to be more downhill and physical,” Council said. “During practice, we’re way more physical. We’re moving the ball better. Pass protection has gotten better. We have more awareness. We return six starters, essentially. Our awareness is better and we’re clicking better as a team.”

“(Coach Friend) brings the old school style. He wants to be physical in everything we do. Run off the ball, don’t shuffle off the ball. Contact, shoulder pad under the chin. He wants smash mouth football. He’s one of the best O-line coaches I’ve had.”

Under the former staff, running the ball was important, too. So, what’s the biggest difference during practice?

“It’s a lot different. We’re a lot more productive,” Council said. “They’re keeping us on a steady pace. Our motto is to thrive, not survive.”

More from Council

The Tigers are shuffling offensive linemen around during the early parts of fall camp. Council likes the strategy.

“I think it’s good for the offensive line. That’s going to be good moving forward. You never know when an injury is going to happen. They’re going to know what to do when you plug them in and play. Everything is a competition now. There’s nobody staying stagnant. We’re competing and anybody’s spot can get taken like that. It’s great to have that on the offensive line.”

Newcomer, quarterback TJ Finley, is hard to miss. The 6-foot-7 transfer from LSU has impressed his teammates so far.

“TJ Finley is a big guy. You can’t miss him,” Council said. “Him coming in, it was a great change up. He works well with the offense — picked up the offense really quick. He can move and throw. He’s a great asset for this team.”

Chandler Wooten believes ‘sometimes change can be good’

The new staff under Bryan Harsin has a different vibe at practice, and Tigers’ linebacker Chandler Wooten likes what he sees so far.

“Sometimes change is good,” he said. “I’ve enjoyed everything Coach Harsin preaches about, along with Coach (Derek) Mason and Coach (Jeff) Schmedding. It’s a different energy and different vibe. I love Coach Harsin. That’s the kind of coach I love to play for. The tenacity, the detail — that’s our mindset right now.”

The defensive line has been a point of concern since Derrick Brown and Marlon Davidson left Auburn. And on Tuesday, Harsin confirmed our reporting that Tyrone Truesdell has left the team. The defensive line is in need of a productive fall camp heading into the season. The good news is that Wooten sees that happening.

“They’ve played excellent so far in camp,” Wooten said. “I’m pleased with the strides they’ve been making. There’s a lot of guys flashing. I look forward to a big year from the defensive line. They’ve gotten criticism, but I can see them getting better on a day-to-day basis. They’re headed in the right direction, for sure.”

And off topic, what about those comments by former Auburn defensive lineman Big Kat Bryant that Central Florida could beat Auburn? Wooten shrugged that question off without cracking a smile.

“We don’t talk to him too much,” Wooten said. “He’s at another school. We’re not too worried about it. We’re tying to get better at Auburn. It was a quick little comment, but we’re in camp. We’re trying to get better. It is what it is.”

Owen Pappoe expects a ‘big year’ from friend Colby Wooden

Colby Wooden is coming off a season with 9.5 tackles for loss and four sacks. Despite a productive freshman season, Wooden was left off preseason All-SEC lists. Wooden’s response to that when asked was, “we’ll see.”

Pappoe knows what his friend Wooden is capable of, and expects eyes to be opened this fall.

“He got faster. His first step is something serious,” Pappoe said. “He’s making a whole bunch of plays in the backfield. Even when we go to the inside run period. He made a play the other day in the backfield. He’s ready to have a huge year this year.”

The Tigers return to the practice fields on Thursday with their first full pads practice of fall camp.

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